“Welcome” to our newest members … FWAS Elections in September Lenny Bradberry Rick O’Hara Elections for three officers will be held during the Ron Chrisman Ronald Pickens September meeting; they are: Dale Crane Becky Pils • The President Scott & Ann Drew Phillip Pugh • The Vice-President, and Ronald Feiler Raj Venkatappan • The Secretary-Treasurer. George Fitch Don Vick FWAS members are encouraged to recruit, Gary Jones Lee Vinson nominate, and support candidates for office during Joe Long Lewis Westerfield the August-September election period. Steven Moree Looking at these positions in more detail … Star Parties • The President o Is the public image of FWAS; wherever th possible, it is the President who • 6 Annual Lake Whitney Star Party – Aug 27 Contact [email protected] if you speaks for FWAS. o Appoints members to non-elected plan to attend or are willing to assist with the preparation or serving of the dinner. positions with Executive Committee’s approval (see Non-Elected Positions , • Ark-La-Tex on Sept 1-5 o P.2) Over the Labor Day Weekend o o Attends FWAS-sponsored functions About 50 miles north of Texarkana o o Assures that FWAS-sponsored events See http://www.rrac.org for details (“Red River Astronomy Club”) run smoothly o Performs other duties as required. • Copper Breaks State Park Sep 3 & Oct 22 • The Vice-President • Fort Worth Museum of Science and History o Backs-up the President when Sep 10 & Oct 8 necessary • Lowell Star Party on Sep 29 – Oct 2 o Attends FWAS-sponsored functions. o Flagstaff, AZ, about 4 miles west of o Is responsible for the programs for the Lowell’s Campus monthly meetings o See o Performs other duties as required http://kraken.lowell.edu/lsp3/index.html • The Secretary-Treasurer for details o “handles the money” • Okie-Tex on October 1-9 (Sat-Sun) o maintains subscriptions o Near Kenton, OK (the “Black Mesa” o Performs other duties as required region of OK; the extreme western end of the OK panhandle, near the NM border) Annual Dues are Now Due o See http://okie-tex.com for details Access codes are changing in September … don’t be caught on a dirt road near the observatory wondering why the gate does not work! Page #1 of 8 On This Day Non -Elected Positions Aug 19, 1960: Sputnik 5 launched; successfully Should a member not wish to be an officer, but returned 2 dogs (Belka & Strelka) from wish to help with Club activities, there are a space number of non-elected positions within the Club … Aug 20, 1977: Voyager 2 (USA) launched; it Publications Coordinator – assists the Secretary- explored the outer planets and left the Treasurer with sales and processing subscriptions solar system with records of human Outreach Coordinator – is the point-contact for civilization. Outreach activities 1885: Ernst Hartwig's Discovery of S Star Party Coordinator – liaises between FWAS Andromedae, which was the first and other organizations wishing Star Parties extragalactic supernova to be detected; it Editor for the Newsletter – solicits input for the was near the center of the Andromeda Newsletter and assembles it Galaxy (M31), and attained an apparent Web Site Coordinator – maintains the Web Site magnitude of +6.5 (http://www.fortworthastro.com ) Aug 27, 1962: Mariner 2 (USA Venus Flyby) launched. It would scan Venus' surface with infrared and microwave radiometers Presentation and show Venus' surface to be about 425°C (about 800°F). It is now in a solar FWAS was honored to have a presentation by Paul orbit. Derrick of the Central Texas Astronomical Society (CTAS), based in Waco. Paul presented back- Sep 3, 1976: The U.S. Viking 2 spacecraft lands ground for his organization of the sky into 9 on the surface of Mars; it analyzes soil and regions, as indicated in his two instructional books: climate, and sends back some of the first • A Beginner’s Guide to Learning the Night close-up photographs. Sky , and 1961: The Materials Testing Laboratory of • Stargazer’s Life List Hughes Aircraft Co. reported that 30 days exposure to simulated vacuum of space Additional information about Paul is at his Website: killed bacteria by causing them to http://www.stargazerpaul.com disintegrate molecule by molecule, and as Additional information about the CTAS is at: such, sterilization of space vehicles could http://www.centexastronomy.org be eliminated from planning. Paul can be contacted at: th Sep 11, 1877: born: Sir James Jeans, 918 No. 30 Street mathematician and astronomer. Jeans Waco, TX 76707 developed a kinetic theory of gases using statistical mechanics, which became widely Ph: (254)-753-6920 used by astronomers investigating the e-mail: [email protected] interior structure of stars; he also originated the theory that the planets were formed when another star passed close to Brain Teaser the sun, and violently removed some of its matter. It’s been reported that geostationary satellites orbit approximately 22,300 miles above the surface of Sep 12, 1970: Luna 16 (USSR Lunar Lander) the earth. If you are given: launched; it would successfully land in • gravity is 32.2 ft/sec/sec Mare Fecunditaits and return about 100 • the earth is 25,000 miles around its grams of lunar samples to Earth. equator, and • a few basic physics equations, (cont’d … P. 3) can you validate the height of the satellite? Page #2 of 8 On This Day … (cont’d) Book Repor t Light This Candle Sep 14, 1712: died: Giovanni Domenico Cassini in Paris, France. Though commonly Light This Candle presents the story of Alan recognized from the gap in Saturn's ring Shepard, and gives some behind-the-scenes system, he founded the Paris Observatory, exploits within NASA. The book takes its title from where his studies led to a revised the quip from Alan Shepard to the NASA calculation of the speed of light as well as technicians … “Why don’t you fix your little problem the astronomical unit (AU). and light this candle”… prior to liftoff of America’s first manned space flight. Sep 18, 1819: born: Jean Bernard Léon Foucault, physicist. Though commonly recognized for the knife-edge test for mirrors and Teaching Astronomy lenses, he also developed the heliostat, was the first to photograph the sun, and From [email protected] to those in the used a long pendulum to demonstrate the educational system who have had to answer the rotation of the earth. “why,” “when,” “who,” and “how” of teaching astronomy … this article destined for the Journal of Sep 23, 1846: Neptune is discovered by German the Science Teachers' Association of Ontario may astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle, based prove useful: on calculations of calculations by the French astronomer, Urbain Le Verrier. http://www.erin.utoronto.ca/~astro/curric1.htm Sep 28, 1953: died: Edwin Hubble in San Marino, CA Sep 29, 1988: Launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery ; it was the first space shuttle launch since the loss of the space shuttle Challenger . 2006 Publications Royal Canadian Handbook : The Order Forms for the 2006 Handbook are typically received August / Points of Interest – New Mexico September (i.e., imminently). The Handbook is US$24.95 retail (+ taxes + S&H); a bulk order can About 50 miles west of Socorro in the Plains of San reduce that to about US$16.00-US$19.00 (+ taxes Agustin, Jerré Ellis visits the Very Large Array + S&H). (“VLA”) during a trip to New Mexico. The VLA consists of 27 25-meter dishes; 9 dishes on each of 2006 Guy Otwell Astronomical Calendar : not 3 13-mile “arms” of a “Y.” published to date; prices not available. Last year’s calendar was $24.95 (+ taxes). Visitors have access to a Visitor Center with displays on radio astronomy and operation of the 2006 Astronomy Calendars : ordered and in VLA, as well as a self -guided walking tour (takes transit. about an hour or so). Please see Tres Ross if interested in these For more information, please see: publications. http://www.vla.nrao.edu/ Page #3 of 8 STS -114 “Guest Night” at Observing Site Good News … Bad News Members are reminded that the Saturday night The good news: mission went well overall; nearest the 3rd Quarter Moon is reserved for amongst other things, … members with guests as well as members alone. delivered 15 tons supplies to the ISS This is the time when members are requested to be • (returned 3 tons of trash, as well) tolerant of guests at the site, and to assist them with sky orientation, instrument instruction, etc., • tested and evaluated both inspection and repair techniques and to otherwise encourage the guests' participa- tion in observing the heavens. Members are to be • repaired failing systems of the ISS (e.g., replaced a gyroscopic system) aware that, on these occasions, they should not plan on doing any serious observing or astrophoto- • concluded with a successful pre-dawn graphy, nor should they berate other members and landing at Edwards (CA). their guests for possibly interfering with their observing plans. The bad news: the fleet is grounded until further notice; this after four piece s of foam separated from It is permissible for a member to bring a guest at the external fuel tank during liftoff. Most debris other times, but that member is responsible for the came from an area known as the Protuberance Air guest maintaining common observing courtesies, Load (“PAL”) ramp – a built-in ridge designed to and dark-sky etiquette. minimize turbulence around cables and fuel lines. Grounding the shuttles poses serious Members are also reminded that it is never consequences for at least two astronomy assets: permissible to give non-members (i.e., guests) the • The ISS: supposed to operate with 6-7 gate code.