THEF@qAL POilNT The AtlantaAstronomy Club, Inc. Vol. VIII No.S October, 1995 October27th Meeting Co ngratu I ati ons, J erty ! featuring Jan Davis, NASAAstronaut Many of us have seen Jerry The ne$ meeting of the Atlanta Armstrong'sbeautift{ color prints of the planets Astronomy Club will be held Friday. October Jupiter. Saturn and Mars. His pdnts are 27, 8:30 p.m. at The FernbankScience Center. becoming quite popular among amateur This meeting features Ai4S4 Space Shuttle astronomers,in fact they are even featured in a Astronaut, Jan Dqvis and,promises to one of the separatew€b page.One of them is now part of a biggest et€nts of the yearl color plate in David Lely's latesl lxok Impact Jupiter: Here's a brief biographical sketch of The Crush ofComet Shoemaker-Levy9. Dr. Davis courtes-yof material gleamedfrom the This painting shows the Q-Complex (o/ comet jusl internet and the world wide web. She was bom fragments, dust and gas) prior to its impact at CocoaBeach, Fla (ll/l/53\, but considers on the planet Jupiter. Accoiding to Jerry, David Hunts'ille Alabamato b€ her hometom. During Lery had strongly consideredto have this same painting the 1970'sand 80's shereceived a BS in applied for the cover of this book only to find biology(GaTech. 1975). mechanical enginebring out that frublisher had alread-vcompleted the (Aubum. 1977). and a MS and Ph.D. in coler illustration. Congramlations to Jerry mechanicalengineering (Universilv of Alabama Armstrong on his fine astronomicalillustation! (This, 1983,1985).She is marriedto astronautMark and the other prints are still available Lee. through Jerry at $35.00 Wr pint. - editor) Dr. Davis nas named team leader (1986) in the Structural Analysis Division AstronomicalCalendar Sale which was responsiblefor structural analysisof the Hubbte SpaceTelescope. Later, in 1987 she Aslronomy magazinecalendars are now was lead engineer for the red€signof the solid available though the club at 10 dollars apiece. booster e\lelnal tank attach ring. She has The listedprice is 10.95,which doesn'tinclude proYidedtechnical support for Shuttle payloads shipprng ftom Kalmbach. Plus, the club gets and served as a spacecraftcommunicator for $4.50 per calendar sold which is split b€tween se!'en shuttle missions. She is a veteran of two the new obcervatoryand speakerfunds. This is a shuttle missions, STS-17(1992) and 5Z,l-60 beautiful calendar and is firll of interesting (1991). Dt. Davis was a mission specialist for astronomical information so contact Dous both spaceflights. ,SZ,S-.IZ(Spacelab I) was the Chesserand get yours today! 50th flight of the shuttle, a joint mission with JaWn. 5T5-60 was the second flight of SeptemberMeeting Highlights Spacehab (Space Habttation Module) and the By Ken Poshedly, recording secretary first flight of the WakeShield Facilfty. This was the first flight that also featued Russian The meeting was held at the Fernbank Science Cosmonautas a crew member. Center and called to order by president Alex We hope you all will join us for a most Langoussisat 8:15 p.m, Attending were just informative and enjo"vableevening. over 30 membersand guests. Generalannouncements included: (Alex) An update on the Sept. 16 club numberof authenticity. Afterilards, the meeting picnic; an appeal for those interested in was adjourned at 9:30 p.nl. for light producing an Atlanta AstronomyClub logo. refreshmentsat the meeting room. follou'ed by (Observing chairman Art Russell) A moremerriment. at nearb-vAthens Pizza. reminder about upcoming observing dates andlocations. (Member Jim Monro€) An appeal for Atlanta AstronomvClub Board speakers at the Shiloh Middle School Astronomy Club. The club meetsonce each MeetingHighlights month at 3 p.m. Call,Jimal (.104or 770) By Ken Poshedlv,chairman of the board and 972-5605. recording secretary . (Member Larry Higgins) An appeal for The speakersat two school scienceclasses and board and offtcersof the Atlanta Astronomy met 1995. home an astronomyclub in Gri-ffin. Call Larry at Club Sunday.Sept. 10, at the of (404or 77O\227-2233. Ken & Karla Poshedly.The meeting was called to order at 5:15 p.m. b-vKen Poshedly.Present o (Treasurer Doug Chesser) An rvere: Alex Langoussis, Art Russell, Doug announcementthal AAC member Gene R. Chesser, Rich Jakiel, Ken Poshedly, Eric Bailey of Woodstockhad passedaway. Mr. Shelton,Tom Buchanan,Tushar Thrivikraman. Bailey joined the AAC only last -veari Phil Bracken. Ginny Minrz, and Ginny "Astronomy" magazine 1996 calendarsare Mauldin-Kinns)-. Also present rvere AAC available from Doug for only $10 with a members Jim Monroe and Karla Poshedly. portion of the proceedsgoing into the club's Absent Il€re Jerry Armstrong, Lenny Abbe,v. speakers fi.md; the club member and Stele Gilbreath. zubscription price for "Astronom-v" Board Committee Reports: mag zine is up to $20 effective October Information Line: Ginny Mauldin-Kinney 1995, still a suhantial savings over the reported that the information line was being regular non<lubmember price (Sky & updated regularly, but she requested earlier Telescope may also b€ upping its rates notice of the monthly programsso the info line soon). could be updatedwell in advanceof the comhg . SIry Site Search Committee @ark month'sevents. chairman Phil Bracken) His committe€has Programs: Speaking on behaf of Jerry met and has been receivilg leads about Armstrong Alex Langoussisreported that the possible places to investigate for future October meeting rvould be held the FOIIRTH AAC obsewinglocations. Friday night of the month, Oct. 27, instead of o (Focal Point newsletter Rich Jakiel) A the third Friday night. Someda1€s in the futule request for articles either t'lewritlen on will also be changedto accomdatethe speaker's disk or via e-mail. schedules. (Peach chairman Ken State StaI Gaze Peach State Star Gaze: Ken Poshedlyreported Poshedly) An update ahut n€$ year's that plans for the 1996 Peach State Star Gaz€ news and went including on the speakers are underway: our request to Indian Springs other aclivities; Ken also spokeon a special State Park for the weekends of April 18-21 fund setup for donationscollected on behalf (pnmary) and March 14-17 (s€cond.ry) was former$ An of Mark Coco, of Celestron. submitted in late August. We will not know Mark will be in the October article about officially which of the dates will be selected Focal Point. Two donations tot4lling $22 until January2. An informational budgetfor the Additional donationsshould were collected event is being preparedand will be available at given in the Mark be sent to the addrcss the next AAC board meeting. Cocoarticle elsewhetein this newsletter. Observing Programs: Art Russell provided program quiz The consistedof an astronomical derails of the cleanupand repair mission at the Teams personswere by Jerry Armstrong. of six club's Villa Rica obEewatorysite. The club's given questions zO-minute each a set of and a 4.25-inch reflector scopeis now readyfor use by received color time limit. The winners signed any AAC member; contact Afi at (770) 448- its own astro-paindngs by Jerry, each with 6990. His Beginners' Sessionsat Villa Rica have drawn good tumoutsl his series of star hopping articles in the Focal Point newsletter The Mark CocoFund packets. will also be included in new member Bv Ken Poshedlv Treasury and Membership:Dutg Chesser announcedthat as ofthe board meetingdate, our A few months ago David Ler.y wrote in his Star persons.. offrcialmembership was at 156 Trails column in Skv & Telescopemagazine Newsletter:Rich askedfor writing contributions aboutMark Coco,an actil€ amateurastronomer. provide from all AAC members;if you can hard writer, formerly with the Celestron telescope cog. computer disk hles, or e-mail-it's company. The story sadly includes the fact that needed. he hasa hain tumor. AAC members- especially Light Pollution: Tom Buchananspoke on House those with famrlies-should know that a fund Bill 942, ,currentlv in the state's l4-member has been set up to rais€ moneyfor ex?edmental Game.Fish and Parks Committeerif it becomes treatments thai could save Mark's life. If park law, HB 942 designatesstate as dark sky anyoneis interesting in conributing, here is the presewes. as is currently done in Michiganl address: Tom asked for others to contact their representativesto urge a "-ves" vote on this Mark CocoFund legislation. St. AndrewsPresbterian Church Dark SlrytSite: Phil Brackenreported progress in 301Avenue D the searchfor additional observing sites. Under RedondoBeach, California 90277 consideration are various locations, including sites in north Georgia. southwesternGeorgia and DausetTrails near Jackson.The committee Big Names,Big People,Big Time Set plannedto me€t next on October3. '96 Hospitality: Ginny Minrz reported no problems for PeachState Star Gaze Ken PoshedlY with the committe€ functions, and said there By would be an AAC member nametagbox at the peopleha'l'e and the people meetingsfor more conveniencein finding and The spoken get want! In answerto follo*up storing individual nametags. will what they April's PeachState Star Gaze, Other Business:Jim Monroe appealed to the surveysafter last year's event look to be the best yet, \Mith board for sp€akersto app€B,.rat. an astronomy next prett-yhealy-hitters and usefrrlworkshops club he is forming for his 6s, 7d and 8s gade some addedto the schedule. studentsat Shiloh Middle School. The monthly being who many of you alreadY meetingswill be held at 3 p.m. at the school Don Parker, ftequent astrophoto contributor to Alex announced that the AAC merger know as a "Astronoml' and "Sky & Telescope" negotiations committee consists of himself, that he will talk on Lenny Abbey and Doug Chesser.So far, no magazines.has confirmed responsefrom the ASA has been received (Sept planetaryobserving. Benton, the person responsible 10.1995). Julius obsewationsof Sahrrn, Venus Alex announcedthat Tushar was namedto head for coordinating lunar area for the Assn.