two mini-talks: filters for observing & imaging speaker...
TRANSCRIPT
Vol. 58, No. 6, JUNE, 2013
FROM THE PRESIDENT Bill Hanagan
Two Mini-Talks: Filters for Observing & Imaging - Speaker: Rob LancasterOptical Tests Used in Mirror Making and the Refiguring
of the DAS 17.5” Newtonian Primary Mirror - Speaker: Bill Hanagan
Next Meeting – Tuesday, June 18th, 2013 at 8pm at the Mt. Cuba Astronomical Observatory
Each issue of FOCUS is full of useful hyperlinks. Just click onany graphic or telltale blue web address and your browser shouldtake you to additional linked web resources.
First off, thanks go out to Dr. Noureddine Melikechi,Professor of Physics at Delaware State University in Dover, forspeaking at our May 21 Annual Dinner Meeting. I’ve heard manypositive comments about Dr. Melikechi’s talk on using lasers todetermine the chemistry of the red planet and to detect earlysigns of cancer. I’d also like to thank our Education Chairperson,Mike Cimorosi, for arranging for Dr. Melikechi to speak to us.
Congratulations go to DAS member Fred DeLucia,who received the Amateur Astronomer of the Year Award for2013, and to DAS member Greg Lee, who received theLuther Porter Award. More on this on page 10 of FOCUS.
Coming up at our June 18 meeting, Greg Lee will onceagain give us a run-down on What’s Up in the Sky and FredDeLucia will treat us to a brief “Astro-Quiz”. In addition, wehave two mini-talks planned for June. First, Rob Lancaster willgive a talk titled Filters for Observing and Imaging, which willbe a review of the various filters available to enhance visualobserving and imaging and how they work. Second, I’ll betalking about Optical Tests Used in Mirror Making and theRefiguring of the DAS 17.5” Newtonian Primary Mirror. This willinclude a brief discussion of the zonal Foucault test and adetailed discussion of the “Bath” interferometer.
In our spring elections, Glenn Bentley, BillMcKibben, and Terry Lisansky have all been elected asBoard Members at Large. Please join me in congratulatingthese gentlemen on being elected to the board.
As always, I’d like to remind you to keep thinkingabout how YOU can contribute to the DAS and how you canmake the DAS a better astronomy club. While we’ve hadsome volunteers step forward, and we’ve received a variety ofdonations, more volunteers and donations are needed.
A club works best when essentially all of its able-bodied members pitch-in and help out at our club functionsin whatever way they can. If you want to make the DAS abetter astronomy club, give me a call me at 302-239-0949.I’m sure we can come up with something that you can do tohelp the DAS that also suits your particular interests.
Call for Presentations for DAS Meetingsto be held from September 2013through June 2014 Bill Hanagan
Once again, it’s time to volunteer a talk for one ofnext year’s monthly meetings. Full-length (45-60 minute)talks are always welcome, but mini-talks of 15-20 minutesare easier to create and help to add variety to our meetings.Mini-talks have allowed us to significantly increase memberparticipation over the last few years. However, we need toget even more DAS members involved in presenting talks atour monthly meetings. There is an old saying that goes“Many hands make light work” that applies here. So,PLEASE consider giving a talk next year on an aspect ofastronomy that interests you. A short list of possible topicsappears on page 2 but many other astronomy related topicswould make a good choice.
If you think our mix of talks lacks enough tutorialmaterial for beginners or is too technical, too cultural, or tooanything else, this is your chance to balance out the pro-gram by giving exactly the type of talk you think we need.Ultimately, the mix of talks given at our main meetings isdetermined almost entirely by what volunteers like youchoose to talk about.
We occasionally invite outside speakers to provide afresh perspective on topics in Astronomy, but presentationsgiven by our own members are also vital to our club’s health.Member presentations do a lot to promote camaraderie andactivity within the club and they help our club members tounderstand and relate to each other. So, please do yourshare to help keep the DAS operating at its best by volun-teering to give a talk at one of our monthly meetings.
Continued on Page 2
M42 - The Orion Nebula (NGC 1976) is thebrightest starforming, and the brightest diffusenebula in the sky, and also one of the brightest
deepsky objects at all. Photo taken by DASmember Rob Lancaster
Observing with the Delaware Astronomical Society...
“PUBLIC NIGHTS” at the Mt. CUBA OBSERVATORY...MCAO PUBLIC NIGHTS Greg Weaver
the latest updated version off the website at: http://MountCuba.org. Programs are presented on Monday
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The Mt. CubaObservatory PublicNights continue yearround! In addition tolearning about manyaspects of the heavens,you’ll have a chance to
visit and view our all-digital full-dome planetarium. You canpick up a schedule when you next come to a meeting or get
nights at 8pm. Please check the website for full details andupdates on programs planned. Interested individuals or groupscan apply by letter or call 654-6407 (preferably between thehours of 9 and 11 am, Monday through Friday) to the Observa-tory to obtain reservations for these “Public Nights”.
The Public Nights schedule for June, 2013 follows:NEW
Date Speaker Topic
17-June Carolyn Stankiewicz The Beauty & Comedy of the Heavens
Some Ideas for a DAS Presentation--Visual Observing:
• How to Understand and Use the Clear Sky Alarm Clock• How to Star Hop to the Best Deep Sky Objects
that You Can See in an 8”-10” Scope• Unique and Interesting Double Stars• Unusual Features to Look for in Nebulas, Star
Clusters, and Galaxies• Observing Galaxies Large and Small• Lunar and / or Planetary Observing• Messier Hunting and the DAS Messier Half-Marathons• Understanding Dew and How to Control It
Astrophotography:• Photographing Auroras, Meteors, and Lunar Eclipses• Cooled CCD Cameras for Astrophotography• Modified DSLRs for Astrophotography• Selecting a Mount for Astrophotography• Matching Camera, Telescope, and Mount for Astro-
Imaging• Precision Focusing Techniques for Astro-Imaging• Basic Image Processing: How and Why to use
Dark Frames & Flat Fields• Advanced Image Processing I: Improving images
using histograms, levels, curves, digital develop-ment, sharpening, smoothing and layers.
• Advanced Image Processing II: Color ImagingUsing Filters.
• Narrow Band Imaging with Há, OIII, and SII emis-sion mapped to RGB.
• Making Your Own Flat-Field Light Box
Call for Presentations for DAS MeetingsContinued from Page 1
Amateur Telescope Making:• Making Your Own Telescope (of any particular type you choose)• PLOP Finite Element Analysis Freeware and how to
use it to Design a Multi-Point Mirror Cell• Wire Spiders• Converting a Monolithic Dob into a More Portable
Form—a Truss-Tube or a Split Tube Dob• How and Why to Install Fans in Your Reflecting Telescope
General Astronomy• Understanding the Motion of the Sun and the Stars• The Copernican Revolution• Our Solar System: The Planets and their Moons• Our Solar System: Comets and Asteroids• Solar Observing: Broad band and narrow band observing• Star and Planet Formation and Evolution• Quasi-Stellar Objects• Galaxy Formation, Evolution, and Classification• The Large Scale Structure of the Universe• Spectroscopy and How It’s Used in Astronomy
Historical Figures in Astronomy:Many different people have played an important role in
the development of astronomy such as G.W. Ritchey, EdwinHubble, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Copernicus, Tyco Brahe, etc.Pick one historical figure in Astronomy and tell us about therole they played in the history of Astronomy.Ancient Astronomy:
Many ancient cultures had theories (now myths)about astronomy that played a significant role in their society.Tell us about any one of them.Astronomy around the World:
DAS members often travel to exotic locales and visitremote observatories along the way. Tell us about your recent astronomy trip.
The DAS Amateur Telescope Making (ATM) Special InterestGroup (SIG ) meets on evenings and weekends according to the availabilityof the members and the particular projects that are underway. Currently theATM SIG has a medium Dob building program under way. The generalrange of activities of the ATM SIG includes all manner of telescope making,mirror making, and the making of accessories for telescopes and observing.
Anyone interested in joining the ATM SIG should email theirname, address, and phone number to me at [email protected].
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DAS ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP Bill Hanagan
DAS AMATEUR TELESCOPE MAKING SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP Bill Hanagan
The DAS also maintains a club observatory on the groundsof the Mt. Cuba Astronomical Observatory. The Sawin Observatoryhouses the club’s permanently mounted 12.5" reflecting telescopeand a 17.5" Coulter Odyssey 2 Dobsonian telescope. They are forthe use of club members once they are trained and checked-out ina simple operating procedure. Members who are interested inbecoming key holders of the Sawin Observatory should contact meat 302-239-1844 to arrange for training in the use of the facility.
One of the best advantages of being a member of theDelaware Astronomical Society is that all members have theprivilege of being trained to use and then borrow equipmentowned by the club for personal use. Currently, we have twoscopes available for loan: a Celestron 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain,and a 6" Orion Sky-Quest XT6 Dobsonian reflector. The loan isfor at least a month. If you’re interested in checking out eitherof these scopes, contact Tom Sidowski at 302-239-1844.
LOANER TELESCOPES and SAWIN OBSERVATORY REMINDER Tom Sidowski
As always, please consider submitting one or more ofyour favorite astrophotos for publication in the FOCUS. Arecent photo is not required. You can email your photo(s) as.jpg files to our FOCUS editor, Joe Neuberger at his address [email protected].
NEW
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The DAS astrophotography special interest group (DASAP SIG) meets on Friday nights at 7:30pm every other month at Mt.Cuba regardless of weather. The SIG also meets for photo shootsscheduled on 1-2 day notice to synchronize with the weather.
The monthly meetings are informal and typicallyinclude the presentation of astrophotos taken by the membersalong with an extended question and answer period. Objectscommonly photographed include constellations, auroras, lunareclipses, and planetary photos, as well as a wide variety of deep-sky objects such as nebulae, galaxies, star clusters, etc. Thetopics discussed cover the entire gamut of astrophotography,from how to get started with a minimum of equipment, to polaraligning your telescope, all of the way to the fine points of usingauto-guiders and post-processing digital images.
You can get started in astrophotography with justyour current camera mounted on a tripod or a motorizedtelescope by taking wide field photographs of meteor showers,conjunctions, constellations, and star trails. As you move toprogressively fainter and smaller subjects, you’ll need betterequipment. Joining the AP SIG is a great way to learn whatequipment you’ll need and what works well before you spendyour money. If you are interested in joining the AP SIG, justemail your name, address, and phone number to me [email protected].
7:00 p.m., Tuesday, June 18th, 2013
The PRESIDENT’S DAS BOARDMEETING AGENDA for JUNE
NEW 1) The May 21 Dinner Meeting (recap);2) Plans to update the DAS web site;3) Creation of a DAS Yahoo Group for Board Member
Communications;4) A new member information sheet;5) Ongoing work on the 17.5” Dob;6) Other topics to be determined.
FOCUS uses plenty of photos in banners & elsewhere each issue, and
we want to use YOURS...not Hubble’s!!Please forward photos to the FOCUS editorJoe Neuberger at [email protected]
Meeting dates are announced primarily by email, so if you areinterested in telescope making, be sure to let me know!
If mirror making isn’t for you, but you would like to build an 8”telescope, let me know. I have a couple of 8” mirrors and matchingtubes that could be turned into telescopes with some woodworking onyour part.
After checking the availability of our most frequentparticipants, it’s clear that this weekend won’t be a good timeto hold an AP SIG meeting after all.
The next meeting of the AP SIG will therefore be flex-scheduled for either June 21 or 22, the weekend after Father’sday.Even if you aren’t an AP-SIG member, you’re welcome toattend the AP-SIG meetings to learn more. Be sure to signup for the DAS Yahoo Group email in order to receive thedetailed meeting announcements.
In addition to routine items of business, such as theTreasurer’s report, we’ll also discuss:
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Laser Colimator Now Available for Aligning YourNewtonian & Dob Scopes!
If you would like to take advantage of this new tool, it is available for lending to the membership. Please contact theO&E Group by calling Tom Sidowski at 302-239-1844. It’s a quick and easy procedure and will improve your visual observingexperience GREATLY! EASY to USE & YOU’LL LOVE IT, GUARANTEED! It’s one of the handiest and most useful tools theclub has ever offered for loan to the membership! You owe it to yourself to CHECK IT OUT!
You’ll be AMAZED at the improvement in the performance of your scientific instrument! Correctly aligned yourinstrument can give you so much more than you’d ever imagined!
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Notes on the Member Star Parties (MSPs) Bill Hanagan
MSP cycles are timed for a minimum of intrusion by moonlight during the hours before midnight tomaximize opportunities for deep sky observing and imaging. For each MSP cycle there are usually fourpotential dates designated in advance. These are usually the Friday and Saturday nights which immedi-ately precede a new moon, and the Friday and Saturday nights that follow or include the new moon date.That means that we usually have 4 potential MSP dates associated with each lunar cycle. Which of thefour potential dates is used for an MSP is “flex-scheduled” according to the weather using the DASYahoo Group email system.
Please be sure to mark your calendars with the potential MSP dates that appear in the table!Obviously, you need to keep as many of these dates open as possible so when a GO announcement ismade you’re in a position to attend the DAS Member Star Party regardless of which date the weatherfavors!
The DAS has a core group of dedicated visual observers and astro-imagers who travel to Tucka-hoe, Cherry Springs, West Virginia, and other dark sky sites as opportunities and the weather allow. Ifyou’re interested in going along or meeting up on any of the road trips mentioned in the MSP schedule,let me know and I’ll fill you in on the details and keep you apprised as plans develop.
Road trips to distant observing sites like Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania require thatseveral DAS members commit to going in advance should the weather prove favorable for at least twonights. When the weather forecast only looks good for one night, the MSP will often be redirected to acloser site such as ChesLen, the Elk River site, or the Sawin observatory.
While DAS members who go on road trips are often involved in both observing and imaging,these road trips are particularly valuable for visual observers because they offer the best opportunity tosee deep sky objects through large aperture telescopes under dark skies.
Most of today’s big Dobs produce vastly superior visual images compared to older, large aper-ture observatory telescopes with which you might be familiar, thanks in part to better optics, the use of a“thin” primary mirror which cools faster, and the use of fans to cool the primary mirror and to removewarm air from the optical path. If you are truly interested in visual observing, you owe it to yourself to seefirst-hand what dark skies and a modern large aperture telescope will allow you to see.
Finally, I’d like to remind you that you need to be signed up for the DAS Yahoo Group to receivethe scheduling announcements for the MSPs. A full description of the MSP program appears on theDAS website at http://delastro.org/ and in the December 2009 issue of the FOCUS.
NEW
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LIBRARY NEWS
ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE MEMBERSHIP Lynn King
DAS members have the opportunity to becomemembers in the Astronomical League at the discounted rateof $7.50 per year. Benefits include the Reflector (a quarterlynewsletter), observing programs, awards, discounts on booksand educational materials. For questions on joining theAstronomical League, contact Lynn King at meetings, call302-764-8816 or email [email protected].
MT. CUBA LENDING LIBRARY Paul StrattonSome of you may find two new additions to the
Lending Library of interest.The Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics.by
James Kakalios. A math-free exploration of the science thatmade our world.
Also, 13 Things that don’t make sense by MichaelBrooks which includes such interesting topics as THE WOW SIGNAL - Has ET already been in touch? LIFE - Are we more than just a bag of chemicals? SEX - There are better ways to reproduce. Hummmmm.
DAS FORUM / E-MAIL SITE ON YAHOO Don Shedrick
This is a restricted e-mail service for use by DASmembers for DAS purposes. To use this site, go to http://groups.yahoo.com; search for Delaware AstronomicalSociety; and click on the link that comes up. To join, youmust have a Yahoo ID and password; if you don’t, you canregister at this time by following Yahoo’s instructions. Youwill then be allowed to “Join the group” upon clicking in thatbox. You must then register for the DAS group and add yourprofile by clicking on “add new profile” and completing the form.
When adding or editing your profile, you will need toenter your actual name in the “Real Name” box so you can beidentified as a DAS member so Don Shedrick can approve yourapplication to join the DAS group, and everyone will know towhom they are communicating.
Finally, specify your desired email address for deliveryof messages. Note: you may choose to not have your nameand email address displayed to anyone other than DASmembers who are members of the Yahoo DAS email group.
For more detailed instructions, go to the DASwebsite under DAS Resource Links.
We wish to thank Glenn Bently, who has been ourDAS librarian, for his many years of service in that post ashe now has taken a vacant At-Large Board seat and ispassing his library duties along. So we welcome and thankboth Sue Bebon and Maria Lavalle who have stepped up andoffered to take over the librarian duties. THANKS gals!
Official Announcement of theResults of the May 2013
DAS Election forBoard Members at LargeI am pleased to announce that the May 2013
election was successfully completed and that BillMcKibben, Glenn Bentley, and Terry Lisansky were allelected as Board Members at Large. They will take officeon July 1st and will then serve on the board for a term of twoyears.
Thank you very much for your participation in theDAS Election!
Rob LancasterDAS Election Chair
Part II of Bill Hanagans Telescope Evaluationpresentation will be given on June 23 at the ChesMontAstronomical Society’s monthly meeting in Elverson, PA.Part I was presented on May 26..Even if you caught it previously, it’s worthwhile to have arefresher to renew your skill sets.
This is an excellent in depth overview that all telescopeowners from beginners to long time users will find helpful.
Hanagan to present atChesmont Astronomical Society’s
Monthly Meeting Fred DeLucia
More information with directions, coordinates,Google map, etc. are in the following link: http://www.chesmontastro.org/node/8823.
If you have any questions, feel free to email medirectly at [email protected].
For those of you who are new each year, and areminder to those who have gotten calendars in the past, Imake available to DAS members Astronomy calendars at thediscounted price of $7.00. One is in the lecture room ofMCAO. If you are intersted, please respond to me [email protected]. Cut-off date for orders is July 15.
Calendars will be available at the September meeting.
Annual Calendar Availability Lynn King
Tone mapped Moon Eclipse of February 20, 2008.Photo taken by DAS President.Bill Hannagan.
M81 - Bode’s GalaxyPhoto Credit: Frank Colosimo of Blue Mountain Vista Observatory
I need to apologize toFrank Colosimo for
bitching up hiswonderful photo of
Bode’s Galaxy in myclumsy attempt at
creating a banner forthe head of page 6 inthe May issue of the
FOCUS. It simplywas not a good
candidate for thattype of treatment,
then I mislabeled it.So, to Frank, my
sincere apologies.
Bode’s Galaxy’ is aspiral galaxy in UrsaMajor. Photo Date:
Feb-Mar, 2013,Location: New
Ringgold PA, Optics:Hyperion f/8 12.5
inch, FL 2540 mm.Mount: Paramount MECamera: Apogee AltaU8300, guiding by On
Axis Guider (ONAG)with an ST402 Camera.
WEBSITE of the
MONTH
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http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html
ASTRO-PHOTO of the
MONTH
Curiosity is doing her thing and sending back incredible data and pictures from the surfaceof Mars. Check out the mission home page and catch up on what’s happening on the Red Planetas our knowledge of this member of our Universe gives up her secrets as never before.
There’s video to see from the surface of Mars along with a front seat to the science beinghistoricaly made on a daily basis as the car-sized rover goes about her business of exploring theRed Planet as never before. Just click on the links above and get a taste of NASA’s greatestachievement in the modern day and build upon the knowledge passed on to us by our CuriosityTeam Member speaker at last month’s Annual Dinner Meeting.
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T h e 2 0 1 3 D A S A n nMay 21, 2013 at the
Fred DeLucia wins the DAS AmateurAstronomer of the Year Award for 2013!
A Great Dinner and aGreat Presentation made for
many smiling faces!
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u a l A w a r d s D i n n e rWilmington / Christiana Hilton
Gregg Lee Wins the LutherPorter Educator Award for 2013!
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Fred DeLucia Receives the 2013DAS AMATEUR ASTRONOMEROF THE YEAR AWARD Bill Hanagan
The Amateur Astronomer of the Year Award is givento an individual DAS member who has demonstrated anexemplary level of sustained activity in amateur astronomyand who has made a significant contribution to the DAS.This year, the awards committee has decided to honor FredDe Lucia as the recipient of the Amateur Astronomer of theYear Award. Fred can be seen in the photo below standingnext to his 18” Starstructure Dob as he waits for dark at ourApril 2013 MSP at the ChesLen Preserve.
Fred describes himself as an “Observational As-tronomy Enthusiast” and in recent years he has been astrong supporter of and a frequent participant in our “road trip”star parties, which so far this year have been held at variousDark Sky Sites including the ChesLen Preserve, TuckahoeState Park, and Gus Swartout’s Elk River site. Fred hasalso hosted or promoted star parties at nearby localesincluding the famed “RV lot” in his own development and atArchmere Academy.
Fred has a great passion for visual observing and hehas written several articles for the FOCUS describing hisobserving experiences at Spruce Knob in West Virginia, atCherry Springs in Pennsylvania, and at Tuckahoe State Parkin MD. He has given a number of talks in our monthlymeetings and he has also helped to line up other speakersfor us, including Tom Field, who last month spoke to us fromSeattle, Washington during our first-ever “webinar”.
Fred has used his contacts with the Natural LandsTrust to arrange access to the ChesLen preserve for severalof our Member Star Parties, including the December GeminidMeteor Shower MSP.
Please join me in congratulating FRED on receivingthis award!
Greg Lee ReceivesTHE LUTHER PORTER AWARDat our May Dinner Meeting Bill Hanagan
“The Luther Porter award is given to an individual formaking a sustained, exceptional, and selfless effort topromote amateur astronomy among the public within theMid-Atlantic region of the United States”.
This year, DAS Member Greg Lee was honored withthe Luther Porter Award. Greg can be seen in the photobelow posing behind his 15” Discovery Dob at one of thecountless star parties he has attended over the years.
Greg has been an enthusiastic, persistent, andselfless supporter of amateur astronomy both in our regionas a whole, and within the DAS, for well over a decade. Hehas hosted countless outreach star parties at various Parksin Delaware to help bring amateur astronomy to the public.He has also held numerous star parties for students and hehas been a volunteer guest lecturer in astronomy at theFriends School for several years.
Greg ran the DAS short course on Astronomy forseveral years and has reviewed “What’s Up in the Sky” for us atcountless DAS meetings. He has also supervised numerousMember Star Parties, or MSPs, where he can often be foundintroducing new members and guests to amateur astronomy.Greg has helped with a number of DAS projects over the years,especially those involving the maintenance of the Sawinobservatory and improvements to our club’s telescopes.
Whatever need arises, Greg is nearly always readyto pitch in and help in whatever way he can, and he’s alwaysready to help show members of the public the wondroussights of the night sky.
Please join me in congratulating GREG on receivingthis VERY well deserved award!
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DAS Member Star Parties (MSPs) Bill HanaganRecently Held MSPs
On Friday, May 31, we held an MSP at the Sawin Observatory that was attended by DAS members Amy and MariaCavanaugh, Jack Goodwin, Bill Hanagan, Rob Lancaster, Jeff Lawrence, Greg Lee, and Bill McKibben. Bill McKibbenbrought out his 18" Obsession, the first time that this particular telescope has made an appearance at the Sawin observa-tory. Bill normally uses this telescope at darker observing sites like Elk River, ChesLen, or Tuckahoe State Park.
A photo taken as the group was observing Saturn appears below. This long exposure photo was taken by paintingthe scene with red light so as to preserve the dark adaptation of everyone present. Appearing from left to right are JeffLawrence, Greg Lee, Amy Cavanaugh, Bill McKibben, and Maria Cavanaugh.
The seeing was a little better than average and Saturn yielded some great views, with the Cassini division clearlyvisible as an inky black separation between Saturn’s A and B rings. Several of Saturn’s cloud bands were also readilyvisible. We were also treated to some good views of several galaxies, including M81 and M82, the trio in Leo (M65, M66, andNGC 3628), and other galaxies in Leo including M95 and M96. We also saw the faint Owl nebula in Canis Major, the RingNebula (M57) in Lyra, and a number of other favorites.
One particular object that we observed, which I always enjoy seeing, was the Christmas Tree Double (alpha Her-cules, or Rasalgethi). This is a very colorful double star, though not as bright as Albireo. Curiosly, some observers describethese stars as orange and green, while others report that they are red and blue.Upcoming Potential MSP Dates
Our next potential MSP will be on July 5 or 6. We’ll be looking at nearby dark sky sites such as the ChesLenPreserve for this one, depending on the weather and the availability of a large aperture telescope.
On July 12 (with a rain date of July 13), we need DAS members with telescopes of all sizes to participate in the“Friday Night Lights!” outreach event at the ChesLen Preserve, a DAS dark sky site. Tickets cost $20, but DAS memberswho bring a telescope can attend for free along with one guest. Wine, snacks, and live entertainment are provided. If youwant to attend this event, be sure to email Fred DeLucia ([email protected]) to let him know what optics you’ll be bringing.
Other potential MSP dates that come up before our next issue of the FOCUS are August 2, 3, 9, 10, 30, and 31. I’mnot counting September 6 and 7, which would normally complete the set, since they are part of the Labor Day holidayweekend, though you may want to take advantage of those dates on your own.
As always, the exact dates and locations that we use for our MSPs depends on the weather and other factors andappears ONLY on the DAS Yahoo Group email list. So, if you want any chance of attending a DAS Member Star Party, youneed to be a member of the DAS Yahoo Group!
Outreach at Woodside Farm CreameryContinues this Spring / Summer Season Jeff Lawrence
This season we will again host outreach events at the Woodside Farm Creamery in Hockessin. This is a fun opportunity to meet with the public and share the hobby. Witnessing people’s first glimpse of the craters of the moon, rings of Saturn, or moons of Jupiter with a decent telescope is always fun, and a reminder of what got us into the hobby in the first place! Last year we were proclaimed to be “the coolest nerds ever” by an ice cream customer, so it is a different side to the hobby from seeking out the solitude of the dark sky sites.
All events fall on Friday nights. The schedule will be as follows:
June 14 -- 9:00pmJuly 19 -- 9:00pmAug 16 -- 8:30pmSept 13 -- 7:30pm
I will make a judgment call based on the weather the morning of each event, but I tend to err towards the side ofhosting the event. Even if the skies are not cooperative, the ice cream is always cold and it is fun to hang out and socialize.Our best event last season occurred right after a hail storm – I remember feeling the absurdity of driving to an observing eventwith hail bouncing off my hood and skies dark as night (and this was before sunset). You never know what could happen!
Again, if you have an easy to setup telescope or binoculars, please bring them. If not, come anyhow, and share yourknowledge and some ice cream with the public. Our focus will be on the moon and whatever planets are up at that time
Woodside is located at 378 North Star Road, Newark, DE 19711. More information can be found on their website:http://woodsidefarmcreamery.com/See you there! - Jeff
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DAS Participation NEEDED Once Again for This Year’s“Friday Night Lights” at the Natural Lands Trust -
ChesLen Preserve which will be held Friday, July 12th
This year’s Friday Night Lights at the Natural Lands Trust - ChesLen Preserve will beJuly 12. A number of us participated in last year’s event and found it to be a very enjoyable eveningdespite the total cloud cover. ChesLen’s event includes wine tasting and live music, among otherthings.
ChesLen permits us to observe there throughout the year, which has worked out well. It isa teriffic dark sky site for astronomical observing. So, please let me know by contacting me [email protected] if you would like to bring a telescope to participate in the star partyportion of this event. Anyone who brings a telescope, along with their guest is NOT subject to theentry fee for the event. With some luck we’ll have clear skies this year and have a successfuloutreach event.
Explore the heavens. After sunset, astronomers from Chesmont Astronomical Society andDelaware Astronomical Society will train their telescopes on faraway planets and stars, and inviteattendees to take a peek.
Be amazed by live owls with our partners from Great Valley Nature Center. You will meet a wholeflock of remarkable (and adorable!) nocturnal predators.
Don’t forget to bring your own picnic blanket or camping chairs, and wear sturdy shoes asthe ground is uneven.
Fred DeLucia
Pre-registration is required and space is very limited! Membership is not required to attend the event, but if you are amember of either Natural Lands Trust or WXPN, you’ll get a reduced ticket price! This event is suitable for adults age 21 or older.
Non-member price: $20 per person, NLT and WXPN Member price: $10 per person.You can register now by clicking this link.
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Call for DAS Astroimages forDisplay in Mt. Cuba Lobby Greg Weaver
placed as new images are submitted. Full credits to theimager will be included. Please include all technical informa-tion with the image (date, telescope and camera used,exposure time, image processing software, etc.). You mayemail digital images to the Mt. Cuba website. Photos may besent to the Observatory or brought to a DAS meeting.
The Observatory looks forward to displaying yourbeautiful images! Contact Greg at [email protected].
MCAO is asking for any DAS members to submittheir astroimages for display in the Observatory. It would liketo display the club member’s talents and update some of theimages currently on display in the lobbyof the Observatory.
Images will be displayed for up to a year and re-
Approaching Asteroid Has Its Own Moon
First radar images of asteroid 1998 QE2 were obtained when the asteroid was about 3.75million miles (6 million kilometers) from Earth. The radar collage covers a little bit morethan two hours. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSSR. Click for Related Video
May 30, 2013: Ap-proaching asteroid1998 QE2 has amoon. Researchersfound it in a se-quence of radarimages obtained bythe 70-meter DeepSpace Networkantenna at Gold-stone, Calif., on theevening of May 29th(May 30th UniversalTime) when theasteroid was about 6million kilometersfrom Earth.
The prelimi-nary estimate for thesize of the asteroid’ssatellite is approxi-mately 600 meterswide. The asteroiditself is approxi-mately 2.7 kilometersin diameter and has arotation period of lessthan four hours.
The radar observations were led by scientist MarinaBrozovic of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA.
These findings show that 1998 QE2 is a binaryasteroid. In the near-Earth population, about 16 percent ofasteroids that are about 200 meters or larger are binary ortriple systems Also revealed in the radar imagery of 1998QE2 are several dark surface features that suggest largeconcavities.
The closest approach of the asteroid occurs on May31 at 1:59 p.m. Pacific (4:59 p.m. Eastern / 20:59 UTC),when the asteroid will get no closer than about 5.8 millionkilometers, or about 15 times the distance between Earthand the Moon. This is the closest approach the asteroid willmake to Earth for at least the next two centuries. Asteroid1998 QE2 was discovered on Aug. 19, 1998, by the Massa-chusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Near Earth AsteroidResearch (LINEAR) program near Socorro, N.M.
The resolu-tion of these initialimages of 1998 QE2is approximately 75meters per pixel.Resolution isexpected to in-crease in thecoming days asmore data becomeavailable. BetweenMay 30 and June 9,radar astronomersusing the DeepSpace Networkantenna at Gold-stone, Calif., and theArecibo Observatoryin Puerto Rico, willperform an extensivecampaign of obser-vations on asteroid1998 QE2. The twotelescopes havecomplementaryimaging capabilitiesthat will enable
astronomers to learn as much as possible about the asteroidduring its brief visit near Earth.
Stay tuned for updates.Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Production Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips
| Credit: Science@NASAMore information:
NASA places a high priority on tracking asteroids and protecting our homeplanet from them. In fact, the United States has the most robust and productivesurvey and detection program for discovering near-Earth objects. To date, U.S.assets have discovered more than 98 percent of the known Near-Earth Objects.
In 2012, the Near-Earth Object budget was increased from $6 million to $20million. Literally dozens of people are involved with some aspect of near-Earth objectresearch across NASA and its centers. Moreover, there are many more people involved inresearching and understanding the nature of asteroids and comets, including those objectsthat come close to Earth, plus those who are trying to find and track them in the first place.
In addition to the resources NASA puts into understanding asteroids, it alsopartners with other U.S. government agencies, university-based astronomers, and spacescience institutes across the country that are working to track and better understand theseobjects, often with grants, interagency transfers and other contracts from NASA.
NASA’s Near-Earth Object Program at NASA Headquarters, Washington,manages and funds the search, study, and monitoring of asteroids and cometswhose orbits periodically bring them close to Earth. JPL manages the Near-EarthObject Program Office for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. JPL isa division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
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Big Asteroid FlybyMay 30, 2013: Here we go again. Another asteroid is paying a visit to the Earth-Moon system.
Asteroids have been a hot topic since February 15th when one small asteroid exploded over Russia and anotherlarger one, 2012 DA14, made a record setting close approach to Earth on the same day. This time the interloper is 1998QE2, a potentially hazardous asteroid 2.7 km in diameter. Astronomers are preparing to study the space rock as it harm-lessly passes by on May 31st.
“This is a big asteroid that’s going to be one of the best radar imaging targets of the year,” says Lance Benner ofNASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
A new ScienceCast video previews the near-Earth flyby of massive asteroid 1998 QE2. Click to Play it.
“As my old friend, radar astronomer Steve Ostro used to say, spaceship Earth is making a flyby of the asteroid, sowe’re going to exploit the capabilities of the radars to understand as much as possible.”
At closest approach on May 31st, the asteroid will be 5.8 million kilometers from Earth, about 15 times farther thanthe Moon.
“At that range, both the Goldstone and Arecibo radars should be able to make detailed images of 1998 QE2,” saysBenner. “The radar maps should rival images of other asteroids obtained by spacecraft during flyby missions.
” One thing that intrigues Benner is the asteroid’s dark complexion. According to measurements by the SpitzerSpace Telescope, 1998 QE2 reflects only 6% of the sunlight that falls on it, which makes it blacker than coal. “Consequently,it could have a composition similar to that of 101955 Bennu, the target of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission,” he says.
Due to launch in 2016, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will travel to near-Earth asteroid Bennu, study it from orbit, andultimately bring back a sample for laboratory study on Earth. Near-Earth asteroid Bennu interests researchers for tworeasons: First, it is a carbon-rich asteroid that could harbor amino acids and other organic molecules essential to primitivelife. Second, it’s the kind of asteroid that NASA ultimately might want to capture. Indeed, the OSIRIS-REx mission isconsidered to be a vital part of NASA’s plans to find, study and relocate an asteroid for exploration by astronauts.
Perhaps 1998 QE2 will give researchers a sneak preview of this fascinating space rock.Although the closest approach is on May 31st, the best time to observe 1998 QE2 will be during the first week of
June when the asteroid enters northern skies. At that time, its sunlit side will face Earth, making it an easy target for largebackyard telescopes. At maximum brightness on June 3rd and 4th it is expected to glow like an 11th magnitude star.
While amateur astronomers watch the space rock glide through the constellations Libra and Ophiuchus, NASAradars will be pinging the space rock with powerful bursts of radio energy, revealing an alien landscape that no one has everseen before.
Stay tuned for updates.
Credits: Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Production Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit:Science@NASA
More information about asteroids and near-Earth objects is available at: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/, http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatch and via Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/asteroidwatch.
More information about asteroid radar research is at: http://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/.
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Asteroid Moon Movie
In this movie, each of the individual images required about five minutes of data collection bythe Goldstone radar. At the time of the observations on June 1st, asteroid 1998 QE2 wasabout 3.75 million miles (6 million kilometers) from Earth. The resolution is about 125 feet (38meters) per pixel. Click to Play the movie!
June 7, 2013:Scientists workingwith NASA’s 230-foot-wide (70-meter)Deep SpaceNetwork antenna atGoldstone, Calif.,have released anew and improvedmovie clip of near-Earth asteroid 1998QE2 and its moon.The 55 individualimages used in themovie were gener-ated from datacollected at Gold-stone on June 1, 2013.
The aster-oid’s satellite, ormoon, is approxi-mately 2,000 feet(600 meters) wide, has an elongated appearance, andcompletes a revolution around its host body about onceevery 32 hours. At any point during its orbit, the maximumdistance between the primary body and moon is about 4miles (6.4 kilometers). Similar to our moon, which alwayspoints the same “face” at Earth, the asteroid’s satelliteappears to always show the same portion of its surface tothe primary asteroid. This is called “synchronous rotation.
”The radar data indicate the main, or primary body,is approximately 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) in diameter andhas a rotation period of about five hours. This makes 1998QE2 one of the slowest (with respect to its rotation) andlargest binaries that have been observed by planetary radar.In the near-Earth population, about 16 percent of asteroidsthat are about 655 feet (200 meters) or larger are binary ortriple systems.
Each of the individual images obtained on June 1,2013, required about five minutes of data collection by theGoldstone radar. At the time of the observations that day,asteroid 1998 QE2 was about 3.75 million miles (6 millionkilometers) from Earth. The resolution is about 125 feet (38meters) per pixel.
The trajectory of asteroid 1998 QE2 is well under-stood. The closest approach of the asteroid occurred on May31 at 1:59 p.m. PDT (4:59 p.m. EDT / 20:59 UTC), when theasteroid got no closer than about 3.6 million miles (5.8million kilometers), or about 15 times the distance betweenEarth and the moon. This was the closest approach theasteroid will make to Earth for at least the next two centu-ries.
For more information about the near-Earth flyby of1998 QE2 watch the ScienceCast video Big Asteroid Flyby.
Production Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA
More informationand web links:
Asteroid1998 QE2 wasdiscovered on Aug.19, 1998, by theMassachusettsInstitute of Technol-ogy Lincoln NearEarth AsteroidResearch (LINEAR)program nearSocorro, N.M.
NASAplaces a high priorityon tracking aster-oids and protectingour home planetfrom them. In fact,the United Stateshas the most robust
and productive survey and detection program for discoveringnear-Earth objects. To date, U.S. assets have discoveredmore than 98 percent of the known Near-Earth Objects.
In 2012, the Near-Earth Object budget was in-creased from $6 million to $20 million. Literally dozens ofpeople are involved with some aspect of near-Earth objectresearch across NASA and its centers. Moreover, there aremany more people involved in researching and understandingthe nature of asteroids and comets, including those objectsthat come close to Earth, plus those who are trying to findand track them in the first place.
In addition to the resources NASA puts into under-standing asteroids, it also partners with other U.S. govern-ment agencies, university-based astronomers, and spacescience institutes across the country that are working totrack and better understand these objects, often with grants,interagency transfers and other contracts from NASA.
NASA’s Near-Earth Object Program at NASAHeadquarters, Washington, manages and funds the search,study, and monitoring of asteroids and comets whose orbitsperiodically bring them close to Earth. JPL manages theNear-Earth Object Program Office for NASA’s ScienceMission Directorate in Washington. JPL is a division of theCalifornia Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
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Noctilucent Clouds Get an Early Start
A new ScienceCast video explores the early start of the 2013 season forNLCs. Click to Play it!
June 7, 2013: Everysummer, something strangeand wonderful happens highabove the north pole. Icecrystals begin to cling to thesmoky remains of meteors,forming electric-blue cloudswith tendrils that ripplehypnotically against thesunset sky. Noctilucentclouds—a.k.a. “NLCs”—are adelight for high-latitude skywatchers, and around theArctic Circle their season ofvisibility is always eagerlyanticipated.
News flash: This year,NLCs are getting an early start. NASA’s AIM spacecraft,which is orbiting Earth on a mission to study noctilucentclouds, started seeing them on May 13th.
“The 2013 season is remarkable because it startedin the northern hemisphere a week earlier than any otherseason that AIM has observed,” reports Cora Randall of theLaboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at theUniversity of Colorado. “This is quite possibly earlier thanever before.
”The early start is extra-puzzling because of thesolar cycle. Researchers have long known that NLCs tend topeak during solar minimum and bottom-out during solarmaximum—a fairly strong anti-correlation. “If anything, wewould have expected a later start this year because the solarcycle is near its maximum,” Randall says. “So much forexpectations.”
For sky watchers, this means it’s time to payattention to the sunset sky, where NLCs are most oftenseen. An early start could herald brighter clouds and widervisibility than ever before.
Noctilucent clouds were first noticed in the mid-19thcentury after the eruption of super-volcano Krakatoa. Volca-nic ash spread through the atmosphere, painting vividsunsets that mesmerized observers all around the world.That was when the NLCs appeared. At first people thoughtthey must be some side-effect of the volcano, but long afterKrakatoa’s ash settled the noctilucent clouds remained.
“They’ve been with us ever since,” says Randall.“Not only that, they are spreading.”
When AIM was launched in 2007, the underlyingcause of NLCs was still unknown. Researchers knew theyformed 83 km above Earth’s surface where the atmospheremeets the vacuum of space—but that’s about all. AIMquickly filled in the gaps.
“It turns out that meteoroids play an important role inthe formation of NLCs,” explains Hampton University Profes-sor James Russell, the principal investigator of AIM. “Specksof debris from disintegrating meteors act as nucleating pointswhere water molecules can gather and crystallize.”
NLCs appear during summer because that is whenwater molecules are wafted up from the lower atmosphere to
mix with the “meteorsmoke.” That is also thetime when the upperatmosphere is ironicallycoldest.
Back in the 19thcentury, NLCs were con-fined to high latitudes. Youhad to go to Alaska orScandinavia to see them. Inrecent years, however, theyhave been sighted as farsouth as Utah, Colorado,and Nebraska. Someresearchers believe that thespread of NLCs is a sign ofclimate change.
One of the greenhouse gases that has become moreabundant in Earth’s atmosphere since the 19th century ismethane. “When methane makes its way into the upperatmosphere, it is oxidized by a complex series of reactionsto form water vapor,” says Russell. “This extra water vapor isthen available to grow ice crystals for NLCs.”
The early start of the 2013 season appears to becaused by a change in atmospheric “teleconnections.”
“Half-a-worldaway from where thenorthern NLCs are forming,strong winds in thesouthern stratosphere arealtering global circulationpatterns,” explains Randall.“This year more watervapor is being pushed intothe high atmosphere whereNLCs love to form, and theair there is getting colder.”
“All of this hascome as an interesting surprise for us,” notes Russell.“When we launched AIM, our interest was in the cloudsthemselves. But now NLCs are teaching us about connec-tions between different layers of the atmosphere that operateover great distances. Our ability to study these connectionswill surely lead to new understanding about how our atmo-sphere works.”
This diagram shows why NLCs are bestseen at sunset or sunrise. Click to viewthe full-sized diagram.
Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Production Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA
For More information:
AIM home page — Hampton University
Meteor Smoke Makes Strange Clouds — Science@NASA
Strange Clouds at the Edge of Space — Science@NASA
NLC Photo Gallery — spaceweather.com
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