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JANUARY 2008 the Denver JANUARY 2008 The Denver Newsletter of the Denver Astronomical Society One Mile Nearer the Stars Chilly Sisters About 400 light years away and easily seen with the unaided eye, the Pleiades (M45) glitter like blue gems in the dark and signal the coming of winter. Maybe they’re just ice cubes that chill the night. David imaged them from his Chainlube Image copyright 2007 David Wolf Observatory in Englewood on October 8, 2007. He used a modified Canon Rebel XT and an Orion 80ED at f/6. HAPPY NEW YEAR!! JANUARY SKIES can’t keep up with Comet Holmes’ Perseus. While you’re looking for Holmes cember 28 it passes left of M31 (the An- Icapriciousness. Just when I thought it check out the cluster M34 to the west of dromeda Galaxy), as it drops into the had died, it came back to life. What will Algol, then dip straight south to fine edge- south, and a day later passes the bright it do in January? Only the “Shadow” on spiral galaxy NGC 1023, west of ρ (rho) star β (beta) Andromedae. Then, on New knows. Look for it somewhere around Persei. Years Eve it plows through M33, the face- The better-behaved Comet Tuttle will on spiral in Triangulum, a galaxy that’s so Schedule of Events ................... 2 peak in brightness the first week of the low in surface brightness it’s the hardest Observer month. For a good chart of where it will be Messier object to find despite being the Society Directory ..................... 2 look on page 74 of January’s S & T. What largest in sky area. A thought: We ought is interesting about its path across the sky to have a New Years party planned around Michael Carroll, are the objects it will come near. On De- this conjuction, with drinking and danc- ing and so on as an optional activity. January Speaker ...................... 3 4 ......... Quadrantid meteor shower peaks BYOB. It’s always fun to sing Auld Lang 8 ........................................... New moon Astro-Imaging Part 3 ............4-6 Syne whilst hoisting a wee dram around 15 .............................. First quarter moon the old telescope. 22 ........................................... Full moon Membership Info ........ back page 29 .............................. Last quarter moon Continued on page 7 JanuaryInside The 2008 One Mile Nearer the Stars Page 1 President’s Corner Society Directory President: Wayne Green (303) 530-1023 ooking back can be fun, but look- Email: [email protected] Ling forward always fosters hope Vice President: Keith Pool (303) 718-7273 and excitement. This month we can Email: [email protected] look forward to Comet 8P/Tuttle and Secretary: Darrell Dodge (303) 932-1309 Mars being well placed for evening ob- Email: [email protected] servation. On February 20th we have Treasurer: a lunar eclipse and a special DAS Open Brad Gilman (720) 488-1028 Email: [email protected] House. February will see elections for the Executive Board Members new DAS officers. If you are interested Jack Eastman Ron Pearson Joe Gafford David Shouldice in running for office, contact Dennis Frank Mancini Bryan Wilburn Cochran, Wayne Kaaz or Ivan Geisler Ron Mickle Dan Wray Steve Solon, Past President and toss your hat into the ring. The President Emeritus, Larry Brooks end of March will see the annual DAS Banquet. Committees Van Nattan-Hansen Scholarship Fund We are looking for a new chairman Ron Pearson (Chair) for the Edmund G. Kline Dark Site. P.O. Box 150743 Wayne Green, DAS President Lakewood, Colorado 80215-0743 Candidates should make their inten- EGK Dark Site Committee: tions known to a DAS board member. Wayne Kaaz (Chair) (303) 840-1549 Email: [email protected] We are starting a new project within the scope for use. Interested members IDA Representative: DAS, to design and build a complete should contact Ron Pearson or any Dr. Robert Stencel Public Outreach Committee: telescope around the excel- other board member. Ron Mickle (Chair) lent 17.5-inch mirror I’m keeping this month’s column Bryan Wilburn (External Outreach Coordinator) Email: [email protected] (303) 542-5137 and diagonal we own. short to be able to include a list of DAS Student Astronomy Committee: This effort is to make a 2008 events for your refrigerators. See Naomi Pequette ( Chair) great telescope, not to Page 7 for details.—Wayne Green Volunteers or Appointed decide where we deploy Representatives ALCor: Jerry Sherlin Email: [email protected] (303) 680-6894 JANUARY FEBRUARY IDA Representative: (International Dark Sky Association): Dr. Robert Stencel 1 New Year’s Day (No Public 9-10 EGK Dark Site Weekend Newsletter: Night) 16 Open House at Chamberlin Observer editor, Patti Kurtz 5-6 EGK Dark Site Weekend Observatory (Begins at 5:00 P.M.) Email: [email protected] (720) 217-5707 12 Open House at Chamberlin 20 Lunar Eclipse Open House at Observer proofreaders: Darrell Dodge and Steve Solon The Observer is available in color PDF format from Observatory (Begins at 5:00 P.M.) Chamberlin Observatory (Begins at the DAS website. 18 General Membership Meeting at 5:00 P.M.) Website: D.U.’s Olin Hall (Begins at 7:30 P.M.) 22 General Membership Meeting at Darrell Dodge DAS Information Line: 25 E-Board meeting at Chamberlin D.U.’s Olin Hall (Begins at 7:30 P.M.) (303) 871-5172 Observatory (Begins at 7:30 P.M.) 29 E-Board meeting at Chamberlin DAS Correspondence: Observatory (Begins at 7:30 P.M.) Denver Astronomical Society Chamberlin Observatory C/O Wayne Green 2930 East Warren Avenue Public nights are held every Tuesday and Thursday evenings beginning at the following times: Denver, Colorado 80210 March 9 - April 14 at 8:00 P.M. April 15 - September 1 at 8:30 P.M. The Executive Board conducts the business of the DAS at September 2 - March 8 at 7:00 P.M. at Chamberlin Observatory 7:30 P.M. at Chamberlin Observatory. Please see the Costs to non-members are: $3.00 adults, $2.00 children. Schedule of Events for meeting dates. All members are Please make reservations via our website (www.thedas.org) or call (303) 871-5172. welcome. DAS Schdule thedas.org Page 2 The Denver Observer January 2008 Renowned Artist, Michael Carroll, Speaks to the DAS in January by Keith Pool ur guest speaker for the January 18th coauthored over a OGeneral Meeting will be Mr. Michael dozen books on Carroll. Carroll has been an astronomical, topics ranging from science fiction and paleo artist for more space to geology than two decades. He has done work for and biology. His NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. book Alien Volca- His art has appeared in several hundred noes (John Hopkins magazines throughout the world, includ- University Press) is ing Time, National Geographic, Scientific due out in June American, Asimov’s, Smithsonian, Astronomy, 2008. Carroll will Sky & Telescope, Ciel et Space, and Astronomy be signing his new- Now (UK). His paintings have aired on est book, Space Art: Nova, National Geographic’s Explorer, and Drawing and Paint- other television specials and have been ex- ing Planets, Moons hibited throughout the world. Carroll is a and Landscapes of Fellow and founding member of the Inter- Alien Worlds at the national Association for the Astronomical General Meeting. Arts. He is the 2006 recipient of the Lucien Come join us as Michael Carroll explores invited to nearby Chamberlin Observatory Rudaux Lifetime Award for contribution the wonders of volcanoes on other planets for refreshments, conversation, and to the astronomical arts. One of his paint- and moons. From the more familiar forms weather permitting, views through the 20- ings is currently on its way to Mars (in digi- of erupting mountains on terrestrial worlds inch refractor. tal form)—aboard the Phoenix Lander. to the truly alien cryovolcanoes of ice and In addition to painting, Carroll is a popu- liquid gas, Carroll shows us—through pho- lar science author, writing for such maga- tos and paintings—the latest discoveries at zines as Astronomy Now, Popular Science, Mars, Saturn and Venus. Astronomy, Sky and Telescope, Odyssey and As always, the general meeting begins at The Artists magazines. He has authored or 7:30 P.M. and is held in Olin Hall’s room 105 on the University of Denver’s cam- pus. There is a fee for parking in the lot adjacent to the building, but there is usu- ally available street parking nearby if you don’t mind a short walk. Afterwards, all are Michael Carroll (above right). His extraordinary work has graced the covers of numerous magazines and aired on television specials—his exhibitions are known worldwide. Two of his paintings (left and right) are published here with his permission. updates January 2008 One Mile Nearer the Stars Page 3 Image(ine) That Part Three Article and Images by Steve Solon t this point in our imaging journey, this is supposed to be enjoyable. Along Ait’s likely that the seat of your pants those lines, though, while there will be may be a bit frayed and you’re out of tea; some “zooming-in” to check details dur- you’ve spent quite some time at the com- ing the course of final processing, as a rule, puter. One trade off is that you’re moder- you’ll view your final work from at least a ately clear-headed, a condition that work- foot away when all is said and done—don’t ing with pungent film chemicals will not go crazy over dust-sized specks. leave you in. Many of the tools we’ll use in Adobe Let’s review the process thus far in steps. Photoshop® require experimentation— You’ve: we’ll cover the basics, but play around with 1.) Created as stable an imaging plat- The “Fits Liberator” plug-in allows the different settings.
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