OBSERVATORY NEWS September 2018 Published by the Friends of the Observatory Volume 29 No. 9 513-321-5186 www.cincinnatiobservatory.org Bill Cartwright, editor @ Cincinnati Observatory 2018 After the lecture, guests will then be Upcoming Events ScopeOut 2018 welcome visit the Observatory for tours & viewing through the 2 Days of Astronomy & telescopes (weather permitting). September Calendar Cost: $25/person Telescopes! Reservations are required. Stonelick Stargazing Sep 1 dusk Space is limited For more info or Late Night Date Night Sep 1 10:30p Friday, September 14 please call 513-321-5186 *Longitude Sep 6 8p at 7pm at the or Register Online for the Dinner Astronomy Thursday Sep 6 8p and Lecture Clark Montessori School Stonelick Stargazing Sep 8 dusk Saturday, September 15th Sunday Tours Sep 8 1-4p **The Stolen Lens Sep 8 8p 6-10pm at the History of the Observatory Sep 9 1-4p Observatory Ohio Open Doors Sep 9-14 Want to see the coolest telescopes FOTO Member Picnic Sep 10 6:30p in the Tri-state? Want to look Astronomy Thursday Sep 13 8p through a telescope to see the Scopeout Dinner! Sep 14 7p Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and at Clark Montessori School Mars? Join the members of the ScopeOut Scope Festival! Sep 15 6-10p Cincinnati Observatory as we At the Observatory celebrate the telescope. Dozens of FOTO Planning Meeting Sep 18 7p astronomers will set up their telescopes and share their *Behind the Scenes Sep 18 8p Kicking off the weekend the knowledge, passion, expertise Topics in Astronomy Sep 19 7p Observatory welcomes Michael between 6-8pm. Astronomy Friday Sep 21 8p Bakich, Senior Editor at Cosmic Kids returns Sep 22 Astronomy Magazine, who will History of the Observatory Sep 23 1-4p present: Star Death, an explosive talk that deals with the lives of stars Astronomy Thursday Sep 27 8p beginning with their births all the Astronomy Friday Sep 28 8p Then way to their sometimes spectacular as darkness falls, from 8-10pm they Great Outdoor Weekend Sep 29 8p deaths. will share views through their own Hubble’s Greatest Hits Oct 17 7p A dinner will be catered by telescopes (weather Cosmic Kids Oct 13 Venice on Vine. permitting). Plus the massive th 175 Anniversary! Nov 8 Cincinnati Observatory telescopes Please note Friday’s event will be * UC Communiversity will be in operation to view the ** held at the Cincinnati Astronomical Society held at nearby at the planets up close. (see story in this issue) Clark Montessori School We will also have activities for Complete Calendar & Late- 3030 Erie Avenue students of all ages, meteorites on Breaking Events are Online Cincinnati, OH 45208 1 display, and new and used community,” shared Executive telescopes for sale. Director Craig Niemi. “We rarely ‘toot our own horn’, but this is an opportunity to not only tell our incredible story, but also celebrate with those who have supported our work.” Admission is $5/person. Free for Sponsors of the event include the Observatory members! Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile No reservations are Jr./US Bank Foundation, University needed. Great for all ages. For of Cincinnati, Xavier University, more info call 513-321-5186. UBS, Bahl & Gaynor, and Icon Solar. The Observatory’s 175th Anniversary fundraising goal for this, their first Saturday, September 8th offsite fundraising event, is 8pm Celebration! $50,000. “We’ve been so pleased at the Cincinnati Astronomical with the response of the corporate Society community in supporting our Thursday, November 8th event,” shared Development 6-9pm Director Anna Hehman. “Especially since we’d like to use proceeds from this fundraiser to increase the number of underserved students we bring to the Observatory for a field trip.” The event will be open to the public and tickets are $75 each. The Mystery of the Stolen Lens! To make your reservations for this exciting event, please click Cincinnati Astronomical Society 5274 Zion Rd., Cleves here. For more information or to learn The Cincinnati Observatory, the how to support the event, contact Historian and amateur sleuth, John nation’s oldest public Anna Hehman at 513-321-5186 or Ventre tells the story of our stolen Observatory, will be [email protected] 1880 antique telescope lens. commemorating its 175th Discovered missing in 1981, who Anniversary with a celebration at could have stolen it and why? Was the Monastery Event Center on Save-the-Dates it a simple burglary? Was it an November 8. "inside job" by a Society member? The Center was built adjacent to Could it have been aliens? Join us at the site of where the original CAS to learn the rest of the story. Observatory once stood in Mount Adams. Viewing through the 1880 telescope The Observatory is a thriving afterwards, weather permitting. educational resource as well as a Free. RSVP’s appreciated. Sign up online. National Historic Landmark, Sep 29: Great Outdoor Weekend serving 35,000 people annually Nov. 8: 175th Anniversary through their work in schools as Celebration (continued on page 3) well as public programs. “The Observatory is excited to celebrate this milestone with the 2 We began with a private tour led by brought home a deep appreciation Historian and Tour Director, Dan for how well our Observatory is Koehler. surviving. Sunday, September 9th through Friday September 14th 1-4pm The Doors are Open at the Cincinnati Observatory! First Glimpse of Yerkes very large Telescope Discover the fascinating story of the people who made Cincinnati the The history of Yerkes is a veritable "Birthplace of American who's who of American Astronomy Astronomy". (less O.M. Mitchel, of Fermilab’s campus featured many We'll explore Cincinnati's past course). Edwin Hubble, artistically designed buildings. and how the citizens of Cincinnati Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (of founded the nation's first public Chandra telescope fame), Gerard The ride home was broken up astronomical observatory. Learn Kuiper and Carl Sagan all spent with a stop at FermiLab, America's why John Quincy Adams was so time at this Observatory. particle physics and accelerator interested in what was only laboratory. Built on 6,800 acres, happening here in Cincinnati. FermiLab employs over 1750 Discover how 19th century employees including scientists and astronomers determined time for engineers from all over the Cincinnati and who made the first world. Our guide, Ann Mary, spent U.S. weather predictions. Tours and two fabulous hours helping us all safe sun viewing (if clear) understand how FermiLab is Free! Just mention Ohio Open actively working to solve the Doors. Craig Niemi & Brad Reck mysteries of matter, energy, space An Ohio History Connection Event! and time for the benefit of all. examining the 40” Telescope Science Field Trip After the tour and dinner at They are currently working on the Harpoon Willie's, we went back to Deep Underground Neutrino By Valerie Niemi Yerkes for a 3- hour exclusive Experiment which will ultimately session with the extraordinary 40- send neutrinos over 800 miles (from We're back and we had a wonderful inch telescope. The tube is over 64 Batavia, IL to Lead, SD) straight time on our great Science Field feet long! We took our time through the earth's mantle. Fun Trip, August 3-4. viewing several deep sky objects Fact: Neutrinos are so small and Seventeen intrepid scientists on including M57, M2, M11 and the have such little mass that it take a a 47- passenger bus set off to the Swan Nebula. piece of lead 2 light years long to wilds of Wisconsin and stop them (the beam). Illinois. Our first stop was Yerkes Sadly, this wonderful telescope is Observatory, home of the world's scheduled to go offline forever on largest refractor telescope. October 1, 2018. It certainly 3 quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States. Astro Topics with Dean Regas We returned home Saturday night tired, but much wiser! Wishing you all great adventures and thanks for The Fall Sky all you do for the Cincinnati th Valerie and Observatory Docent Wed. Sept.19 7pm Observatory. Kelsey Stryffe will share a few of Hubble’s Greatest Hits th the amazing architectural features Wed. Oct. 17 7pm Moon Landing FOTO Second and stories of the homes. th Wed. Nov. 14 7p Guide Stars: Charts, Apps & Monday Meeting Software Wed. Dec. 12th 7p is the Picnic These fun and laid-back single topic By Valerie Niemi classes for beginners focus on a variety of topics and will surely th September’s 10 FOTO meeting keep you looking up! begins at 6:30pm with our summer picnic. (Note the earlier start The Cincinnati Observatory invites $15 per person $12 for members. time!) all amateur and professional Sign Up Online or call 513-321- The Observatory will be photographers to enter our 2019 5186. providing tasty Mac & Cheese from Calendar Photo Contest. Winning Keystone Bar, drinks and the grill. photographs will be featured in our Bring something to throw on the 2019 Cincinnati Observatory grill and something to share. Calendar. Afterwards we’ll walk off dinner with a leisurely half-mile walk Deadline is September 21st! through the neighboring Contest rules and more information Observatory Historic District. on the website. While our two National Landmark buildings are certainly the Entries must be submitted neighborhood’s showpieces, many through the Cincinnati of the homes nearby were owned by Observatory website Observatory directors and astronomers. www.cincinnatiobservatory.org One of only 2,500 National Historic Landmarks. (NHLs) are nationally significant historic places designated by the Secretary of the Interior because they possess exceptional value or 4 Cosmic Kids Lifelong Learning Enrich your life with UC Continuing Education's exciting array of noncredit short, yet in- depth courses and educational Saturday Night opportunities designed for diverse audiences of all ages.