November 2011
President's Message: November 2011
ByDear Skyscrapers Members,
November this year has the spotlight on the King of the Planets, Jupiter. While Jupiter has been in view all October, it has been best viewed later in the evening and early morning. It is now high in the sky at a reasonable hour for all of us. This year, Jupiter’s opposition will be its closest until 2026. I have spent a number of nights viewing my favorite planet so far, and it has not disappointed. The southern equatorial belt has returned and Jupiter can be seen in all its glory. Jupiter is not alone in the evening sky, gas giants Uranus and Neptune have joined in as well. I urge all to get out and take in show when you have the opportunity, whether it’s through your personal telescopes or those at Seagrave. Our Observatory Committee has invited all our members to take part in viewing and logging their observations of Uranus and Neptune this year, so come join in the fun.
October was highlighted by our premier event, AstroAssembly. Our 2nd V.P., Kathy Siok with the help of numerous volunteers organized the memorable event. While the bright blue skies were scarce at best, the predicted rain and showers did not attend, to the delight of us all. This year’s AstroAssembly, with its outstanding guest speakers will be difficult to surpass. Let me thank all of our distinguish speakers on behalf of the entire Skyscrapers membership. I would also like to extend a special thank you to our fellow member speakers, Pete Peterson, Gerry Dyck, Ed Turco, and John Briggs. They highlight the love of astronomy of all our members.
The meeting house was lined with astronomical wares for those looking for those items to enhance their astronomical pleasures. Outside, Bob Horton had set-up a display of past donated items on sale for those looking for some great deals. As the day progressed, our guess speaker’s delivered their wonderful presentations. Our attendee’s were also treated to burgers and dogs from the Trustees Grille.
The conclusion of AstroAssembly 2011 occurred at the Scituate Community Center. The generosity of our contributing astronomical vendors added to the festivities as raffle prizes were drawn. Congratulations to all those lucky winners. The weekend was topped off by a wonderful meal and a great presentation by Peter Schultz. During our banquet, Kathy Siok presented Ed Turco with a certificate to commemorate Ed’s attendance of 50 AstroAssembly’s. Congratulations Ed from all of us. Thanks to all that attended and participated in making this year’s AstroAssembly such a great success.
A number of our guests have related their views of this year’s event titled “AstroAssembly Attendee Accolades” featured in this month’s newsletter. Give them a read and see how Skyscrapers continues to provide a venue each year for all those with a love of astronomy. This year’s event was not only attended by residents of Rhode Island, but also from other states as well. We should all be proud of the extent in which Skyscrapers reaches out and touches those with an interest of astronomy.
My final note is a reminder to all: 2011/2012 membership dues were payable beginning in April. If you haven’t remitted your dues please do so at your earliest convenience to continue your support of Skyscrapers. Dues can be mailed to Skyscrapers Inc., 47 Peeptoad Road, North Scituate, RI. 02857, Attn: Jim Crawford, or feel free to see Jim personally during any of our functions he is in attendance.
Clear Skies
Tom Thibault
Skyscrapers
President
Sky Pollution Filters and What They Reveal About Nebulae
Timothy BarkerDr. Timothy Barker will demonstrate how filters such as Orion Telescope's Ultrablock filter allow observers to see emission nebulae clearly even when the sky is polluted because of nearby lighting. He will then explain what we can learn about nebulae by viewing them with these different kinds of filters. He will also talk about Wheaton's new observatory and research that will be done there.
Asteroid Research at Wheaton and Australia
Wheaton sophomore Shelby Delos will discuss a NASA-supported research project that she carried out last summer to measure the light curve of the minor planet Ingrid using CCD images obtained by an Internet-controlled 10-inch telescope at Wheaton's southern observatory at Grove Creek, Australia. We are interested in possible collaborations with amateurs on projects of this kind.
Tim Barker received his Ph.D. in Astrophysics at the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1974 and has been at Wheaton ever since. He has taught a variety of courses, including "The Universe," "The Solar System," "Extraterrestrial Life," "Observational Astronomy," "Ancient Astronomies, and "Frontiers of Astronomy." He have published articles on planetary nebulae, supernova searches, and active galaxies and is currently doing asteroid research and searching for Transient Lunar Phenomena.
Related Links
Asteroid Research at Wheaton and Australia
Shelby DelosDr. Timothy Barker will demonstrate how filters such as Orion Telescope's Ultrablock filter allow observers to see emission nebulae clearly even when the sky is polluted because of nearby lighting. He will then explain what we can learn about nebulae by viewing them with these different kinds of filters. He will also talk about Wheaton's new observatory and research that will be done there.
Asteroid Research at Wheaton and Australia
Wheaton sophomore Shelby Delos will discuss a NASA-supported research project that she carried out last summer to measure the light curve of the minor planet Ingrid using CCD images obtained by an Internet-controlled 10-inch telescope at Wheaton's southern observatory at Grove Creek, Australia. We are interested in possible collaborations with amateurs on projects of this kind.
Tim Barker received his Ph.D. in Astrophysics at the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1974 and has been at Wheaton ever since. He has taught a variety of courses, including "The Universe," "The Solar System," "Extraterrestrial Life," "Observational Astronomy," "Ancient Astronomies, and "Frontiers of Astronomy." He have published articles on planetary nebulae, supernova searches, and active galaxies and is currently doing asteroid research and searching for Transient Lunar Phenomena.
Related Links
AAVSO Centennial & Variable Star Introduction
Gerry Dyck
Observing after meeting
2005 YU55 from HUT Observatory
2005 YU55
Portsmouth Star Party
Unusually high turnout for a cloudy night
Another party cloudy night draws visitors to Seagrave Observatory
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Jim Hendrickson provided this report.
