Everything you ever wanted to know about eyepieces, both practical and theoretical, will be explained by Rich Combs at the March general meeting. Experienced observers are invited to ask Rich specific questions about the best eyepieces for observing at the Sky Shack and elsewhere. Beginners will find that the evening is an excellent and friendly introduction to the complexities of telescope optics. Club loaner scopes will be available, if you wish to test drive an eyepiece with Rich's help.
1998 ATM workshop Flush with the success of his most recent group, Rich is willing to teach another amateur telescope makers' workshop. Jim and Heather Nunes have again graciously volunteered the use of their facility. Amat eur scope makers should plan to meet twice a week for three to four months to complete a Dobsonian under Rich's direction. He estimates that the total cost of an ATM scope is $350-400. For class information, you may call Rich at 510 846-1906; or e-mail him at combs4@llnl.gov.
This problem can be solved in a variety of specific ways, with particular implications for members who use the scope for different purposes. Solutions have prompted broader discussions about the entire site, and its potential for greater use by more members of the club. Please read carefully this month's articles regarding the dark sky site and the telescope. An opinion poll/ballot is printed below. Your candor and imagination are equally valuable to the club discussions on this subject.
Observatory director Chuck Grant has recapped the telescope's problems in the article that follows. On page 6, some of the broader concerns about the observing hill and its uses - both current and potential - are noted. The Sky Shack and its scope will be on the agendas at future general meetings and planning meetings. As always, you are actively encouraged to attend both. Members who cannot attend the meetings may participate by e-mail to:
President Dave Anderson davidand@home.com
Editor Alane Alchorn circlewing@aol.com
or any board member with whom you correspond.
The primary problem with the existing mount is vibration. With its massive aluminum tube assembly and rather thin drive shafts, the telescope is not unlike a giant tuning fork. Repositioning the scope, focusing, or the slightest breeze sets it shaking to a very unsatisfactory degree. It is not a very heavy-dut y mount, and it never was completely satisfactory on that telescope. The problems were compounded when the aluminum tube was installed, mostly due to its additional weight. The old cardboard tube also may have actually absorbed some of the vibration, while the aluminum tube is quite springy. The aluminum tube is also longer, adding to the weight and vibration.
The current mount, a Meade DS-16, was the largest mount available at the time, without going into the several-thousand-dollar range. Now that the club is in a different financial state, perhaps spending a few thousand dollars on a suitable mount and producing a truly fine instrument is the way to go. One mount under consideration, made by Opticraft Machining, is about $3,500. This mount has 3.5-inch diameter solid steel shafts. The present DS-16 mount has 1-inch diameter solid steel shafts, so the newer design would clearly be a substantial improvement. The board wanted to know the sense of the membership on this issue, and on the observatory/dark site in general, so a discussion was held at the last general meeting. Thirty-two members were present during the discussion, but the board wants to hear from all the members on this subject, especially Patron Members, and others who use the telescope or the dark sky site regularly.
A variety of interesting ideas was suggested, and some of the constraints limiting them were discussed. The major topics are highlighted below.
What about a fork mount? Some very large and sturdy amateur-constructed fork mounts currently enjoy a high degree of popularity.
Constraints: A fork mount does not allow the telescope to "fold over" like the German equat orial mount we have. Thus, the telescope would have to be mounted lower in the observatory, reducing the amount of visible sky. A fork mount would also move the pivot of the tube closer to the base, causing the eyepiece end of the tube to swing in a wider circle (nearly twice as wide). The fork-mounted telescope probably would not even fit inside the existing observatory building. In addition, there is much to be said for simply buying something and getting it working quickly, rather than keeping the scope out of commission for a long time during an extended major construction project.
What about geting an easy-to-use scope, such as a 12-inch LX200?
Constraints: The LX200 is fork-mounted, so it would have to be mounted low in the observatory. This mount/scope combination is ideal for a small dome; and costs about $5,000. It is a significantly smaller scope, just 12 inches at this price point. At 17.5 inches, the club scope is likely to be bigger than any equatorially-mounted telescope owned by most members. The question of getting good optics is also an important one, as the refigured primary on the TVS 17.5-inch is very good.
What about a computerized altazimuth mount such as a Mel Bartel's mount or the Bradford Robotic Telescope?
Constraints: The club telescope is used by many different people. There is a lot to be said for the simplicity of just turning it on and starting to observe. These complex designs require lots of parts that are subject to breakage or failure. Keep in mind, we do not have electrical service at the observatory, and therefore we don 't have the electricity to run very much computer equipment from there. Alt-az mounts suffer from the same low-position, limited visibility, and wide-swing faults as fork mounts, making them equally unsuitable for our building.
What about reinstalling a cardboard tube, or substituting a truss or a composite tube?
Constraints: The mount never really was strong enough, even with the cardboard tube; but we just lived with it. A cardboard (Sono) tube also flexes, causing its own set of problems. Keeping the focuser perpendicular while using a big Nagler on a 4-inch extension is a real problem for a cardboard tube. A truss tube would be a major engineering project. It would require a true Serrier truss, not the simplified one-section assembly found on large Dobs. A composite tube is an interesting idea, however we probably would still need a new mount.
What about a new building? A dome perhaps?
Constraints: We are building a dome! for a 16-inch scope (I think we are two years into the project and we haven't broken ground yet). Changing the existing building would be a major project and would take the scope out of commision for a long time. Probably even more difficult, is the question of what kind of new building to erect. Answering this first requires defining the types of observing, equipment, and astronomers for the future, and desiging a building to meet these needs. The 17.5-inch on a German equatorial mount housed in our sliding roof observatory has served the club very well for a long time -- for visual astronomy, astrophotography, and as a focus of star parties. The advantages of going to something else are probably small compared to the work and expense involved.
I have not mentioned the issues about other possible uses for the site -- its utility as an educational site, a more open observatory, or a public star party location. Nor have I addressed the issues of private lockers, setting more piers, or placing the loaner scopes out there. I think the primary constraint for our dark sky site is that it is a long way away, and is not very suitable for most people. It is a long, hard drive home after they are tired from being up past a regular bed time. Additional constraints are concerns about security, and the importance of maintaining our good relationship with ranch management.
All of these items deserve and will receive broad discussion at club meetings. We can build or install lockers, if members would use them (assuming we could make them theft-proof and weather-resistant). We could even place one or more of the loaner scopes out there, but how many people without scopes will have keys?
Be sure to look below for renaming suggestions for the dark sky site. Mark your favorite(s), so that the board can select a popular new name that still protects the observatory 's location.
At the February general meeting, broader issues of site use and wider club involvement were discussed. These topics, bulletted below, will be added to each upcoming general and planning meeting agenda.
* From $5-6,000 of club assets can be used to resolve these problems, without injuring our solvency or disrupting other long-term goals.
* Possibly conflicting uses for the scope and site include: astrophotography, educational/public star parties, member-only easy observing, deep sky observing, research/professional observing runs, and automated or robotic applications.
* Some members have requested that additional piers, stands, and pads be poured, so that they can more easily use their own instruments at the site. Likewise, lockable storage units would be helpful for some members.
* Sanitary, more useable lavatory facilities have been requested from time to time.
* The Patron Member system has been questioned and is being reviewed for its benefits to the entire club. This is a sensitive issue that the board wishes to study, first with the Patrons themselves, and then with the general membership.
The list below contains the requests Phil had received by February 14. You may reach him at: waide1@llnl.gov, of by phone at 510 455-6039, if you are interested in helping with school star parties. Thanks, Phil, for taking over this important club outreach program.
Phil Waide, our new school star party coordinator, has received the following requests from teachers.
Karen Woodward, science teacher at Marylin Avenue Elementary School, would like to schedule a star party.
Anne Dutton, tech coordinator at Idaho School, is looking for astronomy-related activities for children in grades K-4.
Lisa Burkhart, a teacher at Leo R. Croce Elementary School, would like a star party.
Pat Boyle would like a slide show or star party.
Georganne Nuger and Mary Cunningham at Arroyo Mocho School would lika a star party. Georganne has been involved in Project ASTRO.
Susan Schatz, Kennedy Elementary School in Newark, plans additional star parties.
Ron Wurtz, Jackson Avenue School, also requests a star party.
Victoria Hazard is looking for help with astronomy tours to Hawaii Phone: 800-444-3756
Renewals and subscriptions may be mailed to our post office box. Magazine subscriptions have been submitted for the year, so it is too late for you to add them to your membership dues.
Delinquent members will also receive a yellow card reminding them to renew.
Interest rates for the CDs average approximately 4.6%. Only about 50% of the 1997 members had renewed as of February 15, and our 1998 leases to the church and Hilda Moore have not yet been paid. The combined cost of the leases is $800.
Club assets and investments are subject to change, at the direction of the membership as a whole. Please see the newsletter articles regarding the February general meeting and proposed Sky Shack improvements for more information.
Beginning on March 19, monthly planning meetings will change to the Thursday following the general meeting.
Astronomical Association of Northern California (AANC) has planned an informative and exciting workshop on April 11, at Lawrence Hall of Science, University of Califor nia, Berkeley.
Contact the AANC workshop website at http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/SII/AANC/aanc.html and click on "Search for Life in the Universe." At the top of the Workshop Web page you will find a link to "Download binhexed Adobe Acrobat Version of this flier" which will allow you to print out an exact duplicate of the flier. You need Adobe Acrobat software to open the flier file. If you do not already have Acrobat on your machine, a link right below the flier link takes you to a page that permits you to download Adobe Acrobat in a version suitable for your particular computer platform.
In a separate e-mail communication, AANC sent the following advance information on workshop topics.
Recent discoveries are changing the way we see our place in the universe:
*
in Antarctica,
discovery of a meteorite from Mars that
may
contain signs of life;
*
current NASA Mars exploration efforts including Pathfinder,
the Sojourner robot,
and the Surveyor,
part of whose missions are to search for evidence of life on Mars;
and
*
the discovery of more than a dozen planets outside our solar system.
TVS has applied for a variety of dates for the Glacier Point public star party and club viewing nights at Yosemite. As of our deadline, we had not received written approval. Club President Dave Anderson will announce the date(s) as soon as they are released. (Late news: we got Labor Day weekend.)
Sellers at the swap meet are asked to track their sales, and pay the 10% commission before leaving. (There is a cap of $50 commission on any individual item.) Items for the auction must be pre-registered, and this may be done during the swap meet. The same 10 % commission applies to auction items. A $1 donation is requested of sellers and bidders at the auction.
Houge Park is in south San Jose, near Los Gatos. From Hwy.17, take the Camden Avenue exit. Go east 0.4 miles, and turn right at the light, onto Bascom Avenue. At the next light, turn left onto Woodard Road. At the first stop sign, turn right onto Twilight Drive. Go three blocks, cross Sunrise Drive, then turn left into the park.
Board Alane Alchorn, Dennis Beckley, Rich Combs, Rich Green, Kathleen Kelly, Russ Kirk, Dave Rodrigues, Debbie Scherrer, Jim Zumstein
Meeting Location Unitarian Universalist Church in Livermore 1893 N. Vasco Rd. 3/4 mile north of I-580
Membership: 132
| Date (00 UT) | R.A. (2000) | Dec | El | Sky | Mag |
| 03-03 | 21h15.5 m | +32° 56 | 46° | M | 11.7 |
| 03-08 | 21h22.7 m | +32° 37' | 46° | M | 11.7 |
| 03-13 | 21h29.5 m | +32° 21' | 46° | M | 11.7 |
| 03-18 | 21h36.0 m | +32° 07' | 46° | M | 11.7 |
| 03-23 | 21h42.2 m | +31° 54' | 46° | M | 11.7 |
| 03-28 | 21h48.0 m | +31° 44' | 47° | M | 11.7 |
| 04-02 | 21h53.6 m | +31° 35 | 48° | M | 11.7 |
| 04-07 | 21h58.8 m | +31° 27' | 50° | M | 11.7 |
| Date (00 UT) | R.A. (2000) | Dec | El | Sky | Mag |
| 03-0 3 | 04h54.7 m | -57° 20' | 84° | E | 8.9 |
| 03-0 8 | 04h54.6 m | -56° 33' | 83° | E | 9.0 |
| 03-1 3 | 04h55.1 m | -55° 48' | 82° | E | 9.0 |
| 03-1 8 | 04h56.2 m | -55° 04' | 82° | E | 9.1 |
| 03-2 3 | 04h57.8 m | -54° 22' | 81° | E | 9.2 |
| 03-2 8 | 04h59.9 m | -53° 43' | 80° | E | 9.3 |
| 04-0 2 | 05h02.4 m | -53° 06' | 79° | E | 9.3 |
| 04-0 7 | 05h05.3 m | -52° 32' | 78° | E | 9.4 |
Only a couple of comets remain in our sky this month. Comet Hale-Bopp fades in our southern sky. Comet Meunier-Dupouy travels through our morning northern sky. The only new finds this past month were made by the SOHO satellite, which monitors the solar vicinity. It discovered four more comets, it has now found 40 in less than two years. Like most of the others, these four comets disappeared after going behind the sun.
| Object: | Hale-Bopp | Meunier-Dupouy |
| Peri. Date: | 1997 04 01.1347 | 1998 03 10.4365 |
| Peri. Dist (AU): | 0.914008 | AU 3.051015 AU |
| Arg/Peri (2000): | 130.5787 deg. | 122.6755 deg. |
| Asc. Node (2000): | 282.4653 deg. | 148.8429 deg. |
| Incl (2000): | 089.4268 deg. | 091.2731 deg. |
| Eccen: | 0.995085 | 1.000760 |
| Orbital Period: | ~2500 years | Long Period |
| Ref: | MPC 30738 | MPC 30738 |
| Epoch: | 1997 12 18 | 1998 03 08 |
| Absol. Mag/"n": | -1.0/4.0 | 4.0/4.0 |
These are my specs.: Pocket Scope Design - open truss Newtonian (Sky & Telescope June 1990, p. 665) Galaxy Optic: 14.5 x 2" thick, f/5-ish, Telrad Finder, Tele Vue: Plossl 10.5 mm & 7.4 mm and Barlow 1.8x, Tectron: Ultra-Low rack and pinion focuser, 3- piece collimation tools & book
I would appreciate any help you can offer. I live right next to Mt. Diablo in San Ramon, CA.
Contact: EncinaV@aol.com
Project ASTRO helps astronomers form an ongoing partnership with a teacher. Astronomers with an interest in education, and some experience working with children or teens or presenting astronomy to the public, are encouraged to apply. Astronomers attend a two-day summer training workshop with their partner teacher, receive a wide variety of activities and resource materials, work together to plan school year activities and programs and commit to make at least four daytime visits during the school year.
During the school year, visiting astronomers (depending on their interests) can help to lead hands-on activities, serve as a resource for teachers, organize evening observing sessions, create a school astronomy club, present auditorium programs, arrange field trips, or assist with science fair projects. The project's emphasis is on a hands-on, inquiry-based approach that research has shown is most effective in helping students learn the process of science.
The 1998-99 training workshop is scheduled for Friday, August 14 through Saturday, August 15, 1998 at the San Mateo County Office of Education, Redwood City. Participating astronomers are required to attend all or most of the workshop. Classroom visits will begin in fall 1998.
The first application deadline (for preferred placement) is April 11, although applications will be accepted after this date. To request an application call (415) 337-1100 ext. 101 or e-mail astro@aspsky.org. For more information contact Nicole Taddune, Bay Area Coordinator, at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific: 415 337-1100 ext. 101 or check out our web site at www.asps ky.org.
You may also contact Nicole S. Taddune, Bay Area Project ASTRO Coordinator, at Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 390 Ashton Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112. Project ASTRO is funded by the National Science Foundation.
- Dave Barry
The position is expected to require about three months of intense and interesting full-time employment, working with other project staff in the ASP offices in San Francisco. (The exact start and end times are negotiable.) Tasks will include organizing and requesting astronomy education activities from a variety of sources around the country (many are already in hand), learning about the Project ASTRO approach to activities, evaluating the activities (with help from a panel of teachers), doing any necessary rewriting or supplementary writing so that the activities can stand on their own, re-formating activities into a standard style, and obtaining permissions from copyright holders. Some clerical support will be available.
Qualifications include: a degree in astronomy (or equivalent background); some experience teaching science; familiarity with hands-on activities ; good writing skills ; and the ability to work on a complex project in an organized way without constant supervi sion. Salary will be commensurate with experience. (Note that this is a one-time summer position.)
Interested candidates should send a letter describing their interest and qualifications, together with a resume to: Andrew Fraknoi, Director, Project ASTRO, A.S.P., 390 Ashton Ave., San Francisco, CA 94112. For futher information, write to the ASP, call (415) 337-1100 ext. 120, or e-mail: fraknoi @admin.fhda.edu.
The Consortium for Undergraduate Research and Education in Astronomy will offer a summer program in astronomy and astrophysics, August 12-25. Students will live and work on Mount Wilson near Los Angeles. The application deadline is April 15. Access the website at http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~faison/curea/curea.html.
The board will select the final name from the top five finishers in this balloting. Protecting the privacy of our leased site is the top priority for TVS.
____
Pine Shack Obs.
____
Hidden Hills Obs.
____
Red Mountain Obs.
____
Cedar Ridge Obs.
____
The Dark Site
____
Lick Obs.
East
____
Eastern Mt.
Hamilton Obs.
____
San Antone Valley
Obs.
____
Mines Road Obs.
____
Jack's Obs.
____
Hot Hill Obs.
____
Keck III
____
Middle of the Ranch Obs.
____
Celestial Temple Obs.
____
Other ________
____________
____________
_________
____
Astrophotography,
using the club scope
____
Astrophotography,
using your own instruments
____
Solar system/planetary observing
____
Comet hunting
____
Open house/star party events
____
Research/professional quality observations
____
Visual astronomy,
using the club scope
____
Visual astronomy,
using your own instrument
____
Unaided eye/binocular observing
____
Social observing events with other amateurs
____
Other,
as noted below
________
____________
____________
____________
_______
________
____________
____________
____________
_______