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BRAS Newsletter August 2013
www.brastro.org August 2013 Next meeting Aug 12th 7:00PM at the HRPO Dark Site Observing Dates: Primary on Aug. 3rd, Secondary on Aug. 10th Photo credit: Saturn taken on 20” OGS + Orion Starshoot - Ben Toman 1 What's in this issue: PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE....................................................................................................................3 NOTES FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT ............................................................................................4 MESSAGE FROM THE HRPO …....................................................................................................5 MONTHLY OBSERVING NOTES ....................................................................................................6 OUTREACH CHAIRPERSON’S NOTES .........................................................................................13 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION .......................................................................................................14 2 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Hi Everyone, I hope you’ve been having a great Summer so far and had luck beating the heat as much as possible. The weather sure hasn’t been cooperative for observing, though! First I have a pretty cool announcement. Thanks to the efforts of club member Walt Cooney, there are 5 newly named asteroids in the sky. (53256) Sinitiere - Named for former BRAS Treasurer Bob Sinitiere (74439) Brenden - Named for founding member Craig Brenden (85878) Guzik - Named for LSU professor T. Greg Guzik (101722) Pursell - Named for founding member Wally Pursell -
Winter Constellations
Winter Constellations *Orion *Canis Major *Monoceros *Canis Minor *Gemini *Auriga *Taurus *Eradinus *Lepus *Monoceros *Cancer *Lynx *Ursa Major *Ursa Minor *Draco *Camelopardalis *Cassiopeia *Cepheus *Andromeda *Perseus *Lacerta *Pegasus *Triangulum *Aries *Pisces *Cetus *Leo (rising) *Hydra (rising) *Canes Venatici (rising) Orion--Myth: Orion, the great hunter. In one myth, Orion boasted he would kill all the wild animals on the earth. But, the earth goddess Gaia, who was the protector of all animals, produced a gigantic scorpion, whose body was so heavily encased that Orion was unable to pierce through the armour, and was himself stung to death. His companion Artemis was greatly saddened and arranged for Orion to be immortalised among the stars. Scorpius, the scorpion, was placed on the opposite side of the sky so that Orion would never be hurt by it again. To this day, Orion is never seen in the sky at the same time as Scorpius. DSO’s ● ***M42 “Orion Nebula” (Neb) with Trapezium A stellar nursery where new stars are being born, perhaps a thousand stars. These are immense clouds of interstellar gas and dust collapse inward to form stars, mainly of ionized hydrogen which gives off the red glow so dominant, and also ionized greenish oxygen gas. The youngest stars may be less than 300,000 years old, even as young as 10,000 years old (compared to the Sun, 4.6 billion years old). 1300 ly. 1 ● *M43--(Neb) “De Marin’s Nebula” The star-forming “comma-shaped” region connected to the Orion Nebula. ● *M78--(Neb) Hard to see. A star-forming region connected to the Orion Nebula. -
Spatial Distribution of Galactic Globular Clusters: Distance Uncertainties and Dynamical Effects
Juliana Crestani Ribeiro de Souza Spatial Distribution of Galactic Globular Clusters: Distance Uncertainties and Dynamical Effects Porto Alegre 2017 Juliana Crestani Ribeiro de Souza Spatial Distribution of Galactic Globular Clusters: Distance Uncertainties and Dynamical Effects Dissertação elaborada sob orientação do Prof. Dr. Eduardo Luis Damiani Bica, co- orientação do Prof. Dr. Charles José Bon- ato e apresentada ao Instituto de Física da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul em preenchimento do requisito par- cial para obtenção do título de Mestre em Física. Porto Alegre 2017 Acknowledgements To my parents, who supported me and made this possible, in a time and place where being in a university was just a distant dream. To my dearest friends Elisabeth, Robert, Augusto, and Natália - who so many times helped me go from "I give up" to "I’ll try once more". To my cats Kira, Fen, and Demi - who lazily join me in bed at the end of the day, and make everything worthwhile. "But, first of all, it will be necessary to explain what is our idea of a cluster of stars, and by what means we have obtained it. For an instance, I shall take the phenomenon which presents itself in many clusters: It is that of a number of lucid spots, of equal lustre, scattered over a circular space, in such a manner as to appear gradually more compressed towards the middle; and which compression, in the clusters to which I allude, is generally carried so far, as, by imperceptible degrees, to end in a luminous center, of a resolvable blaze of light." William Herschel, 1789 Abstract We provide a sample of 170 Galactic Globular Clusters (GCs) and analyse its spatial distribution properties. -
Ghost Hunt Challenge 2020
Virtual Ghost Hunt Challenge 10/21 /2020 (Sorry we can meet in person this year or give out awards but try doing this challenge on your own.) Participant’s Name _________________________ Categories for the competition: Manual Telescope Electronically Aided Telescope Binocular Astrophotography (best photo) (if you expect to compete in more than one category please fill-out a sheet for each) ** There are four objects on this list that may be beyond the reach of beginning astronomers or basic telescopes. Therefore, we have marked these objects with an * and provided alternate replacements for you just below the designated entry. We will use the primary objects to break a tie if that’s needed. Page 1 TAS Ghost Hunt Challenge - Page 2 Time # Designation Type Con. RA Dec. Mag. Size Common Name Observed Facing West – 7:30 8:30 p.m. 1 M17 EN Sgr 18h21’ -16˚11’ 6.0 40’x30’ Omega Nebula 2 M16 EN Ser 18h19’ -13˚47 6.0 17’ by 14’ Ghost Puppet Nebula 3 M10 GC Oph 16h58’ -04˚08’ 6.6 20’ 4 M12 GC Oph 16h48’ -01˚59’ 6.7 16’ 5 M51 Gal CVn 13h30’ 47h05’’ 8.0 13.8’x11.8’ Whirlpool Facing West - 8:30 – 9:00 p.m. 6 M101 GAL UMa 14h03’ 54˚15’ 7.9 24x22.9’ 7 NGC 6572 PN Oph 18h12’ 06˚51’ 7.3 16”x13” Emerald Eye 8 NGC 6426 GC Oph 17h46’ 03˚10’ 11.0 4.2’ 9 NGC 6633 OC Oph 18h28’ 06˚31’ 4.6 20’ Tweedledum 10 IC 4756 OC Ser 18h40’ 05˚28” 4.6 39’ Tweedledee 11 M26 OC Sct 18h46’ -09˚22’ 8.0 7.0’ 12 NGC 6712 GC Sct 18h54’ -08˚41’ 8.1 9.8’ 13 M13 GC Her 16h42’ 36˚25’ 5.8 20’ Great Hercules Cluster 14 NGC 6709 OC Aql 18h52’ 10˚21’ 6.7 14’ Flying Unicorn 15 M71 GC Sge 19h55’ 18˚50’ 8.2 7’ 16 M27 PN Vul 20h00’ 22˚43’ 7.3 8’x6’ Dumbbell Nebula 17 M56 GC Lyr 19h17’ 30˚13 8.3 9’ 18 M57 PN Lyr 18h54’ 33˚03’ 8.8 1.4’x1.1’ Ring Nebula 19 M92 GC Her 17h18’ 43˚07’ 6.44 14’ 20 M72 GC Aqr 20h54’ -12˚32’ 9.2 6’ Facing West - 9 – 10 p.m. -
2002 Convention Bulletin
STELLAFANE The 67th Convention of Amateur Telescope Makers on Breezy Hill in Springfield, Vermont. Friday, August 9th and Saturday, August 10th, 2002 "For it is true that astronomy, from a popular standpoint, is handicapped by the inability of the average workman to own an expensive astronomical telescope. It is also true that if an amateur starts out to build a telescope just for fun he will find, before his labors are over, that he has become seriously interested in the wonderful mechanism of our universe. And finally there is understandably the stimulus of being able to unlock the mysteries of the heavens by a tool fashioned by one's own hand." Russell W. Porter, March 1923 -- Founder of Stellafane The Stellafane Convention is a gathering of amateur telescope makers. The Convention was started in 1926 to give amateur telescope makers an opportunity to gather, to show off their creations and teach each other telescope making and mirror grinding techniques. If you have made your own telescope, we strongly encourage you to display it in the telescope fields near the Pink Clubhouse. If you wish, you can enter it in the mechanical and/or optical competition. There are also mirror grinding and telescope making demonstrations, technical lectures on telescope making and the presentation of awards for telescope design and craftsmanship. Vendor displays and the retail sale of commercial products are not permitted. For additional information please check out the home page www.stellafane.com. Enjoy the convention! PLEASE NOTE AN IMPORTANT SCHEDULE CHANGE DURING CONVENTION: The optical judging has been re- scheduled for Friday night! There will be no optical judging Saturday night unless clouds interfere with the optical competition on Friday. -
A Basic Requirement for Studying the Heavens Is Determining Where In
Abasic requirement for studying the heavens is determining where in the sky things are. To specify sky positions, astronomers have developed several coordinate systems. Each uses a coordinate grid projected on to the celestial sphere, in analogy to the geographic coordinate system used on the surface of the Earth. The coordinate systems differ only in their choice of the fundamental plane, which divides the sky into two equal hemispheres along a great circle (the fundamental plane of the geographic system is the Earth's equator) . Each coordinate system is named for its choice of fundamental plane. The equatorial coordinate system is probably the most widely used celestial coordinate system. It is also the one most closely related to the geographic coordinate system, because they use the same fun damental plane and the same poles. The projection of the Earth's equator onto the celestial sphere is called the celestial equator. Similarly, projecting the geographic poles on to the celest ial sphere defines the north and south celestial poles. However, there is an important difference between the equatorial and geographic coordinate systems: the geographic system is fixed to the Earth; it rotates as the Earth does . The equatorial system is fixed to the stars, so it appears to rotate across the sky with the stars, but of course it's really the Earth rotating under the fixed sky. The latitudinal (latitude-like) angle of the equatorial system is called declination (Dec for short) . It measures the angle of an object above or below the celestial equator. The longitud inal angle is called the right ascension (RA for short). -
August 2012 of You Know I Went to the Astronomical League Conference (Alcon) in Chicago at the Beginning of July with My Grandmother
BACKBACK BAYBAY observerobserver The Official Newsletter of the Back Bay Amateur Astronomers P.O. Box 9877, Virginia Beach, VA 23450-9877 Looking Up! Hello again! This month I actually have a story EPHEMERALS to tell, instead of just random ramblings. As most august 2012 of you know I went to the Astronomical League Conference (ALCon) in Chicago at the beginning of July with my grandmother. It was great. Not quite 08/24, 7:00 pm as good as last year, seeing as I had to pay for it Night Hike and they didn’t give me a check and a plaque this Northwest River Park year (last year I won the Horkheimer Youth award, which paid for my trip), but it was still a lot of fun, and very educational. I met a lot of cool 08/24, 8:00 pm people and definitely learned something. The Garden Stars whole trip was a big story, but a few events stand Norfolk Botanical Gardens out the most in my memory, and they’re all connected to some extent. 08/28, 7:00 pm Boardwalk Astronomy It all started on the day we got there. ALCon is Near 24th St Stage an annual four day conference usually in the VA Beach Oceanfront beginning of July. This year, the day we got there was July fourth. After checking in, taking a nap and 09/06, 7:30 pm dining, we decided to participate in the observing BBAA Monthly Meeting event outside the hotel. It was in a parking lot with lights, and fireworks, but there was a large moon TCC Campus and Saturn was up, so we went for it. -
Yankee Digital Dandy
EQUIPMENT REVIEW Yankee Robotics’ new CCD camera combines maximum sensitivity, low noise, and a great price. /// BY BOB FERA Yankee digital dandy The field of advanced charge-coupled device (CCD) imaging is dominated by high-quality instruments from a few well-known manufacturers, such as Santa Barbara Instruments Group (SBIG), Finger Lakes Instrumentation (FLI), and Starlight Express. Recently, a new player entered the sures 18mm by 27mm, a game with a unique approach to CCD- USB-2.0 interface, and a camera design. That company, Yankee lifetime warranty. Robotics of San Diego, has introduced its Unlike some systems, Trifid-2 line of cameras and is aiming the Trifid-2 does not come directly at the big boys. with either a filter wheel I tested Yankee’s top-of-the-line model, or an onboard guiding which features Kodak’s KAF-6303E CCD chip. Using the camera detector, to see if it measures up to the thus requires purchasing competition. It does. and integrating a third- The first thing prospective customers party filter wheel from a will notice about the Trifid-2 is the price, company such as FLI or Optec, which, at $6,895 (with the Class 2 imaging Inc. Also, you’ll need an off-axis chip), is thousands of dollars less than com- guider or a guide scope with a dedicated petitors’ cameras equipped with the same autoguider, such as SBIG’s ST-4, ST-V, or THE TRIFID-2 CCD camera houses a 6- 6-megapixel KAF-6303E detector. What ST-402ME. But, even after adding in these megapixel Kodak KAF-6303E CCD chip. -
Astronomy Targets: September 2018 Unless Stated Otherwise, All Times Are for Mid-Month, for Birmingham UK and Are GMT+1
Astronomy targets: September 2018 Unless stated otherwise, all times are for mid-month, for Birmingham UK and are GMT+1. Rise & set times are for 20 degrees above horizon. Dark & light times are nautical twilight times (Sun 12 degrees below horizon) and astronomical darkness (Sun 18 degrees below horizon). © Andrew Butler, 2018. Sun and Moon data sourced from US Naval Observatory. Sun times Monday date Sunset Naut Astro Astro Naut Sunrise Moon Moon % Dark Dark Light Light 03/09/18 1951 2110 2158 0416 0504 0623 2353 → 40% 10/09/18 1935 2052 2137 0433 0518 0635 2% 17/09/18 1918 2033 2117 0448 0531 0647 ← 2346 60% 24/09/18 1902 2016 2057 0502 0544 0658 1916 → 100% Calendar 9 Sep New Moon 24 Sep Full Moon Planets Cygnus Sunset-0300, best 2210 Mars (low at Sunset) Emmission nebulae: Jupiter (low at Sunset) NGC6888 Crescent Nebula Saturn (low at Sunset) NGC6960 Veil Nebula Uranus (2230-Sunrise) IC5070 Pelican Nebula Neptune (2130-0330) IC7000 (C20) North American Nebula Planetary nebulae: Ursa Major Sunset-0150 IC5146 (C19) Cocoon Nebula Planetary nebula: M97 Owl Nebula NGC6826 Blinking Nebula Galaxies: NGC7008 Fetus Nebula M81 Bode’s Galaxy & M82 Cigar Galaxy Open clusters: M101 Pinwheel Galaxy M29 M108 M39 M109 NGC6871 Multiple star: Mizar & Alcor ζ-UMa (zeta-UMa) 3 white NGC6883 NGC6910 Rocking Horse Cluster Canes Venatici Sunset-2130 Galaxy: NGC6946 (C12) Fireworks Galaxy Globular cluster: M3 Multiple stars: Galaxies: Albireo β-Cyg (beta-Cyg) gold & blue M51 Whirlpool Galaxy 61-Cyg orange & red M63 Sunflower Galaxy M94 Delphinus Sunset-0240, -
List of Bright Nebulae Primary I.D. Alternate I.D. Nickname
List of Bright Nebulae Alternate Primary I.D. Nickname I.D. NGC 281 IC 1590 Pac Man Neb LBN 619 Sh 2-183 IC 59, IC 63 Sh2-285 Gamma Cas Nebula Sh 2-185 NGC 896 LBN 645 IC 1795, IC 1805 Melotte 15 Heart Nebula IC 848 Soul Nebula/Baby Nebula vdB14 BD+59 660 NGC 1333 Embryo Neb vdB15 BD+58 607 GK-N1901 MCG+7-8-22 Nova Persei 1901 DG 19 IC 348 LBN 758 vdB 20 Electra Neb. vdB21 BD+23 516 Maia Nebula vdB22 BD+23 522 Merope Neb. vdB23 BD+23 541 Alcyone Neb. IC 353 NGC 1499 California Nebula NGC 1491 Fossil Footprint Neb IC 360 LBN 786 NGC 1554-55 Hind’s Nebula -Struve’s Lost Nebula LBN 896 Sh 2-210 NGC 1579 Northern Trifid Nebula NGC 1624 G156.2+05.7 G160.9+02.6 IC 2118 Witch Head Nebula LBN 991 LBN 945 IC 405 Caldwell 31 Flaming Star Nebula NGC 1931 LBN 1001 NGC 1952 M 1 Crab Nebula Sh 2-264 Lambda Orionis N NGC 1973, 1975, Running Man Nebula 1977 NGC 1976, 1982 M 42, M 43 Orion Nebula NGC 1990 Epsilon Orionis Neb NGC 1999 Rubber Stamp Neb NGC 2070 Caldwell 103 Tarantula Nebula Sh2-240 Simeis 147 IC 425 IC 434 Horsehead Nebula (surrounds dark nebula) Sh 2-218 LBN 962 NGC 2023-24 Flame Nebula LBN 1010 NGC 2068, 2071 M 78 SH 2 276 Barnard’s Loop NGC 2149 NGC 2174 Monkey Head Nebula IC 2162 Ced 72 IC 443 LBN 844 Jellyfish Nebula Sh2-249 IC 2169 Ced 78 NGC Caldwell 49 Rosette Nebula 2237,38,39,2246 LBN 943 Sh 2-280 SNR205.6- G205.5+00.5 Monoceros Nebula 00.1 NGC 2261 Caldwell 46 Hubble’s Var. -
2009 Stellafane Convention
2010 STELLAFANE CONVENTION Beginner Talks “Tour of the Russell Porter Turret Telescope” by Brad Vietje and John Gallagher Friday, August 6th, 3:00 p.m. & Saturday, August 15th, 11:30 a.m. Meets at the Turret Telescope Located at the summit of Breezy Hill, immediately to the North of the Stellafane Pink Clubhouse, The Russell Porter Turret Telescope is one of three known “turret telescopes”. The primary advantage of this type of telescope is that the observers are inside of the observatory building, protected from the cold temperatures of long winter nights and biting mosquitoes of summer nights. Brad Vietje and John Gallagher, both members and past presidents of the Springfield Telescope Makers, will talk about the history of the Turret Telescope, demonstrate how the telescope is used and observe the Sun, if the weather permits and the Sun obliges by displaying some sunspots. “Solar System Walk” by Roger Williams Friday, August 6th, 4:15 p.m. & Saturday, August 7th, 12:30 p.m. Starts behind the Pink Clubhouse near the green shed To illustrate the vast size of outer space, the Springfield Telescope Makers have constructed a scale model of the solar system, based on the Sun being 12 inches in diameter. At that scale, the Earth would be approximately 1/10 of an inch in diameter and 107 feet from the Sun. Jupiter would be 1.2 inches in diameter and approximately 560 feet from the Sun. The “Solar System Walk” begins behind the Pink Clubhouse and proceeds down the road going towards the Stellafane camping area. At the appropriate distance, from the scale model of the Sun, there are stations with the appropriate planet, built to scale, and a short description of each planet. -
Newsletter Archive the Skyscraper August 2011
the vol. 38 no. 8 August Skyscraper 2011 Amateur Astronomical Society of Rhode Island 47 Peeptoad Road North Scituate, Rhode Island 02857 www.theSkyscrapers.org August Meeting with Tom Thibault Friday, August 5, 7:30pm Seagrave Memorial Observatory Skyscrapers president Tom Thibault will Recently talk about “The Merits of Maintaining an improved Observing Log”. He will touch upon the northern reasons for his interest in astronomy and the & eastern timeline of his increasing involvement. The horizons, focus of his presentation will be why, how, thanks to our and what he includes in log entries as well as where the particular journal he utilizes can neighbor be purchased. Gene Allen. In this issue… 2 President’s Message 3 The Constellations in August Phases 4 August Meteor Shower to be Mooned Out & of the Observing the Moon Last Quarter Moon 6 13 21 28 6 July Reports Other notable events: Vesta is at opposition on the 5th. Perseid meteor shower peaks on the 8 New GOES-R to 12th-13th. Venus is at superior conjunction on the 16th. Mercury is at inferior conjunction Give More on the 16th. Neptune is at opposition on the 22nd. 8 Tornado Warning Time 9 The 30-Year Legacy of Seagrave Memorial Observatory NASA’s Remarkable is open to the public Spacecraft: The weather permitting Space Shuttles Saturdays: 9:00-11:00 pm 8:00 - 10:00 pm beginning August 27 15 AstroAssembly 2011 Registration 2 The Skyscraper August 2011 President’s Message Tom Thibault The Skyscraper is published monthly by Skyscrapers, Inc. Meetings are usually held Dear Skyscrapers Members, desserts that satisfied so many.