	Sun	Moon
Rise	6:45			22.7d
Set	16:20	12:57	44.3%

December 2011

Message
Programs
Observing Log
Articles
Photos

President's Message: December 2011

By Tom Thibault

Dear Skyscrapers Members,

Hopefully all of you weathered our early snowstorm well, I would suspect some lost power like so many in New England. Let’s hope this was not an omen of this year’s coming winter. I’m sure none of us want a repeat of the last one. I was relieved with the few days with temps in the 70’s, which helped fade those thoughts. To the delight of all stargazers, we have now turned our clocks back an hour and are now on standard time. It’s the time of year I enjoy the best—the temp’s are still tolerable and I’m out below the stars by 6:00pm. So get out there and enjoy the early clear nights.

Our November Meeting featured Dr. Timothy Barker of Wheaton College, who was joined by Shelby Delos, a current Wheaton student. Dr. Barker’s presentation included an overview of Wheaton College’s new astronomy facility. He then focused on astronomical filters, which was truly enlightening. His hands on approach engaged those attending with demonstrations on light emissions and the effects of filtering upon them. Shelby Delos presented an overview of Wheaton College’s current research work utilizing observations at remote observatories in both the Southwest and Australia. Very interesting activities.

We have had some clear evenings on our Public Nights and continue to show the skies nighttime wonders to all with an interest. Uranus and Neptune continue to be positioned well for viewing, so how are we doing catching a glimpse of our gas giant neighbors? Our observatory committee has set-up an observation log, so get out there, view, and log your observations on our board. Remember, our scopes are available, so come to Seagrave on Public Nights if you wish or do not have a telescope at home to make these observations.

We are continuing our Skyscrapers tradition and will be holding our December Meeting on Saturday (Dec. 3rd) at 7:00pm rather than our normal Friday. Our meeting will be at the North Scituate Community Center, as it will be from December through April. Our speaker that evening will be Richard Sanderson, Curator of Physical Science at the Springfield Science Museum in Massachusetts, and Director of the museum's Seymour Planetarium.

We are planning to have a Pot Luck Dinner, and past years have proven that many of our members do not only know their way around a telescope, but can handle a stove as well. Now, if you’re like me, a person that should not be allowed anywhere near a stove, feel free to bring your favorite prepared items from professionals like Sarah Lee or Frito Lay. We will provide the coffee, other refreshments, and some pastries. The Saturday date was decided upon years ago to allow those planning a homemade dish sufficient time to prepare them, and to provide our members adequate time to arrive. Let me know what food item you plan to bring so that our efforts can be coordinated and we don’t end up with too much of any one item. You can contact me via e-mail at DeepSpaceViewer@aol.com or call me at 401-489-1957.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the Holiday Meeting. Come join in on the festivities. What’s better than an evening of interesting presentations, good food, and great friends?

Clear Skies
Tom Thibault

December 3: Monthly Meeting

The Night of Raining Fire

Richard Sanderson

During the early morning hours of November 13, 1833, hundreds of thousands of meteors and fireballs blazed across the heavens over the eastern United States. The cosmic fireworks took the nation by surprise and convinced some terrified observers that they were witnessing the Day of Judgment. During the months that followed, astronomers uncovered the true nature of meteor showers and meteor storms.

Richard Sanderson has collected numerous accounts of the 1833 Leonid Meteor Storm that were published in period newspapers and journals across the country, many of which have never again appeared in print. Using these eyewitness descriptions, he will bring alive this historic astronomical event and survey the wide range of theories that sought to explain its origin.

Richard Sanderson is the Curator of Physical Science at the Springfield Science Museum in Massachusetts, and is Director of the museum's Seymour Planetarium. He is the author of a feature article about the 1833 meteor storm that appeared in the November 1998 issue of Sky & Telescope and is co-author of the 2006 book, Illustrated Timeline of the Universe.

Skyscrapers December Holiday Meeting and Festivities

We are planning to have a Pot Luck Dinner, and past years have proven that many of our members do not only know their way around a telescope, but can handle a stove as well. Now, if you’re like me, a person that should not be allowed anywhere near a stove, feel free to bring your favorite prepared items from professionals like Sarah Lee or Frito Lay. We have planned on providing the Coffee, refreshments, and some pastries. The Saturday date was decided upon years ago to allow those planning a homemade dish sufficient time to prepare them, and to provide our members adequate time to arrive. Let me know what food item you plan to bring so that our efforts can be coordinated and we don’t end up with too much of any one item. You can contact me via e-mail at DeepSpaceViewer@aol.com or call me at 401-489-1957.