THE OBSERVER OF THE TWIN CITY AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS Volume 44, Number 10 October 2019 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 1«Editor’s Choice: Image of the Month – Harvest Moon 2«President’s Note 3«Calendar of Celestial Events – October 2019 3«New & Renewing Members/Dues Blues/E-Mail List 4«This Month’s Phases of the Moon 4«This Month’s Solar Phenomena 4«Minutes of the September 10th BoD Meeting 6«Last Public Viewing Session for 2019 6«TCAA Calendar of Events for 2019 6«CCD Photometry of Variable Stars 8«AstroBits – News from Around the TCAA 10«TCAA October Social Held September 21st 11«TCAA Benefactor Passes Away: Bill Mammen 14«An Adventure with the Solar Spectrum 16«E/PO for August, September, and More in 2019 17«Intro. to Amateur Astronomy – Final Reminder 18«10” Telescope Declared “Unwanted Property” 18«October 2019 with Jeffrey Hunt 22«TCAA Treasurer’s Report as of September 25, 2019 22«TCAA Active on Facebook 23«Renewing Your TCAA Membership The TCAA is an affiliate of the Astronomical League as well as its North Central Region. For more IMAGE OF THE MONTH: EDITOR’S CHOICE – HARVEST MOON information about the TCAA, be certain to visit the TCAA website at The October Image of the Month was taken by Sunil Chebolu tcaa.us/ who tells us about is success photographing the recent full moon. This full moon, the September full moon, was 2019’s Harvest Visit Astroleague.org for additional Moon – the full moon nearest the autumn equinox. information about the League and its Sunil noted, “Here is a picture of last night’s Harvest Moon numerous membership benefits through my telescope. It was a clear night sky for the most part including observing programs. but a few clouds which rolled in intermittently acted like natural moon filters for my imaging.” Editor’s Note: This image was taken with a Celestron Nexstar Also visit the NCRAL website at 130mm SLT using a 13% moon filter and a 9mm eyepiece for ncral.wordpress.com for information eyepiece projection. The actual photograph was taken using a about our North Central Region. Find Pixel 3 camera and is the result of a single shot. Congratulations to out about our next Regional Sunil who is among those TCAAers who are becoming more and convention during May 2020. more successful astrophotographers. Copyright © 2019 TCAA 1 All rights reserved. Vol. 44, No. 10 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers October 2019 PRESIDENT’S NOTE The OBSERVER I’d like to take this space in this issue of is the monthly electronic newsletter of Twin The OBSERVER to talk about something City Amateur Astronomers, Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit educational that, for me, is a little closer to home than organization of amateur astronomers inter- my usual President’s Note fare. On ested in studying astronomy and sharing September 26, 2019, Diann and I had the their hobby with the public. incredible privilege and thrill of watching our youngest son, Benjamin, receive his TCAA OFFICERS & CHAIRPERSONS wings with the United States Air Force. He is PresiDent, Director, & Property Manager now, officially, a pilot in the service of our Tim Stone 309-531-2401 country. [email protected] Benjamin’s passion for flying, and the Vice PresiDent & Director/Membership CoorD. dream of flying for the Air Force, developed President Tim Stone Tom Willmitch 309-846-2423 [email protected] in him at a young age. He and I attended a LOT of airshows, he participated in a flight-oriented club associated with the Prairie Treasurer & Director/Registered Agent Air Museum, and we even visited the Air Force Academy with the thought that he Dave Osenga 309-287-0789 [email protected] might very well attempt to gain an appointment there. (Incidentally, he was a member of the flight club with Teresa, Carl and Carolyn Wenning’s youngest Secretary & Director/Historian/EDitor Carl J. Wenning 309-830-4085 daughter!) His teenage years didn’t play out in the direction of flight, but the desire [email protected] never left him. 5th Director/Assistant Property Manager After working unfulfilling jobs for a few years, he married a wonderful woman, Scott Wade 309-310-2464 and began to ask himself what he was going to do to really support his family. It [email protected] was then that the overwhelming desire to fly returned, and together they made the Astronomical League CorresponDent commitment to do everything they could to see that dream realized. That was Robert Finnigan 309-846-9533 three years ago. [email protected] Technology Coordinator Friday his perseverance paid off. He received his wings with his wife and son at Justin Meyer 630-649-0611 his side. So, what does that have to do with astronomy, you might ask? Aside from [email protected] an intensely proud set of parents, one of whom happens to be me, it reminds me Webmaster that even the hobby we enjoy is evidence of our freedom. There are places in the Lee Green 309-454-7349 world where equipment like ours is not permitted, where nighttime activities like [email protected] ours would be considered highly suspicious, and to do what we love would gain Lighting EDuc. & AL Observing Club Coordinator attention we’d rather not have. We can’t take our freedom for granted, and it is Lisa Wentzel unlisted number because of countless people who have served, sacrificed, and given all that we have [email protected] these freedoms. My heart fills with pride to see my son, who in fulfilling his own dream, is serving to protect mine. The OBSERVER Carl J. Wenning, Editor One last thing before I sign off… Don’t forget the Sugar Grove Nature Center Autumn Festival is coming up Saturday, October 26th. It’s another great opportunity Submission deadline two days before to promote our wonderful hobby. Now is the time to put it on your calendar and the end of each month. plan to come out to help! MEMBERSHIP DUES Tim Stone Individual Adult/Family $40 TCAA President Full-time Student/Senior $25 (Senior status equals ages 60+) To join, send your name, contact info and dues payment to Dave Osenga, TCAA Treasurer, 1109 N. Linden St., Normal, IL 61761-1471. A salute to all those who serve a grateful nation. Copyright © 2019 TCAA 2 All rights reserved. Vol. 44, No. 10 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers October 2019 CALENDAR OF CELESTIAL EVENTS – OCTOBER 2019 NEW & RENEWING MEMBERS MORNING PLANETS (10/15): Mars and Uranus The following individuals have paid dues for new or renewed memberships as of September 25, 2019. EVENING PLANETS (10/15): Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn (Others who paid after that date will appear in the and Neptune November 2019 issue of The OBSERVER.) The following table gives the date and time (24-hour clock) of Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! important astronomical events for this month. All events are given in Central Daylight Time. (CDT ends November 3, 2019.) New: John Gahm Renewing: Lisa Wentzel, Mark Cabaj (thru ’22), Day Time Event Peter & Sharon Kates, Anthony Cellini 03 15:23 Jupiter 1.9°S of Moon Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! 05 11:47 FIRST QUARTER MOON DUES BLUES 05 13:49 Moon at Descending Node 05 15:48 Saturn 0.3°N of Moon: Occn. If you have received a “your dues are due” 10 13:29 Moon at Apogee: 405902 km statement along with the email that brought you this issue of The OBSERVER, please remit your dues to Mr. 13 16:08 FULL MOON Dave Osenga, TCAA Treasurer, 1109 N. Linden St., 17 16:51 Aldebaran 2.9°S of Moon Normal, IL 61761-1471. Dues are currently $25 for 19 23 Mercury Great Elong: 24.6°E seniors (60 years of age and over) and $40 regular. 20 02:28 Moon at Ascending Node SUBSCRIBING TO THE TCAA EMAIL LIST 21 01:21 Pollux 5.7°N of Moon By subscribing to a group’s mailing list, you will 21 07:39 LAST QUARTER MOON receive email messages from the group though you 21 18 Orionid Meteor Shower won’t have access to the group’s web features (like 21 23:41 Beehive 0.6°S of Moon photos, files, links, polls, calendar, etc.) unless members activate it later. The club has an open email listserv. It is 23 12:11 Regulus 3.5°S of Moon known as the TCAA YahooGroups listserv. It will be used 26 05:41 Moon at Perigee: 361316 km to share announcements and reminders about 27 22:38 NEW MOON astronomical and club events. To join this main listserv, you must do the following: 28 03 Uranus at Opposition 29 08:34 Venus 3.9°S of Moon 1. To subscribe: Send a blank email to TCAA- [email protected] Note: You’ll be sent a 30 23 Mercury 2.5° of Venus confirmation email from the group. Reply to the 31 09:22 Jupiter 1.3°S of Moon confirmation email to activate your subscription. 2. To post a message: [email protected] 3. To unsubscribe: [email protected] http://www.astropixels.com/ephemeris/astrocal/astrocal2019cst.html EVENING SKY MAP Click on the icon found here to access a current evening sky map along with a more detailed celestial events calendar. Copyright © 2019 TCAA 3 All rights reserved. Vol. 44, No. 10 The OBSERVER of the Twin City Amateur Astronomers October 2019 THIS MONTH’S PHASES OF THE MOON First Quarter Full Moon Last Quarter New Moon Saturday, October 5 Sunday, October 13 Monday, October 21 Sunday, October 27 All moon phase dates are Central Daylight Time.