Charlotte Amateur Astronomers Club www.charlotteastronomers.org CAAC November 2019 Meeting Place: Next Meeting: Friday November 15th, 2019 Myers Park Baptist Church Education Building – Shalom Hall (Basement) Time: 7:00 PM Address: 1900 Queens Road Charlotte, NC 28207 Topic: Celestial Navigation on the High Seas in the Age of GPS: Is it still relevant? Speaker: Don Olive is an Associate Professor of physics and astronomy and Director of the Williams Observatory at Gardner-Webb University (GWU). He has served the university for 13 years. In addition to his teaching duties within the Department of Natural Sciences, he offers a variety of seminar courses in the GWU Honors Program including a Templeton Award winning course on Issues in Science and Religion, as well as a popular course examining American Culture and the History of Rock & Roll. Dr. Olive attended Carson-Newman College for undergraduate studies with further studies at Vanderbilt University, where he earned both an M.S. and Ph.D. in experimental nuclear physics having performed experiments at Oak Ridge National Lab, Indiana University, Texas A&M University, and at the Grand Accélérateur National d'Ions Lourds in Caen, France. Outside the classroom, he plays percussion in a rock band and hosts a weekly open mic at GWU for aspiring musicians. He is also an avid sailor and sailboat racer. Most recently, he completed his fourth transatlantic sailboat voyage on a 40-ft boat traveling from Lewisporte in Newfoundland, Canada, to Cork, Ireland, by way of the Azores archipelago. From the President A tip of the hat to Jim Gaiser and his helpers for another great Cosmic Camporee. Approximately 50 people or more enjoyed a beautiful day at the GHRO along with a stellar evening of observing. The GHRO is your observatory for you and your family’s enjoyment. The GHRO is a premier facility of which we are all proud. Another tip of the hat to Charlie and Gwen Clayton. Again we will be observing our annual Holiday Tradition with our Holiday party at the home of Charlie and Gwen Clayton on December 7. Charlie will be at the meeting on Friday with details for this year’s celebration. Please note that due to the party there will not be a regular meeting of the CAAC during the month of December. A final tip of the hat to Charlie Starks. Night Sky Network has become the means of communication with our members about events at the GHRO, outreach and special events. Before we had Night Sky Network Charlie took it upon himself in 2001 to set up a Yahoo Group for club communications. That platform served us well until the Night Sky Network became available. The Yahoo Groups are disbanding, I want to give Charlie a big THANK YOU for his early efforts for efficient club comminutions. Ken Steiner President [email protected] CAAC Treasurer's Report as of 10/31/2109 Part 1 of 2 Operating Fund Purpose: Enable the CAAC to pursue our non-profit goals, maintain our facilities, and run our programs: Funds are acquired through ongoing receipts of dues, fees, and annual net Southern Star income (or expense). Funds are expended to meet operating obligations of the club. 1 Operating Fund Balance: 9-30-2019 $9166.48 2 Income Dues & Fees 3000.00 Pad Fees 175.00 Donation 85.00 Expenses Transfer to savings 60.00 3 GHRO facility 400.00 GHRO Utilities 604.93 Fees for Credit Card Service 78.60 Meeting Expense 262.24 Insurance 516.22 Sproles Equipment 800.00 4 Operating Fund Balance: 10-31-2019 $9704.49 Part 2 of 2 Non-Operating Funds Purpose: Administer gifts and donations for designated use. 1 Balance 9-30/2019: Non-Operating Funds Scholarship Fund 3989.36 Contingency Fund 27,942.79 Long-Term Fund 10,247.86 2 Income Donation: 0.00 Interest 1.041.08 Expenses or Transfer 3 Transfer from Checking 60.00 4 Balance 10-31/2019: Non-Operating Funds Scholarship Fund 3989.36 Contingency Fund 28,003.87 Long-Term Fund 10,247.86 Endowment Fund balance $1240.06 DUES and FEES ARE DUE NOW Club Dues and GHRO fees totaling $60 are now due for our fiscal year October 2019 through September 2020. You can pay them using your credit card at the CAAC website www.charlotteastronomers.org or by cash or check at the meeting. For those of you who have private pads, don’t forget to include your pad fee for the year. Thanks Benton Kesler CAAC Treasurer News from GHRO 1. A lot of fun was had at the Mercury transit on November 11. 7 or 8 of us gathered at GHRO and observed using the 8” Clark refrator and the Lundt 100 mm H-alpha scope, as well as personal scopes. 2. Cosmic Camporee was a blast, about 50 of you braved the chilly temperatures for some great food, games and nice viewing. It was ONLY 31 degrees F on Sunday morning, but those hearty souls enjoyed bacon, eggs and pancakes. Looking forward to a great November start party on the 23rd. 3. The final telescope training for 2019 is November 30 beginning at 5 PM. I know it’s the Thanksgiving weekend, but there are really no other available dates. If you plan to attend, I must know by Wednesday the 27th. Send me an e-mail at [email protected] 4. We’re having a chain saw party on Saturday, November 23. The trees in the south area at GHRO need to come down, but we need your help. Please sign up by sending me a note indicating that you can help us. We’ll need all the help we can get, whether you have a chain saw or not. We plan to start at 8:30 AM and work until we’re done…I suspect early afternoon. This is also the star party that same Saturday, so if you want to come down for the day, I’ll provide dinner for those who can stay through. Please let me know your plans via e- mail at [email protected]. 5. Finally, remember that beginning with the November star party (November 23), motorized vehicles will not be allowed beyond the parking lot after dusk at CAAC star parties. A hand truck and cart will be available to assist in transporting equipment from the observing pads to the parking lots. Here’s the schedule for 2020 star parties, training and Southern Star. Of course, this is subject to change but it should allow you to plan your year for the most part. 2020 Star Parties and Training schedule - CAAC GHRO Star Telescope Party Training January 25 18 February 22 15 March 21 14 April 23-26 (SS) 18 May 23 16 June 20 13 July 18 11 August 22 15 September 19 12 October 17 10 November 14 7 December None 5 Information (see http://1drv.ms/1m2wPUn) GHRO is located at 1427 Bloomwood Drive, Lancaster, SC. (some GPS show city as Pageland). Gravel road leading to the observatory is located 5.22 miles east of the "522 Grill" on Taxahaw, Rd. Facebook FAQ https://www.facebook.com/CharlotteAstronomers/ scroll down to NOTES, then Frequently Asked Questions page for more information about GHRO. Be sure to share your astronomy photos and observing tips. Night Sky Network -- "Heading to GHRO" For updates on GHRO, be sure to join the https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm "Heading to GHRO" message group. Jim Gaiser, Director GHRO. As always, we care about the safety and security of all visitors to our observing facility, the GHRO. To keep us all mindful for the need to keep alert while visiting the observatory, we provide the following reminder. Please share this with your family and any visitors who may join you at the observatory. *** WARNING *** This facility and adjoining area may contain uneven terrain, dangerous wildlife, low light conditions, and dangerous man-made obstacles. By using this facility, users assume the risk of personal injury, and loss or damage to personal property. All persons should use extreme caution at all times. Users of this facility agree to hold harmless the Charlotte Amateur Astronomers Club, its Directors, and its members for any and all injuries sustained while participating in club activities or using this facility. Are you looking for something to discover in the night sky? Try these with a modest size telescope, with some patience and persistence! Or come down to the GHRO and get a really fine look! This month, a nebula, a nebula with a cluster, and another cluster! NGC 281, IC 11 or Sh2-184 is a bright Cassiopeia emission nebula and part of an H II region in the northern constellation of Cassiopeia and is part of the Milky Way's Perseus Spiral Arm. Colloquially, NGC 281 is also known as the Pacman Nebula for its resemblance to the video game character. E. E. Barnard discovered this nebula in August 1883, who described it as "a large faint nebula, very diffuse." The Heart & Soul Nebula Complex, IC 1805, lies some 7,500 light years away from Earth and is located in the Perseus Arm of the Galaxy in the constellation Cassiopeia. It was discovered by William Herschel on November 3, 1787. The nebula's intense red output and its configuration are driven by the radiation emanating from a small group of stars near the nebula's center. This open cluster of stars known as Melotte 15 contains a few bright stars nearly 50 times the mass of our Sun, Mel 20 (Melotte 20) or the Alpha Persei Cluster, is an open cluster in the constellation of Perseus.