Desert Skies

Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association

Volume L, Number 9, September, 2004

Contents

Calendar of Events

TAAA MEETING DATE: Friday, Sept. 3 at the Steward Observatory Auditorium – Room N210

BEGINNERS LECTURE: 6:30 pm
Title: Important People in Astronomy
Speaker: Luke Scott

Many of us own Schmidt-Cassegrain or Newtonian scopes, use Barlow lenses and Plossl eyepieces, hunt down Messier objects, seek out Saturn's Cassini division, and observe Jupiter's Galilean moons. And most know the story of Galileo, Newton, and Messier, but what about Cassegrain, Barlow, Plossl, Cassini, and Schmidt? Luke Scott will present the history and contributions to astronomy of persons, both famous and obscure, which have lent their names to the equipment we use and the objects we observe.


GENERAL MEETING: 7:30 pm
Title: Galactic Cluster Lensing
Speaker: Dr. Douglas Clowe, Steward Observatory

Gravitational lensing* studies use the fact that light, or photons, passing a massive object will be bent by the object's gravitational pull. This gives astronomers a way to measure the mass of the deflecting object. This trajectory bending results in background objects being deflected away from the foreground object and stretched tangentially, which both alters the shape of the background object and increases the total observed flux of the object.

Dr Clowe will briefly discuss the three most common types of lensing (strong, weak, and micro) and highlight some recent results. He will then show us how weak lensing can be used to observe the mass distribution in clusters of galaxies, and how clusters evolve over time. Finally, he will show some recent data obtained on a set of merging clusters of galaxies and how this data can be used to directly detect and constrain the nature of dark matter.

Douglas Clowe received his Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Hawaii in 1998 for a thesis "Weak Lensing by High-Redshift Clusters of Galaxies". He previously was a postdoc at the Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astrophysik and the Universitaet Bonn in Germany before starting a postdoc position at Steward Observatory in September 2003.

* Note: The term “lensing” is used in the sense that a massive object bends light similar to a lens bending (or more accurately refracting) light in an optical system

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING: Wednesday, Sept. 8, 6:30 pm at Steward Observatory Conference Room N305

STAR PARTIES AND EVENTS:
09 Sept – AstroPhoto SIG
11 Sept – TAAA Star Party at Las Cienegas
15 Sept – Mason Audubon Center Astronomy Program
17 Sept – Mesquite Elementary Star Party
18 Sept – TAAA Star Party at TIMPA


NEWSLETTER SCHEDULE: Deadline for articles: Sat, Sept. 18. Printing: Mon, Sept. 20. Folding Party: Tues, Sept. 21. Mailing: Wed, Sept. 22. The newsletter is mailed at least one week prior to the following month’s General Meeting.


The board of directors meeting is the second Wednesday of the month. 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     eefinney@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

Member News

We welcome the most recent members to join the TAAA Laurel Dunlap (returning member), Katharine Hanna, Dennis Nendza (returning member and past president from 1978 to 1980), and Alfredo Somolinos. 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 meetings, so pick one up if you need it.)


Club Apparel

T-shirts, baseball hats, denim shirts, and sew-on patches - all with the TAAA logo - will be for sale at the September meeting. Only cash or checks can be accepted.


Astro-photo SIG Meeting
Sept. 9, 7pm
China Rose, NE corner Speedway/Rosemont

We've had some great presentations lately, with CCD images, planetary webcams, and film. Come see some of the state of the imaging art over some Chinese food. Just show up and enjoy the show!


TAAA Board of Directors Adopts New Mission Statement
By Bill Lofquist, Board Member-at-Large

At its August 2004 meeting the TAAA Board of Directors adopted the mission statement that was drafted at the strategic planning session on April 3, 2004. The draft was presented to the membership during the beginner’s lecture at the May, 2004 meeting and published in the June, 2004 issue of Desert Skies. The Board did not receive any suggestions about how to change or edit the draft, and it was approved unanimously.

The new mission statement 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.”


Basha’s Thanks A Million Program

The Basha’s Thanks A Million Program will begin on September 13th. If you shop at Basha’s, ask the cashier to link your Thank You card to the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association. (Basha’s customer service is supposed to have a list of ID numbers – we don’t ours yet as of this writing.) At the end of the program, the TAAA will receive a donation from Basha’s based on how much our members spend. Last year we received about $75. So, if you shop Basha’s, remember to have your Thank You card linked to the TAAA.

 

Annual Picnic – October 30

This year’s annual picnic will be held on Saturday, October 30th at Reid Park Ramada 16 starting at 2pm. Ramada 16 is a large area with lots of picnic tables located at the west end of Reid Park. (Detailed directions will appear in the October newsletter.) We’ll be making comets and have some solar viewing going on, as well as a general good time. (Anyone interested in going to the zoo or to the lake?). Evening observing is questionable since we will be in town, but that hasn’t been decided yet. If you want to help with the planning of this event let any board member know.

Calendars for 2005

Calendars for 2005 will be sold at regular meetings beginning in September at the same table where you can purchase TAAA apparel. (Ann Scott will also have new apparel available this fall.) The calendar we have selected is called Deep Space Mysteries and is published by the same people who bring us Astronomy magazine each month. The cost for the calendars 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.

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.

Astronomers needed for Project ASTRO - Year Nine!

It is time to recruit astronomers for Year 9 of Project ASTRO! Please pass the word along to veteran astronomer partners as well as new astronomer partners who have not participated in the Project ASTRO program.

The Educational Outreach Office at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory is now accepting applications from ASTRONOMERS (professional, amateur, and students) and TEACHERS (grades 3 -- 9) who wish to take part in Project ASTRO's ninth year in Tucson. This program forms partnerships between scientists and teachers and provides training, materials, and support for teaching astronomy through hands-on classroom activities.

Partnerships will take place this coming academic year (2004/2005) and the training workshop is scheduled for September 17-18, 2004. (A sample agenda of a past workshop can be found at <http://www.noao.edu/education/astro_agenda.pdf>http://www.noao.edu/education/astro_agenda.pdf.)
The free workshop includes an evening at the Kitt Peak Visitor Center 20" and 16" telescopes; hands-on, inquiry-based activities from the resource book, Universe in the Classroom and a talk by world-renown comet discoverer, David Levy. The book and accompanying classroom activity kits are supplied at no cost to participants. During the workshop and throughout the year resources (including a library of classroom supplies for activities, solar telescopes, a star party at David Levy's, and staff help) are available at no charge. During the school year, the teacher and astronomer partners decide the astronomical topic and dates for a minimum of 4 classroom visits.

Involvement in Project ASTRO is a way to give to the community, get children curious about science and possibly develop their interest into future careers. Your help in recruiting or participating would also enhance a teacher's content knowledge and confidence-level in teaching astronomy. Be a part of fostering the future.

To date, Project ASTRO astronomers and teachers have reached nearly 24,000 students throughout Arizona. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific in San Francisco began project ASTRO in 1993. Since then it has expanded into a national program. Project ASTRO-Tucson is one of a dozen Project ASTRO sites nationwide. Visit <http://www.noao.edu/education/astro_poster.jpg>http://www.noao.edu/education/astro_poster.jpg for a composite of photos and key elements describing Project ASTRO-Tucson, http://www.noao.edu/education/astrogram/news_05_04.pdf for the latest news about the Project ASTRO-Tucson program, <http://www.noao.edu/education/astro_testimonials.jpg>http://www.noao.edu/education/astro_testimonials.jpg for testimonials supporting Project ASTRO and <http://www.astrosociety.org/education/astro/project_astro.html>http://www.astrosociety.org/education/astro/project_astro.html for the Project ASTRO national website.

Applications will be accepted through September 10. Consider applying as an astronomer partner. (A degree in astronomy is not required.) Get involved in this worthwhile science education program. An application for astronomers can be found at http://www.noao.edu/education/astronomerapp_2003.pdf . Applications can be sent to Connie Walker's address below or faxed to 318-8451. A flyer advertising the workshop can be found at <http://www.noao.edu/education/astrogram/fall2003_workshop.pdf>http://www.noao.edu/education/astrogram/workshopflyer_051104.pdf. For more information about Project ASTRO, visit this web page,
<http://www.noao.edu/education/astrotucson.html>http://www.noao.edu/education/astrotucson.html, or contact Connie Walker at:

Connie Walker, Ph.D.
Senior Science Education Specialist/Astronomer
National Optical Astronomy Observatory
950 N. Cherry Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85719

Phone: 520-318-8535
Fax: 520-318-8451
E-mail: cwalker@noao.edu


Family ASTRO

Family ASTRO needs amateur astronomers who are willing to pair up with teachers and other community outreach volunteers to launch this new program into its third year. Family ASTRO is an extracurricular variation on the Project ASTRO theme, another program that has enjoyed immense success in Tucson for the last eight years with the generous support of TAAA members.

Family ASTRO involves event leaders who host after school or weekend events focused on astronomy themes: Moon Mission, Race to The Planets, Night Sky Adventure, and Cosmic Decoders. Family members interact to learn about astronomy through hands-on activities and board games. After the event, the board games or other activities go home with the participants to encourage family fun with astronomy. School star-party volunteers will recognize the atmosphere of the Family ASTRO events as similar to those casual evenings under the stars that are so enjoyable and enlightening for students and their parents.

The duration of the events is about two hours and the commitment is two events during the year following training. But the partnerships may continue for as long as the partners are willing to introduce astronomy education to the families of Tucson. Training is courtesy of NOAO. Volunteers may attend one or more of the training workshops, each of which involves one of the event themes. Volunteers receive an Event Leader Kit and the partners receive an initial supply of games. The first training workshop occurs September 28th. All of the workshops are held in the late afternoon and evening.

Information and applications are available on our web site at http://www.noao.edu/education/families.html or by contacting Robert Wilson at 318-8440 or rwilson@noao.edu. Downloaded applications may be sent to the same email or through the post to Robert Wilson, 950 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ, 85719. Thank you again for supporting Project ASTRO these past eight years and for your future involvement in Family ASTRO.

Robert Wilson
Family ASTRO Site Coordinator

Necessary But Not Sufficient!

What is the one thing absolutely necessary for observing or just gazing into the heavens? Clear skies! And, if you are lucky to have that, the next most important aspect is dark skies. We can’t do much about creating clear skies except to move locations on a given night to get away from a cloud cover but we can do a lot about having dark skies!

We are fortunate in Southern Arizona to have Outdoor Lighting Codes to help minimize the amount of light pollution that is generated each night. As Tucson keeps growing at about 4% per year, we are struggling to keep our lighting levels low and ideally we would reduce them as more citizens become educated as to the light pollution problem and take action to help reduce it. Light Pollution not only has very adverse effects on astronomy and associated businesses; it also can affect human health, our safety, our wild life and plant life.

Our Building Code Officials are the ones that enforce violations but if not caught during construction of a residence or business, the non-compliant lighting fixture(s) may never be found so they can be modified or replaced. And many fixtures are added or changed out without permits. Our Building Code Inspectors do not drive around looking for bad fixtures; they only take action when a formal complaint is filed with their department.

The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) and the local Southern Arizona Section of the IDA (SA-IDA) are committed to “Helping to Preserve and Protect the Nighttime Environment and Our Heritage of Dark Skies…” but their role is to be an enabler to make this happen. Professionals and lots and lots of concerned citizens need to take action to get the actual work done to ensure that we have only good light fixtures. See the SA-IDA.ORG Web site for more information including Obtrusive Lighting Complaint forms.

ARCHAEOASTRONOMY
Presented by the Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society
Tuesday evenings, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m., November 9, 16, and 23, 2004
John Fountain, Instructor

This course will cover the history of archaeoastronomy, the many forms it takes, and review major examples throughout the world. There will be special emphasis on examples of archaeoastronomy in the southwestern United States and relevant ethnography. Methods of archaeoastronomical research will be reviewed. We will discuss basic concepts of astronomy without a telescope and consider how they may be applied to studying archaeological sites. We seek to better understand how astronomy played a role in the life, society, and religious practice of early people. No background in astronomy or mathematics is required.

John Fountain is retired from the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the U of A. During his 25 years there he studied the moon and planets by earth-based observation and with the NASA Ranger, Pioneer, and
Voyager programs. He is co-author of the Consolidated Lunar Atlas, used by the Apollo astronauts, and co-discoverer of two satellites of Saturn. For the past 12 years he has done research in archaeoastronomy.
His co-edited volume, Current Studies in Archaeoastronomy: Conversations Across Time and Space (with Rolf M. Sinclair) is due out this fall.

Suggested reading: There are no good comprehensive texts on archaeoastronomy. Prehistoric Astronomy in the Southwest by Malville and Putnam has a good introduction to astronomy relevant to archaeoastronomy and some examples of its application. Living the Sky by Ray Williamson gives more examples of archaeoastronomy and related ethnography. While not required for the course, both could be useful to class participants.

Cost is $30 for AAHS members and $40 for non-members; $10 discount available for students and K-12 teachers. Pre-registration is required. To register, please contact Laurie Webster at (520) 325-5435 or Lwebster1@mindspring.com <mailto:lwebster1@mindspring.com> (please note the 1).

Observing Down Under
By George Barber

While in Australia last July, I had the opportunity to enjoy two clear nights under the Southern Hemisphere’s unique skies. I spent one of these evenings at the darkest accessible spot I could find at the Ayers Rock Resort, and the second evening at Wiruna, the remote observing site of the Astronomic Society of New South Wales [ASNSW]. This club’s website is at www.asnsw.com.

Finding a dark spot at the resort was a challenge. Even though the resort is far from any cities, being in the center of the continent, it generates a significant amount of light pollution. Architects seem to know very little about effective lighting. They tend to choose fixtures that are visually appealing but not dark sky friendly. But, I did find a good spot off the beaten path, which I could access using the resort’s shuttle bus. So, I bundled up my large binoculars and mount, a tripod and camera, various night sky references, and even a camp chair, and headed out to my site. I spent most of the evening just amazed at the nebula, dust lanes, and star clusters in the portion of the Milky Way visible to the southern astronomer. Observing with my 15X80’s binoculars, I made some sketches of the Coalsack, which is a huge dark nebula near the Southern Cross, as well as the Jewel Box, an open star cluster. I also enjoyed my view of the Eta Carinae nebula. I tried a couple of astrophotos of star trails over Ayers Rock [Uluru], but vehicular and air traffic kept interfering during the long intervals of time I needed.

During the planning for my trip, I was quite fortunate to find the ASNSW. They are a large club, very similar to ours. I enjoyed two nights at their remote observing facility, which was about a 4-hour drive from downtown Sydney. I know this sounds like a long way, but my efforts were equally rewarded. Here’s what I wrote in my observing journal:

“How could one come here, see this majestic sky, and not simply be awed by the spectacle overhead? By far the most marvelous view of the Milky Way I have ever seen. The Coalsack at the Southern Cross is a blackness surrounded by the radiation of our Galaxy. This site is incredibly dark, even more so than the Grand Canyon.”

I spent a lot of time simply looking at the Milky Way. I learned that to the Australian Aboriginals, the Milky Way with its dark lanes forms a giant emu across the sky. The CoalSack is the head of the emu, with the body of the emu following the main spiral arm and dust lanes toward the north. From where I stood, the Milky Way was directly overhead, and stretched from the southern horizon all the way to the northern one. Its light was so bright I could easily see the surrounding landscape.


I was in for a real treat, because the club owned a 17 ½” reflector on a dobsonian mount. Using this instrument, I was able to see many familiar objects, as well as new ones. Instead of being on the horizon, my targets were now directly overhead. The view of Omega Centauri was Incredible. You literally felt like you had stuck your head inside this snowball of a million stars. The stars made intricate arcs and lines. With this scope, you could see the “cheese” line of the “cheeseburger” they jokingly call the Centaurus A galaxy. The central star of the Eta Carina nebula could be seen to have two “bumps”, which we know from Hubble images are the lobes of the stars. This nebula is as fascinating to observe as the Great Orion nebula.

My binoculars also let me explore the Small Magallenic cloud, with its nearby star clusters. Both the Large and Small Magallenic clouds were easily visible to the naked eye.

As the evening wore on, we could see evidence of a weather change. Clouds began to scuttle across the sky. This didn’t stop our viewing, but did interfere with my attempts at astrophotography. The next day, the weather changed for the worse. In fact, I was present for a rather rare event – the Blue Mountains received about 2” of snow that day! Everyone was jumping around like a kid on Christmas. I simply grumbled under my breath. We spent the day, and that evening, sitting around the fireplace and talking about nearly everything under the sun. The Aussies are very friendly, and I had a great time getting to know them.

I was very impressed with the facility they had built. They had a few acres out there, where their members were free to camp out. Some members had built equipment sheds, and even roll-off scope sheds. There were two main buildings. The first had a large room where meetings could be held, as well as 4 smaller rooms with twin-sized beds. I brought my own sleeping bag, and rented one of the rooms for about $10 a night. Cheaper than a hotel!

The second building had their main cooking area, as well as a fireplace – handy on a snow day! They also had showers and flush toilets. Large tanks were used to collect rainwater as it ran off the roofs. A pump moved the water into a water tower, where gravity generated enough water pressure to run the showers and commodes. 12 volt DC power for the water pump and red lights in the rooms was generated from solar cells and stored in a bank of batteries. The facility did not have AC (220 VAC in Australia), so members would have needed their own batteries and inverters for computers and imaging equipment. Propane provided gas for cooking as well as hot water for doing dishes and taking showers. Truly, this is a facility that they could take great pride in.

The site was remote, but their monthly star party ran for two evenings – Friday and Saturday. The camping and housing facilities made this possible. I have always felt that camping overnight and spending a second evening can offset distance! I would estimate that there were about 15 members at the site that weekend. However, star parties in the spring, summer, and fall would draw many more members. They probably saw the weather forecast and decided not to come out that weekend!

So, here I was, a visiting astronomer from half a world away. I found their club on the Internet, made contact, and arranged for my stay. I was able to drive to a facility where I could stay overnight, make my own meals (although they were so hospitable I didn’t have to!), take a warm shower, and enjoy the night skies through their telescopes. I was very appreciative of their hospitality, and very much enjoyed my stay at their remote site.

Star Parties and Events

TAAA Star Party at Las Cienegas (Empire Ranch)
Saturday, 11 Sept., 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.

Mason Audubon Center Astronomy Program
Wednesday, 15 September 2004 No. of Scopes: 2

The Mason Audubon Center Astronomy Program will be hosting a Star Party at 8751 N. Thornydale Road. Take the I-10 freeway to Cortaro Farms Rd and proceed east. Turn left (north) and fid the center about a mile up Thornydale on left side of road. If you get to Magee Rd you have gone too far. Contact person Jamie Brown can be reached at email masonoutreach@mindspring.com. Set-Up Time: 7:30 pm. Observing will be from 8 pm to around 9:15 pm. Sunset: 6:08pm, Dark Sky: 7:51pm Moon Phase: near New Moon.

Mesquite Elementary Star Party
Friday, 17 September 2004 No. of Scopes: 5

Mesquite Elementary will be hosting a Star Party at 9455 E. Rita Rd. Go south on Kolb to Valencia and turn left (east). At Nexus turn right (south) for 3 mi. At Rita Rd. turn left and go east for .5 mi. At the stop sign pull a U turn and backtrack about 50 yards to Mesquite Elementary School. Contact persons Marcia or Bill Aurand can be reached at email wraurand@cox.net. Set-Up Time: 6:30 pm. Observing will be from 7 pm to around 8:30pm. Sunset: 6:28pm, Dark Sky: 7:50pm Moon Phase: Crescent.


TAAA Star Party at TIMPA
Saturday, 18 Sept., 2004

Come on out and enjoy the 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.

 

Dark Skies for September 
 
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

Tu/We 31/ 1    -   -   -           Sa/Su  11/12  19:57 -  4:05        Tu/We  21/22  23:34 -  4:51
We/Th  1/ 2  20:12 - 20:34                                            We/Th  22/23   0:41 -  4:51
Th/Fr  2/ 3  20:10 - 21:03         Su/Mo  12/13  19:56 -  4:44        Th/Fr  23/24   1:51 -  4:52
Fr/Sa  3/ 4  20:09 - 21:33         Mo/Tu  13/14  19:54 -  4:45        Fr/Sa  24/25   3:02 -  4:53
Sa/Su  4/ 5  20:07 - 22:06         Tu/We  14/15  19:53 -  4:46        Sa/Su  25/26   4:10 -  4:53
                                   We/Th  15/16  19:51 -  4:46                                   
Su/Mo  5/ 6  20:06 - 22:44         Th/Fr  16/17  19:50 -  4:47        Su/Mo  26/27    -   -   -  
Mo/Tu  6/ 7  20:04 - 23:26         Fr/Sa  17/18  20:22 -  4:48        Mo/Tu  27/28    Full Moon  
Tu/We  7/ 8  20:03 -  0:15         Sa/Su  18/19  20:59 -  4:48        Tu/We  28/29    -   -   -  
We/Th  8/ 9  20:01 -  1:08                                            We/Th  29/30    -   -   -  
Th/Fr  9/10  20:00 -  2:05         Su/Mo  19/20  21:42 -  4:49        Th/Fr  30/ 1  19:30 - 19:31
Fr/Sa 10/11  19:59 -  3:05         Mo/Tu  20/21  22:34 -  4:50        Fr/Sa   1/ 2  19:29 - 20:03

Weekend    Sun   Sun      Mercury     Venus      Mars     Jupiter    Saturn                       
Sa/Su      Set   Rise     Rise Vi    Rise Vi   Set  Vi    Set  Vi   Rise Vi    Vi=Visibility      
                                                                                                  
 4/ 5     18:42  6:00     4:42  5    2:31 -4   18:54 -   19:19  7    2:06 1    -3 brilliant       
11/12     18:33  6:04     4:42  3    2:38 -4   18:38 -   18:56  -    1:42 0     0 conspicuous     
18/19     18:23  6:09     5:06  4    2:47 -4   Rise: -   Rise:  -    1:17 0     3 moderate        
25/26     18:14  6:13     5:38  8    2:56 -4    5:57 -    5:57  -    0:52 0     6 naked eye limit 
 2/ 3     18:05  6:18     6:10  -    3:06 -4    5:50 -    5:37  7    0:27 0     9 binoculars limit

By Erich Karkoschka
Meeting Minutes

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