Observe—Educate—Have Fun September 2018 The Sidereal Times The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society P.O. Box 50581, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87181-0581 www.TAAS.org taas — 2011 winner of astronomy magazine’s out-of-this-world award for outstanding public programming since 1959 General Meeting News Lynne Olson The Next Step You have completed all four of Phil Fleming’s Fabulous 50 sessions and you now have a familiarity with where some of the prominent objects are in the sky. Con- gratulations! Phil has taught you about items like plani- spheres and sky charts. So, what is next? Now it is time to use your telescope to find objects that you cannot see with the naked eye. Armed with a telescope, planisphere, sky charts, and/or a planetarium program you are ready to do some star hopping and to take The Next Step. TAAS GenerAl MeeTinG TAAS ASTrOnOMY 101 “Let There Be Light” “Filters for Viewing Deep-Sky Objects” The concept for The Next Step is to meet Howard J. Brewington Martin Hilario at GNTO during a New Moon Observing Saturday, September 29, 7:00pm Saturday, September 29, 6:00pm session and find a number of Deep-Space UnM Science and Math UnM Science and Math Objects that I will announce on TAAS_Talk learning Center* learning Center* a week or so before the session. I will as- Free and Open to the Public Free and Open to the Public sist you in using your equipment to find the objects. • Howard J. Brewington is the speaker for TAAS vice president Martin Hilario will What you need to do to participate: be the speaker for Astronomy 101, at 6 p.m. our Sept. 29 TAAS General Meeting. His Tell me you want to participate by on Sept. 29, prior to the regular TAAS Gen- topic: “Let There Be Light: Man’s Quest for sending an email to jim@fordice. eral Meeting. His topic: “Filters For Viewing Global Illumination.” Brewington offered • net. this preview of his remarks: Deep-Sky Objects.” Have completed and/or reviewed “Anatomically modern humans arose from The introduction in the past 40 years of the Fabulous 50 session for the cur- Africa about 200,000 years ago. From multi-layer interference filters for several continued on page 3 . • rent season. the very beginning, our ancestors feared types of deep-sky objectscontinued has on made page 3it . pos-. continued on page 3 . Be at GNTO before sunset. Explora School Star Party New Moon Observing Adult Night Isleta Pueblo GNTO Upstairs Patio Tue., October 9 Sat., October 13 Fri., September 21 7:00 p.m 6:30–10:00 p.m. INSIDE 2....... President’s Message 7....... The Purpose of TAAS_Talk 10....... August Photos from Oak Flat 4....... Astrophotos: Two Photos of Mars 7....... Telescope Loan Program Update 11...... TAAS Reports & Notices 5....... Under the Dome 8....... Astrophoto: Sharpless 2-126 12...... TAAS Directors & Staff The Sidereal Times September 2018 President’s Message Jim Fordice As I write this it is not quite three ment of a TAAS Code of Conduct. I have bers to help with awards, the trivia contest, weeks since I was elected as the TAAS announced this effort on TAAS_Talk and on room decoration, welcoming the guests, and President. I am honored to be leading the website. I have received numerous com- event promotion. Contact Bob at secretary@ ments that will be used to improve the draft. taas.org or [email protected] if you are this very fine organization and I am look- Thank-you for the thoughtful comments. The interested in helping. ing for to serving as President for the BOD will review the updated draft on 20 Sep- next couple of years. tember. There is a separate article in this newslet- ter about my new initiative called “The Next On 25 August I held a meeting with you to I talked about several opportunities. The first Step” (page 1). discuss the situation that lead to the change one was that we needed a new Webmaster. of leadership and some areas where I will Bill Wallace is serving as the Interim Web- TAAS has been selected to host the 2020 As- be concentrating my efforts. This article is master and is doing an excellent job. Art Van- tronomical League Convention (ALCON). The intended to give those of you who could not dereedt has volunteered to take over as the ALCON will be held on 15 to 18 July 2020. attend the meeting a synopsis of what was Webmaster. The venue will be the Hotel Albuquerque. discussed. Some items have been updated to We held the first planning meeting on 5 Sep- reflect its status as I write this article. The second opportunity was that we needed tember. If you are interested in assisting with a Public Events Coordinator. The Public planning the ALCON, please contact me. The first item I covered was the resignations Events Coordinator is responsible for site of Dale Murray, Barry Spletzer, Gordon Pegue, liaison, scheduling, and staffing for Public I addressed the purpose and use of TAAS_ Chris Watts, and Kevin McKeown. Dale Mur- Star Parties at Oak Flat, the Open Space Visi- Talk. Please see the separate article in this ray and Barry Spletzer have resigned their tor Center (OSVC), Placitas Library, and the newsletter about this important means of TAAS memberships and the TAAS positions Bachechi Open Space. Steve Snider volun- communication (page 7). they held. Their memberships are still ac- teered for this position at the meeting and tive, and they are welcome to resume their has assumed responsibility for our Public Over the last decade or so TAAS received membership at any time. Gordon Pegue re- Star Parties. donations for a Dark Sky fund that now to- signed from the Board of Directors (BOD) but tals $2,083.32. These funds were collected remains an active TAAS member. Chris Watts The third opportunity is that we need a relief specifically to support Dark Sky efforts. I am resigned as the Astronomy 101 Coordinator for Lynne Olson as the Publicity Coordinator. looking for proposals for how to utilize these and as a TAAS member. Chris has decided to The Publicity Coordinator is responsible for funds. resume his Astronomy 101 leadership and spreading the news about and promoting our his TAAS membership. Kevin McKeown has events. If you are interested in taking on this Proposals must be related to protection, edu- resigned his TAAS membership. The Trea- responsibility, please contact me. cation about, measurement of the darkness surer has refunded Kevin’s membership fee. of the sky, etc. If you want to make a propos- Kevin’s membership is expired. The fourth opportunity was to serve on the al, please submit it to me in writing and send 2019 Nominations Committee. We needed it to [email protected]. Several of you asked for a copy of the minutes two members to join Steve Snider on the of the 25 July BOD Meeting. You can obtain a committee. We have three additional volun- Are you a member of the International Dark copy of the minutes from the TAAS website at teers, Chris Watts, Carl Larson and Phil Flem- Sky Association (IDA)? The IDA is leading an http://www.taas.org/Minutes/index.html. ing, so the committee is now fully staffed. international effort to promote acting to pro- tect and improve the dark sky. As an amateur If you have any questions about the circum- The last opportunity is that we need a re- astronomer who is dependent on dark skies, stances discussed above, please contact me. lief for Tom Grzybowski as the Education membership in the IDA is in your interest. If there are a large number of requests for Outreach Director. The Education Outreach You can read more at http://darksky.org. information I will schedule a second meeting Director is responsible for scheduling and to discuss them with you. organizing School Star Parties and other Edu- Our motto is “Observe – Educate – Have Fun.” cation efforts. One member has contacted me Whenever you are participating in TAAS ac- After concluding my remarks about the res- about this position. Please contact me if you tivities keep this motto in mind. It is an excel- ignations, I thanked Martin Hilario for serv- are interested in this very important part of lent way to remember what we are all about. ing as the Acting President. Martin did an our operations. outstanding job and I encourage you to thank Bob Shipley is coordinating the planning for him personally for keeping us moving in the our annual Perihelion Banquet which we be right direction. held on 12 January. He is looking for mem- The next item I discussed is the establish- Page 2 The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society The Sidereal Times September 2018 ...The Next Step ...Astronomy 101 continued from page 1 continued from page 1 • o Review where the announced Sky Charts and/or a • deep-space objects are located. planetarium program (such as SkySafari) loaded on a Know where the objects are tablet. in your sky charts or how to o select them in your planetarium Red flashlight and anything • program. else you need for observing at GNTO. Determine what naked-eye star you will use to start your star hop The next The Next Step session is • to the object. planned for 10 November. Please contact sible for amateur telescopes/observers to me if you have any questions.Jim Fordice see these when previously even dark-sky conditions did not provide that ability.