Newsletter of RAS (Richmond Astronomical Society)
January, 2004

Visit our web site at www.richastro.org

Next meeting--Monday, Jan. 12

Last meeting
by Terry Barker

Share table:

• Ken Wilson brought in a 2004 calendar of sunrise/sunset times, monthly sky charts, ISS timings, and Iridium flare timings. Ken is also giving a class titled "How to Use a Telescope" on Jan. 3 at the Science Museum. 

Reports and observing:

• Gary Cowardin reported that about 100 people showed up for the monthly SMV skywatch.
• Roger Rigby made two visits to our Powhatan observing site.
• Susan Brubaker announced that Cindy Bowers, our Treasurer, is donating a prize that she won at the 2003 VAAS convention to the club--The 2003 Uranometra.
• Richard Bagwell saw two sun dogs today--this is a variation of a rainbow (seen when the sky contains water droplets). A sun dog is a similar effect, but is created by ice crystals.
• Charlotte Talley greeted David Dorfman, Jack Fox, Brett Zwendling, Jim Mattson, Sean Clark, and Steve Rowland.

Observatory:

• Not a lot of activity--will be holding a cleanup day soon.

Skywatches and other events:

• The SMV skywatch will be Friday, Jan. 16.
• Chesterfield County is starting a monthly skwatch Jan. 23, at Clover Hill Park, 7:30 pm.

Jim Blowers gave the "short presentation", on Timothy Ferris's book "Seeing in the Dark." The book starts off defining three main developments in modern observing: The telescope, the CCD camera, and go-to computer aided telescopes. Jim read vivid description from the book of the Winter Star Party. Jim liked this book so much that the is going to buy another one and donate it to our library. Thanks, Jim!

Tom Bernhardt gave our main presentation, on his visit to Mt. Palomar, to see the 200 inch Hale Telescope. This telescope, near Pasadena, is named after George Hale. Mt. Palomar is 5,600 feet high, but because of light pollution, is no longer the prized instrument that it once was. It is still used for research--an amazing feat, considering it was built during the World War II era.

Dues are due

Please bring your checkbook to the next meeting, and catch up with your dues, payable to our treasurer, Cindy Bowers. There's a form to fill out at the bottom of this newsletter.

RAS Member Survey 2003
by John Raymond

This survey came about at the request of several members. The survey is intended to gather information about RAS members so that we may get to know one another better. 

I believe that every member of RAS has something worthy and unique to contribute.
Something that's worth recording. Please let me know what that is. If you want
to be included, send me the information below. 

Sample listing
John Raymond, RAS member 2003. John held several telescope parties at his home.
He attended the Mason-Dixon, Big Meadows, and Mid Atlantic Star Party.
Telescopes include 6" Orion Dob, 7" Meade Mak, and 12" Discovery Dob. John was
awarded the Astronomical Society's Double Star award #203. John works at the
blood bank and also likes gardening. Favorite food is Marva Maid chocolate milk.


Member Survey 2003: Write a paragraph about yourself. 

Suggested topics:

Name:

I'm from/born at/ used to live at :

Occupation/ education:

Family / pets:

Member since:

What I did in 2003:

What I like about the Richmond Astronomical Society:

What I don/t like: 

What topics do you want presented at the 2004 meetings:

Astronomical book read/ purchased in 2003

Favorite astronomical interest:

Favorite astronomy event 2003:

Current interests/hobbies/travels:

Observations made in 2003:

Telescope/binocular used in 2003:

Events attended/participated in :

Little known fact about you:

Other:

Lunar atlas
by Eric Douglass

Powhatan report
by Ray Moody

Arrived just prior to Moon set to set up my 14 1/4" Dob.  Was all
alone.  The seeing was good, transparency 9.5, overall seening varied
between 7.5 to 9.  Viewed some old fvorites M31, M32, M110, M33, M42,
M43, M78, the Flame nebula NGC 2034, the Horse Head B33, and the
rosette NGC 2337-39.  Seeing (or colimation)only allowed me to see 5
of the 6 stars in the trapezium, and the Flame was not as spectacular
as I have seen before.  The Rosette did look spectacular in the 26
Nagler, need a 2" OIII filter!  The Horse Head was difficult under
those sky conditions, but occasionally the shape would come through. 
Then I turned my attention to two galaxy groups in Pieces, the NGC
507 Group and the NGC 383 Group.  Both fields were awash with
galaxies in the 11-14th magnitude range.  I identified at least 7 in
one field with 507 and an interesting string of galaxies in 383. 
Then I hunted down NGC266, a small 11.6 magnitude galaxy that is
almost hidden by a nearby 8th magnitude star.  I capped the night off
with views of Saturn and Jupiter.  Seeing was steady at 2 AM.  Packed
up and headed home.  Side note, the Coleman Black Cat propane heater
works to take the chill off.  When I arrived at Powhatan the road was
very muddy, but when I departed it was frozen.

I arrived on-site around 2250 EST.  Last night (December 21) was one of
those rare nights at Powhatan where the transparency was good (~6 magnitude
at the Little Dipper) and there was neither a drop of dew nor a flake of
frost the entire evening.  Seeing was decent, which is to say fair.  Also
there was a good crowd of astronomers and telescopes at the site.  It
varied as the night went on but peaked at seven including my 13-inch Dobsonian.

I started off with Comet LINEAR (C/2002 T7).  This is the third time I have
seen it and it continues to get brighter.  It is also showing more of a
tail than in times past.  Last night it was conveniently placed between M33
and the point of Triangulum.

I worked the southern horizon looking for galaxies in Fornax and
Eridanus.  In Fornax I saw the quartet of galaxies NGC 1387, 1389, 1399,
and 1404.  All four were visible in the same eyepiece field at 60x.  These
galaxies range in magnitude from 8.8 to 11.4.  They would be better known
if they were further north.  Last night they were around 15 degrees above
the horizon.  Several other fainter galaxies were also visible nearby.

In Eridanus I saw the 11th magnitude galaxy NGC 1084.  At -7 degrees of
declination it is much better placed than the Fornax galaxies.  I saw it as
a bright, almost square, oval.

As far as challenging objects go, I saw the 12th magnitude galaxy NGC 1310
in Fornax.  At -37 degrees declination it is another far southern
galaxy.  It makes up a trio with NGC 1317 and 1316.  I had seen the other
galaxies earlier but had not seen NGC 1310 until last night.  In the
13-inch scope it was just visible with averted vision at 150x.

Also challenging was NGC 7741 in Pegasus.  First there was a tough star hop
starting from Psi Pegasus.  Once I found the galaxy, I could only see it
with averted vision at 150x.

I took stabs at the 13th magnitude Palomar 2 in Auriga and the 13th
magnitude galaxy IC 167 in Aries but had no luck.  Based on the eyepiece
charts I generated with Guide, I was in the right area but could not pick
them out of the field.

While visiting some of the other scopes last night, I saw Hubble's Variable
Nebula and Rosette Nebula in Monoceros, the deep red star R Leporis, and
the multiple star Gamma Velorum.

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