SDAA San Diego Astronomy Association Promising the Sun, the Moon and the Stars... and Delivering! Office (619) 645-8940 Observatory (619) 766-9118 News and Notes July 2001 A Non-Profit Educational Association WWW http://www.sdaa.org P.O. Box 23215, San Diego, CA 92193-3215 Here at home MOUNT LAGUNA SDAA BUSINESS MEETING WILL BE HELD AT SKF CONDITION MONITORING OBSERVATORY 4141 RUFFIN ROAD SAN DIEGO CA 92123-1841 This month, we decided to feature a local celebrity site here in San Diego. I hope everyone in our club gets out to Mount Laguna and enjoys reading about their interesting telescopes located at the Mount Laguna Observatory. Mount Laguna Observatory (MLO) was dedicated on June 19, 1968 in conjunction with the Summer meeting of the Astronomical Society (cont'd on page 6 through 9) of the Pacific, which was hosted by the SDSU Astronomy Department (D.B. Wood, 1968, Publ. Astron. Soc. Pac. 80, 633). The dedication occurred only seven years after the CONTENTS Astronomy Department became a separate entity on the SDSU campus. July 2001 Vol. XXXVII Issue 07 The original funding for the Published Monthly by the observatory facilities grew from a San Diego Astronomy Association 75¢/$8.00 year grant from the National Science Incorporated in California in 1963 Foundation to Director (now Emeritus) Burt Nelson for the study of eclipsing binary stars, with matching funds supplied by the State of California. The Observatory is located forty-five miles east of downtown San Diego, at an altitude Feature Mt. Laguana _________ 1,8 of 6100 ft. (1859 meters) on the remote eastern edge of the Cleveland National Forest. MLO Camp out with the Stars ______ 2 is well protected from the urban lighting of the San Diego metropolitan area. This remoteness, Remembering an Icon(Kepler) __ 3-5 along with the high percentage of clear nights and excellent seeing, makes Mount Laguna Telescopes at Mt. Laguna _____ 7-8 one of the best overall observatory sites in the continental United States. MLO has grown Moon Phase Calendar ________ 10 to include four well-equipped telescopes, ranging in size from 16- to 40-inches (0.4- to 1.0- meters), which are used for original research by the faculty and students of both SDSU and Business Meeting ____________ 11 the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Observatory has plans to build a 100- inch (2.5-meter) telescope for SDSUs second century. (cont'd on page 6) Promising you the Sun the Moon and the Stars SDAA and delivering... Program Meetings viewing or photography, etc., etc, etc. This some nebulae while we waited for Mars to by J. Restivo is where you can help your fellow clear the trees. The sky clouded up around On May 18th, 52 members and guests astronomers. Just bring your Gadget and 11 p.m., but then cleared up an hour later attended the Program Meeting. Our special share in the fun. allowing some nice views of Mars. feature was the award presentation to the Please call or e-mail me (both means of If you have a telescope that you can three San Diego Science and Engineering contact are on the back page of this share with the campers you are welcome to Fair winners in the field of Space and / or newsletter) so that I have an idea how to join us and camp for free, and enjoy one of Astronomy. 1st place went to Hannah schedule each of your Gadgets. Doors will the nicest campgrounds in the county. We Shearer of Muirlands Middle School with open at 7:00 pm at the lecture hall of The will also be up at William Heise the her project, Sunspots and Solar Rotation. R.H. Fleet Science Center. I look forward to weekends of July 14th, August 25th, 2nd place went to Keri Holcomb of Oak Grove seeing a lot of you then. September 22nd. If you like, you can come Middle School and her project, Rockets up on Friday and enjoy the campground an Rising: Five Fluids in Flight. 3rd place went Star Party Volunteers Needed extra day. to Rebecca Russell of Correia Jr.High; her by M. Dietz To reach William Heise take Hwy. 67 project was, Effects of Dispersion and I just wanted to let you know that we will North through Ramona which then turns Scattering on the Green Flash. Their proud be needing some volunteers this Fall to help into Hwy 78. Continue East on Hwy. 78 fathers were also present. On behalf of the with the star party program. As many of you through Santa Ysabel heading towards SDAA organization, we welcome you as our already know, our North County star party Julian. A couple of miles before Julian, turn newest Associate members. coordinator, Doug Mcfarland, will be moving right on Pine Hills Road and head South. Jerry Schad was our guest speaker. His to Idaho this Fall and we will need to find Continue about 2 miles to Frisius Drive and topic, Sky Scapes, provided the audience a someone to fill his shoes. Regrettably, I will turn left. Head East on Frisius Drive about fun and interesting way of capturing the no longer be able to continue as star party 1 ½ miles to the park entrance. Let the Anza-Borrego desert and the nighttime sky coordinator after this summer as well. It looks rangers know you are with the SDAA and onto film, primarily, without the use of a like I will be working nights so I wont have they will show where we will be camping. telescope. Other scenes, included different the time to do the job anymore. I hope I will We will be set up at the picnic area East of backdrops of San Diego. It was a full and still be able to participate in the star parties, the caravan area. fun evening for all who attended. but that is a question mark as well right now. (cont'd on page 3) The June Program Meeting was attended If anyone has any questions about what is by 42 members and guests. Dr. Gary L. involved with the scheduling and organizing Peterson, Professor of Geology at San Diego process, Im sure Doug or I would be more Editorial Staff State University, presented his lecture, Why than happy to discuss it with you. I have is Mars Red? Dr. Peterson gave a historical been actively involved with the SDAA star geological roadmap of the solar system from party program for the past 8 years, and I can about 4 ½ billion years ago. He indicated honestly say that they have been the most that water is the only stable fluid in our solar rewarding years of my life. Now the time has system. Mars has a density of 0.107 or 11% come to pass the baton on to someone else. the mass of Earth. Its density is currently I will try to give as much help as I can to the SDAA too small for any type of ocean or large new star party coordinators whoever they body of water. Also, its temperature is 67 may be. degrees below zero, verifying that its Thanks. Editor atmosphere could not keep water now. With DOUG JOHNSON the effects of weathering, wind and erosion Camp With The Stars [email protected] over a 4 ½ billion year period, Dr. Peterson by M. Dietz walked the audience thru a geological Two members came up to William Heise Graphic Designer Martian Chronicle. His slide show along on Friday evening May 18th to get an extra KATHRYN M. LABORDE with images from Viking 2 and Pathfinder, night of star gazing in. We had about a helped to better understand the mystery of dozen people come by that evening to view Contributing Writers the Red Planet. through the telescopes. Twelve additional THAD V'SOSKE July 20th will be the date for our next members came up the following day. There Program Meeting. A favorite for years past, DOUG JOHNSON were 5 or 6 telescopes set up for safe solar we will be enjoying the fun of Gadget Night. KATHY LABORDE viewing and about 75 of the campers came The guest speaker will beYOU. Bring your JOHN MOOD by to view the sun. There were about 15 thingamajig, doomer fachie or yet patented BRIAN STAPLES telescopes set up that evening. I gave a invention that has helped you enjoy the slide show presentation at sunset while we MICHAEL DIETZ wonders of astronomy. Be it a new eyepiece, waited for it to get dark. We viewed quite a JIM POTTER finder, mount, camera, film, technique for few globular clusters , some galaxies, and PAGE 2SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES JULY 2001 Promising you the Sun the Moon and the Stars SDAA and delivering... (cont'd from page 2) reach the library take I-5 North to Del Mar Remembering an Icon We will be up near Julian again on Heights Road. Head West on Del Mar Road by D. Snyder (Contributing Author) st to Camino Del Mar and turn right. Head Saturday July 21 at Paso Picacho Johannes Kepler was born premature in North to the library. campground near Lake Cuyamaca. The the small town of Swabia, in the Southwest We will be in Poway on Friday the 27th rangers have a 10 a.m. program they offer corner of Germany. Kepler came into this for a star party at Chaparral Elementary for the campers and have asked us to do it world premature at 32 weeks old on located at 17250 Tannin Drive.