ISSN-0039-2502 Journal of the Association of Lunar & Planetary Observers The Strolling Astronomer Volume 59, Number 1, Winter 2017 Now in Portable Document Format (PDF) for Macintosh and PC-compatible computers Online and in COLOR at http://www.alpo-astronomy.org The Super Full Moon of November (see page 2 for details) The Strolling Astronomer Journal of the Inside the ALPO Point of View: Your ALPO! ................................ 2 Association of Lunar & News of General Interest .................................. 3 Our Cover ....................................................... 3 Planetary Observers Special Announcement from the The Strolling Astronomer ALPO Venus Section ................................ 4 Digital Journal of the ALPO Now Available to All ALPO Members ..................................... 4 Volume 59, No.1, Winter 2017 This issue published in December 2016 for distribution in both Update: The ALPO Publications Section portable document format (pdf) and hardcopy format. Gallery ........................................................ 4 ALPO Interest Section Reports ........................ 6 This publication is the official journal of the Association of Lunar & ALPO Observing Section Reports .................... 7 Planetary Observers (ALPO). Obituary: Winifred Sawtell Cameron, 1918–2016 ............................................... 20 The purpose of this journal is to share observation reports, opinions, Contributors and Newest Members ................ 21 and other news from ALPO members with other members and the professional astronomical community. Papers & Presentations © 2016, Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO). The A Report on Carrington Rotations 2178 and ALPO hereby grants permission to educators, academic libraries and 2179 (2016-06-06 to 2016-07-31) ................ 25 the professional astronomical community to photocopy material for ALPO Observations of Venus During the educational or research purposes as required. There is no charge for 2012-2013 Western (Morning) Apparition .... 36 these uses provided that credit is given to The Strolling Astronomer, People on the Moon: Women ......................... 48 the “JALPO” or the ALPO itself. All others must request permission ALPO Observations of Mars During the from the ALPO. 2005 Apparition ............................................ 58 For membership or general information about the ALPO, contact: ALPO Resources Matthew Will Board of Directors .......................................... 73 ALPO Membership Secretary/Treasurer Publications Staff ............................................ 73 P.O. Box 13456 Springfield, Illinois 62791-3456 Interest Sections ............................................. 73 Observing Sections ........................................ 73 E-mail to: [email protected] ALPO Publications ......................................... 74 The Monograph Series ................................. 74 ALPO Observing Section Publications ......... 75 Visit the ALPO online at: Other ALPO Publications ............................. 76 http://www.alpo-astronomy.org Back Issues of The Strolling Astronomer ..... 76 Volume 59, No. 1, Winter 2017 Page 1 The Strolling Astronomer Inside the ALPO Member, section and activity news Association of Lunar & Planetary Observers (ALPO) Point of View Your ALPO! Board of Directors Executive Director (Chair); Michael D. Reynolds By Matthew L. Will, membership secretary, the ALPO Associate Director; Richard W. Schmude, Jr. Member of the Board; Julius L. Benton, Jr. For those of you that read the minutes of Member of the Board; Sanjay Limaye our Board meeting in the last issue of the Member of the Board; Ken Poshedly Journal of the ALPO, you may have read Member of the Board; John E. Westfall about developments for expanding Member of the Board & Secretary/Treasurer; membership access to our quarterly Journal in both media (hard copy and Matthew Will digital). The move to do this was in the Founder/Director Emeritus; the late Walter H. Haas spirit of strengthening membership in our organization and making ALPO Publications membership more appealing. Editor & Publisher: Ken Poshedly Also, the ALPO is focused on strengthening our own organizational structure, whether that is: Primary Observing Section & Interest Section Staff • Fortifying our own observing programs with capable and dedicated staff to manage these programs. (See full listing in ALPO Resources) Lunar& Planetary Training Section: • Producing credible and respected literature such as with our Journal Timothy J. Robertson and other publications. Solar Section: Rik Hill Mercury Section: Frank Melillo • Administering the mechanics of the internal workings of the ALPO. Venus Section: Julius L. Benton, Jr. • Projecting future needs, directions, and goals for the ALPO. Mercury/Venus Transit Section: John E. Westfall Lunar Section: In short, the ALPO has a lot of moving parts! Lunar Topographical Studies & Selected Areas Program; Wayne Bailey As we celebrate our 70th anniversary next year, the success of the ALPO can be attributed to an engaged membership, responsive staff, Lunar Meteoritic Impact Search; Brian Cudnik sound finances, the use of modern technology and media, along with Lunar Transient Phenomena; Anthony Cook preserving our institutional history and having a vision for the future. I Mars Section: Roger Venable would briefly like to focus on our engaged membership. Minor Planets Section: Frederick Pilcher Jupiter Section: Ed Grafton The ALPO has been fortunate to have a membership that has taken great interest in the scientific debates on the pages of our Journal for Saturn Section: Julius L. Benton, Jr. the last 70 years. Moreover, ALPO members have also offered Remote Planets Section: Richard W. Schmude, Jr. suggestions to me from time to time about our operations from the Eclipse Section: Michael D. Reynolds business end. The Membership Secretary has gotten some good ideas Comets Section: Carl Hergenrother over the years. While some were impractical for various reasons, others Meteors Section: Robert D. Lunsford were things that I had not thought of before. In short, change doesn’t occur in a vacuum and your input as members is important in improving Meteorites Section: Dolores Hill our organization. ALPO Online Section: Larry Owens Computing Section: Larry Owens My presentation on the history of the ALPO at the ALCon last summer Youth Section: Timothy J. Robertson demonstrated that. Many ALPO members over the years, whether they were on staff or just regular dues paying members, have made their mark with the ALPO with helpful insights and suggestions. So speak up! I can’t say that every suggestion that I receive will be implemented due to factors or circumstances that might not be apparent at first blush. However, this is your ALPO and the dues that you pay support our organization and entitle you to some say in our operations. I eagerly, and cheerfully look forward to engaging with you! Page 2 Volume 59, No. 1, Winter 2017 The Strolling Astronomer Inside the ALPO Member, section and activity news News of General Interest Our Cover to me (periwestfall?) rather than at that moment, and 5,461 km to the center of the Earth: 2016 closer than the closest center-to- This month’s cover image of the NOV 14, 07h49m UT. The line- center distance at 11:28 UT. November “Super Full Moon”, while of-sight distance was then • Larry Owens (top of this page) not strictly scientific, does (at least 350,768 km, or 5,766 km less from Alpharetta (near Atlanta), technically) fall into the camp of than the center-to-center distance “observational astronomy”. Taken from his observatory in Colfax, California, our cover features an image by Don Machholz that he took through his homemade 6" binoculars using a simple Nikon digital camera. Don adds that, “The ridge (where the foreground trees are located) is 4,000 feet from my house.” On this page, we include a few other attempts to catch the experience. • Says John Westfall (bottom of this column) from Antioch (near San Francisco), California USA: “The attached supermoon 450-mm telephoto image isn't what you asked for (no foreground object for comparison), but still may be of some interest because it was taken when the Moon was closest Volume 59, No. 1, Winter 2017 Page 3 The Strolling Astronomer Inside the ALPO Member, section and activity news Georgia USA, describes his effort index.cfm?fobjectid=38833&fbodylongid repository where some Journals were as simply, “With a little fall color”. =1856. still password-protected. That online (Top right) location will be deleted. • Rik Hill (beneath the Larry Digital Journal of the ALPO The Journals for calendar year 2016 Owens image) from Tuscon, Now Available to All ALPO remain available only to ALPO Arizona, USA, states, “Here ya Members members and will be posted to the go!” (Bottom right) As per the unanimous vote by the new location as their individual one- ALPO board of directors at its August year anniversaries of release are Special Announcement from 13 meeting, those whose ALPO reached. the ALPO Venus Section membership includes only the paper It was in 2001 that Ken Poshedly The ALPO Venus Section continues (hard copy) of our Journal will now was named editor & publisher and to routinely share visual observations be able to download the full-color began production of a redesigned and digital images at various digital version as well, complete with ALPO journal on a quarterly wavelengths with the professional its electronic bookmarks