THE DENVER OBSERVER APRIL 2011 APRIL 2011 OT h e D eBn v e r S E R V E R APRIL CELESTIAL “FLORA” Calendar A PALLET BY ANY OTHER NAME 3.......................................... New moon Digital astro-images are amazing in their revelations, but when you minutely isolate certain wavelengths of 11............................ First quarter moon light, the secrets that are uncovered are staggering. The Rosette Nebula, with its Bok globules and embed- ded star cluster NGC 2244, appears a completely different object through narrowband filters, namely H- 17......................................... Full moon alpha, S-II and OIII. Brian Kimball from Longmont recently completed the S-II portion of his image, combin- 24.................................. Easter Sunday ing the data to portray this beautiful gaseous flower in all its splendor. 24............................ Last quarter moon Image © Brian Kimball Inside the Observer A P R I L S K I E S by Dennis Cochran ive golden rings!” we sing at Christmas. Well, group of four spirals located below the southwest President’s Corner.......................... 2 we’ve got at least three around Saturn, called corner of Leo’s rear-end triangle. Another bunch of “FA, B and C. C is the nearest to the planet and fainter galaxies lies inside the triangle up by the hy- Society Directory............................ 2 might not be visible in a small scope or on a bad day, potenuse. Straight east of this group, a bit more than er . night. B is the biggie and then there’s the Cas- one triangle, is M85, a bright elliptical in the northern Schedule of Events.......................... 2 sini Division, that dark gap between B and the outer reaches of the Virgo Galaxy Cluster, nestled in with a Cleaning of a Classic.................... 4-5 A ring. The rings are mostly white, with the faintest bunch of NGCs. These ellipticals may be formed by hint of red. You can find even more rings if you’re a the merger of spirals and may be what we will look Little Thompson Field Trip.............. 6 spacecraft cruising the outer solar system. (Mordak like in the future when we merge with M31. Anyway, tells me they look great from the window of his flying straight north of that is the spacious star cluster, Me- NASA’s Space Place........................ 6 saucer). Here on Earth, Saturn should be up all lotte 111, visible as a blur in Coma Berenices, a good night—the star—as it were, of any public star party. binocular object. Back in Leo we find that Denebola, New Astronomer’s Den Chart........... 7 Leo is now the meridian dweller of 9 P.M., home the star at the tip of the lion’s tail at the east end of from the hunt at earlier hours in the east. While a real the triangle, is a blue-orange binary. “Rosette Nebula” Photo...... back page lion may be surrounded by flies, our supine celestial Before we go west toward the front of Leo, drop 45 Election Results................ back page lion is surrounded by galaxies. The best known of degrees down-left from the triangle to γ (gamma) these is the M65 and 66 and NGC 3628 and 3593 Continued on Page 3 The Denver Astronomical Society One Mile Nearer the Stars Page 1 THE DENVER OBSERVER APRIL 2011 PRESIDENT’S CORNER by Ron Pearson hen you joined the DAS, I bet you joined offer its members. But these resources require more Society Directory W because you thought there were just a few than the average club member to see to their use and people who might help you learn how to use continuity. President: your telescope or start finding those “billyuns and These resources came about over 60 years by the Ron Pearson (303) 670-1299 billyuns” of galaxies far, far away. And maybe you were hard work of others, most long-gone now, but all had a [email protected] expecting them to look just like they do in the Hubble vision of what every amateur, and some professionals, Vice President: telescope! Maybe you re-joined just to use our Dark dream of. The management of these resources and Lisa Judd (626) 487-8515 Sky Site or just to come to our meetings, where we programs requires more than just one guy or gal sitting [email protected] Secretary: have great speakers on the current topics in astronomy at a laptop computer or telephone. Passing on the good Dennis Cochran (720) 870-0465 or space sciences, and you really don’t care much about operation of the Clark telescope or the use of the EGK Treasurer: what else goes on. Well, as the “Denver Astronomical Dark Site to new members or building a new Brad Gilman (720) 488-1028 Society” we are so much more than any one of those observatory requires members who are interested in things. more than their own Herschel 400 list certificate. This As a society, we are group of is why we constantly ask you to volunteer your time Executive Board Members people that come together to and talents to us as a Society. These are your programs; share our love of astronomy if you want them to continue, you have to participate Jack Eastman Keith Pool Tim Pimentel with you and everyone else. in keeping them going. You are the new “others” with Joe Gafford Chuck Habenicht David Shouldice And for more than 60 years vision for the next 60 years. Balancing the wise-use of Ron Hranac Dan Wray now a significant portion of our limited resources, which include your money, is Ron Mickle, Past President the way we accomplish that carried out by small dedicated group of individuals President Emeritus, Larry Brooks is by supporting and even called the Executive, or E-Board. operating a Public Night This month we welcome several new E-Board Committees program at the University of members, including, Vice President Lisa Judd, Denver’s 116 year-old Historic Chamberlin Secretary Dennis Cochran, Ron Hranac and Chuck Van Nattan-Hansen Scholarship Fund: Observatory. That program at the observatory is, of Habenicht. In addition, we have a new Public Night Ron Pearson (Chair) course, focused on the 20-inch Alvan Clark-George Team Lead Coordinator, Hugh Davidson, who is P.O. Box 150743 Lakewood, Colorado 80215-0743 Saegmuller telescope. We are also dedicated to our taking over for Ron Mickle. EGK Dark Site Committee: Edmund G. Kline Dark sky site, without which you Coming with these new offices are some big Darrell Dodge, Interim Chair would likely be stuck having to try and observe those decisions right out of the gate. Dr. Stencel, Director of Email: [email protected] faint fuzzies during new moons from your backyard or Chamberlin Observatory, has asked the DAS to co- IDA Representative: Dr. Robert Stencel setting up on some lonely dusty dirt road out in the share the costs of some much needed engineering Email: [email protected] mountains or plains by yourself or with a couple friends maintenance work for the great equatorial mount of Student Astronomy Chair: the way I did years ago back in Illinois and Iowa. In the Clark-Saegmuller telescope. At this time, we don’t Naomi Pequette (Chair) short, you have joined an astronomy club with know the exact amount needed, but a 50/50-requested Finance Committee Frank Mancini (303) 663-5263 incredible resources that few other amateur clubs can Continued on Page 6 Volunteers or Appointed DAS SCHEDULE Representatives ALCor: APRIL MAY Darrell Dodge (303) 932-1309 Newsletter: 2-3 EGK Dark Sky weekend (Messier 6-8 EGK Dark Sky weekend Editor: Patti Kurtz (720) 217-5707 Marathon II weekend) 7 DMNS Space Day - DAS Solar Observ- Email: [email protected] Proofing, writing, patience and New 9 Open House at Chamberlin (Begins at ing, watch the Observer for forthcom- Astronomers Den charts: Steve Solon 7:30 P.M.) Saturn viewing! ing details. The Observer is available in color PDF 15 DAS General Membership meeting 14 Open House at Chamberlin (Begins at format from the DAS website. (Begins at 7:30 P.M.). Speaker: Mr. 8:00 P.M.) Saturn viewing! Website: Darrell Dodge Craig Betzina: Design and Construction 20 DAS General Membership meeting Email: [email protected] of a Permanent Observatory. (Begins at 7:30 P.M.). Speaker: Clark Chad Warwick, IT Specialist 22 E-Board Meeting at Chamberlin (Be- Chapman: First science results (om the Librarian: gins at 7:30 P.M.) Messenger Mission to Mercury. Phil Klos 23 Little Thompson Observatory Field 27 E-Board Meeting at Chamberlin (Be- DAS Information Line:(303) 871-5172 DAS Correspondence: Trip (See Page 6). gins at 7:30 P.M.) Denver Astronomical Society Chamberlin Observatory c/o Ron Pearson 2930 East Warren Avenue Public nights are held at Chamberlin Observatory every Tuesday and Thursday evenings Denver, Colorado 80210 beginning at the fo)owing times: March 9 - April 14 at 8:00 p.m. The Executive Board conducts the business of the DAS at 7:30 p.m. at Chamberlin Observatory. April 15 - September 1 at 8:30 p.m. Please see the Schedule of Events for meeting September 2 - March 8 at 7:00 p.m dates. A( members are welcome. Costs to non-members are: $3.00 adults, $2.00 children Please make reservations via our website ,www.denverastro.org- or ca) ,303- 871-5172. www.denverastro.org The Denver Astronomical Society One Mile Nearer the Stars Page 2 THE DENVER OBSERVER APRIL 2011 APRIL SKIES (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1) Virginis, the bright star at the bottom of the We’re heading toward the Alpha “bowl” of Virgo.