Desert Skies
Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association
Desert Skies
Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association
Volume XLVI, Number 2 February, 2000
Contents
Cover Photo
Hubble Space Telescope image of the Eskimo Nebula, NGC 2392, taken between January 10 - 13, 2000 after the successful December 1999 Space Shuttle servicing mission. The image shows the "intricate structure of shells and streamers of gas around a dying sun-like star 5,000 light years away". For more information you can go to http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/2000/07/pr-photos.html
BEGINNERS LECTURE: NONE. See General Meeting info below. Members Night presentations will start at 6:30 pm.
GENERAL MEETING: Friday, February 4, 6:30 pm at the Steward Observatory Auditorium - Room N210. Topic is Members Night.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING: Thursday, February 10, 7:00 pm at Steward Observatory Conference Room N305.
STAR PARTIES & EVENTS:
Newsletter Schedule: Deadline for articles: Monday, Feb 14. Printing: Tuesday, Feb 22. Folding Party: Wednesday, Feb 23. Mailing: Thursday, Feb 24. The newsletter is scheduled to be in the mail at least one week prior to the following month's General Meeting.
Office Name Phone Email ------ ---- ----- ----- President John Kalas 620-6502 jckalas@aol.com Vice-President Andy Cooper 795-3585 acooper@pobox.com Secretary Ingrid Saber 797-3834 Treasurer Terri Lappin 579-0185 tlappin@as.arizona.edu Member-at-Large Robert Callanan 818-1315 bacallanan@juno.com Member-at-Large Bill Lofquist 297-6653 wlofquist@aol.com Member-at-Large Daniel Manrique 762-8192 dcmanrique@aol.com Chief Observer Wayne Johnson Newsletter Editor John Kalas 620-6502 jckalas@aol.com Star Parties John Kalas 620-6502 jckalas@aol.com AL Correspondent Laurel Dunlap 544-7780 laureus@earthlink.net Astrophoto SIG Ray Wallace 294-1197 raywallace@altavista.com Computers SIG Rodger Tanner 574-3876 rtanner@seds.lpl.arizona.eduTAAA Mission Statement
We are a resource for anyone interested in astronomy. It is our mission to nurture a person?s natural curiosity about the night sky. By giving people a knowledge and understanding of astronomy, we enhance their enjoyment of the solar system and beyond. Through our public activities and school evening observing sessions, we bring astronomy to persons of all ages. Our regular meetings and observing sessions offer members a forum to meet others with similar interests and experiences and to learn from one another.
Membership in the TAAA
Regular membership $ 23
Senior (over 60) membership $ 21
Student membership $ 15
Add for Family membership $ 5
Add for Astronomical League (optional) $ 3
Add for contribution to Southern Arizona
Section of I.D.A. (optional) $ 3 (recommended minimum)
Add for Sky & Telescope Magazine $ 29.95 (NEW)
Add for Astronomy Magazine $ 29
Rates for membership are given above. Family Membership includes two adults plus minor children. Members may subscribe to Sky & Telescope or Astronomy magazine (or both) at the time of membership renewal, saving substantially over the regular subscription rates. To assure we understand what you are paying for, please identify which class of membership and what options you want. Send one check made payable to TAAA to cover membership dues, magazine subscription(s) and any contributions to:
4 Easy Steps to Membership Renewal
Call the Treasurer if you have any problems. Send address changes to the above address.
Desert Skies Publishing Guidelines
All articles, announcements, news, etc. must be submitted by the newsletter deadline noted above. Materials received after that date will appear in the next issue. All submissions are retained by the editor unless prior arrangements are made. Partial page article submissions should be submitted in Word compatible files via e-mail or on a floppy disk. Full page articles, artwork, and photos should be camera ready. We will not publish slanderous or libelous material! Send articles, announcements, etc. to:
or e-mail: jckalas@aol.com
Desert Skies is published monthly by the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, PO Box 41254, Tucson, Arizona 85717
Not knowing what to expect by scheduling a club star party on a "holiday", I was pleasantly surprised to see a good turnout at the Millennium Star Party at Empire Ranch on New Year's Day. About a dozen people attended with eight telescopes. Everyone seemed to enjoy the clear, crisp weather, but eventually the cold temperatures got to us. I poured myself a cup of hot chocolate, drank most of it, and then wandered over to another scope. When I returned to my cup about half an hour later, the remaining drink was frozen. When we packed up for the night, there was frost on many of the cases. All things considered, it was a great start to the New Year.
The TIMPA Star Party on Jan. 8 was very well attended. At least twenty telescopes were there. Many more people were strolling up and down the lines of telescopes asking the important questions necessary to make an informed decision about buying their first telescope. It was great hearing the experienced members sharing their knowledge with the newcomers. That's what it's all about. Thanks to all who attended.
The planning activities are in full swing for the development of the TIMPA Site. Two sub-committees have been formed to accomplish the required planning; Long Range Planning and Site Preparation. The first meetings of each group were held in January. See the sub-committee reports in the TIMPA Site News section of this newsletter.
Many thanks to David and Wendee Levy for awarding the Meade ETX Telescope to the TAAA on behalf of the Telescopes for Telethon campaign. See the article in the Club News section of this newsletter entitled "A Night To Remember For All Time".
Special Message:
With the club elections coming up in May, I will be deciding whether or not to run for President for my third year. Seeing the TIMPA Project progress into reality is one of the reasons why I would like to run again. But, there are several things that must be addressed before I consider continuing. My current work load as President, Newsletter Editor, School Star Party Coordinator, TIMPA Site Committee member, and very active volunteer for school/organization and paid star parties is excessive. I cannot continue this level of club involvement for another year. It has begun to adversely affect my personal life (no free time) and even my employment performance (inability to work needed overtime due to club commitments). I have asked for help numerous times in the past, but little or none is forthcoming. I get great satisfaction from helping guide the club towards growth and improvement. If you could volunteer and assist with some of the tasks, I may consider running one more year. Please review the Help Wanted notices in the Club News section of this newsletter. Thanks.
John Kalas
February Meeting is Members Night
IMPORTANT! Please Note the Change to February's Meeting Schedule Below.
Beginners Lecture/Main Lecture
There will not be a Beginners Lecture due to the many member presentations anticipated for February's Members Night. Instead, the Members Night Presentations will start at 6:30 pm and proceed through the Main Lecture portion of the meeting.
February is Members Night. Short presentations by TAAA Members take the place of the usual main lecturer. The following members have requested time to present:
There will probably be more presentations added by the time the meeting rolls around, so it's shaping up as a very interesting evening. Contact John Kalas at 620-6502 to reserve time for your presentation.
February Monthly Meeting - Members Night
Every three to four months the TAAA dedicates one monthly meeting to members. A Members Night gives all members the opportunity to present to the meeting audience any astronomy-related topic that they have been working on. It is a great chance to show your astrophotography, discuss a topic that you may be investigating, or show a widget or doodad that you may have developed to make a task easier. At the January monthly meeting a number of TAAA Members have already requested time to make a presentation, but there is room for more. If anyone has a topic that they would like to present, please contact John Kalas at 620-6502. NOTE: All Members Night presenters should arrive in time for the usual Beginners Lecture because there will not be a Beginners Lecture and the Members Night presentations will begin at 6:30 pm
A Night To Remember For All Time... January 7th 2000
Laurel Dunlap
Anno Domini... January 7, 1610, Galileo Galilei used one of his home made "spyglasses" to observe the planet Jupiter. On that night, he carefully described what he thought might be "3 little stars" in an unusual linear pattern near the great planet.
Quite by accident, Galileo found himself studying the same portion of the sky in the days that followed, when he stumbled across the "little stars" near Jupiter curiously rearranged. Determined to observe these 'stars' over the next several days, Galileo noticed another "little star" 4 days later that appeared to line up with the other 3 still visible since his first encounter with them. Galileo made daily observations of the planet and began to notice that these "star like" objects seemed to travel with the planet as it made its way across the night sky. He concluded that these objects were "erratic sidereal bodies performing their revolutions around Jupiter," a radical concept in those geocentric days of past.
The discovery of these, now called "Galilean" satellites, later provided "a priori" evidence that all celestial objects do not orbit the Earth. They would clear the path to a new dawn of discovery, and the proof of Copernican theory.
January 7, 2000 A.D. was the 390th anniversary of the discovery of the Galilean moons of Jupiter.
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/ganymede/discovery.html
Last month, we were treated to a fabulous lecture by Dr. Paul Geissler. What a fantastic start to the New Year! If you missed the first TAAA/TAL lecture of 2000, you missed some of the best images of the Galilean satellites along with an astoundingly detailed geologic adventure exploring the current theories about their inner dynamics and surface structures. Many of the images he used, if not all of them, are available on the www via several NASA sites. Yet, most of us don't usually analyze the images with the finely tuned focus Dr. Geissler provided. He gave us new insight into specific features on the many images he shared with us throughout the evening.
And as if that wasn't enough...
Immediately following the January 7th lecture, we were treated to a special announcement by our very own (Jupiter impact specialist extraordinaire!) David H. Levy. As many of you know, David and Wendee Levy created a charity star party event benefiting MDA research and programs, called Telescopes For Telethon.
Last year, The TAAA and TAL along with many others in the Tucson area hosted star parties for the TFT project. Many other astronomy clubs and planetaria across the US and Canada also participated in TFT with star parties of their own. The highest contribution came from Fort Bend Astronomy Club of Texas, and the combined Tucson events placed us as the second highest contributor for TFT 1999.
Meade Instruments Corp. had donated a 10" LX200 to the group providing the highest donation. It was awarded to Fort Bend by David and Wendee in December of 1999. Meade also donated an ETX for MDA children's camps to be used to help "kids see the stars." David and Wendee knew that TAAA/TAL members would be the ones called upon locally to assist with such a star viewing event for these kids. They decided that the ETX would be best utilized by making it available as a loaner scope for just such star parties, and the many other star viewing events that TAAA/TAL support. In addition, TAAA/TAL members have the skill and resources to provide safe instructional use of the scope with children.
David told the group how he and Wendee had hosted a Star Party for kids at an MDA camp. There were many kids in wheelchairs who never had the opportunity to look through a telescope before partly due to the restrictions inherent with the wheelchair itself. They wanted to create more opportunity for these kids, and this is at the heart of what Telescopes For Telethon is all about...making dreams come true, and providing resources to that end.
Concluding his announcement, David read from the closing lines of a poem that reminded them of the awe inspired faces of the children; who on that one memorable night... Reached for the Stars through a lens in their telescope.
from "Song of Honor"
...I stood and stared; the sky was lit,
The sky was stars all over it,
I stood, I knew not why,
Without a wish, without a will,
I stood upon that silent hill
And stared into the sky until
My eyes were blind with stars and still
I stared into the sky.
Ralph Hodgson (1913)
***SPECIAL REQUEST***
John Kalas, David Levy, and I would like to ask if any club members have a sturdy old tripod that they would be willing to donate to mount the ETX? It would be even better if the tripod was able to be adjusted to a lower wheelchair height. Anyone wanting to donate a tripod can contact Laurel Dunlap 544-7780 or John Kalas 620-6502. The ETX awarded to the TAAA/TAL will soon be available for check out.
For additional information about Telescopes For Telethon 2000 contact: Laurel Dunlap <T4T@Jarnac.org>
Nominating Committee
It's that time of the year, again. The TAAA Constitution requires that a nominating committee of three members (anyone except the President) be elected at the February monthly meeting. The purpose of the committee is to present a slate of candidates to the membership for club elections in May. The committee members contact the current officers to determine if they are willing to run for office again and also solicit other members who are interested in running for office. Please consider supporting the club in this important duty. If you would like to be considered for the nominating committee, please contact any board member.
Help Wanted: School Star Party Coordinator
Back in November 1999, the School Star Party Coordinator position became vacant. The school star party program is the major educational outreach effort of the TAAA. It exposes the youth of our community to the wonders of astronomy. This position maintains the master star party calendar and is the contact point for schools or non-profit organizations to arrange for star party dates. The coordinator schedules the events and records all of the pertinent information about the school/organization (i.e. event location, contact person's name and phone number, size of group, etc.). Once this basic information is established, the coordinator generates a brief announcement for the newsletter, transmits the info to the newsletter editor, and prepares the signup sheet for the monthly meeting. The candidate for this position must have a computer (preferably with Microsoft Word) and e-mail capability.
This position is a very important one within the TAAA. If you would be interested in learning more about it, please call John Kalas at 620-6502. John Kalas will assume the responsibilities of the coordinator until a replacement can be found.
Help Wanted: Newsletter Editor
Responsibilities include composing the Desert Skies on a computer utilizing e-mail or hard copy inputs from various internal and external sources. Either Microsoft Word or Wordperfect word processing programs may be used. This individual would prepare the newsletter, print out the master copy, paste it up ready for copying and deliver the paste-up copy to the LPL copy center per a specified deadline. Contact John Kalas at 620-6502 if you are interested.
Help Wanted: School Star Party Volunteers
With an increase in the activity level for school star parties, we need additional telescope volunteers to perform this worthwhile and rewarding function. School star parties are, by far, the best way for the TAAA to achieve one of its major objectives of promoting astronomy education to the public. Ask any of the current volunteers and they will tell you that setting up a telescope at a school star party and showing the youngsters and their parents the night sky is very satisfying. Won't you join us? A list of the current volunteers, with blanks for additional members to volunteer, will be placed on the sign-up table at the February monthly meeting. If you are interested in volunteering but cannot make the meeting, please call John Kalas at 620-6502. Please consider participating in this great service.
Wanted: Beginner's Lecturers
We would like to involve more members of the TAAA in the Beginner's series of lectures presented before each monthly main meeting. There's got to be a topic that you could share with the club. We're looking for the basics. Even if you don't have previous knowledge of a topic, you could do a little research and present your findings. Please consider this enjoyable and rewarding activity. Contact Terri Lappin at 579-0185 or John Kalas at 620-6502 if you would be interested.
Member News
We welcome the most recent members who have joined the TAAA: Roger T. Berg, Wren Breedlove, Mina Charon, Sheila Conrad, Scott Damschen, Pat Heimann, Dave and Karen Jordan, Susan U. Mann, Ulrich F. Michael, Larry Prewitt, Robert A. Scala, Ron and Patty Tamler, and Robert and Andrea Wilson. Glad to have you join! Please be sure to pick up a new member's pack at a meeting. Hope you'll make it to a star party or a meeting so we can all get to know you.
Possible Monthly Meeting Day Change
In the December 1999 newsletter, a request was made for information pertaining to a hardship for members of the Jewish Community to attend TAAA meetings currently scheduled on the first Friday of each month. The very limited number of responses has led the board of directors to decide not to pursue a proposal to change the meeting night schedule.
Member Information Update
In preparation of updating the TAAA Membership listing for distribution to the members in a future newsletter mailing, the club requests that members inform Treasurer Terri Lappin of any changes. Address, telephone, and e-mail address changes or additions are sought. Please contact Terri at 579-0185 or via e-mail at <tlappin@as.arizona.edu>.
A School Star Party Thank You
The following letter of thanks was received recently from the Northminster Presbyterian Church.
To: Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association
Dated: January 6, 2000
Dear Friends at the TAAA,
Enclosed you will find a check as a donation to your wonderful organization for the excellent evening of education and entertainment you afforded the children of our MIDWEEK program last Wednesday, January 5. We have been learning about the seven days of creation, and your program fit in beautifully with Day Four, the Sun, Moon and Stars!
My deep appreciation goes out to John Kalas for the great job he did coordinating the evening along with volunteers Mike and Mary Turner, Nick Applegate, Andy Keefer, Kevin Bays and Bill Lofquist. Each of these folks were helpful and patient with the children, taking time to answer their questions and educate them about the wonders of the night sky. Many thanks to the TAAA for this great outreach program, and for the great volunteers you sent to our event!
Sincerely,
Meagan Gillan
MIDWEEK Program Coordinator
Grand Canyon Star Party 2000!
June 3-10
It is time once again to make plans for everyone's favorite star party - Grand Canyon 2000. This year's dates are Saturday thru Saturday, the 3rd thru 10th of June. A few have asked why we do it so early in the month. The reason is statistics - looking at Lowell Observatory's weather data in Flagstaff, the chances of clouds goes up dramatically after the 20th, and if we wait for dark of the moon later in the month, we stand a much better chance of clouds. As a result, we start the weekend after Memorial Day.
The last couple years it has been great to refer people with questions to check out the TAAA website. There is a link to the star party complete with details regarding camping, motels and suggestions for surviving the Canyon's busiest time of the year. If you are new to the event yourself, check it out at http://www.63.134.241.238 and let me know if you have any questions. To sum it up, it appeals to those of us who love showing off the sky to someone who perhaps has never looked thru a scope before. I twist a few arms to get some folks to set up telescopes and we invite the multitude of visitors to come take a look. The amazing skies there make it easy to impress a newcomer to astronomy, or even the most jaded of observers that may live in a light polluted area. The result is we get a lot of happy astronomers who get in some great observing and impress the heck out of some passers by. Anyway, it is a great time and if you like sharing the views, you will love this event.
You need to make your reservations now if you hope to get a motel room. If you plan to camp out, life is much easier; spots are generally available even a few days in advance. But it never hurts to make those reservations now. I suspect the Park Service will again make some campsites available for those of us who will be staying the full week. If your schedule allows and you would like to get one of these free sites, contact me ASAP starting 1 March. Last year the 16 sites lasted all of about 10 days, so don't forget to contact me then.
After 10 years of organizing this, I sometimes forget the questions you may have, so if you have any that are not addressed here or at the website, or if you do not have Web access, give me a call at 293-2855. Don't miss out on all the fun!
Dean Ketelsen
For more information you can go to the Grand Canyon Star Party Page.
Websites: Trips on the Internet Super-Skyway
by Rik Hill
For those of us in the southwestern deserts an aurora is a seldom seen thing, and when seen is usually no more than a dimly colored glow in the northern sky. However, having come from a fairly northerly latitude 20+ years ago, I can tell you that seeing an aurora from Arizona and comparing it to Michigan is like the difference between a partial and total eclipse! Imaging aurorae is a tricky business made easier by the use of some of today's fine grained, high speed emulsions. Spectacular examples of these kind of photographs, taken from Alaska, can be seen at: http://climate.gi.alaska.edu/Curtis/curtis.html. This is the website of Jan Curtis. His images are among the finest I've ever seen of aurorae showing every classifiable form and color. Mr. Curtis is a staff member of the Geophysical Institute with Univ. of Alaska in Fairbanks. For those of you who miss the pictures that used to hang in the old-Old Peking restaurant, this will be a welcome treat.
Are you still procrastinating about that big sundial you were going to put in the backyard or on the side of the house? Well get inspired by going to the website of The North American Sundial Society at: http://www.sundials.org/ On these pages are found everything from a glossary of sundial terms to plans, designs, types and photos of sundials from all over the world. There's even a registry of Sundials where dials are noted from nearly every state and country. Did you know, for example, that there's a large 50-foot sundial in Rillito River Park, another dial at the TCC, and one in Tohono Chul Park? These and more in Arizona are in this registry. Another site takes you to software to help you design that masterpiece of your own. It's a great way to dress up that home observatory.
Austrialian amateur astronomer, Steve Massey, has an astronomy
page at
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~smassey/index.html, that is a delight
and wonder. His specialty is planetary video and CCD imagery and
he is very good at it! His Mars images are so good that he dares
to post an HST image of the same longitude on Mars next to one
of his best images with his 24" telescope, and it's a fair fight.
But the real Mars treat is his time lapse video of a rotating
Mars at that resolution. Absolutely breathtaking. Almost as good
are his images of Saturn and Jupiter. They surpass even the splendid
work by Don Parker here in the U.S. But on his Gallery page at:
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~smassey/planets.html is something as
exciting as the Mars video. He has assembled images of Saturn
from the last few years into a short loop that shows the rings
bobbing back and forth with the change in tilt. Also, on that
page is a rotating Jupiter, a close up of one of the jovian moons
in transit and a time lapse video clip of a partial solar eclipse.
This is a page that you'll want to come back to from time to time
as he adds more of these spectacular images.
If you know of a particularly good website you would like reviewed here, drop me a line at rhill@lpl.arizona.edu or visit my website at:
2000 ARIZONA MESSIER MARATHON
Where: Arizona City Site
When: Saturday evening 4/1 thru Sunday morning 4/2
Solar Data:
April 1: 3:57pm Moon set
6:49pm Sunset
8:11pm astronomical twilight
April 2: 4:50am morning twilight
5:14am Moon rise
6:11am Sunrise
The Messier Marathon is designed to encourage Deep Sky observing. By joining in with other marathoners, you will enjoy companionship of those also involved. It will test your observing skills. If you are a club member in good standing, then join in and do so just for the FUN OF IT. If you decide to participate then be sure to read ALL of this information.
There will be a check off list available at the site to record your observations. Be sure to pick one up, preferably before you start marathoning and fill in the top portion so awards can be made. It is important to remember that you must turn in your form to one of the Coordinators before leaving the site or by sunrise. We cannot accept any after these times.
Although it is possible to do the marathon with a 4" telescope, I wouldn't suggest this unless you are an experienced observer. Don't forget to check off each object as it is observed.
Plan on arriving at the site early enough to set up the telescope and allow it to reach thermal equilibrium. Be sure to fill out the heading of the check off form!
The Marathon this year affords the optimum conditions of finding 107 objects. The three most difficult to impossible ones are M33, M74 and M77. Next in line for difficulty are M31, M32, M110, M30 and M76.
If you plan on participating in the Marathon, then doing some homework ahead of time will pay dividends. If interested, the check off list can be made available prior to the marathon. Study the catalog along with your star atlas to develop your own process. Be prepared in case it becomes cloudy and the sequence has to be altered.
Your involvement will not go unnoticed, as there will be awards in recognition of effort. People observing 50 or more objects will receive an 8 1/2 x 11 certificate. For first, second and third places there will be plaques suitable for mounting on a telescope. Duplicate awards will be made for ties. We need your club's support to help purchase the awards for its members.
Not interested in the marathon? Come anyway, you are also invited for deep sky observing, planetary observing, astrophotography or just plain old relaxing under a dark sky!
AJ Crayon, e-mail - acrayon@primenet.com
Rick Rotramel, e-mail - Rick.Rotramel@CAS.honeywell.com
Messier Marathon Coordinators
Saguaro Astronomy Club
Here's an Interesting Question & Answer
TAAA Member, John Polacheck, asked the following question:
As the Winter Solstice approaches, the days get shorter in the Northern latitudes. That is because the sun rises later and sets earlier. However, several of us have noted that these two phenomenon are not "in sync" with each other. The earliest sunset in Tucson is about December 5th (5:19 PM). BUT, the latest sunset is about January 9th. Why does the sunset reach its earliest time (about one month) before the sunrise reaches its latest time ??? I would have expected both of these to occur very close to the solstice.
TAAA Member, Erich Karkoschka, was kind enough to supply the answer:
The earth's rotation period is 23h 56m. On average, the sun moves 1 degree/day corresponding to 4min/day, so that solar transits occur, on average, every 24 hours. In December and January, the earth is near perihelion which makes the sun moves faster in the sky. Furthermore, the sun is far from the equator where 1 degree of motion is more than 4 min. Currently, the sun moves 4.5 minutes/day and solar transits occur 30 seconds later each day, shifting sunrise and sunset 30 seconds later each day. It takes awhile until lengthening of days can catch up with this 30 sec/day shift. Transit times in Tucson change from 12:08 in early November to 12:38 in mid-February. Thus, as you move towards the equator, the latest sunrise gets closer to mid-February, while the earliest sunset gets closer to early November.
TAAA Empire Ranch Star Party
February 5 (Saturday)
The Empire Ranch has been our normal dark-sky observing site for quite a number of years. Empire Ranch is about 4000 feet in elevation, so be prepared for freezing temperatures and try to arrive before sunset. Stay as long as you like, but let everyone know when you are ready to leave; someone may be taking astrophotos. Bring a telescope if you have one, but you don't need one to attend. Any member would be glad to let you look through their telescope. There are no restroom facilities at the site, so be prepared. One nice advantage of belonging to the TAAA is the opportunity to observe among friends. Help in finding an object or the sharing of equipment always goes on at our star parties. If you haven't attended a star party yet, you're missing the best part of belonging to the TAAA. See the directions to Empire Ranch on the outside flap of this newsletter.
Jewish Community Center [North]
February 10 (Thursday) No. of Scopes: 4
There will be about 25 Kindergartners with parents at this event. The center is located at 3800 E. River Road, corner of River and Dodge. Set-up will be at 6:30 pm in the rear parking lot northeast of the main building. Observing will start at 7:00 pm and end at 8:00 pm. A Star Party Leader is needed for this activity. A signup sheet will be at the February meeting.
Science & Math Education Conference [Benson]
February 11 (Friday) No. of scopes: 5
This event is part of the Tenth Annual Science and Mathematics Conference sponsored by the UA Science and Math Education Center. Anywhere from 30 to 100 teachers are expected to participate in this outing. Volunteers with telescopes are needed at Vega-Bray Observatory in Benson, AZ for observing from 7:30 - 9:00 PM. Set-up will be from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. A Star Party Leader is needed for this activity. A signup sheet will be at the February meeting.
Our Mother of Sorrows Elementary School [East]
February 11 (Friday) No. of scopes: 6
This star party will be for 1st graders to 6th graders. The school is located at 1800 S. Kolb Rd. (approx. midway between 22nd St. and Golf Links). Go south on Kolb Rd. just past the school and turn right (west) onto Calle Ileo. Set up the telescopes on the basketball courts along Calle Ileo. Set-up will be at 6:00 pm with observing at 6:30 pm. The event will end by 8:30 pm. A Star Party Leader is needed for this event. A signup sheet will be at the February meeting.
Desert View High School [South-Central]
February 16 (Wednesday) No. of scopes: 3
Jim Treat, an astronomy instructor at the school, wants his students to do some near Full Moon observing! The school is located at 4101 E. Valencia (on the north side of Valencia, east of Alvernon and west of I-10). Setup will be at 5:30 p.m. in the Faculty parking lot's SE corner. Observing will run from 6:00 pm to about 8:00 pm. A Star Party Leader is needed for this event. A signup sheet will be at the February meeting.
C.E. Rose Elementary School [Southwest]
February 22 (Tuesday) No. of scopes: 6
Set-up at 6:00 pm with observing from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Rose Elementary School is on 12th Ave., 2 blocks south of Ajo Way. Turn right onto Michigan south of the school and take the second (staff) entrance. At the back of the parking lot take the entrance into the playground area and set up near the basketball courts. Dean Ketelsen (293-2855) is the star party leader. A signup sheet will be at the February meeting.
TAAA TIMPA Star Party
February 26 (Saturday)
What makes this event special is that our novice members can get help with observing issues or equipment problems. There will be experienced members present who would be more than happy to help. If you don't own a telescope, don't worry. There will be lots of scopes set up and everyone is invited to look through them. This is a great way to check out the different telescope designs before you make that all-important decision to buy. There is no scheduled talk for this activity. Just come out with lots of questions and we'll do our best to get you the answers you need. Arrive at about 5:00 pm for a group question and answer session. It should be dark enough to observe by 6:00 pm. If you have friends who might be interested in amateur astronomy, bring them along. Be prepared for the cold weather and bring lots of warm clothing. Directions to the TIMPA site are located on the outside flap of this newsletter.
Ironwood Elementary School [Northwest]
February 29 (Tuesday) No. of scopes: 8
Three 3rd grade classes (120 maximum plus families) will be partaking of the evening of observing after their music program. Set-up will be at 6:30 pm with observing starting at 7:00 pm and ending at 8:30 pm. To get to the school from Ina and Thornydale, head north on Thornydale for 2.5 miles. Take a right onto Overton Heights Drive (across from Arthur Pack Park). Head east for just under 0.5 mile. Go north on Camino de la Tierra to the end (about 0.25 mile). The school is on the north side of Freer Drive. On the west side of the school there is a gate. Enter and head north along the driveway. The playground will be on the left. A Star Party Leader is needed for this event. A signup sheet will be at the February meeting.
Holladay Intermediate School [South-Central]
March 1 (Wednesday) No. of scopes: 8-10
This will be a large star party held in conjunction with the school's science fair. Set-up will be at 6:00 pm on the basketball court. Observing will start at 6:30 pm and run to about 8:30 pm. The school is located at 1110 E. 33rd St. Take 22nd St. west to Park Ave. Turn left (south) on Park and proceed approx. 0.8 mile to 34th St. Turn left on 34th St. and cross over Freemont. On the north side of 34th St. there will be back entrance gate to the school's field and basketball court. A Star Party Leader is needed for this event. A signup sheet will be at the February meeting.
Sunrise Drive School [North]
March 2 (Thursday) No. of scopes: 5
The school's 3rd graders will participate in this star party. Set-up will be at 6:00 pm on a field to the north of the school. Observing will run from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. The school is located at 5301 E. Sunrise Drive. Go north on Swan and turn right (east) onto Sunrise Drive. Proceed to the next traffic light and turn left (north) onto Suncrest. Suncrest is actually the entrance to Sunrise Drive School. Directions will be given to access the playing field to the north of the school. A Star Party Leader is needed for this event. A signup sheet will be at the February meeting.
February Has Many School Star Parties.
Won't You Volunteer to Help?
DARK SKIES (no twilight, no moonlight) for Tucson in 24-hour MST: 18=6pm, 20=8pm, 22=10pm, 0=12am
RISE, SET, VISIBILITY for sun and bright planets: rise for morning object, set for evening object
Mo/Tu 31/ 1 19:20 - 4:22 Fr/Sa 11/12 0:19 - 5:47 Mo/Tu 21/22 19:37 - 20:38
Tu/We 1/ 2 19:21 - 5:12 Sa/Su 12/13 1:23 - 5:47 Tu/We 22/23 19:38 - 21:37
We/Th 2/ 3 19:22 - 5:53 We/Th 23/24 19:38 - 22:35
Th/Fr 3/ 4 19:23 - 5:53 Su/Mo 13/14 2:28 - 5:46 Th/Fr 24/25 19:39 - 23:32
Fr/Sa 4/ 5 19:24 - 5:52 Mo/Tu 14/15 3:33 - 5:45 Fr/Sa 25/26 19:40 - 0:27
Sa/Su 5/ 6 19:24 - 5:52 Tu/We 15/16 4:35 - 5:44 Sa/Su 26/27 19:41 - 1:22
We/Th 16/17 5:33 - 5:43
Su/Mo 6/ 7 19:25 - 5:51 Th/Fr 17/18 - - - Su/Mo 27/28 19:41 - 2:14
Mo/Tu 7/ 8 20:17 - 5:50 Fr/Sa 18/19 FULL MOON Mo/Tu 28/29 19:42 - 3:06
Tu/We 8/ 9 21:16 - 5:50 Sa/Su 19/20 - - - Tu/We 29/ 1 19:43 - 3:54
We/Th 9/10 22:15 - 5:49 We/Th 1/ 2 19:44 - 4:40
Th/Fr 10/11 23:16 - 5:48 Su/Mo 20/21 - - - Th/Fr 2/ 3 19:44 - 5:23
Weekend Sun Sun Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn
Sa/Su Set Rise Set Vi Rise Vi Set Vi Set Vi Set Vi Vi=Visibility
5/ 6 17:59 7:13 19:07 4 5:22 -2 21:01 2 23:36 -2 0:32 0 -3 brilliant
12/13 18:05 7:07 19:29 3 5:28 -1 20:58 2 23:13 -2 0:06 0 0 conspicuous
19/20 18:11 7:00 19:28 5 5:33 -1 20:56 2 22:51 -2 23:41 0 3 moderate
26/27 18:17 6:52 18:51 - 5:36 0 20:53 2 22:29 -2 23:16 0 6 naked eye limit
4/ 5 18:22 6:44 18:00 - 5:37 1 20:50 2 22:08 -2 22:51 1 9 binoculars limit
By Erich Karkoschka
Next TIMPA Site Committee Meetings
Note: All meetings are held at 7:00 pm in the Steward Observatory Conference Room N305
What is TIMPA, Anyway? More answers on the TIMPA page.
Observatory Update
Discussions will soon start between the TAAA and NOAO to establish the means and expense of moving the dome and support building from the storage area on Kitt Peak to the TIMPA site. The issue of the disposal of the asbestos paneling on the support building must also be resolved. Actual transfer of the structures to TIMPA will depend on the progress of site preparation for the observatory. TAAA/NOAO liaisons, Claude and Teresa Plymate, and John Kalas will handle the negotiations.
TIMPA Site Prep Sub-Committee Meeting Recap
The first sub-committee meeting was held on 1/11 with Bob Schwartz, Gary Rosenbaum, Andrew Cooper, Robert Callanan, Ingrid Saber, and John Kalas in attendance. A listing was generated for the major tasks necessary to install the observatory at TIMPA. Included on the list was; soil testing (is it necessary? What did TIMPA do for their ramada?), what permits or building codes will be in effect?, transfer of the structures to the TIMPA Site (equipment needed, costs, crane at TIMPA to unload, oversized load with escort), excavation of the footers (forms or cement blocks?), pier design, elevated floor design, exterior siding design, and electrical design. The resources needed to performed some of these tasks include; mason, carpenter, and electrician. If anyone in the club has these skills and would be interested in volunteering, please contact Bob Schwartz at 440-5005 or John Kalas at 620-6502. John Kalas reviewed the projected costs for the immediate TIMPA projects and stated that he would like to see the observatory installation cost no more than $5000. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 15, at 7:00 pm in the Steward Observatory Conference Room N305.
TIMPA Long-Range Planning Sub-Committee Meeting Recap
The first meeting of the TIMPA Long-Range Planning Sub-Committee was held on January 18th. Present were: Barbara and Robert Callanan, John Kalas, Terri Lappin, John Polacheck, Ingrid Saber, Bob Schwartz, and Michael Turner.
The purpose of the sub-committee is to recommend a site layout including the location of the 16" telescope observatory and any other improvements the committee envisions. The committee, at this time, cannot recommend a location for the observatory until the location of the bathroom and septic field and TIMPA plans for expansion of the parking lot are known. Once known, a site layout will be drawn up with particular attention paid to situating thermal sources north of the observatory. Additional facilities the sub-committee discussed were observing pads, footpaths to bathrooms and parking lot, a warm room addition to the observatory, a roll-off roof observatory for other telescopes, and a multi-purpose room for TAAA-related activities (telescope repair/cleaning, group instruction, etc.). Discussion about the segregation of observers doing photography or CCD imaging was discussed and the special requirements of these activities were noted. A point was made that currently no one requires electricity at TIMPA for observing, so we should not become carried away with distributing electricity throughout the observing area. However, most observers want easy access to their vehicles either for battery hook-up or for spreading out their observing supplies.
It was agreed that the parking lot would continue to be the main observing area even after the observatory is in use. The committee discussed the current use of the parking lot. Signage indicating "long-term" and "short-term" parking was discussed. Those leaving before 10pm would be directed to park at the west end of the parking lot. This would reduce the instances when observers are subjected to headlights. A sign reading "parking lights only" was discussed, but it was noted that some headlights, on newer cars, can't be turned off. Permission for any signs would need to be given by TIMPA before installation. Concern over dust was mentioned, but the consensus was, until Reservation Road is paved, there's little point to worrying about the dust kicked up by vehicles in the parking lot.
Those present at the meeting agreed to look over the site at the
January 29 star party with the thought of where an access road
to the 16" observatory could go. An aerial photo of the land is
in the committee's possession, but a good site map showing water
lines and existing structures or large trees is needed. The next
meeting of this sub-committee will be on Monday, February 21st,
at 7:00 pm in the Steward Observatory Conference Room N305. The
committee is open to additional suggestions from TAAA members
and they are encouraged to attend the next meeting or contact
Terri Lappin at 579-0185, in the near future, with any ideas.
For more information on the TIMPA site, please see the TIMPA page.
Observing Conditions at TIMPA
by Gary Rosenbaum
There was a good turnout at the January 8, 2000 TIMPA star party with about 30 scopes set up in the parking lot. Some observers mentioned that they thought the seeing was not very good. While there were some scattered cirrus clouds visible all night decreasing transparency at times, I thought the seeing was fairly good. As a planetary observer, I always make the distinction between seeing and transparency. I looked through a few of the telescopes at Jupiter and Saturn and, as usual, found a couple scopes gave nice sharp views while some of the others did not do as well.
Seeing refers to the steadiness of the earth's atmosphere. This is what lunar, planetary and double star observers are concerned with. For a good view of these types of objects you do not need a dark sky but you do need a steady atmosphere. To rate the seeing the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO) use a subjective scale of 0-10 with 0 (worst) to 10 (best). In good seeing (8-10) you can detect the Encke division in Saturn's A ring with a magnification of 300-400X or the Rima Tenuis, a thin division that is occasionally visible in the North Polar Cap of Mars at 600-800X. I have made both these observations a number of times with telescopes in the 8-10" aperture range.
When judging the seeing, you should differentiate between instrumental problems and atmospheric seeing. The most common instrumental problems are due to poor optical collimation, thermal effects and optical aberrations. Optical collimation should be performed after the telescope has reached thermal equilibrium. Telescopes need a half hour to an hour or more to cool to ambient temperature to perform properly. Thermal currents inside a telescope tube will distort the image in numerous ways. Point your telescope at an angle (not at zenith) to a bright star and defocus the image so it is outside of focus (move the eyepiece away from the telescope) so the out-of-focus star image covers about one quarter of the field of view or more. Warm air rising inside a long telescope tube open at both ends like a Newtonian causes tube currents that may appear as a slow moving distortion at the edge of the out-of-focus star image. This is caused by heat coming off the primary mirror. With a closed tube optical system with a central obstruction like a Schmidt Cassegrain or Maksutov, you may see a narrow plume of warm air slowly wandering back and forth from the center to the edge of the out-of-focus star image. This is caused by heat coming off the secondary mirror, secondary baffle tube or primary baffle. When all of the telescope components have cooled to the ambient air temperature, you will not see these distortions. Telescopes with open tubes that allow good air flow through the tube cool quicker than sealed tubes that can only cool by radiation.
Atmospheric seeing can appear in the image of an out-of-focus star as a changing pattern of fast moving dark bands or ripples traveling across the entire field of view from one direction to another. With a small aperture telescope the in focus image may appear sharp but can display image motion making small excursions in position. In poor seeing with a larger aperture the in-focus image is usually stationary in position but may appear to be boiling, stars appear distended in size and the diffraction rings around the airy disk of a star are often absent or fluctuating in appearance. On nights of good seeing the atmosphere is less turbulent and images show a noticeable improvement in sharp detail.
In the arid environment of Arizona, we often have a 30 degree F or more difference in day to night temperature. The afternoon high will be in mid to late afternoon with the morning low near sunrise. Before sunset the earth's surface slowly begins to cool due to radiation and proceeds rapidly after sunset. A good rule of thumb, when the sky is clear and the humidity low, is that two thirds of the radiative heat loss will occur by 10-11pm. The seeing may be good near sunset as the heat loss begins, and then quickly deteriorates as the nighttime cooling increases. From about 11pm on, as the radiative heat loss slows down, the seeing may slowly begin to improve until sunrise. Seeing is hard to predict but for a brief introduction see the article in the January 2000 issue of Sky & Telescope, page 128.
A few things that adversely affect the seeing are proximity of the Jet Stream, large cumulus clouds indicating convection in the atmosphere, passage of a cold front, winds out of the north or east, observing near a mountain range, especially on the east (leeward) side, observing near a large canyon where the cold air from the mountain will flow out of the drainage at night, and large mass heat sources like buildings, parking lots and concrete.
Transparency refers to the clarity of the atmosphere and is what deep sky observers are mostly concerned with. On nights of good transparency, the Milky Way may seem brighter than normal and the dark rifts can be seen with better contrast. Transparency is generally rated as the faintest star (limiting magnitude) visible naked eye. Some people recommend rating transparency near the North Polar Region but I would rate it in the vicinity of the object being viewed. Transparency can be adversely affected by light pollution, thin clouds, high humidity, dust in the atmosphere, volcanic eruptions, forest fires or even a high pollen count, any one of which can create a hazy appearance to the sky, lowering contrast.
On Jan 8 from the TIMPA site, Terri Lappin and I were able to observe the Horsehead Nebula in Orion, an object usually referred to as difficult. We used Terri's 10" f/5.2 Newtonian telescope with magnifications of 51X and 78X with a Lumicon UHC filter. Observing conditions were far from optimal. Orion was just east of the meridian but clear of most of the light pollution. At the time of the observation, about 10pm, we had cirrus clouds covering about one quarter of the sky but the general area of Orion appeared relatively free of clouds. We could only detect the Horsehead by moving the telescope back and forth over the area while observing. The technique of putting the object in motion is a common way to discern detail in an object near the lower limit of vision.
My preliminary impression of the observing conditions at our TIMPA site compared to the Empire Ranch is as follows. Looking east, the light pollution dome of Tucson extends up to at least 60 degrees, higher if you take a more critical view. However deep sky viewing is good at TIMPA from about the meridian to the west and should satisfy many observers. For lunar, planetary, double star and some medium to high power (200X +) deep sky viewing (globular clusters) the TIMPA sight may be better than the Empire Ranch and other Sonoita area sites I have observed from. Proximity to the Santa Rita Mountains to the west and the generally hilly area tends to degrade the seeing in the Sonoita area. In the past year of observing at TIMPA I have experienced about as many nights of good seeing as I have in 19 years of observing in the Sonoita area. I don't think the seeing at TIMPA is special, probably no better than some locations in Tucson. The TIMPA area is flat and has no high mountain ranges nearby especially to the west, so local topography does not disturb the airflow over the site. As is typical of most valley locations, the seeing at TIMPA may deteriorate for a few hours as cold air pools in the valley (temperature inversion). For deep sky viewing, the Sonoita area is obviously superior due to it's greater distance from sources of light pollution and therefore better transparency. The seeing in the Sonoita area is certainly adequate for most deep sky observing. Had Terri and I been observing from the Empire Ranch site under identical weather conditions we may not have had to put the scope in motion to see the Horsehead Nebula.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following information are summaries of the topics discussed at the board meeting. Complete minutes of this meeting are available for review at the next monthly meeting from Ingrid Saber, TAAA Secretary.
Location: Steward Observatory Conference Room N305, University
of Arizona
Call to Order: 7:17 pm
Board Members Present: John Kalas, Andrew Cooper, Ingrid Saber,
Terri Lappin, Robert Callanan, Bill Lofquist
Board Members Absent: Daniel Manrique
Meeting Adjourned: 9:04 pm
FOR SALE: Celestron Celestar 8, 8" SCT with wedgepod, one 25mm
eyepiece, and one 32mm eyepiece. Six months old, used once. $1000. $800. Call John Newbern at 750-1558. (4/00)
FOR SALE: Meade LX 50 7" Maksutov Cassegrain on superwedge with accessories. Great planetary scope! As new,$1950. Contact Gordon Gower at 792-9690. (3/00)
FOR SALE: Tele Vue wide field 11/4" eyepieces, each in excellent condition; 24mm $110., 15mm $90. Celestron Light Pollution Rejection filters; for 2" dia. eyepiece $30., for 11/4" eyepiece $20. Contact Duane Niehaus at 290-1722. (4/00)
FOR SALE: Hard case for 10" SCT (broken fastener), $10. Contact Hazel Lawler at Arizona City (520) 466- 9845 or e-mail atlawler@cybertrails.com (4/00)
FOR SALE: 11" Celestron Starhopper Dobsonian with 2" JMI Crayford focuser. Includes Telrad base and 26 and 17mm Plossl eyepieces. Scope was used mainly for planetary work and the optics are excellent. $950. Call Frank at 825-5540 or E-mail at Fcathell@aol.com (5/00)
FOR SALE: Meade 16" Dobsonian tube and base (no optics) $50.00, 11/4" Meade focuser $40.00, 4" diagonal mirror $40.00, 6x30 Meade finder scope with bracket $35.00, 9x50 Celestron finder scope with bracket $50.00. Buy one item or whole package. Negotiable. Call Jim Brix (520) 281-8759 evenings. (5/00)
FOR SALE: Starmaster 12.5" dia. f/5.2 true truss Dobsonian with Zambuto mirror. It comes with NGF (DX1) 2-speed focuser, telrad finder and black shroud to block stray light from the mirror. Asking for $2400. Contact Ted via e-mail at CTGWC@aol.com (5/00)
SERVICE: Custom machine shop work - design and manufacture of telescopes and mountings. Fabrication of small parts or repair of existing hardware. For consultation and price quotes, call Duane Niehaus at 290-1722.
Your ad will run for 4 months unless specified. Month and year of last appearance is last item of ad. For additions or changes to this list, call John Kalas at 620-6502 or e-mail at jckalas@aol.com.
Can be found on the TIMPA Page
Can be found on the Empire Ranch Page
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