Topics to be covered at the general meeting include an exploration of Internet access, astronomy e-mail, and participation in amateur astronomy newsgroups.
A program like this is sure to interest lots of folks outside of our club. Everyone is welcome to attend, and you should feel free to bring friends or colleagues who are not TVS members.
Once again this year we will be having our legendary White Mountains trip. It will be from Thursday, August 15 to Monday, August 19. This is the star party to end all star parties! We will be observing in the White Mountains, to the east of Bishop, Calif. from 8,000 to 12,400 feet at one of the darkest sites in the U.S. On Thursday, we will be at Grandview campground at 8,000 feet and on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, through special dispensation, we will be at the Barcroft High Altitude Research Facility at 12,400 feet.
Barcroft is half antarctic research station, half Shangra-La with real beds, flush toilets, showers, tools, the highest library and pool table in the lower 48, very good, warm food cooked for you, and an unforgetable view. It is a good guess that this is the "highest" star party in the U.S. If you haven't been, talk to one of the members who has. You even get oxygen in the dining room! The White Mountains are the home of the world's oldest living things, the Bristle Cone Pines. This is also a wonderful excuse to explore the many amazing sights of the beautiful eastern Sierras.
The price this year will be $38 per person per night for the three nights at Barcroft. Grandview is free. I will be accepting checks at the Friday, May 24 meeting and thereafter but spaces go fast so don't delay. Due to tightened Barcroft requirements, full refunds will be available until the Friday, June 28 meeting. After that until the Friday, July 26 meeting full refunds will be given only if we can find a substitute. No refunds can be given after the July 26 meeting. For more informati on, call me at (510) 483-9191.
Send checks payable to:
David Rodrigues
163 3 Graff Ct.
San Leandro,
Calif.
94577-3938
Open house at The Dark Site: July 6
The board is currently investigating improvements to our audio-visual presentation capabilities at the general meetings. Any decisions to spend club funds on such equipment or systems will be discussed at future meetings.
Library loans are available to all club memebers in good standing. Materials are loaned from one general meeting to the next, or for a longer period by arrangement with Bob. Please be sure to put your name, the date, and your telephone number on the signout sheet for any library items you borrow.
Organized activities will include stargazing, astro-imaging, solar viewing with an H-alpha filter, amateur equipment swap meet, vendors' alley, nature hikes and talks by Forest Service staff. Door prizes will be awarded and foor service will be available.
The party is hosted by the Rose City Astronomers and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Advance registration (prior to August 6) is $20 for adults, $5 for those aged 13 to 17 years, and free for those 13 and under.
For registration information write to
The Oregon Star Party
P.O.
Box
914 16
Portland,
OR 97291.
You may
also reach Chuck or Judy Dethloff at
(503) 357-6163 (voice),
(503) 531-7992
(fax), e-mail them at dethloff@uofport.edu.
Future versions of Dave's What's Up column will be posted to the new site, as will club updates and news.
President
Dave Anderson
(510) 661-4249
Secretary
Earl Mack
(510) 828-1414
Vice President
Bob Braddy
(510) 855-0964
Treasurer
Gene Nassar
(510) 462-5986
Observatory Director
Chuck Grant
(510) 449-1500
Eyes on the Skies BBS
Mike Rushford
(510) 443-6146
Web Site
http://www.hooked.net/~tvs/
Editor
Alane Alchorn
(510) 455-9464
(510) 455-9466 fax
circlewing@aol.com
Meeting Location
Unitarian Universalist
Church in Livermore
1893 N.
Vasco Rd.
3/4 mile north of I-580
Board
Alane Alchorn
Dennis Beckley
George Cameron
Rich Combs
Chuck Grant
Rich Green
Al Smith
Tri-Valley
Stargazers
PO Box 2476
Livermore,
CA 94551
by Dave Anderson
June
14 Fri Mercury 0.4° north of Moon (occulted in Australia).
Mars 4° north of Moon.
Earliest sunrise of the year.
15 Sat New Moon 6:36 PM
Excellent weekend for observing.
16 Sun Father's Day.
17 Mon Callisto eclipsed by Jupiter's shadow until 11:02 PM,
occulted by planet's disk
11:51 PM
to 2:51 AM
(18th).
19 Wed Ganymede's shadow transits Jupiter 11:55 PM
to 1:19 AM
Europa's shadow
transits 12:01 to 12:41 AM
Io eclipsed 12:15 AM
(AM=20th)
20 Thu Summer Solstice 7:24 PM
21 Fri Star Party at Glacier Point,
Yosemite.
22 Sat Star Party at Glacier Point,
Yosemite.
Universe '96 (Astronomical Society of the Pacific).
Westin Hotel,
Santa Clara.
Star Party at
Fremont Peak Observatory.
23 Sun Universe '96.
Westin Hotel,
Santa Clara.
Mercury 1.6° north of Venus.
Mars and Aldebaran nearby.
First Quarter Moon 10:23 PM
27 Thu Latest sunset of the year.
28 Fri Tri-Valley Stargazers meeting 7:30 PM
PDT.
Unitarian Universalist Church in Livermore,
1893 N.
Vasco Road,
Livermore.
(3/ 4 mile north of I-580 ).
July
1 Mon TVS Planning Meeting 7:00 PM
Location TBD.
Jupiter 5° south of Moon.
Later Neptune is 4°,
then Uranus 5° south of Moon.
2 Tue Comet 22P/ Kopff at perihelion (mag.
8.7).
4 Thu Independence Day.
Jupiter at opposition (mag.
-2.7).
5 Fri Earth at aphelion (farthest from Sun: 152,099,00 0 km).
Io occulted,
then eclipsed,
by Jupiter 10:28 PM
to 12:46 AM
Europa occulted,
then eclipsed,
11:47 PM
to 2:42 AM
(AM=6th).
7 Sun Saturn 3° south of Moon.
(Rise after midnight.)
Last Quarter Moon 11:55 AM
PDT.
Ganymede occulted,
then eclipsed,
by Jupiter 9:28 PM
to 12:59 AM
(8th).
11 Thu Moon in Hyades.
12 Fri Venus 0.4° south of Moon;
occulted in Eurasia.
Mars 5° north of Moon.
Callisto's shadow transits Jupiter 9:30 PM
to 12:31 AM,
preceded by
satellite (egress 10:25 PM).
Io occulted 12:12 AM
to 2:40 AM
(AM=13th).
13 Sat Excellent weekend for observing.
Star Party at Sycamore Grove Park (Livermore Park District) 8:00 PM
(Wetmore Rd.
entrance near Holmes St.).
Io transits Jupiter 9:27 to 11:42 PM,
followed by shadow 9:41 to 11:57 PM
14 Sun Europa transits Jupiter until 11:15 PM,
followed by shadow 9:00 to 11:47 PM
15 Mon New Moon 9:15 AM
C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp)
DATE (00UT) R.A.
(2000) DEC El.
Sky Mag
06-11 19h19.3m -13° 50' 150° M 6.7
06-16 19h13.8m -13° 21' 155° M 6.6
06-21 19h07.8m -12° 52' 161° M 6.5
06-26 19h01.5m -12° 23' 165° M 6.4
07-01 18h54.7m -11° 53' 168° M 6.3
07-06 18h47.7m -11° 23' 168° E 6.2
07-11 18h40.5m -10° 54' 165° E 6.1
22P/ Kopff
DATE (00UT) R.A.
(2000) DEC El.
Sky Mag
06-11 19h14.6m -16° 14' 152° M 7.4
06-16 19h17.2m -16° 33' 156° M 7.1
06-21 19h19.2m -16° 58' 160° M 7.0
06-26 19h20.7m -17° 28' 165° M 7.0
07-01 19h21.7m -18° 03' 169° M 6.9
07-06 19h22.3m -18° 41' 174° M 6.9
07-11 19h22.7m -19° 22' 167° E 6.9
29P/ Schwassmann-Wachmann 1
DATE (00UT) R.A.
(2000) DEC El.
Sky Mag
06-11 10h23.1m +04° 52' 75° E 12?
06-16 10h25.0m +04° 42' 71° E 12?
06-21 10h27.0m +04° 31' 67° E 12?
06-26 10h29.3m +04° 18' 63° E 12?
07-01 10h31.7m +04° 05' 59° E 12?
07-06 10h34.2m +03° 50' 55° E 12?
07-11 10h36.8m +03° 35' 51° E 12?
by Don Machholz
Comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) and Periodic
Comet Kopff are within a few degrees of each other in the
southern morning Milky Way.
Both should be visible in
binoculars.
Much fainter is Periodic Comet
Schwassmann-Wachmann 1,
which often shines at
magnitude 16.
It has recently outburst,
attaining
magnitude 11.
Try to get out to see it before it fades.
You'll find it in the evening sky,
south of Regulus.
Orbital Elements
| Object | Hale-Bopp | Kopff | S-W 1 |
| Peri. Date | 1997 04 01.14561 | 1996 07 02.19980 | 1989 09 09.63574 Peri. |
| Dist (AU) | 0.9140971 AU | 1.5795617 AU | 5.7484583 AU |
| Arg/Peri (2000): | 130.59227 deg. | 162.83487 deg. | 046.24130 deg. |
| Asc. Node (2000): | 282.47087 deg. | 120.91329 deg. | 312.82689 deg. |
| Incl (2000) | 089.42807 deg. | 004.72143 deg. | 009.38499 deg. |
| Eccen: | 0.9950784 | 0.5440739 | 0.0440579 |
| Orbital Period: | 3000 yrs. | 6.45 yrs. | 14.75 yrs. |
| Ref: | MPC 26879 (3-26) | MPC 22032 (1991) | MPC 23105 (1994) |
July 19-21 Camp Shelly Dusk South Lake Tahoe Public star party and viewing
August 10 Sycamore Grove 8:00 pm Livermore "Meteors and Comets"
Aug. 30 - Sep. 2 Glacier Point Dusk Yosemite Public star party and viewing
Club president Dave Anderson has compiled a Solar System Observation Award Program. It has opportunities for both binocular and telescope observers. An original of the observation checklist, with its assigned points for objects seen, will be placed in the library. Please make a photocopy of this master and return the original to the library binder.
Thanks for visiting.