March 2009 - Volume 38, Number 3

MEETING NOTICE: The regular meeting of the BARNARD ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY will be held Thursday, March 12 th at Jones Observatory on Brainerd Rd . The observatory doors will open at 6:45 p.m. Refreshments and social hour begin at 7:00 p.m. The program will be presented at 7:30 p.m. followed by the business meeting at 8:30 .

PROGRAM: “Show and Tell”. Bring something to share with the group.

Planned Activities to Enjoy The Wonders of Astronomy—
Celebrating Amateurs Who Are Professional in Knowledge

“Giving amateurs their due: The term ‘amateur' is often used negatively as a synonym for ‘unskilled.' Not here! In astronomy, the word remains true to its Latin root, amator, meaning ‘lover.' Amateur astronomers spend countless hours under the starry sky purely for the love of it. Many become as skilled at telescope observing or astrophotography as any professional—often more so.”

Discovering the Joy of Astronomy

“The joy of astronomy comes from finding your way around the starry sky and understanding what you see.” –The Editors, SKY AND TELESCOPE MAGAZINE

Mourning the Increasing Loss of Dark Night Skies in Our Cities

“There is no more important task for the modern amateur astronomer than to fight the steady growth of light pollution in urban areas. Already we are witnessing the tragedy of the first generation of city children who might never see the beauty of a dark night sky.”

--Director, Observatory, Houston Museum of Natural Science.

Note: BAS endorses outdoor lighting restriction efforts by the International Dark Sky Association (IDSA) and also by local organizations such as Save Roane Starry Skies (SRSS) at The Tamke-Allan Observatory, Roane State College, Harriman , TN.

Technical Areas of Specialization within BAS for Member Participation

Large Aperture/Dark Sky/Deep Space Optical Astronomy at Several Regional Dark Sky Sites
For more information, contact David Witt or Victor Rogers.

Astrophotography
For more information, contact David Hanon or Dr. Gary Caldwell

Radio Astronomy at a Fully Functional Radio Telescope Observatory Outside of Cleveland , TN
For more information, contact Bill and Melinda Lord, Bill Seymour, or John Mannone.

Sidewalk Astronomy—“Chattanooga Out of This World” Challenging Optical Viewing of The Earth's Moon and The Inner Planets for the General Public from Downtown Locations Surrounded By Bright City Lights
For more information, contact Tom Adkins or Joe D'Agostono

BAS February Meeting

For approximately 35 members and guests who met at the Challenger Center on the UTC Campus for the February 12th meeting, it was an event filled with mixed emotions.

On one hand, most persons sadly remembered where they were and what they were doing on that January day in 1986 when news of the Challenger disaster was received. That was the end of innocence for America regarding the inherent risks of manned space flight. Up to that point, the public had been led to believe that the Shuttle transportation system was so reliable that civilians, even a school teacher, could be carried safely and routinely into earth orbit. And, at that that time NASA management was pushing an ambitious but unrealistic schedule for twelve or more Shuttle launches per year, even as their own engineers were warning about serious unresolved safety issues, such as those with the joint seals on the solid rocket boosters.

On the other hand, it was good to see that a very positive thing has resulted from the disaster—the creation of a group of more than 50 privately funded Challenger Interactive Learning Centers spread across the United States for teaching of Space Science to elementary school children, high school students, and conducting of team building exercises for groups of adults.

The UTC Challenger Center was the 25th to be constructed and the first to open on a university campus. From ten thousand to thirteen thousand school children participate per year. Most come from Hamilton County , which provides the salary for two part-time teachers (Flight Directors), and whose students attend free. However, some students come from as far away as AL, NC, and GA.

Flight Director Bill Floyd, a professional engineer and former teacher, led the BAS group on a tour of the exhibits, including a 1:20 scale model of the shuttle and memorabilia of the Challenger mission in the display cabinets. The widow of Commander Dick Scobee, June Scobee Rogers who lives on Signal Mountain , donated one of his informal blue NASA flight suits and other personal items. Interestingly, NASA since required that the more protective orange pressure suits and space helmets be worn by shuttle crew members, beginning with the next flight after Challenger. This is just one example of the hundreds of post-accident safety changes made to the Shuttle program, which had undoubtedly become “too complacent.”

Director Floyd “beamed up” the BAS group to the space station inside a 1:5 scale model of the orbiter constructed by the UTC engineering department. In the space station, participants split into teams, per a mission manifest written by Gary Caldwell, to accomplish various tasks related to space science. These included analyzing meteorites and living materials, managing life support systems, and intercepting a comet and inserting a probe. (Historical note: during the Challenger flight, school teacher Christa McAuliff was scheduled to participate in a study of the visible Halley' Comet, which is not due back to the vicinity of Earth until 76 years later in 2061.)

Normally, when a mission is conducted at the Challenger Center , one-half of the group splits off and operates Mission Control which directs space station activities. However, this was not done during the BAS tour due to time constraints.

Thanks to Bill Floyd and the Challenger Center for making possible this meaningful BAS event.

The Basics
Variable Stars

Stars whose luminosities vary with time and whose properties have been an important key in determining the size of the known universe. The first pulsating variable star was discovered in 1596 by the Dutch astronomer David Fabricius, who noticed that the star o Ceri sometimes faded from third magnitude to invisibility.

Over the years, astronomers have achieved a better understanding of the mechanisms producing the variations (cyclic contractions and expansions in the star's outer envelope), as well as detection of a distinctive subgroup of variables called “Cepheids.” A Cepheid variable is recognized by the characteristic way in which its light output varies: rapid brightening followed by gradual dimming.

The prototype was discovered in 1784 by John Goodricke, a deaf, mute 19 year old English amateur astronomer. This star, s Cephei, varies regularly in apparent magnitude from 4.3 to 3.4, with a period of 5.4 days.

The famous astronomer Edwin Hubble (1889-1953) used Cepheid variables as a tool to revolutionize the understanding of the universe. While working with the 100 inch telescope at Mt. Wilson in Southern California in 1922-24, Hubble discovered that not all nebulae are part of the Milky Way Galaxy, the vast star system to which the Sun belongs. He found that certain nebulae contain stars called Cepheid variables for which a correlation was already known to exist between periodicity and absolute magnitude. Using the further relationship among distance, apparent magnitude, and absolute magnitude, Hubble determined that these Cepheids are several hundred thousand light years away and thus outside the Milky Way—thereby located in distinct galaxies of their own. This discovery, announced in 1924, forced to greatly revise their ideas about the size of the Cosmos.

Reference: Universe, Fourth Edition;
William J. Kaufmann III

Check Out This Interesting Astronomy Web Site

McDonald Observatory Sky Tips
skytips@mcdonaldobservatory.org

 

Mark Your Calendar

Here are a few of the upcoming meetings that have programs scheduled:.

March 12: Show & Tell- Bring something you have built for your astronomy habit or bring your one astronomy gizmo you can not live without. If you have something you bought that was a bust, bring it to share with the club. This will be an informal program that should be a lot of fun.

April 9 : Dr. Chuck Higgins, Professor of Physics & Astronomy at MTSU. "Jupiter and Her Satellites: Radio Connections"

May 14: "Contact" the movie and star party at Bobby Thompson's-BAS Members and guests only

June 11: Tom Crowley on hunting Supernovas

July 9: Open.

August 13: Dr Doug Durig (tentative)

September 10: Open

October 8 : Joint Meeting with the Chemical Society, Prof. John Mannone will present a program of interest to both astronomers and chemists.

November 12: Paul Lewis, UTK

December 5 : Annual BAS Christmas Party

Star Parties

March 14: Girl's Prep School

April 17 : Boy Scout Camporee at Camp Columbus , Contact David Witt
This annual event is fun for the scouts and members so plan to bring your telescope or binoculars.

April 24-26: Tennessee Star Party at Fall Creek Falls http://personal.bna.bellsouth.net/s/p/spsmith/default.htm

Telescope for Sale

I am selling my AstroSystems TeleKit Dobsonian 14.5inch f4.6 telescope with a Swayze Optics 2inch thick primary mirror and a 2.25inch secondary mirror. Both the primary mirror and the secondary mirror have enhanced coatings. This scope was professionally built 8 years ago (build manual included) and the workmanship is flawless. The scope has seen very little usage. It has sat in storage in my garage. The mirror box has the 9 point flotation cell.

The scope includes the Phase 4 Crayford 2" low profile focuser with Quick Switch Filter Slide and the AstroSystems four vane spider. Eyepiece height is about six feet when viewing near zenith. Alt/Az motion very smooth and virtually vibration free even at high magnification viewing. Mirror cover, 6 inch mask, and transport cover boards are also included. A hand-sewn case for the truss-tubes is included. A "Go-To" dob tracking/drive system could easily be mounted to this scope. Pricing just the TeleKit and both mirrors is approximately $3300, but I'm selling everything for $1000. Plus, a beautiful multi-wood in-laid storage case built specifically for this scope is included.

Matching optical and laser collimators, TelRad, and three TelVue eyepieces in a rugged and airtight Pelikan 1500 case are also available for sale at an additional negotiable cost. These are all in mint condition.

I will send specific photos upon request. Will deliver to within 2hours drive time from Huntsville , AL . The storage case (not the scope) requires a pick-up truck for transportation, so I am not able to deliver the storage case.

Below is the manufacture's website: http://www.astrosystems.biz/telekits.htm

Here is my contact information:

Todd Jurhs
256-503-4714
todd.jurhs@applied-analytical.com

Thanks so much for your help with this!

Latest Pictures

Here is a shot of Orion Neb. on Feb. 16th I just processed. It is only 1 one-minute exposure unguided using the schmidt-newt 10" at f/4 prime focus. I am working on an adapter plate for my new 12" cass. ACF Meade. I hope to have that one in operation in a few weeks. We need to start over again I guess with the IMAGERS CLUB. Clear skies....

Vic Rogers

 

 

Pictures from Challenger Center Mission

 

Check Before You Blog!

In reading some of the "Bad Astronomy" out takes I am amazed at how much internet garbage gets put in certain blogs as "serious" threats to our planet. Even the Discovery Channel has put us on with a real blooper! Their celestial mechanics of "nudging" a near earth asteroid into a "higher" orbit leaves one to wonder who did their math? If you plug their orbital track in to your "Mac Math" you will see that the asteroid in their model settles nicely into an elliptical earth orbit just as Newton said! Indeed I do not want to get "on" about this but do ask yourselves. How many will ask, as you and I, what after all would be the result of such information after it has run its course through all the "X-File Blogs”, read garbage in, garbage out, and lands dead center into the minds of those who want only to hear that scientists are so smug, Just look what "They" are not telling us! "They" don't want us to know because it would cause panic! Well yes, I've panicked but for far different reasons than what you read in these blogs! You see if I were to even try to get this kind of thing by my peer review, which any physics chair would make me do, editors would "filter" my e-mail directly to their trash file, yet their stuff gets out front with no questions what ever, I have written a little signature file that perhaps seems appropriate:

It took me seventy four years to learn:
No one wants to hear the facts about anything.
They want reinforcement for what they believe already.

Good Seeing!

DIRECTIONS TO ORION ACRES

FROM NORTH HAMILTON COUNTY :

From 27 (corridor J) take hwy. 111 to Dunlap, continue through the Sequatchie Valley up the next mountain ( Cagle Mountain ). When you reach the summit about 5 miles turn LEFT onto hwy. 399 (sign reads 'to Savage Gulf State Park ' Stay on 399 until it ends, which will be in Grundy Co. Now make a LEFT onto hwy. 108 South. This goes thru Palmer TN. Continue on 108 up to a higher elevation. When this levels off, turn RIGHT onto Palmer Fire Tower Rd. This is a large open area with possibly trucks loaded with timber for the paper mills. Orion Acres will be on the RIGHT about 8 tenths mile.

 FROM INTERSTATE 24 (to Nashville ):

Go to the Dunlap/Whitwell exit (#155). This is hwy. 28. Exit right and keep on 28 for about 11 miles, passing Hardee's on your left. Continue through the stoplight and take the next LEFT on Hwy. 108 North. Continue another 11 or so miles. You will see ' Grundy County ' sign. Take the next left. This is Palmer Fire Tower Rd. Go 8 tenths of a mile and Orion Acres is on the RIGHT

Start Your Own Meteorite Collection

Through a special purchase arranged by the University of The South , BAS has obtained a large meteorite collection at an unusually low price per gram. These meteorites will be offered for sale to BAS members at the August 14th meeting as a fund-raiser for the Club treasury.

The unclassified North West Africa (NWA) EL3 meteorites have been individually bagged with the weight and magnetic strength noted for each one. There is a wide selection of sizes and the price will be very affordable.

Can 't make it to the meeting? You can place your order with Bill & Melinda Lord at ap_guardian@yahoo.com or 423-478-9043. The price is just 10 cents per gram, and add $5.00 for shipping and handling.

TELESCOPES WANTED

We want everyone in our club to have access to a great telescope. Our plan is to refurbish telescopes so that we can loan them to astronomers without scopes of their own. I f you have a telescope or accessories you are no longer using, please let us have it. We promise someone will use it and treat it with care and respect. Of course you can have a receipt for your tax write-off and every penny is welcome if you would like to donate money so we can buy or fix up a telescope.

Contact Gary Caldwell, Adam Krause or Bill Lord if you have a donation, we will happily come to your door to pick up your unwanted telescope. Sponsorship information will be posted on the web and in the Barnard Star.

BAS WEB SITE
http://bas.chattanooga.net

 

Officers

President……………………………………….... Gary Caldwell
Vice-President………………………………………….Bill Lord
Secretary…………………………………...………Bill Seymour
Treasurer………………………………………….Melinda Lord
STAR Editor……………………………………….Steve Ramey
Webmaster…………………………………………….Rod Ruch
Star Party Chairman…………………...…………...Victor Rogers
Outreach Coordinator………………...…………...John Mannone
Program Committee Co-Chairs…...... John Mannone and Bill Lord
Member-at Large………………..……………………David Witt

February Minutes

Tom Adkins announced that the UTC Engineering Dept is seeking financial donations for an upgrade to the drive mechanism for the 20.5 inch telescope at the Clarence Jones Observatory. BAS officers will take this request under advisement as to whether they want to donate any money from the club treasury to the project. Bobby Thompson, who was involved in this type of university engineering work on the telescope in the past when he operated the observatory, urged caution regarding the competence of the students and faculty to undertake this type of project.

It was announced that popular astronaut Buzz Aldrin, second person to walk on the moon during the Apollo 11 landing in July, 1969, will be speaking at an event in Chattanooga on March 4th. BAS members should watch for a media announcement. However, it is expected that this will be an “invitation only” event not open to the general public.

BAS Provides Technical Assistance to Astronomy Program at Local Private School

When someone from outside of BAS asks for technical help on an astronomy issue, it is a good bet that not only is there expertise available within our club but also that persons are very willing and eager to offer their assistance. Such was the case several weeks ago when Kristi Bryson, physics teacher at Girls Preparatory School in Chattanooga , contacted BAS regarding a focusing problem with their Schmidt-Casseigrain Telescope (SCT),

Among BAS members, responders David Witt and Gary Caldwell have extensive SCT experience. Gary happened to be the one who solved the problem. He shared his notes on the incident:

“I met with Kristi Bryson Monday afternoon and got all of the issues with the telescope worked out. The main issue as you know was being able to focus it. Turns out she was starting with a 12.5mm eyepiece which gave a very high magnification. I showed her how to start with the 40mm eyepiece. I checked the collimation using a spectacular reflection of the Sun in a windshield about 1 ½ miles away. The collimation is ‘spot on.' Other issues are the low quality 12.5mm eyepiece and diagonal. Still another issue is that the scope is set up for imaging with the Meade Deep Sky Imager. The scope has a focus lock which locks the main mirror down to prevent ‘mirror flop' while imaging. The mirror lock was ON preventing the scope from coming to focus. I am surprised the focusing mechanism wasn't damaged in her attempts to focus the scope. By the time she had attended to her class, she was satisfied she could handle it. I told her to feel free to call me anytime for advice and assistance.”

Meanwhile, David has also taken this opportunity to arrange a Star Party sponsored by BAS at Girls Preparatory School , tentatively scheduled for Saturday night, March 14th (watch for separate announcements in THE BARNARD STAR).

REMINDER- Your annual BAS dues of are now due on the anniversary of your membership in accordance with the adopted amendment to the by-laws. The due date appears below your name on the address on the front of this newsletter. If your expiration date says “Overdue” or if you don't agree with the date shown, contact Melinda Lord to resolve discrepancies. The current dues rates are as follows: REGULAR $15.00, REGULAR ASSOCIATE $7.00, JUNIOR $8.00, JUNIOR ASSOCIATE $5.00. Your Sky & Telescope or Astronomy subscription will continue to be handled as in the past. When you receive your subscription reminder card, submit it to:

Melinda Lord
354 N West Cir NW
Cleveland , TN 37312-1011

Along with the group subscription rate of $32.95 for Sky and Telescope, or $34.00 for Astronomy. Note the increased rate for Astronomy. This was effective July 31, 2005

DEADLINE- All articles and other materials for publication in the next STAR are due no later than Wednesday, April 1 st . The following media are acceptable: hard copy, disk (IBM), video tape (VHS), prints, or e-mail to bas@chattanooga.net or s tramey@catt.com and attach a file or mail to:

Steve Ramey
109 Sioux Trail
Ringgold GA 30736

PHOTOGRAPHS ARE ALSO ACCEPTABLE.