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Desert Skies
Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association
Volume XLIX, Number 12, December, 2003
Main Meeting: Friday, : Friday, Dec 7 at the Steward Observatory Auditorium – Room N210
BEGINNERS LECTURE: 6:30 pm
Title: Introduction to CCD Imaging
Speaker: Dean Salman
Dean will speak on what you need to start taking CCD images of the night time
sky and not be sent to the poor house at the same time.
GENERAL MEETING: 7:30 pm
Title: The Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy
Speaker: Dr. Fulvio Melia
Could Einstein have possibly anticipated directly testing the most captivating prediction of general relativity, that there exist isolated pockets of spacetime shielded completely from our own? Now, almost a century after that theory emerged, just such an entity, with a mass of about three million suns, has been found lurking at the center of our galaxy. Excitement is mounting in the astronomical community with the growing realization that we are now on the verge of actually seeing this exotic object within the next few years.
Our lecture will be presented by Dr Fulvio Melia. Dr Melia grew up in Australia.
He received his Ph.D. from MIT. He is currently the Associate Head of the UA
Physics Department and a professor of Astronomy at Steward Observatory. He also
serves as scientific editor of the Astrophysical Journal and the Astrophysical
Journal Letters. He holds visiting appointments at the Universities in Paris,
Padova, Heidelberg, Milan, and Melbourne. He has authored three books: Electrodynamics
(University of Chicago Press) 2001, The Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy
(Princeton U Press) 2003, and the most recently released The Edge of Infinity
(Cambridge U Press) 2003. These last two (non-technical) books are suitable
for the amateur astronomer with an interest in black holes. For more about Dr
Melia’s research, visit his webpage at http://www.physics.arizona.edu/~melia.
Board of Director's Meeting:: Wednesday, Dec. 10, 6:30 pm at Steward
Observatory Conference Room N305
Star Parties and Events:
NEWSLETTER SCHEDULE:Deadline for articles: Sat, Dec 20. Printing: Mon, Dec 22. Folding Party: Tues, Dec 23. Mailing: Wed, Dec 24. The newsletter is mailed at least one week prior to the following month’s General Meeting.
Note: The board of directors meeting is the first Wednesday after the monthly meeting. The astrophoto SIG is the first Thursday after the monthly meeting.
Office Name Phone Email
------ ---- ----- -----
President Thom Peck 327-7825 thomas.peck@optics.arizona.edu
Vice-President Steve Peterson 762-8211 swpeterson@thereiver.com
Secretary Ken Wheelock 579-9099 kenandclancy@yahoo.com
Treasurer Terri Lappin 579-0185 tklappin@earthlink.net
Member-at-Large Ed Finney 296-9266 cefinney@NetZero.com
Member-at-Large Bill Lofquist 297-6653 wlofquist@aol.com
Member-at-Large Ray Toscano 529-3074 ray_toscano@Earthlink.net
Other Officers for 2003
School S. Party Schedule Coordinator Steve Marten 906-0049 steve1636@aol.com
School S. Party Volunteer Coordinator Robert Wilson 744-0263 rasjwilson@aol.com
Desert Skies Editor George Barber 822-2392 barbergj@flash.net
AstroLeague Correspondent Nick de Mesa 797-6614 demesan@onsetbeach.com
Astrophotography SIG Dean Ketelsen 293-2855 ketelsen@as.arizona.edu
Astrocomputing SIG Roger Tanner 574-3876 rtanner@seds.lpl.arizona.edu
Chief Observer Wayne Johnson 586-2244 mrgalaxy@juno.com
Webmaster Dean Salman 250-0407 E-Mail
TAAA 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 sun, moon, and stars. 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
Annual Dues
All membership rates given above are for 1 year. Family Membership includes two adults plus minor children. Parents/guardians of minors interested in astronomy may request Family Membership at $15/yr. Contact the Treasurer at tklappin@earthlink.net for information.
Options (add to above membership rates)
Donations are accepted for any of the TAAA funds: SA-IDA/Light Pollution, TIMPA, Education, 30" Telescope & Land, or General Fund.
Renewal Information
Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association
PO BOX 41254
Tucson, AZ 85717
Mailing Address or Email Changes
Send changes to the above address or email the treasurer.
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. The editor retains all submissions unless prior arrangements are made. Partial page submissions should be submitted in Word compatible files via e-mail or on a floppy disk. Full-page articles, artwork, and photos can be submitted camera ready. We will not publish slanderous or libelous material! Send submissions to:
c/o George Barber
15940 W. Ridgemoor Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85736
or e-mail: barbergj@flash.net
Desert Skies is published monthly by the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, PO Box 41254, Tucson, Arizona 85717
We're nearing the end of 2003 and about to begin the TAAA's second half-century. Be sure to get your tickets for the 50th anniversary banquet on January 23, 2004, and for the telescope raffle (drawing to be held at the banguet). There will also be a special commemorative T-shirt for the event. You don't need to be at the banquet to get one (or more), nor for the telescope drawing, but why not. A lot of club history will be available. We're also in need of more participation from club members at school star parties. If there's a party you can make,it's a most rewarding experience to see a kid's enthusiasm when he or she looks through a telescope (often for the first time). Check out the table in back of the auditorium for sign-up sheets.
We'll try to make some quick announcements at the start of the meeting, but
please stick around until the main speaker has ended the question and answer
period. There are always the door prizes and other information to come.
Clear Skies to all,
Thom Peck
Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick...
Yes, the countdown continues! By the time you read this, TAAA's 50th Anniversary
Banquet will be less than 60 days away. Set aside the evening of Friday, January
23, 2004, and let us know to set a place for you at the table at Hidden Valley
Inn Restaurant. The dinner will be the kick-off to a year-long celebration of
TAAA's 50th birthday. Fill out and mail the blue flyer with your check (address
at bottom of the flier) or bring check and flier to December's general meeting
and put them into Sheila's waiting hands. A reminder to Past Presidents; if
you haven't yet sent your written histories/recollections to Sheila Conrad,
you've missed the deadline, and they are needed ASAP. Address is given at the
bottom of the blue flier.
Member News
We welcome the most recent members to join the TAAA: Harland Beckman, Darrell Blaker & Family, Michael & Valerie Grindle, Kelly & Andrea Kennedy, John O’Rourke, Vernie Pendley, Wilkey Richardson, Lori and Kenneth Shaver, and Marty VanWinkle. Glad to have all of you join! New members should be sure to pick up a new members pack at a meeting. Hope you’ll make it to our star parties or meetings so we can all get to know you. (Updated membership lists are available to any member at most regular meetings, so pick one up if you need it.)
It is with deep sadness that we inform the membership of Vicki Ketelsen’s
death on October 29th. Vicki, wife of Dean Ketelsen, fought a 2.5 year battle
with pancreatic cancer. Dean and Vicki started the current version of the Grand
Canyon Star Party on their first wedding anniversary 13.5 years ago. Vicki was
a funny person and always brought cheer to our events, especially our newsletter
folding parties. Through her chemotherapy treatments she still remained optimistic
and involved in TAAA activities as her strength and energy allowed. She also
volunteered her time with the Animal Rescue Foundation of Tucson. Her love of
cats was known to many. She and Dean adopted several cats over the years from
local animal shelters. Details for a memorial service, probably in early January,
have not been decided. Those interested in remembering Vicki are asked to make
a donation to the Animal Rescue Foundation at 5425 E. Broadway, No. 225, Tucson,
85711 in her name.
TAAA 50th ANNIVERSARY DINNER -- CLUB HISTORY DISPLAY
Help of various kinds is needed in putting together a club history and photograph albums in time for the 50th Anniversary celebration. Please contact Sheila Conrad (520-529-1750) or Thom or Twila Peck (520-327-7825; twilap@email.arizona.edu) if you can help identify people/places/dates in photos and/or otherwise help out with this interesting project!
LIMITED EDITION TAAA 50th ANNIVERSARY T-SHIRTS!!!
The order is in and we should have our Limited Edition TAAA 50th Anniversary T-Shirts ready to sell at the December meeting (in time for holiday gift giving!). The shirts are nice quality 100% cotton Beefy T's in Deep Royal Blue, with a logo designed by Ken Wheelock. The design features a golden-yellow oval outlined in silver behind a black star-studded diamond with "TAAA" in large white letters; "TUCSON AMATEUR ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION" in black lettering surrounds the oval; and the years "1954-2004" and the slogan "50 YEARS -- 18,262 NIGHTS" appear in black below the logo. The price of the shirts is $13.00 each, in adult sizes Small to XXLarge. We are having them printed only once, so plan to get yours now! Twila Peck will be selling them at the December meeting; if you cannot be there, give Twila a call (520-327-7825) or email (twilap@email.arizona.edu) and we'll work something out.
THANKS to Ken for his work on this great design, and to Gerlinde Sheppard at
Sunrise Silkscreen for her generous assistance in getting it ready for production!
Support TAAA with Basha’s Thanks a Million Program
Basha’s shoppers can now designate the TAAA to receive up to $1 for each $100 spent when they use their Basha’s “Thank You” card. Currently there are 6 members in the program who have collectively spent almost $500 in the last month. We appreciate your support! To participate, Basha’s shoppers should give the cashier our 5-digit number (23178) when they check out. After doing this once, your very first receipt will state that the TAAA has been linked to your card purchases. Save that first receipt and bring it into a meeting for $1 off club apparel, calendars, or membership dues. You only need the number once; future purchases will automatically be linked to the TAAA. (You can link up to 3 of your favorite groups to your purchases and the 1% will be evenly distributed among those groups.) If you have questions contact Terri Lappin at 579-0185, tklappin@earthlink.net.
TAAA Email List-Server
The TAAA Email List-Server, located on Yahoo®! Groups, allows quick communication with our members. The TAAA board strongly encourages those with email to subscribe to this list-server. It is designed for one-way messaging; only board members and a selected few individuals can post messages. It is not a chat list and replies do not go to the list. It is a very low volume list with only a few messages each month. Generally, the messages have been late breaking news, stuff that didn’t make the newsletter, last minute information about star parties, and requests for telescope support at our school and convention group star parties. To join the list, email Terri Lappin (tklappin@earthlink.net) and ask to be invited. This is the only way to join. Be sure to include the email address you want to receive messages at and your first and last name so Terri can verify that you are a paid member of TAAA. If you decide later that you don’t want to remain a member of the list-server it is easy to unsubscribe. Each message includes directions for unsubscribing. Yahoo®! Groups is free of charge but it is supported by advertising, so each message also includes an ad.
In addition to the List-Server, the TAAA has a Yahoo®! Groups website where members can upload photos or find useful information such as TIMPA Rules and Procedures and a FAQ page (answers to questions like: Can guests attend star parties?). To access these features, you must register with Yahoo®! Groups (go to www.yahoogroups.com and click on “Register”). Registering with Yahoo®! Groups is voluntary and not required if you only want to receive the emailed messages. Before registering with Yahoo®! Groups, the TAAA Board encourages members to read the Yahoo®! Groups Privacy Policy. Links to this policy can be found throughout the Yahoo®! Groups website.
For additional information, email or call Terri (579-0185).
Calendars for 2004
Calendars for 2004 will be available at this month’s regular meeting. We have selected the Deep Space Mysteries calendar this year, which is published by Kalmbach Publishing (Astronomy Magazine) The cost is $10 each (~$2 off the regular selling price), or $9 each for more than one. This calendar has daily information about astronomical events, both historical and observational…plus space for adding important events you need to remember. Each month features a full-color astronomical image of a deep sky object. May’s image is of “The Mice” (NGC4676). Almost every object in the image is another distant galaxy. June features a stunningly colorful image of the Eagle Nebula (M16).
Proceeds from the sale of these calendars will be used appropriately as decided
by the board. Thank you to all who support the TAAA through the purchase of
the yearly calendars.
Details on the Front Cover Image
This CCD image of NGC 772 was taken on November 17, 2003 with a 10" F/6 reflector and a SBIG ST-10 XME CCD. The exposure time for 60 minutes for the luminance and 24 minutes for the red, green, and blue images. The RGB image was combined using Maxim DL. The luminance was combined and a DDP applied. Also 4 integrations of CCD Sharp was done. The LRGB was then put together in Photoshop 7.
The one supernova (SN2003iq) can be seen at about 7 o'clock below and to the left of the core and is about 16th magnitude. The other SN is fainter. It is identified as SN2003hl and is located just above the core about 1/4 inch above and a bit to the left from the nucleus. It is about 17.5 magnitude. They are both Type II Sne. Taken at Tucson, AZ at 04:00 UT November 18 by Dean Salman.
Reflections on the Night Sky
I have often wondered if others have felt what I have felt when looking up
at the night sky.
For starters I must refer to Carl Sagan's book, "Pale Blue Dot." In
it Carl Sagan brings a moving perspective to our place in the Cosmos. The title
is derived from a photograph of Earth taken from the Voyager 1 spacecraft when
it was some 3.7 billion miles from Earth. From that perspective all one can
see of Earth is a pale blue dot in an inky black sky. There is no sign of Man
or his works; no indication of his triumphs or tragedies; no evidence of his
states or wars or strife. All is reduced to that insignificant pale blue dot.
When I turn my telescope to the night sky I can share that perspective first
hand. I can look at other "island universes" floating in space composed
of hundreds of billions of stars. It makes one realize how insignificant our
own star, the Sun, is in the larger scheme of things. I can see first hand stars
in ancient globular clusters that are some 12 billion years old. I can look
at planetary nebula that mark the end of the lives of stars that once were much
like our Sun. And the scale of it all simply dwarfs our everyday sense of time
and distance.
Yet intellectually I know that we are all intimate parts of that vastness. Our
very bodies and everything around us is composed of "star stuff."
The very atoms that make us what we are come from the death throes of other
stars and super nova. And then to be able to look out at all that magnificence,
those sparkling diamonds in the black velvet of outer space, gives me a thrill
and an appreciation of what a wonder it all is. How my perspective changes.
And guess what, I am able to see all these wonders through the eyepiece of my own small amateur telescope with its simple eight-inch aperture. What other hobby can offer such an experience? There is no entrance fee and no museum security personnel to say “don’t touch.” There is only me and the night sky that is available to everyone. In fact all one needs is his own pair of eyes and a sense of wonder at this Cosmos in which we all live. The night sky is available to all those who will simply look upward.
David Byars
Member, Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association
WEBSITES: TRIPS ON THE INTERNET SUPER-SKYWAY
Monsoon Maintenance
By Rik Hill
The web is now full of Mars pictures, the best I have ever seen from amateur
astronomers in my 45 years of being one. Some are just breathtaking, like those
of Ed Grafton:
http://www.ghg.net/egrafton/
Many such images can be seen at the ALPO Mars Section page:
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~rhill/alpo/marstuff/recobs.html
But some images are not the same high quality just due to poor focusing. In
some cases, like at my house, it's due to plain bad seeing. I'm plagued by it.
But often it's instrumental. So what is a good way to get that telescope focused?
There is a device based on the optical test called the Hartmann Test that makes
accurate focusing a breeze. The most simple and straightforward explanation
for this device can be found at:
http://www.pinn.net/~dhahne/focusing.html
All you need is a sharp knife and some cardboard. The mask does not have to
be all that fancy, even a crude one will serve well. You can see one such mask,
made in minutes, at:
http://velatron.com/dca/articles/focus/
There are a variety of variations on this theme that you can see at:
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/pete/Focus.htm
http://www.laughton.com/paul/rfo/focus/focus.html
http://rao.150m.com/Focusaid.html
http://www.isomedia.com/homes/cvedeler/scope/focus.htm
http://www.astropix.com/HTML/I_ASTROP/I08/I0819/I0819.HTM
There is even one that you can use on your camera lenses. Bet you never thought
of that one:
http://www.astropix.com/HTML/I_ASTROP/I08/I0817/I0817.HTM
I have seen too many great 35mm slide astrophotos ruined by poor focus. It must be awful to guide for an hour only to be defeated by focus.
Well this is a lot of reading material, but the point is that only a few minutes and the side of an old cardboard box is all you need to get that $1000 camera in focus!
As always, if you know of a particularly good website you would like mentioned
here, drop me a line at: rhill@lpl.arizona.edu
2003: A Year of Sky Events
By Joe Orman
Photo Pages: http://pages.prodigy.net/pam.orman/JoeHome.html
Mark your calendar for these interesting alignments, conjunctions, occultations, eclipses & meteor showers in the year 2003. Times are calculated for Phoenix, Arizona; other locations may differ. Most will be easy to see with the unaided eye, some very challenging -- take a look!
November 8 (evening): Total Lunar Eclipse (partial at moonrise at 5:27pm MST), low in ENE. Totality from 6:09 pm to 6:29pm.
November 16-17 (night): Last quarter Moon comes within 1 arc-minute of 3.5-magnitude star eta Leonis at 2:19am MST, in E (grazing occultation for northern Arizona).
November 17-18 (night): Leonids meteor shower. Last quarter Moon rising about midnight will interfere. Shower radiates from constellation Leo, which rises in E about midnight. Best time to look between midnight and dawn. Typical rate 20 meteors per hour, some years much higher.
November 25 (evening): Venus 4 degrees to right of crescent Moon, low in SW after sunset.
December 10 (evening): Saturn 5 degrees to right of gibbous Moon; both rise in ENE about 7pm.
December 13-14 (night): Geminids meteor shower. Gibbous moon rising about 9pm will interfere. Shower radiates from Castor in constellation Gemini, which rises in NE around 7pm and is near zenith in early morning hours. Best time to look between 7pm and dawn. Typical rate 60 meteors per hour.
December 24 (evening): Venus 5 degrees to right of crescent Moon, low in SW after sunset.
Gallego ES Star Party South-Central
Tuesday, 12/2/2003 No. of Scopes: 5
Gallego Elementary is planning MoonScope at 5102 S. Cherry Ave. To
get there Take Campbell/Kino south. After Irvington, look for Bantam (3-4 blocks
south of Irvington) and turn left. Proceed through the neighborhood; school
is at end of street. Viewing will be held on the basketball court. Contact person
Tom Costello can be reached at 545-3000 or email tomPBJ@netscape.net. Pizza
& coke will be available for TAAA volunteers!! Set-Up Time: 6:30pm; Observing
will be from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. Sunset: 5:19pm, Dark Sky: 6:45pm Moon Phase:
Waxing Gibbous.
La Cima Middle School Star Party Northwest
Thursday, 12/4/2003 No. of Scopes: 4
La Cima Middle School classes have prepared for Starry, Starry Night
at 5600 N. La Canada. Take River Rd. west to La Canada, turn right (north).
Go one mile north to the school (on right); use the 2nd (north) entrance. The
viewing area is on the north campus lawn near the bike rack. Contact person
Jeff Brydges can be reached at 888.0591. Set-Up Time: 6:00pm with observing
from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. Sunset: 6:19pm, Dark Sky: 7:40pm Moon Phase: (no moon
during viewing).
Accelerated Learning Laboratory Star Party Northwest
Friday, 12/12/2003 No. of Scopes: 5
Accelerated Learning Laboratory is conducting Mars and the Night Sky
at 5245 N Camino de Oeste. Go west on Camino del Cerro (same as Ruthrauff),
past Silverbell and continue to Camino del Cerro, turn right (north). After
descending the first small hill, look for a wash; the school driveway is at
the top of the very next hill, on the left. Look for the brick pillar with the
school sign. The observing site is on the basketball courts at the end of the
drive and on the left. Contact person David Bedell can be reached at 743.1113
or email fiddleboy54@yahoo.com. Set-Up Time: 6:00pm with observing from 6:30pm
to 8:00pm. Sunset: 5:19pm, Dark Sky: 6:47pm Moon Phase: Last Quarter.
Valencia Middle School Star Party Southwest
Wednesday, 12/17/2003 No. of Scopes: 5
Valencia Middle School will be holding Family Science Night at 4400
W. Irvington Rd. Get on I-10 and then take I-19 south 1 mile (no ramp to I-19
from I-10 west). Get off at Ajo and turn right (west) about 4.5 miles. Turn
left (south) at Camino de Oeste, go 1 mile, then turn right (west) at Irvington
and go 1/3 mile to school. Viewing will be held on the soccer/football field.
Contact person Meaghan Isaac can be reached at 908.4562 or email meaghani@yahoo.com.
Set-Up Time: 6:00pm Observing will be from 6:30 pm to 8:00pm. Sunset: 5:21,
Dark Sky: 6:49 Moon Phase: (no moon during viewing).
Tucson Children's Museum Star Party Central
Saturday, 12/20/2003 No. of Scopes: 3
Tucson Children's Museum is celebrating Festivals of Light; A Winter
Solstice Celebration
at the museum, 200 S. 6th Ave. Go left on Stone to Broadway and then left on
Broadway to Scott Ave. Turn right on Scott to 13th St. and left on 13th St.
to 6th Ave; it’s across from Armory Park. Viewing will be on the south
lawn of the grounds. Contact person Xochitl Gil can be reached at 792.9985 or
email tcm@tucsonchildrensmuseum.org. Set-Up Time: 12:30pm Observing will be
from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.
TAAA Star Party at TIMPA
Saturday, 12/20/03
Come on out and enjoy the Winter skies! TIMPA star parties are great for both beginners and experienced observers. Our novice members can get help with observing issues or equipment problems, as there are many experienced members there who would be happy to help. If you don’t own a telescope, come anyways, because there are lots of telescopes set up and everyone is invited to look through them. This is a great way to check out different telescope designs before you make that all-important decision to buy. There is no scheduled talk for this activity, just come out and enjoy. We’ll do our best to get you the answers you need. If you have friends or relatives who are curious about amateur astronomy, feel free to bring them along. The TIMPA site features a large parking area, and full restroom facilities. Be prepared for cold temperatures. Directions to the TIMPA site are located on the outside flap of this newsletter.
TAAA Star Party at Las Cienegas (Empire Ranch)
Saturday, 12/27/03
Las Cienegas (formerly Empire Ranch) has been our normal dark-sky observing
site for quite a number of years. Please 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. Las Cienegas is
at 4000 feet so be prepared for cold temperatures after sunset. Attendees should
park their vehicles either perpendicular to the airstrip facing toward the center
of the strip, or parallel to the airstrip along either side facing west. That
way, when you are ready to leave, you will not have to back up and turn on your
bright white backup lights. See the directions to Las Cienegas on the outside
flap of this newsletter.
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
Su/Mo 30/ 1 0:34 - 5:40 Th/Fr 11/12 18:47 - 19:46 Su/Mo 21/22 18:51 - 5:54
Mo/Tu 1/ 2 1:32 - 5:41 Fr/Sa 12/13 18:47 - 20:45 Mo/Tu 22/23 18:52 - 5:54
Tu/We 2/ 3 2:27 - 5:42 Sa/Su 13/14 18:48 - 21:46 Tu/We 23/24 18:52 - 5:55
We/Th 3/ 4 3:23 - 5:42 We/Th 24/25 18:57 - 5:55
Th/Fr 4/ 5 4:18 - 5:43 Su/Mo 14/15 18:48 - 22:47 Th/Fr 25/26 20:08 - 5:55
Fr/Sa 5/ 6 5:14 - 5:44 Mo/Tu 15/16 18:48 - 23:48 Fr/Sa 26/27 21:17 - 5:56
Sa/Su 6/ 7 - - - Tu/We 16/17 18:49 - 0:50 Sa/Su 27/28 22:21 - 5:56
We/Th 17/18 18:49 - 1:54
Su/Mo 7/ 8 - - - Th/Fr 18/19 18:50 - 3:01 Su/Mo 28/29 23:22 - 5:57
Mo/Tu 8/ 9 Full Moon Fr/Sa 19/20 18:50 - 4:12 Mo/Tu 29/30 0:20 - 5:57
Tu/We 9/10 - - - Sa/Su 20/21 18:51 - 5:26 Tu/We 30/31 1:16 - 5:57
We/Th 10/11 18:47 - 18:50 We/Th 31/ 1 2:11 - 5:58
Weekend Sun Sun Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn
Sa/Su Set Rise Set Vi Set Vi Set Vi Rise Vi Rise Vi Vi=Visibility
29/30 17:17 7:04 18:23 5 19:00 -1 1:07 0 0:43 -2 19:38 0 -3 brilliant
6/ 7 17:17 7:10 18:36 4 19:12 -2 0:57 0 0:18 -2 19:08 0 0 conspicuous
13/14 17:18 7:15 18:40 4 19:25 -2 0:48 0 23:53 -2 18:38 0 3 moderate
20/21 17:21 7:19 18:17 8 19:39 -2 0:40 0 23:28 -2 18:08 0 6 naked eye limit
27/28 17:25 7:22 17:40 - 19:53 -3 0:32 0 23:01 -2 17:38 0 9 binoculars limit
By Erich Karkoschka
The Board: absent: Cooper, Lofquist, Peterson, Toscano
Members present: Ellen Finney, Steve Marten, Twila Peck
President’s Call to Order: 6:48PM
1. Agenda Changes
2. Announcements: the Kalas’ new email addresses; several thank-you
letters from schools for recent Star Parties; Coronado Instruments’
interest in the TAAA.
3. Star Parties: a paid party in Rancho Vistoso; Steve Marten reports of 7
parties remaining in November, and at least 8 in December; Steve submits a
member for recognition for his Star Party participation.
4. Treasurer’s Report: the Pres., V.P., and Treasurer will get new signature
cards; a mistake (corrected) by the printer in the newsletter bill; another
rise in the R. James account; continuing membership drop: invite new members
to Star Parties; a discussion to limit the size of the newsletter (cost).
5. TIMPA Cleanup: Ken reports that there is concern within the Radio Flyers
Assoc. about trash left over from Star Parties, especially after past Leonids
Parties. Veteran Board members assure that this has been corrected.
6. ASDM Interface: due in part to personnel changes at the ASDM, the Board
now assumes all responsibility for communicating w/ ASDM; continue working
w/ their Education Dept. (Tim Vimmerstadt); the Board votes (unanimously)
that ALL info will be handled via the TAAA Secretary.
7. Projector progress: a candidate at Costco is determined to be unsuitable
for TAAA needs.
8. Loan policy: Steve Marten will have a contract attorney examine the current
version (approved by the Board last month via vote).
9. 50th Ann. Party: the Board votes for cakes, and votes against coffee mugs;
T-shirt color will be royal blue; purchase is proposed by Twila Peck, a 2nd
from Terri, and passes unanimously.
10. Mirror opportunity: Thom reports of a chance for a test to be performed
on the TAAA’s primary and secondary mirrors; a motion from Ken to proceed,
a 2nd from Ed, and passes unanimously; Thom will also investigate optical
finishing of the primary; Roger Tanner will be contacted for the final optical
design.
11. Star Party sponsors: Terri expresses the need for the formal appointment
of a Publicity Chair; The Arizona Daily Star and Kalil Bottlers would provide
free publicity as sponsors of major TAAA events.
12. Beginners’ Lectures: a discussion of the need for a member to assume
the scheduling duty; a candidate is discussed and will be contacted.
13. Buehler Fund options: Steve Marten informs the Board that a balanced options
fund (managed futures) does not fit our investment profile, and will investigate
alternatives.
Adjourned: 9:43PM
Respectfully Submitted,
Ken Wheelock
Secretary
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