Newsletter of RAS (Richmond Astronomical Society)
May, 2003

Visit our web site at www.richastro.org

Next meeting--Monday, May 12

Last meeting
by Terry Barker

• Ken Wilson brought in a sign-up sheet for Astronomy Day, the May lunar eclipse, monthly star charts and Iridium flare schedules. 

Reports and observing:

• SMV Skywatch had a good crowd, with an estimated 150 people!
• Eric Shelton had clear skies at Powhatan last weekend, and ended up in the middle of a boy scout campout.
• John Barnett had a group of 40-50 boy scouts at James River Park. They also saw a huge meteor. John will also be heading up a skywatch tomorrow night for Lakewood Manor.
• Roger Rigby showed off a nice poster that a girl scout group made for us, as a thank you for the skywatch we did with them a couple of weeks ago. They also wrote us a nice letter.
• Terry Barker was clouded out of the last Chesterfield County skywatch--that's three in a row, all clouded out.
• Charlotte Talley greeted a visitor, Jerry Zaun, who also signed up as a member. Welcome, Jerry!
• David Credicutt has been helping with the library, and let us know that he and Susan Brubaker are doing an inventory, and will soon have a new list.
• George Hastings wants to let everyone know that a web based lesson on classifying galaxies is on the SMV web site, http://www.smv.org/hastings/galaxy.htm
• Norm Guenther awarded an Astronomical League Double Star certificate to John Raymond.
• Terry Barker asked for volunteers to help with solar observing for Astronomy Day (May 10). Charlotte Talley and George and Jane Hastings will help out.

Observatory:

• Jim Petty reports that the fence has been repaired (ongoing) and volunteers have made some concrete repairs. Also, Phil Roberts has donated a universal time clock. Thanks Phil! Gary Cowardin will be setting up a work day for hauling off trash. The tracking gears on the telescope are being repaired, so the telescope is temporarily out of commision.

Skywatches and other events::

• Terry Barker has a Chesterfield County skywatch at Clover Hill on Friday, May 2.
• There will be a special skywatch at the SMV for the lunar eclipse on May 15. The eclipse starts at 10:00 pm, and ends around 1:00 am.
• The SMV skywatch will be May 16.
• The Mason-Dixon Star Party is May 30 through June 1. It's held in Hanover, PA. You can get full information at http://masondixonstarparty.org.

Eric Shelton, gave the short presentation, on the Winter Star Party in Key West, FL. The seeing was great. Unfortunately, popularity is high and accommodations are limited, so they have to limit the number that can enter the park to 600. Some of the highlights Eric saw were: a 12 inch Meade mounted on a trailer, tents made to serve as observatories, and a "yard" (36 inch) telescope. 

Jim Blowers gave the main presentation, called Astronomy 102. He started off with some questions:

• What makes the stars shine?

• Why do five of the brighter stars (planets) move?

• What causes the seasons?

Jim uses this lesson to lead off discussions for presentations he gives to various groups on astronomy.

Astronomy Day
by Terry Barker

Plans for Astronomy Day on May 10 are shaping up well. We have a committee, chaired by John Raymond, that has met once, and pretty much defined our game plan. Here's what we have come up with so far:

We'll have exhibit tables on:

• Amateur telescope making with live demonstrations of mirror grinding and other activities.
• Real meteorites from outer space.
• Photography using a video camera equipped with a charged coupled device and electronic eyepiece demonstrations.
• An advanced telescope display.
• How to make a sundial display.
• Computer assisted telescope observation, with a working example.
• An astronomical photography display on a computer monitor.
• An evening skywatch, with several telescopes available for public stargazing.
• Several telescopes set up on the front lawn during the day for solar observing.

In addition, RAS will be distributing a gift pack to the first 100 attendees, containing a Milky Way candy bar, 10 glow stars, and a printed template showing how to create a constellation on your wall or ceiling.

We could use volunteers for telescopes capable of solar viewing (meaning you have a solar filter), and some strong backs to help with carrying equipment into the SMV. Contact John Raymond or Terry Barker if you'd like to help.

Do you have club equipment?
by Terry Barker

Over the years, the club has lost track of equipment that we have loaned out. Or maybe something was meant for the club and we didn't get it. For example, I have a Bushnell telescope that a non-member donated to the club. It's a 60 mm model, and cheaply made. But, since no one knew I had it, it wasn't available for loan. We'd like to correct that. Send me an email if you have something like this that actually belongs to the club. No questions asked, we don't care how you ended up with it. And while we're at it--do you have any club books that you forgot to bring back? Look those up, please, and send an email to me so we can arrange to get it back. My email is tbarker@i2020.net.

Powhatan report
by Bill Dickinson

Last night (Apr. 2) was a great night for observing out at Powhatan; clear,
warm, no bugs and a breeze to keep the dew away. I was joined by my
daughter MK. No serious observing for us last night, just some
astronomical sight seeing; M34, M36, M37, M38, M35, M41, M42, M44,
M45, M46, and NGC 2438 (the PN found within M46). I took a few
photos trying to catch the noticeable but low contrast zodiacal
light that is easily seen from Powhatan this time of year. I had
some limited success, the best of which I will download into the
Files folder in our group.

John also arrived early in the evening before twilight's end. Thanks
for the looks through your 12.5". It's always nice to have another
observer out there.

Light pollution meeting
by Ken Wilson

The Virginia section of the International Dark Sky Association will be hold a day long meeting on Friday, May 9 at the Science Museum of Virginia.  If you are interested, please see:

http://www.smv.org/prog/IDAvaMTG03.html

MERAL Regional Meeting at the Mason Dixon Star Party
by John Goss

The 2003 regional meeting of the Mid East Region of the Astronomical League
(MERAL) will be held at the Mason Dixon Star Party (MDSP) at Cordorus State
Park, Hanover, PA on May 30-June 1. For details of the star party please
refer to http://masondixonstarparty.org/. All Club Presidents and ALCors are
encouraged to attend. If they cannot be present, then 2 club members bearing
proxies may attend instead.

The following is a tentative agenda for the 11 am MERAL meeting:

Agenda:

1. Officer Elections:

A. Both the Chair and Vice-Chairs terms expire. Elections will be held to
fill these posts. The terms are for 2 years (2003-2005). John Goss, current
MERAL Chair, will be running for re-election. Others nominations are
welcome.

B. The election for the office of MERAL Secretary will be held for
completing the current term (2002-2004). Nominations are welcome. 

2. Selection of the 2004 regional meeting site. 

3. Youth in astronomy update.

4. Ideas to make MERAL pertinent to the needs of member clubs. Attendees are
encouraged to express their thoughts and suggestions.

5. Sandy Sanders will present tips and procedures for founding an amateur
astronomy club.

Lakewood Manor skywatch
by John Barnett

The sky was finally clear ( after 3 previous cancellations since October! )
for the long awaited RAS skywatch for the residents of the Lakewood Manor
Retirement Community last night. We had 5 telescopes set up on a grassy
knoll that was reasonably  well shielded from nearby and neighborhood
lighting. Scopes included Dr. Bob Fidler's 12" Mead SCT (wow!),  Dale (?)'s
10" Dob, Jim Petty's  8" Dob, John Raymond's 7" Mak, and my 6" Mak.  We
enjoyed trying out each other's eyepieces and observing  through other
scopes.The sky was entirely clear but for a very light haze which did not
interfere at all with the choice objects before us - Jupiter , Saturn, and
the Moon.
        The 25 or so elderly residents who managed the short hike to the
scopes were very appreciative of  our celestial banquet. Normally our
audiences are teens and younger folks, and the change gave a different,
interesting perspective. It is an undeniable pleasure to share our enhanced
view of the universe with with young ones with a lifetime ahead to expand
their appreciation of the sky. It is also satisfying to provide such a view
to those for whom this could be the last such opportunity.

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