Newsletter of RAS (Richmond Astronomical Society)
June, 2004

Visit our web site at www.richastro.org

Next meeting--Monday, June 14

Change to meeting location
by Ken Wilson

Due to the last minute addition of the NASCAR Imax movie to our schedule, we'll have to relocate the RAS meetings from the planetarium to the Eureka Theater beginning with the April meeting and lasting through the September meeting.

Would you like to be a board member?
by Terry Barker

Last meeting
by Jim Blowers

Share table:

• Ken Wilson displayed the Iridium flares and ISS pass information for the month, as well as a bunch of brochures left over from Astronomy Day. He also left an Orion catalog, advertising telescopes and many accessory items, and the first issue of Night Sky, a new magazine published by Kalmbach, the publishers of <i>Astronomy</i>.
• John Raymond has a handful of star party pictures from some star parties he recently attended.

Reports and observing:

• The monthly Skywatch last month had so-so conditions. It was cloudy much of the day.
• On April 17, RAS members found 7 Messier objects at Powhatan.
• Comet NEAT was detected by several members.
• Ken Wilson reported on his Science Museum report that the past Astronomy Day was one of the best in the history of the club.
• Sue reported that with the meeting in the Eureka room, there is no chance to visit the library in the planetarium.
• John Barnett gave a book report, of Norm Guenther's guide to Messier objects, written my member Norm Guenther in 1986.
• There were several visitors, including Leslie Barros, Carl Miller, Michael Holls, and three others.

Observatory:

• Gary Cowardin gave his Observatory report. There was a cleanup day in which two big trees and scrub were cleared.

Skywatches and other events:

• The SMV skywatch will be Friday, June 18. 
• The Malvern Hill skywatch dates are June 18-19. Viewing there will also be available the morning of June 8 for the Venus transit. The ranger has asked that members bring some identification with them - RAS badge is sufficient. Guests of members are welcome.

The program of the month was a video brought in by Cindy Bowers on the upcoming Venus transit on June 8.

Venus transit
by Terry Barker

The big event that Cindy talked about at the last meeting, and the one being featured by virtually all astronomy sources--the Venus transit of the sun, is occurring this Tuesday morning, June 8. The event will be in progress as the sun rises, so you will want to be on site well before then. You will definitely need a low view of the eastern horizon, as well as a sun filter!

Malvern Hill is available, and so is the Science Museum. I'm not sure about Powhatan.

Powhatan report
by Tom Kunsitis

I arrived at 2100 EDT.  I did not make an official count, but there was a
good crowd of astronomers and telescopes there when I arrived.  Conditions
were good.  The limiting magnitude was 5.5 - 6.0.  The air was humid but
did not begin condensing during the observing session.  The air was also
fairly steady by Powhatan standards.  The mosquitos were out and active so
the cold weather season has officially turned over to the insect repellant
season.  There was also a rather impressive firefly display that night.

I began my observing session with Comet NEAT.  The comet was visible to the
naked eye near M44.  In my 13" telescope it showed a coma larger than the
full moon and a tail roughly two degrees in length.  The coma also showed a
strong, almost stellar, central condensation.

Friday night was a good night for galaxies.  I saw the triplet of NGC 4725,
4712, and 4747 in Coma Berenices which appear in the same eyepiece
field.  NGC 4725 is a large and bright galaxy where the other two are much
smaller and fainter.  Also in Coma Berenices is NGC 4394.  This galaxy is
in the same field as M85 and only slightly smaller and fainter.  Also near
M85 is NGC 4450 which is another large, bright galaxy.

In Virgo, I saw the chain of galaxies which includes NGC 5850, 5846, 5845,
and 5839.  Within the eyepiece field was NGC 5838 and just a little further
away were NGC 5806 and 5813.  All of these galaxies are a short star hop
from the globular star cluster M5.

I also worked the southern horizon.  I saw the galaxy NGC5102 which is in
Centaurus.  It is less than a half degree from the 3rd magnitude Iota
Centauri.  This galaxy was easy to see in the 13" scope even though it was
roughly 15 degrees above the horizon.  I also explored the area of NGC 5128
which is the famous Centaurus A galaxy.  This galaxy is about 5 degrees
north of Omega Centauri.  I was able to identify the background stars.  I
got some hints that some nebulosity was there just west of the center of
the galaxy.  However, it was not enough for a positive hit.

The lone new non-galaxy that I saw was NGC 5694 in Hydra.  This galaxy is
one of most distant known.  It was tiny and unresolvable.  However, at 10th
magnitude, it was not that hard to pick out.

I packed up and headed home around 0030 EDT.


The last galaxies of the night were in Canes Venatici with the trio of  NGC
4111, 4109, and 4117.  These galaxies are in the same eyepiece field around
an 8th magnitude star.  NGC 4111 is a bright edge-on galaxy.  The other two
are much fainter.  NGC 4109 is 13.9 magnitude and was the most difficult
galaxy of the evening.

Looking at some familiar objects, the spiral arms of M51 were visible and
the dust lane in M104 was also easily seen.  The Great Red Spot of Jupiter
was also visible last night and the cloud belts showed a lot of
detail.  The Red Spot is not actually red any more but more of a very pale
pink.  Old-time astronomers can remember when it was brick red in the 1970's.

At about 2400 EDT we packed up and headed home.

Green Bank Star Quest
by Deven Matlick, Central Appalachian Astronomy Club

Come join us July 8th-11th, 2004 under the dark skies of West Virginia for the 1st  annual Green Bank Star Quest at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, WV . By day, checkout all the NRAO has to offer, like the new multi-million dollar Visitor’s Center, free tours of the facilities including the 100 meter GBT ( which is the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope) and to a limited number of pre-registrants, use of the 40ft dish. Star Quest will have 4 days of lectures, imaging classes, vendors, raffles, kids activities and night time optical observing on over six acres of camp sites at the low price of $ 75.00 for a single registration or $ 100.00 for a family of four. For more information contact Joe Gonzalez at (304) 626-5012 or visit our web site at www.caacwv.org or www.KVAS.org .  Pre-registration closes June 8, 2004 .

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