Desert Skies

Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association

Volume L, Number 6, May, 2004

Contents

Calendar of Events

TAAA MEETING DATE: Friday, June 4 at the Steward Observatory Auditorium – Room N210

Note: The Beginners lecture is replaced by member presentations on Member’s night. Be sure to arrive for the meeting by 6:30 pm!

GENERAL MEETING: 6:30 pm
Member’s night

Here’s your chance to share the spotlight. Contact Thom Peck via e-mail to schedule your astronomy-related presentation.


BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING: Wednesday, June 9 6:30 pm at Steward Observatory Conference Room N305

STAR PARTIES AND EVENTS:
04 June - Cub Scouts Old Pueblo District Star Party
10 June - Astro-photo SIG Meeting
12 June – TAAA Star Party at TIMPA
12 June – TAAA Star Party at Mt. Lemmon
12 – 19 June – Grand Canyon Star Party
19 June - Public Viewing with LPL & Flandrau
19 June –TAAA Star Party at Las Cienegas

NEWSLETTER SCHEDULE: Deadline for articles: Sat, June 19. Printing: Mon, June 21. Folding Party: Tues, June 22. Mailing: Wed, June 23. 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.

General Information




		
             Office               Name                Phone        Email
             ------               ----                -----        -----
             President            Thom Peck          327-7825     thomas.peck@optics.arizona.edu
             Vice-President       Michael Turner     743-3437     Mrmgturner@earthlink.net
             Secretary            Steve Marten       906-0049     TAAAStarParty@aol.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
			 Equipment Loan Coordinator (ELC)        Jerry Penegor       320-1872   penegor@dakotacom.net
			 Club Sales                              Ann Scott           749-4867   lbscott61@cox.net
TAAA Mission Statement

Membership in the TAAA

Desert Skies Publishing Guidelines

Desert Skies is published monthly by the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, PO Box 41254, Tucson, Arizona 85717

President's Message

Club News

Membership Dues Increased

Effective June 1st, all membership dues will increase by $2. This was voted on and passed at the May General Meeting. Individual membership is now $25; senior (over 60) is $23. Family membership is $30 and Senior Family is $28. Student and Reduced Family (under 18) membership is $17.


Member News

We welcome the most recent members to join the TAAA: Shawn Hermann, Gerald Melino, Daniel and Kim Pinda, Steven Quick, Perry and Kathleen Rivkind, Erhard Sehl, William Silvey, Randi Stepanek and Norm Saborski, Catherine Warren, and Dick West (Dick is a returning member from many years ago). 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.)


Astro-Photo Special Interest Group (SIG)
10 June, 7pm
China Rose, NE corner Speedway/Rosemont

We had a quiet meeting last month, but with the evening appearance of Comet Neat, we should have a new crop of both CCD and film images. I've got some film images myself, so knowing how many active folks we've got; there should be a great selection of images. See you there!


Grand Canyon Star Party
12-19 June 2004
North and South Rims
By Dean Ketelsen

We are counting down the days till we once again head north to higher elevations, cooler temperatures, and the blessedly dark skies of the Canyon. I've got the fee waivers and info to mail about ready to go out by the end of the month. If you don't get this snail-mailing from me by the June meeting on the 4th, let me know ASAP, preferably by e-mail at ketelsen@as.arizona.edu to let me know, along with your mailing address to make sure I've got it.

Last year the National Park Service had plans to rebuild the overlook at Yavapai and there was talk of relocating the star party. That construction has been delayed, though, so the event will take place at our "home base" and will likely resemble the last 13 star parties we've had there. One of the exciting changes is that with the donation to the TAAA of a video projector, we can now do PowerPoint presentations for the twilight talks - sort of bringing us into the new century technology-wise. We've got at least one speaker, tentatively talking about the Mars Landers, who will be taking advantage of it. For those offering twilight talks this year let me know if you have any preferences for which night you appear.

Many of our regular attendees will be returning and I'm getting lots of new people coming too. Of course, they all want to set up in the lower field to avoid the headlights, and miss many of the public too, but they
will learn how much more fun it is up where the public is. The Saguaro Astronomy Club, who for years has sponsored the Sunday pizza fest, will be attending the north rim event this year, so we'll have to pass the hat if we want to continue the tradition. If you want to plan an event, either a food or travel/tour function (say a trip to Lowell or Meteor Crater), you can spread the word yourself down the line of telescopes, or let me know, and we can get a volunteer to spread the word.

That is about all I've got for now - this event will be the swan song for Brian Gatlin, our ranger from last year. He has accepted another position and will be leaving the Canyon the week after our star party. The event has improved in both conveniences for us, as well as safety with his efforts and we wish him well. Let me know if any of you have questions regarding the star party, otherwise look for that mailing if
I know you are coming.


Mt Lemmon Star Party June 12

Escape the summer heat! TAAA members are invited to a BBQ and star party at the Steward Observatory Mt Lemmon Observatory on Saturday, June 12th. Arrive anytime after 4pm. Bring your own food, beverage, utensils, and telescope. The TAAA is providing the BBQ grills and charcoal for members use between 5 and 6pm. We have permission to set up our telescopes inside the observatory complex near the 40" and 60" telescopes. Plan to use battery power to run your telescope. Depending on the number of vehicles you may be asked to set up your scope and then park your car away from the telescope field. You can leave at anytime but we must leave the observatory complex by 2:30am when the Moon rises.

Gary Rosenbaum, TAAA member and Steward Observatory Senior Instrumentation Specialist, will be operating the 60" telescope equipped with an eyepiece and everyone is invited to look through the scope. (The TAAA has plans to put the TAAA 30" mirror in the 40" telescope. If you want to see the 40”, let Gary know ahead of time.) There will be a limit of 10 people permitted in the 60” dome while observing. If you have special requests for objects you want to see, keep in mind the 60" has an f/16 focal ratio with a focal length of 24,384mm. A Tele Vue 55mm Plods eyepiece gives a 0.1-degree field of view (6.5 arc minute) with a magnification of 443x. Lowest magnifications work best unless the seeing is absolutely superb.

If you plan to hike earlier in the day remember that sections of the forest remain closed due to damage from last year's Aspen Fire and you will need to pay for the recreation-parking fee at the Molino Basin Campground at milepost 5.5. However, if you go straight up the mountain and do not stop at any of the parking pullouts or use any of the recreational facilities or bathrooms you do not need to pay the fee. You don’t need a permit to visit Summerhaven either.

For more information contact Gary Rosenbaum (579-0185, garyr90@earthlink.net).


Beginners Lectures

We are looking for speakers to present specific topics to our Beginners. These lectures are about 30-40 minutes long. The topics are listed below. If you can present one of these topics, please talk to Terri Lappin.

The “Beginner’s Lecture Series”
1. Moon & Planets (solar system)
2. Stars & Our Sun (stellar evolution)
3. Telescopes and Their Use
4. Imaginary Lines (coordinate systems)
5. Deep Sky Observing
6. Important People in Astronomy
7. Cosmology


Annual Picnic in the Fall – October 30

We are going to try something different this year for our annual picnic. We have reserved a huge ramada at Reid Park for Saturday, October 30th. Mark your calendars now. We hope to have a few fun things to do in the afternoon (our reservation begins at 2pm). Terri is willing to make a comet – great fun if you haven’t seen it done before, and surely we’ll have at least one solar telescope set up. If you want to help with the planning of this event let Terri Lappin know.


TAAA Strategic Planning Process Produces Results
By Bill Lofquist

This article summarizes the strategic planning process for TAAA that was started at the March 2004 Members’ Night meeting. At that time members were asked to suggest topics that they thought the planning process should address. Additional member ideas were solicited through the TAAA Forum and an article in the April issue of Desert Skies. Members were also invited to participate in an all day session to be held on April 3, 2004.

The ideas generated on April 3 are reported briefly here. The meeting began with a consideration of the mission, or purpose, of TAAA. A draft of a new mission statement was completed. It is as follows: “The mission of the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association is to provide opportunities for members and the public to share the joy and excitement of astronomy through observing, education and fun.”

This statement and a report on the planning process were presented at the Beginners’ Lecture during the May 2004 meeting of TAAA. It was suggested that we consider this mission draft for a period of time to be determined by the board of directions and submitted to the membership at a future meeting for change or ratification.

The strengths of TAAA were reviewed. These included our strong membership and the vast knowledge and skill base; the public star party program; the newsletter, web site and TAAA Forum; our clear skies and good weather; our available observing sites; a very active 50 year history; professional resources available to us; an excellent, well-equipped meeting place; strong organizational leadership; retail astronomy outlets that support us and supply our astronomy needs; the International Dark Sky Association; the Astronomical League programs; skilled astrophotographers; Kitt Peak, Project Astro, etc., etc.

Some of the challenges we face are as follows: the need for better communication, a more friendly atmosphere, support for new beginning members, more opportunities for experienced members, more volunteer time for the many star party opportunities we have, expansion of special interest groups, securing a dark observing site with facilities, support for protection of dark skies, more opportunities for young people to learn about astronomy, etc.

A vision for the future of TAAA was shaped that includes: A convenient dark sky observing site with facilities; Regular gatherings where people can bring scopes, share scopes with others, and learn about astronomy; varied membership – amateur and professional, youth and adult – with support for all levels of experience; introductory curriculum for beginners; workshops and hands-on special interest groups; family star parties with directed activities; active involvement in protecting the night skies; public outreach programs with educational materials; a public presence that inspires curiosity about astronomy; a friendly, welcoming atmosphere in which members get to know one another; an emphasis on enjoyable, fun activities.

Two action groups were created. One group was to focus on support of new/beginning members, and the other to focus on support of more experienced and advanced members.

The first group discussed the following: a new member committee to oversee a variety of opportunities for new members; a Reach for the Stars type program for adults as well as young people; ad hoc special interest groups on basic topics and skills; use of Desert Skies and the web site for beginning information; development of a mentor list for new members to access; sharing of member experience and biographies at meetings; better use of the Astronomical League programs.

The second group discussed the following: a dark sky site with facilities, perhaps using Mt. Lemmon for the near term and gathering funds for developing a long term site; advanced field trips; reintroducing the second part of meetings for show and tell; using the pads at TIMPA for advanced observing, with the use of the parking lot for beginners; more “how to” workshops and special interest groups.

Since strategic planning is an on-going process, we hope TAAA members will continue to think about ways the organization can better pursue its mission and make them known to the board of directors and other members. The plan is to revisit this process from time to time to pursue it further. In the meantime, the board of directors will be implementing the ideas that have been generated.

William A. Lofquist
Development Publications
P. O. Box 36748
Tucson, AZ 85740
520-575-7047
wlofquist@comcast.net


SUPPORT FOR TAAA MEMBERS WANTING TO SHARPEN THEIR SKILLS
By Bill Lofquist

In order to give an assist to our members who want to develop their skills in astronomy, we are refining our list of people who would like to share their knowledge with other members.

The recent planning process we have been going through as a club has identified this as a clear need and a high priority. If you would like be part of a group of resource people who can be called upon to work with a small group of members interested in learning something specific about astronomy, please consider adding your name to this list.

Obviously, a lot of this kind of mentoring goes on naturally and informally. The intent is to make it more purposeful and better known within TAAA.

Some examples might be: helping people with new go-to scopes learn to use them; finding the galaxies in Leo that Terri Lappin talked about at the May meeting; beginning skills for using a DOB to find the planets and deep sky objects; meeting three or four times with a small group of people interested in learning their way around the sky; helping new members get into piggy-back photography, etc.

If you would like to have your name added to a list of Astronomers On Call, please contact Bill Lofquist by calling him at 297-6653, or by email at wlofquist@comcast.net.

This is a way that more experienced TAAA members can help less experienced TAAA members sharpen their knowledge and skills. And everyone can have lots of fun at the same time!


Desert Sunset Star Party a Success
By Pat and Arleen Heimann

Thank you for helping make the 2004 DSSP a success. We are already making plans for next year - the new moon is May 8 so mark your calendars for Wednesday May 4 through Sunday May 8.

We hope to go back to the format of the first year and have some scheduled group trips to Mt. Hopkins' Whipple Observatory, UA Mirror Lab and EOS Technologies and possibly a few others. If there is a place in particular that you think would make a good group trip, let us know.

In order to make the DSSP an annual event, we could use any assistance you might want to offer. We need help to make this a success. Foremost, you can help us with spreading the word. There will be a printable flyer on the website in the near future that you can distribute when you go to other star parties. If you know of someone who has a unique product to sell, invite him or her to come to the DSSP. We don't charge vendor fees - just ask for a donation or two for door prizes.

And of course we are always looking for speakers. Many of the more established star parties have big name speakers who charge for their time. We'd like to keep the DSSP at a low cost for everyone. So if you hear someone speak on an interesting topic (long or short topic) who you think would be willing to help out our fledgling star party - let them know about the DSSP and ask them to contact us.

Again, we thank you for coming out this year and hope to see you again next May.

Pat and Arleen Heimann
ChartMarkers and More
http://chartmarker.tripod.com

Visit To Jet Propulsion Laboratory Open House
By Terri Lappin

This was my first visit to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Open House was an excellent way to see all that goes on there. Of course, I was aware that the Mars Rovers were assembled and tested at JPL and it was great to see the full sized and scaled models of several spacecraft and rovers including Cassini, Pathfinder, Mars Exploration Rovers, and Mars Global Surveyor. (Do you know JPL has 17 missions “flying” right now?) What really amazed me was how the research required for space exploration benefits us right here on earth. One area at JPL specializes in micro devices. One poster showed how a small sensor, inserted into the eye, could feed a signal to the optic nerve, restoring eyesight to those suffering from Age-Related Macular Degeneration. The New Technologies Lab developed a really neat material called Aero gel. This is a mechanically strong material, but it is also the lightest known solid. It’s chemically the same as glass but it’s over 99% air. You can literally see through a 4” thick block of the material – it’s like looking through a ghost! It is the material on board the Stardust Mission into which the particles from Comet Wild impacted, to be returned to the earth in January 2006. Aero gel was also used on Sojourner, Spirit, and Opportunity to keep their electronics at a nice warm even temperature. Someday it might be used as insulation in your house.

All this was fun, but I was really at JPL as an Open House volunteer participating in “The Search for Life display area. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) paid for my trip and hotel expenses. Earlier this year the ASP selected two people from different astronomy clubs who had used the Night Sky Network PlanetQuest Toolkit in education outreach activities. Jean Grendler and her friend Sue Moe from the Eugene (Oregon) Astronomical Society joined me for this exciting experience. Security was a big deal; after all, JPL is a national lab that was opening its doors to over 50,000 people for the weekend. We were issued security badges and t-shirts to help identify us as JPL volunteers. Two-hours of volunteer time each day doesn’t seem like payment enough for all that I saw and learned, especially considering I had been asked to do something I enjoy! The projects from the Night Sky Network PlanetQuest Toolkit easily communicate to the public some rather technical aspects of the search for small extra-solar worlds (those more likely to sustain life as we know it). Everyone seemed to “get it” after seeing how the atmosphere can distort an image, or the affect that a planet has on its parent star as it makes a revolution about that star.

I feel greatly privileged for having had this opportunity and thank everyone at JPL and the ASP who had a part in making my trip possible. I met great people from both organizations, including Michael Greene, head of education and public outreach for the PlanetQuest program, and Marni Berendsen, from the ASP, who coordinates the Night Sky Network and was our host for the entire trip. The open house made it possible to talk with many JPL scientists and it was easy to see that they enjoy their work. Everyone was very open about answering questions posed to them, something that’s not often seen in industry or government. It was a great educational and superbly fun experience for me.


Kitt Peak Picnic Area Available to TAAA Members

The Public Outreach Department is implementing new programs and events throughout the current fiscal year, including a two-day CCD workshop this summer. Another fund raising effort involves the picnic area. Public outreach has reserved the area for use by TAAA members only on April 10; May 8, 15, 22; June 12, 19; September 11, 18; and October 9. The area will be available from sunset to midnight for a fee of $10.00 per member, limit 30 members per evening. Reservations are on a first-come-first-serve basis and may be made by calling or emailing Robert Wilson at 318-8440 or rwilson@noao.edu. Reservations and cancellations must be made at least two days prior to the desired evening for purposes of staff scheduling and logistics. Payment will be made upon arrival and refunds will not be granted for weather, so check the forecast before coming up. Ideally, if there appears to be a demand for the use of the picnic area, we can make it regularly available for less or perhaps for free. In the meantime, consider the fee a donation to the outreach efforts of the Kitt Peak Visitor Center.


August Newsletter Submissions
By George Barber

During the month of July, I will be visiting Australia. Terri Lappin has graciously offered to coordinate the newsletter during my absence. You will need to send her your August newsletter contributions at tklappin@earthlink.net by the July 24 deadline.

May 8 Kitt Peak Picnic
Text by George Barber
Photos by Michael and Mary Turner


A nice-sized group of TAAA members gathered for the semi-annual Kitt Peak picnic on May 8. We enjoyed a bar-b-que dinner and pot luck.

A couple of members set up their scopes to try to catch the daytime sun between clouds. The clouds did not promise a good evening for stargazing, but did provide a beautiful sunset. Nevertheless, most people had their gear set up and ready before darkness set in. As the evening wore on, the clouds began to thin, and areas of the sky opened up. By 9:00 pm or so, the sky was mostly clear. Everyone enjoyed the views of comet NEAT, as well as their favorite astronomical objects. The star party lasted until around 11:30 pm.


Lunar Photography by Dan MacInnis

Webcams still continue to provide superb images of the planets and our nearest neighbor, the Moon.

 

 

WEBSITES: TRIPS ON THE INTERNET SUPER-SKYWAY
By Rik Hill

From Earth to the Moon...web style.

Years ago I was lucky enough, during one of my bookstore crawls, to come across a full copy of the imagery from the 5 Lunar Orbiters that were sent to the moon in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This has been an invaluable reference in sorting out small features at the edge of resolution. But not all that many were printed so few amateurs have one. This is too bad since it is so helpful in lunar observing. But recently, Lunar & Planetary Institute in Houston has put the whole thing on the web at: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/research/lunar_orbiter/ with the ability to search by feature name, photo number or coordinate position on the moon. What a resource to have at your fingertips! A warning, this website is rather slow so be patient.

If you are interested in getting into lunar observing but the above is a bit daunting, try the freeware Virtual Moon Atlas at: http://www.astrosurf.com/avl/UK_index.html This handy piece of software has lots of Earth-based and spacecraft imagery combined with drawings that will get you acquainted with what is visible at any given moment.

Once you have gotten the hang of getting around on our natural satellite, you might want further detail visible. You'll be surprised, if you’re not a lunar observer, just how much detail is visible in even a little ETX90! Try your hand at seeing how small a feature you can see, just how close you can get, by going to the Ranger 9 imagery page at: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/html/mission_page/EM_Ranger_9_page1.html How close was the spacecraft when it had the same resolution as your telescope? I think you will be surprised at what you find!

Lunar & Planetary also has put the entire Consolidated Lunar Atlas on line. It was done at our own Lunar & Planetary Lab. on the U/Az campus back in the late 1960s and is the highest resolution comprehensive Earth-based atlas ever done. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/research/cla/. Again, this is a slow'ish' website so be patient.

There is also an excellent atlas, done in many formats, of sections on the moon that is maintained by The Lunascan Project at: http://www.astrosurf.com/lunascan/sections.htm. Here you click on a portion of the moon that you want to know more about or select a feature from a list, and you will be given a list of relevant images of that region or feature done with different spacecraft or telescopes.

How good a job of lunar imaging can you do from Earth? Among the best of the lunar images taken by amateurs today are those of Antonio Cidadao (Portugal) at: www.astrosurf.com/ cidadao/moon.htm and Thierry Legault's (France) http://perso.club-internet.fr/legault/. Their work is breathtaking. Nothing like it had been achieved by amateur astronomers until the advent of the digital camera. Hopefully it will be very inspirational to you.

As always, if you know of a particularly good website you would like mentioned here, drop me a line at rhill@lpl.arizona.edu.

 

Star Parties and Events

Cub Scouts Old Pueblo District Star Party Southwest
Friday, 4 June 2004 No. of Scopes: 5

Cub Scouts Old Pueblo District will be “Scout Moonscapes at Double V Scout Ranch. Go south on Interstate 19 to Ajo. At the end of the ramp, turn right (west) and continue approx 5 mi to Kinney Rd. Turn right onto Kinney and proceed about 3/4 mi to the ranch entrance on the right. Follow signs to the viewing area. Contact persons Jim or Lee Ann Herriman can be reached at 661-168-8 or email LeeAnn.Herriman@fourpoints.com. Set-Up Time: 7:30 pm. Observing will be from 8:30 pm to 10:00 pm. Sunset: 7:27pm, Dark Sky: 9:07pm Moon Phase: Full Moon.


TAAA Star Party at Mt Lemmon Observatory
Saturday, 12 June, 2004

See article in the Club News section of the newsletter.


TAAA Star Party at TIMPA
Saturday, 12 June, 2004

Come on out and enjoy the early summer 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 cool temperatures after sunset. It’s also a good idea to bring insect repellent. Directions to the TIMPA site are located on the outside flap of this newsletter.


Public Viewing with LPL & Flandrau
Saturday, 19 June 2004

Here's a chance to show the general public Jupiter, Mars, and the razor thin crescent Moon on the UofA mall with the folks at Flandrau Science Center on Saturday, June 19 from 6:45 p.m. (setup) to 10:00 p.m., weather permitting. This event is the outside portion of the UA's Lunar & Planetary Lab (LPL) sponsored "Saturn: Lord of the Rings" space exploration open house. Those TAAA volunteers wishing to participate who need parking permits (to park on the UA mall) should contact Rich Watson (AZTUC@aol.com, or phone 884-9347). Otherwise parking (on Saturdays & Sundays) will be open and free of charge in any metered space or any "Service Vehicle only" spaces. A sign up sheet will be available at the June meeting. Free pizza and cake are available for those who help with this event!


TAAA Star Party at Las Cienegas (Empire Ranch)
Saturday, 19 June, 2004

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 cool temperatures after sunset. It’s also a good idea to bring insect repellent. 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 for June 
 
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    -   -   -           Fr/Sa  11/12  21:11 -  2:05        Mo/Tu  21/22  22:47 -  3:37
Tu/We  1/ 2    -   -   -           Sa/Su  12/13  21:12 -  2:33        Tu/We  22/23  23:19 -  3:38
We/Th  2/ 3    Full Moon                                              We/Th  23/24  23:48 -  3:38
Th/Fr  3/ 4    -   -   -           Su/Mo  13/14  21:12 -  3:02        Th/Fr  24/25   0:16 -  3:38
Fr/Sa  4/ 5  21:07 - 21:46         Mo/Tu  14/15  21:13 -  3:35        Fr/Sa  25/26   0:44 -  3:39
Sa/Su  5/ 6  21:08 - 22:44         Tu/We  15/16  21:13 -  3:36        Sa/Su  26/27   1:14 -  3:39
                                   We/Th  16/17  21:13 -  3:37                                   
Su/Mo  6/ 7  21:08 - 23:31         Th/Fr  17/18  21:14 -  3:37        Su/Mo  27/28   1:47 -  3:40
Mo/Tu  7/ 8  21:09 -  0:10         Fr/Sa  18/19  21:14 -  3:37        Mo/Tu  28/29   2:26 -  3:40
Tu/We  8/ 9  21:10 -  0:43         Sa/Su  19/20  21:31 -  3:37        Tu/We  29/30   3:12 -  3:41
We/Th  9/10  21:10 -  1:12                                            We/Th  30/ 1    -   -   -  
Th/Fr 10/11  21:11 -  1:39         Su/Mo  20/21  22:11 -  3:37        Th/Fr   1/ 2    -   -   -  


Weekend    Sun   Sun      Mercury     Venus      Mars     Jupiter    Saturn                       
Sa/Su      Set   Rise     Rise Vi    Rise Vi   Set  Vi    Set  Vi   Set  Vi    Vi=Visibility      
                                                                                                  
 5/ 6     19:26  5:15      4:27 7    5:24  -   21:51 3    0:37 -2   21:21 3    -3 brilliant       
12/13     19:29  5:15     Set:  -    4:48  7   21:40 4    0:11 -2   20:57 4     0 conspicuous     
19/20     19:31  5:16     19:40 -    4:13  2   21:29 4   23:45 -2   20:33 6     3 moderate        
26/27     19:32  5:18     20:18 7    3:42 -1   21:17 5   23:20 -2   20:09 -     6 naked eye limit 
 3/ 4     19:32  5:21     20:41 5    3:18 -3   21:04 5   22:55 -1   19:45 -     9 binoculars limit

By Erich Karkoschka
Meeting Minutes

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