OBSERVATORY NEWS September 2014 Published by the Friends of the Observatory (FOTO) Volume 25 No. 9 513-321-5186 www.cincinnatiobservatory.org Bill Cartwright, editor neighbors, to tell them about COMING UP AT ScopeOut! ScopeOut promises to be THE OBSERVATORY.... especially excellent this year, with several hands-on science projects for adults and children, and some FOTOKids Sep 5 7p exciting new exhibitors. Dale Astronomy Friday Sep 5 8p Zoller is still looking for Observe the Moon Night Sep 6 8p volunteers to help with parking, Stargazing at Lincoln Ridge Sep 6 8p gift shop and other tasks to help *FOTO Member’s Meeting Sep 8 7:30p this event run smoothly. If you Ultimate Educators Expo Sep 10 12-6p volunteer to help with a shift you Astronomy Thursday Sep 11 8p can attend ScopeOut for free, but ScopeOut 2014 Sep 13 12-10p you must sign up in advance. History Tours Sep 14 1-4p It is time to start thinking about Astronomy Thursday Sep 18 8p THE WORD FOTO Board elections, which will Astronomy Friday Sep 19 8p be held in October. Frank Huss is heading the Nominating Late Night Date Night Sep 20 10:30p By Michelle Lierl Gainey Committee. Please consider Stonelick Stargaze Sep 20 dusk serving FOTO and COC by ** Life on Other Worlds? Sep 22 7p Hello friends! With summer running for a position on the Astrophoto Workshop Sep 25 7p winding down and autumn around Board. Positions open for election Astronomy Thursday Sep 25 8p the corner, there is a lot going on at include President, Vice President, Astronomy Friday Sep 26 8p the Observatory and in the night Secretary, Treasurer and 2 of the Stonelick Stargaze Sep 27 dusk sky. This Saturday, September 6 is Trustee positions. Nominations Great Outdoor Weekend Sep 27 7-10p International Observe the Moon will be taken at the FOTO meeting Great Outdoor Weekend Sep 28 1-4p night. If you are not assigned to on September 8 and again at the help with this event at the October meeting before the *Note the monthly FOTO Members Observatory, please consider elections, or you can contact Frank Meeting is usually 2nd Mondays - 7:30pm at participating in one of the Huss to nominate yourself or the Observatory Sidewalk Astronomy events someone else for a Board position. ** UC Communiversity Course (contact Dean Regas for We had a FOTO members’ information), or just set up your Save-The-Dates! Movie Night at COC on August 25 telescope or binoculars in your and watched “In the Shadow of the Space Day @ iSpace Oct 4 own neighborhood and share with Moon”. Thanks to Aashi for Scout Pin Night Oct 4 your neighbors. It is fun to get a organizing this event, to Dave Lunar Eclipse Oct 8 Moon map (easily available on McBride for bringing a Stargazing 101 Oct 15 line) and learn to identify the major professional popcorn maker (great Partial Solar Eclipse Oct 23 features you see in your telescope popcorn!) and to other members Meet a Meteorite Nov 1 or binoculars. Remember, when for bringing snacks and drinks. you are talking with friends and 1 The movie is an excellent documentary about the Apollo ScopeOut 2014 ScopeOut 2014 Update Moon missions, with Telescope Festival at the By Dale Zoller reminiscences and inside perspectives from several of the ScopeOut 2014 will be held astronauts and wonderful footage Cincinnati Observatory Saturday, September 13, 2014. As taken from the surface of the in the past, the main event will run Moon. It is available on YouTube, Saturday, September 13 from 12-5 pm. We will hold the so if you did not make it to Movie Noon - 11 pm raffle drawing from 5-6 pm and Night. I highly recommend you then the dinner and keynote The Cincinnati Observatory watch it! presentation from 6-8:30 pm. This celebrates the telescope with an Don’t forget to go outside at year's keynote speaker is James all-day (and all night) open house night this month with your Albury, co-host of the PBS show featuring a very special guest: telescope or binoculars and enjoy "Star Gazers." Mr. Albury's topic James Albury, co-host of the TV the night sky! We still have all the will be "Backyard Astronomy." program Star Gazers. beautiful summer objects high in Viewing will follow the keynote Activities include safe viewing the sky in the evening, and the fall presentation from 9-11pm (weather of the Sun, displays by Tesla objects coming up later. Just for permitting). This year's dinner is Motors and Stratus Helicopters, fun, see if you can find Comet catered by Bella Luna Italian kid’s activities, classes, educational Jacques with your binoculars or Restaurant. The menu includes telescope! It is a magnitude 7 materials for teachers, meteorites, tours of our historic buildings and chicken parmesan, vegetarian comet, heading away from the sun lasagna, salad and rolls. Tickets and passed Earth’s orbit on August more astronomical door prizes than you can imagine. You may for the speaker/dinner are $25. 29. Jacques will be passing Contact the Observatory office at through the constellation Cygnus even win a telescope. Great for all ages. 513.321.5186 to make your over the next couple of weeks. reservations. Here is a link to its trajectory: http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalo SCHEDULE OF EVENTS and Admission g/2014E2/2014E2.html Noon to 5 pm Main displays, FOTO Kids and Teens classes, and tours - $7/adults, $5/kids By Aashi Mital 6 pm to 8:30 pm Dinner by Bella Luna and keynote lecture by James We hope that you enjoyed the tour Albury - $25/person (reservations of our Solar System last month, required) Good news! The "Ball Drop" but the Universe has plenty more 9 pm to 11 pm Nighttime raffle is back on. The chances will to offer! See you at our next viewing through the historic be $5 per ball or 5 balls for $20. meeting on Friday, September 5th telescopes (weather permitting) $5 The grand prize is "A Night at the at 7 p.m. in the Herget Building. per person suggested donation Observatory" for you and 10 of Remember to dress for the For more information contact your best friends (a $250 value). weather, bring water to keep Dean Regas, Astronomer and the The balls will be dropped from the hydrated and don’t forget that other co-host of Star Gazers, (513) Stratus helicopter at the end of the sunscreen. If you have any 321-5186. daytime events (~5:30pm). You questions, please email Aashi [email protected] do not need to be present to win - Mital at [email protected] or http://www.cincinnatiobservator but then you miss the big event. Aaron Eiben at y.org/publicevents/scopeout- We are really excited about the [email protected]. astronomy-fair-7/ "Adventures in Science" area. We Until then, keep looking up! have added more science-related 2 activities including "Galileo" ([email protected]) for more Kellie Colarik experiments (acceleration ramp, details. Mike & Jody Crane pendulum, tennis ball drop, etc.); Alan Cummings AIAA "rocket" build & launch; UC Linda Johnson and David Physics Dept. demos; spectroscopy display; paper plate sundials; Demmert pinhole solar projector; and an Hallie Dovich "inertial guidance" demo. In Michael Fisher addition, Stratus Helicopters will Rob and Ann Flanagan have an R22 helicopter on display; Terry Flesch Tesla Motors will have one of their William and Deborah Froschauer "Model S" electric cars on site; and As always, ScopeOut requires a Barbara Gloeckner Blue Chip Energy will have a substantial number of dedicated solar energy display. All will be volunteers to make it run smoothly. Linda Huffenberger demonstrating engineering We have most positions covered, Phil Hughes principles as they relate to STEM but we still need 2-3 volunteers to Ann & William Jett education. We will still have help with parking control from Alexander P King activities for the younger kids such 11:30 am-2 pm. If you can help Chris and Julie Knueven as a scavenger hunt, art contest and with this important function, please Robert and Mary Kurimo face painting. email me at [email protected]. Gloria Lane Remember, in order to have your admission fee waived as a Tara Listermann volunteer for ScopeOut, you must Nick and Donna Mancini sign up in advance of the event. Melissa and Paul Marshall Grant and Susan Mussman Denise Mustain Welcome Irene Osterbrock Tom and Adelaide Ottenjohn New & Renewing Tony Rein The popular "Telescope Re-home" returns this year. In addition to re- Members! Kim Salit homing a few telescopes (for a few David And Catherine Schildknecht dollars), the Telescope (Loan and) Jeff Schmidt Re-home table will also be selling Patricia & Allan Schreiber the Orion line of telescopes for the Reuben Shaffer Observatory Gift Shop. We are Joseph Sims also expanding the sales opportunities to the COC Michael Sitko membership by providing Jim and Janet Steiner consignment sales for anyone who Bob Stiens is interested in off-loading Bob Stothfang astronomical equipment that is George and Linda Strietmann unused, unwanted, redundant or Mary Sullivan and otherwise a solution in search of a Dr. Raymond Schultz problem. The table will be in the vendor tent area and will be Bill Bachelder Horst Guenther & manned during all of the primary Blair Whitney Barter Devorah Waesch ScopeOut hours (12:00-5:00). Slawomir Bucki Linda and Jim Weber Please contact Dave Bosse Mark & Vicki Plano Clark Michael and Adrian Zaretsky 3 deadline is October 15th at 5 Highlights of the August Monthly Friends of the pm.