ISSN-0039-2502 Journal of the Association of Lunar & Planetary Observers The Strolling Astronomer Volume 50, Number 2, Spring 2008 Now in Portable Document Format (PDF) for Macintosh and PC-compatible computers Online and in COLOR at http://www.alpo-astronomy.org Inside. • Call for Papers for the ALCon Expo 2008 / ALPO Conference this summer • Index to Volume 49 (2007) of The Strolling Astronomer • Book review: The Sun Kings • The ALPO Banded Craters Observing Program • A report on the 2003-2004 Jupiter apparition • A report on the 2006 Mercury apparitions (all 6 of them!) . plus reports about your ALPO section activities and much, much more The Moon as imaged by ALPO member Howard Eskildsen of Ocala, Florida, USA, showing the dra- matic difference between First Quarter and Last Quarter phases. See page 5 for details. The Strolling Astronomer Journal of the In This Issue: Association of Lunar & Inside the ALPO Point of View: New ALPO Web Page Includes All Planetary Observers Observing Forms ......................................................3 News of General Interest ...........................................5 The Strolling Astronomer ALPO Conference News and A Call for Papers ......5 ALCON2008 Announcement ..................................5 Volume 50, No. 2, Spring 2008 ALPO Call for Papers ..............................................5 This issue published in March 2008 for distribution in both portable Addition to ALPO Publications Section ...................5 document format (pdf) and also hardcopy format. Reminder: Address Changes .................................5 This Month’s Front Cover ........................................5 This publication is the official journal of the Association of Lunar & Strolling Astronomer Online Indexes Planetary Observers (ALPO). Now Available .......................................................6 ALPO Online Membership Payments The purpose of this journal is to share observation reports, opinions, Are Back 6 and other news from ALPO members with other members and the ALPO Interest Section Reports ..................................6 professional astronomical community. ALPO Observing Section Reports ..............................7 © 2008, Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO). The Feature Stories ALPO hereby grants permission to educators, academic libraries and the professional astronomical community to photocopy material for Book Review: The Sun Kings .................................17 educational or research purposes as required. There is no charge for Index to Volume 49 (2007) of these uses provided that credit is given to The Strolling Astronomer, The Strolling Astronomer ........................................18 the “JALPO” or the ALPO itself, as appropriate. All others must Mercury Apparition Observations in 2006 ...............21 request permission from the ALPO. The ALPO Banded Craters Program .......................27 Observations of Jupiter During the For membership or general information about the ALPO, contact: 2003 - 2004 Apparition ..........................................30 Matthew Will ALPO Resources ALPO Membership Secretary/Treasurer P.O. Box 13456 Board of Directors ....................................................50 Springfield, Illinois 62791-3456 Publications Staff .....................................................50 Interest Sections ......................................................50 E-mail to: [email protected] Observing Sections ..................................................50 ALPO Publications ...................................................52 Visit the ALPO online at: Our Advertisers http://www.alpo-astronomy.org Anacortes Telescope & Wild Bird ................................. ....................................................... Inside Front Cover Orion Telescopes & Binoculars ...................................2 Galileo Telescopes....................................................56 Scope City........................................Inside Back Cover Sky & Telescope ..........................Outside Back Cover Volume 50, No. 2 Spring 2008 Page 1 ® The Strolling Astronomer Page 2 Volume 50, No. 2 Spring 2008 The Strolling Astronomer Inside the ALPO Member, section and activity news Association of Lunar & Planetary Observers (ALPO) Point of View New ALPO Web Page Includes Board of Directors All Observing Forms Executive Director (Chair); Mike D. Reynolds Associate Director; Richard W. Schmude, Jr. By Ken Poshedly, editor & publisher, Member of the Board; Julius L. Benton, Jr. The Strolling Astronomer Member of the Board; Sanjay Limaye Member of the Board; Donald C. Parker Perhaps one of the bigest “secrets” of the ALPO is the fine Member of the Board; Ken Poshedly library of observing forms available for all to use when preparing reports for our staff observing coordinators. Member of the Board; John E. Westfall Member of the Board & Secretary/Treasurer; Long available online at their respective ALPO observing sec- Matthew Will tion web pages, we now have them as well at one central loca- Founder/Director Emeritus; Walter H. Haas tion to minimize the time and effort in finding the right ALPO observing form for your particular use. Publications Editor & Publisher, Ken Poshedly If you’re reading this in the paper Journal, you’ll have to key in the entire website address; but if you’re reading this online as a pdf file, simply left-click on this link: Primary Observing Section & Interest Section Staff http://www.alpo-astronomy.org/publications/ (See full listing in ALPO Resources) ALPO%20Observing%20Forms.html Lunar& Planetary Training Program: Timothy J. Robert- son The new arrangement eases things considerably for those who Solar Section: Kim Hay merely want to collect the entire set with the least effort and Mercury Section: Frank Melillo then decide what solar system body to observe. Venus Section: Julius L. Benton, Jr. Mercury/Venus Transit Section: John E. Westfall But those who regularly study only one solar system body and consistently log onto that particular ALPO web page will still be Lunar Section: able to find that section's observing form there with as before. Lunar Transient Phenomena; Anthony Cook Lunar Meteoritic Impact Search; Brian Cudnik The list of currently observing forms now includes: Lunar Topographical Studies & Selected Areas Program; William Dembowski SolarReportForm.pdf Lunar Dome Survey; Marvin W. Huddleston MercuryReportForm.pdf Mars Section: Daniel M. Troiani VenusReportForm.pdf Minor Planets Section: Frederick Pilcher LunarObservingForms - All.pdf Jupiter Section: Richard W. Schmude, Jr. Lunar Eclipse Report Form.pdf Saturn Section: Julius L. Benton, Jr. MarsReportForm.pdf Remote Planets Section: Richard W. Schmude, Jr. JupiterReportForms - all.pdf GalileanSatelliteReportForm.pdf Comets Section: Gary Kronk SaturnReportForms - All.pdf Meteors Section: Robert D. Lunsford RemotePlanetsReportForm.pdf and Meteorites Section: Dolores Hill RemotePlanetsReportForm - Expl.pdf Computing Section: Kim Hay CometsReportForm.pdf Youth Section: Timothy J. Robertson MeteorsReportForm.pdf Historical Section: Richard Baum Instruments Section: Mike D. Reynolds All forms are in portable document format (pdf), so users must Eclipse Section: Mike D. Reynolds have Adobe Reader installed in order to view and print them. ALPO Website: Larry Owens (Continued on page 16) Volume 50, No. 2 Spring 2008 Page 3 The Strolling Astronomer Page 4 Volume 50, No. 2 Spring 2008 The Strolling Astronomer Inside the ALPO Member, section and activity news News of General Interest ALPO Conference News and ALPO Call for Papers e-mail 1: [email protected] A Call for Papers e-mail 2: [email protected] The ALPO will have parallel sessions for Addition to ALPO Publications ALCON2008 Announcement ALPO papers. If you are interested in pre- senting a paper, please submit the fol- Section lowing data about your paper no Report by Ken Poshedly, The Association of Lunar & Planetary later than May 1: Observers will be meeting with the Astro- Publications Section coordinator\ nomical League in Des Moines, IA, this •Paper Title summer as a part of the League’s ALCon ALPO member and the association’s first Remote Plant Section Recorder (now Expo 2008, Friday and Saturday, July • Presenter(s) – also note if someone coordinator) Leonard Abbey of Atlanta, 18 and 19, with the closing banquet on will be reading your paper for you, Saturday in the evening. The ALPO and the name of that individual GA USA, has joined the Science/Peer board of directors will meet on Friday Reviewers group. evening, July 18 at 7 p.m. • Time requested – including Q&A Having joined the ALPO in 1953 at the age of 15, Lenny proved to be an enthusi- Hosting the conference will be the Des • Audio-visual equipment requirements Moines Astronomical Society. Meeting astic and prolific observer. While he was information can be found at http:// • Brief abstract; approximately 100 especially interested in Mars, Jupiter, Sat- urn, Uranus and Neptune, “Lenny” was www.alconexpo.com/. The venue for the words Conference will be the Marriott Hotel, named by ALPO founder Walter Haas to located at 700 Grand Avenue in Des If possible, please e-mail Mike Reynolds head the newly formed Uranus-Neptune Section in 1956. Moines; phone 800-514-4681. as soon as possible to let him know of your intent to present and the approxi- Over the years, Lenny has participated in Contacts for ALCon Expo 2008: mate amount of time you will require for your paper. observing projects for NASA,