OAKLAND ASTRONOMY CLUB

NEWSLETTER

                                                       MARCH  2009                                                       

Bill  MacIntosh,  Editor

• Independence Oaks Winter Star Party on  Feb 21st  - OAC Observing cancelled due to weather
• Inter-club Presidents meeting, March 6th.   Discussions on activities for Astronomy Day, May 2
• The Ford Club held a swap expo March 7th, but it was not well publicized.   Dave Holt attended.
  

• On February 28, Dave Holt, Mark Javit, Bill Barsuhn and Walt Fielek were out at the Addison Oaks site for an observing session.    Access was OK, but it was extremely cold.
• Most all members reported seeing Comet Lulin, either with scopes or binos.   Apparent motion is now very fast.
  

•  2009 Independence Oaks Star Parties dates, all on Saturdays at the Wint Nature Center.                                                          
  

• The Seven Ponds Club is hosting an inter-club gathering at their site on March 28th.   Details HERE.  Bob Berta will give a presentation on "How to Get the Maximum Potential From Your SCT," showing the innards of a scope.

• "100 Hours of Astronomy,"  inter-club event is planned April 2-5 at Metropark.  Contact Bob Berta for latest update. 

• Astronomy Day 2009 -  May 2 at Cranbrook.   OAC is offering solar scope viewing from 1 to 4 pm.

• Stephen Edberg will offer a inter-club presentation on “Exoplanets” -  May 15th at Cranbrook.  Tickets can be reserved on-line HERE.     Early reservations are strongly suggested, as the auditorium only seats 200 and the program last year was sold out.
  

• NOTE:  Next meeting moved up to April 5th due to Easter.   The May meeting was moved to May 3rd due to Mothers' Day.  

• Michiana Star Party, May 29-31 at the Potawatomi Wildlife Park, Tippecanoe, Indiana.     

A Vivitar $14.99 50mm refractor was on display, acquired by Bob Berta. Unlike the similar Galileo scopes being distributed, this one comes with an extendable tripod, panhead, finder, 2 eyepieces (50 and 100 X) and a diagonal.   Plus, with a standard socket, the tripod can serve double duty for attaching a camera.   These little scopes can be raffled as door prizes, or offered to scout groups as a promotional item.     Incredibly at this price, the objective is a glass acromat.          (Naturally, as you'd expect: "fabrique en chine")

 

MOON                                                                             CALENDAR                     FM   Tue, Mar 10                           8  Mar, Moon near Beehive Cluster M44                     LQ    Wed, Mar 18                          8 Mar,  Saturn at opposition                     NM  Thu, Mar 26                          20 Mar,  Vernal Equinox 11:44 UT  (7:44 a.m. EDT)                     FQ    Thu,, Apr 2                            27 Mar,  Venus Inferior Conjunction                                                                               31 Mar,  Mercury Superior Conjunction                                                                                                                                                       COMETS:   (Click Link for Finder Charts & Details)                    Comet C/2007 N3 (Lulin)    Still visible in morning sky at 7th mag                                                               PLANETS                   MERCURY   Morning, ESE,  Mag -0.1                      VENUS          Dusk,  W, Mag  -4.6, disk narrowing to just 3% illumination on the 20th                           MARS           Morning, ESE, Mag 1.2, low at dawn, just 4 degrees high 30 min before sunrise                    JUPITER       Evening, WSW, Mag  2.0, low at dawn just 4 degrees from crescent Moon on 3/22                   SATURN       At opposition, visible all night at Mag 0.5 in southern Leo under the hindquarters.                   URANUS       Unviewable this month passing in conjunction with the Sun on 3/14                   NEPTUNE     Mag 8, In conjuction with Mercury on 3/5 and with Mars on 3/8              CONSTELLATION PICKS & HIGHLIGHTS:      URSA MAJOR - The Great Bear             Galaxy combo M81 & M82, visible together in wide field scopes, Mag 7.0                   GEMINI - The Twins              M35 OC,  Mag 5,  2800 LY distant near the W edge of Gemini, containing about 120 stars              Alpha (Castor) is strangely the second brightest star in Gemini,  Mag 1.6, Dist=46 LY, possibly a sextuple star.              Beta (Pollux) is the brightest,  Mag 1.1, Dist=11.4 LY                     CANCER - The Crab             Zeta - Multiple star, Mag 5 & 7, center-west side of constellation at 52 LY             M55 - Beehive Cluster,  Mag 6.3, 74 visible stars at 515 LY             M67 - OC, Mag 7.0, about 65 stars at 2700 LY       LEO - The Lion            Alpha (Regulus) Mag 1.4, in handle of sickle at 69 LY            M95-96 galaxies, Mag 9.7, center of underbelly spirals         HYDRA - The Sea Serpent, a constellation so long and large it takes 6 hours to rise             Alphard (Alpha) is the only named star in Hydra, Dist = 110 LY             M48, OC,  Mag 6.0 on the western border, with about 80 stars at 1,500 LY     The best way to find M-48 is to locate the bright star Sirius.  Then locate the circle of stars that form the head of Hydra.  Next locate Procyon.  If you can see Procyon and Hydra's head, you will be able to locate M-48 in binoculars forming an equilateral triangle.                                                                                                     Chart Credit:   http://rao.150m.com/M48.html        DSO PICK:               M48 -  See Feature Below

Open cluster Messier 48 is a large OC readily seen in binos and small scopes. This cluster was cataloged on on February 19, 1771 by Charles Messier , but then lost for a number of years due to an error in location. The smallest binocular, or telescope, shows a large group of about 50 stars brighter than mag 13, the total number being at least 80. The more concentrated core extends over about 30 arc minutes, while the outskirts reach out to about 54', corresponding to a linear diameter of 23 light years Right Ascension 08 : 13.8 (h:m) Declination -05 : 48 (deg:m) Distance 1.5 (kly) Visual Brightness 5.5 (mag) Apparent Dimension 54.0 (arc min) More details - Click Link: http://www.messier.obspm.fr/m/m048.html

Image Credit:  Naoyuki Kurita,  Pentax 2.9" ED Refractor, 15 Min exposure @ F4.8                          Details:  http://www.ne.jp/asahi/stellar/scenes/object_e/m48.htm

Constellation:  HYDRA

DID YOU KNOW?  

DARWIN will be a flotilla of four or five free-flying spacecraft that will search for Earth-like planets around other stars and analyse their atmospheres for the chemical signature of life.  In addition the flotilla will be able to carry out high-resolution imaging using aperture synthesis, to provide pictures of celestial objects with unprecedented detail.

Image credit and more info:  http://www.esa.int/science/darwin
 

   

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PERSPECTIVES

Beautiful..............uh...........what is it  ?






                                Nope, it doesn't have a Messier number                                        

                                                                 Not a Hubble image either (12.5" RCT)
                                                                 Can you identify this celestial jellyfish-looking thing?                                              

                                                                 HINT:  It's in a southern constellation and was in the Jan 09 Astronomy
                                                                            Magazine "Reader Gallery" of amateur photos. 

                                                    
            Click HERE for the answer                                     

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FUNZIES

 

Credit:  Chris Madden
http://www.chrismadden.co.uk/subjects.html

                   

                                                                 

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CLUB MEMBER ASTROPHOTO OF THE MONTH

SUN DETAIL:  1-15-2009


  


Image by Bob Berta 

Bob's notes for the photo:

Ha Coronado 60mm on 152mm A&M APO, SBIG STL 6303e We just started a new solar cycle so activity is very low...almost no sun spots in recent months. At least with Ha you can see these tiny prominences and the convection cells on the surface. I like this image as it gives a bit of a 3-D effect to the sun due to limb darkening...even if there isn't much going on.

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FOR SALE:

Items forwarded from the Warren Club Newsletter

FOR SALE:  This is a 8 or 9 year old Celestron Starhopper 6" Dob. I've used it up at our cottage for years and its given me many years of enjoyment. I am including a 25mm plossl eyepiece and a Red dot laser star spotter. I am the original owner and am selling it because I recently upgraded to a bigger scope. I am asking $300 but will take any reasonable offer. Call John 586-726-0741

WANTED: Spidervane for 6" Criterion Dynascope. My name is Gary Klein, I am a former member of WAS. I am getting back into observing and photographing Celestial objects. On dusting off my 6" Criterion Dynascope, I found some damage to the tube. I began disassembling the finder scope and secondary mirror and spider. I ended up twisting off one of the mounting studs for the spider. It is beyond repair. I have unsuccessfully been on a search for a direct replacement of the spider. The secondary mirror is fine. It is a straight 4 legged spider. Contact Gary at: (586) 247- 2460 Thanks. Gary K.

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Members are encouraged to join the Club's Yahoo Group
for messages, photo posting and more.

Click to join OaklandAstronomy

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CLUB DUES 

Membership is $35 annually
If you are unable to make the next meeting and wish to support OAC
with your 2009 dues, you can mail your check payable to

OAKLAND ASTRONOMY CLUB
600 Shelley Dr
Rochester Hills, MI  48307-4237

2009 Officers

                                                                             President          Dave Holt           dave_holt@yahoo.com

                                                                             Vice President  Bob Berta           biker123@att.net

                                                                             Treasurer         Bill Girardin        bggirardin@sbcglobal.net

                                                                             Secretary         Mark Jeffery      jefamily@wowway.com

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NEXT MEETING:    April 5th,  2009       7:30 PM

           
                                                                        

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 Links to other club sites:

Warren Astronomical Society (WAS)
Seven Ponds Astronomy Club
Ford Astronomy Club

GLAAC

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Editor's Note:   Newsletters can be saved locally by right-clicking, then select Save Webpage Complete


2009 NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE

http://www.oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews0109.html       OAC Newsletter Jan 2009                   http://www.oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews0209.html       OAC Newsletter Feb 2009

2008 NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE

 

http://www.oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews0108.html    OAC Newsletter Jan 2008                       http://www.oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews0208.html    OAC Newsletter Feb 2008                     http://www.oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews0308.html     OAC Newsletter Mar 2008     http://www.oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews0408.html     OAC Newsletter Apr 2008      http://www.oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews0508.html    OAC Newsletter May 2008      http://www.oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews0608.html    OAC Newsletter June 2008     http://www.oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews0708.html    OAC Newsletter July 2008     http://www.oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews0808.html    OAC Newsletter Aug 2008                     http://www.oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews0908.html    OAC Newsletter Sept 2008                     http://www.oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews1008.html    OAC Newsletter Oct 2008                     http://www.oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews1108.html    OAC Newsletter Nov 2008                     http://www.oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews1208.html    OAC Newsletter Dec 2008

2007 NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE

http://oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews0607.html    OAC Newsletter June 2007 http://oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews0707.html    OAC Newsletter July 2007 http://oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews0807.html    OAC Newsletter Aug 2007 http://oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews0907.html    OAC Newsletter Sep 2007 http://oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews1007.html    OAC Newsletter Oct 2007  http://oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews1107.html    OAC Newsletter Nov 2007  http://oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/oacnews1207.html    OAC Newsletter Dec 2007

Oakland Astronomy Club Newsletters are on the Web as Public Domain and may be freely accessed, linked-to or referenced by anyone.
However, certain images and articles are copyrighted material and such acknowledgements and credits are given whenever known.
Opinions in signed articles are those of the authors, and not necessarily those of the Editor or the OAC.

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