starsglow

OAC logo

 starsglow


OAKLAND ASTRONOMY CLUB

NEWSLETTER

                                                       DECEMBER 2008                                                        

hollybar


Gort
Bill  MacIntosh,  Editor



CLUB PRESIDENT:     Jim Saoud  (248-652-1496)                                                             WEBSITES:   www.oaklandastronomy.org   Link                  
                                          Email to Jim Saoud                                                                                                   oakland astronomy@yahoo groups                                                                                                                                                                                              (Messages & Photo Albums)   
                                                                                                                                                                            oaklandastronomy.ulmb.com/
                                                                                                                                                                                (Newsletter html site)                                
                                                                                                                                                                            Addison Oaks  Sky Clock  Link

                                                                                                                                                   
LAST MEETING
Minutes from December 14, 2008
M. Jeffery, Secretary                                                                                                                                            
                                                             
Opening
President Jim Saoud called the meeting to order at 7:35 PM.     
8 members present, 2 visitors:   Chuck Ward and Dave Mabry


 Sky-at-a-Glance

Bill Girardin distributed SkyMaps  and gave the presentation.  ( See Below)   
Club Activities

Past

 Future
                 February 21st  8-10pm
              April 4th   9-11pm
              July 25th   9-11pm
              November 14th   8-10pm
Observing Night Contacts  -  Addison Oaks 

Contact for:      
                          
                          Dec  26 & 27   (Open)  
                          Jan  3rd           Jim Saoud   248-652-1496

Business Meeting:

· Bill Girardin gave the financial report.   All income so far this year has been from dues.   Most expenses have been for insurance and association fees.    Although the Club's cash flow is currently negative, it is felt this will improve later in the year as 2009 dues are collected.     The OAC account is being transferred to a different bank to reduce fees.

Presentations:

                                                                                                               
Bennett
 Terry Coatta ran a DVD on "Roving Mars."    The vid detailed many of the technical issues involved with the design, construction and launch of "Opportunity" and "Spirit" which,  although initially given only a 90 day life expectancy, are still  functioning on the Red Planet many years later.  
  <====   Mike Bennett brought dozens of classic Astronomy books from his personal library and offered them to the Club.


                                                                                                                                                     
Election for 2009 Officers

o    Treasurer:  Bill Girardin     
o    Secretary:  Mark Jeffery     
o    Vice Pres:  Bob Berta         
o    President:  Dave Holt         
                    


Adjournment:   9:00 PM
Next Meeting:    Sunday, January 11th, 7:30 pm


For Current MoonPhase click HERE
The Sky-at-a-Glance
by Bill Girardin
  Telescope blink
MOON                                                                             CALANDAR
                    LQ     Fri, Dec 19                           15 Dec  Moon Near M44 Beehive
                    NM   Sat, Dec 27                           18 Dec  Moon Near Saturn
                    FQ     Sat, Jan 3                              21 Dec  Winter Solstice 12:04 UT
                    FM    Sat, Jan 10                            29 Dec  Moon near Jupiter
                                                                             31 Dec  Moon near Venus                                                                                                                                                     

METEORS:
                   The Geminid Meteor Shower  peaked 23h UT on Dec 13.  Unfortunately there was a nearly full Moon.
                   The Ursid Meteor Shower peaks before dawn on 12/22 and is active from 12/17 to 12/26 with radiant near Polaris.  The usual rate                       is about five meteors per hour, but sometimes there are bursts of 30 or more per hour.
                                

PLANETS
                  MERCURY   Dusk, W,  Mag -.7, below Jupiter on 12/28
                  VENUS          Dusk,  SW, Mag -4.0, 13 degrees off horizon        
                  MARS           Hidden in the Sun's glare all month  
                  JUPITER       Evening, SW, Mag -2.3, N of Teapot .   Just 2 degrees from Venus on Nov 30, joined by a crescent Moon.
                  SATURN       Dawn, E  Mag 1.0 near the tail of Leo
                  URANUS       In Aquarius
                  NEPTUNE     In Capricornus

            
CONSTELLATION PICKS & HIGHLIGHTS:

     CASSIOPEIA,  The Queen
            Stk (Stock)2,  OC,  Mag 4.4, NNW of the Double Cluster

     PERSEUS - Saved Andromeda
             NGC 884/869   The Double Cluster,  Mag 3.5, Dist = 7,300 LY
             Beta (Algol), the Demon Star, Eclipsing Binary, Dist = 105 LY
     
     TAURUS - The Bull - One of the oldest constellations on record
             M45 - The Pleiades, Mag 1.2, Dist = 415 LY
             Hyades, OC,  Dist = 140 LY
             Alpha (Aldebaran the Follower),  Dist = 60 LY
             M1,  the Crab Nebula, Supernova Pulsar, Mag 8.1
  
    ERIDANUS - The River, possibly representing the Euphrates or Nile
             Dozens of galaxies at Mag 10 or below
             IC 2118,  Reflection Nebula (Witchead), 2.5 deg NW of Rigel
           

                                                                                            CASSIOPEIA MAP TO STK 2
Stk2 Map
                                                                                        Chart Credit:  Mikkel Steine -Messier45.com
   

        
DSO PICK:
           Stk2   ( See feature below)
                               

 

                                                                                                                                                             


DSO OF THE MONTH
 From Sky-at-a-Glance

                      

  Stock2 - Open Cluster                                                                                         Distance = 303 pc                                          
Stk2 Discovered by Jurgen Stock in 1955.  Known to some as the "Muscle Man" cluster, this little known gem is a brilliant collection of about 50 or so stars, readily visible in binos and small scopes, with a strong concentration toward the center.

   RA  02 15 11.8
 DEC +59 27 24
 Mag  4.4
  Size    60'

Located NNW of the Double Cluster, the component stars appear bright and sparkly, while the stick-man figure stands out at low power.

 
 
Image Credit: Gary Syrba
http://home.comcast.net/~astrohammer/Photogalleryastrophoto.htm
 Taken in Western Michigan through a 100ED telescope, with a 40mm Optiluxe 2" eyepiece. A series of 12 shots were stacked for this image. Each shot: ISO 100, F/2.8, 15 seconds.    
  		            Constellation:  CASSIOPEIA

 
 


COOL LINK THIS MONTH:

A spectacular collection of images from the November 20 Canadian Fireball,
including chunks found and videos of the incoming body.

http://skyriver.ca/astro/bruce/meteorite.htm

(Thanks to Richard Lipke, Warren Astro, for this link)


                                                ADVERTORIAL
                                          (CLUB PROMOTION)

Woven patches with the Club logo are available for only $3 bucks in two styles, button loop and stitch/iron on.
   		  SEE DAVE HOLT TO GET 'EM.                               

                    


ASTRO-FACTOID OF THE MONTH


DID YOU KNOW?  


Cas A
Image Credit:  http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050615.html


 Supernova remnant Cassiopeia A  is the brightest celestial radio source beyond the Solar System.   It is 328 years old, having been sighted by John Flamsteed, August 16, 1680, when he cataloged a "bright star" in the remnant's position.    The above image is a composite of optical, x ray and infrared, spans about 15 LY and is 10,000 LY distant.

  
                                                                                         Source:   Astronomy, December 2008, P.62
 
   

PERSPECTIVES


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



What is it?


                                       Nope, it doesn't have a Messier number                                        
                        No, it's not a Hubble image                                           
                                  HINT:  You can't see it from Michigan                                    
                                                    
                   Click HERE for the answer                                     






 

FUNZIES


string lab



   Credit & Copyright:      Jim Bertram
Used with permission from the artist

             
                                                                 
 
 
 
     
CLUB MEMBER ASTROPHOTO OF THE MONTH

 Venus with the Pleiades and the Hyades

   Venus+Pleiades+Hyades


Image Credit:   Don DeNatale


 


  
launch

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


NEXT MEETING:    January 11th,  2009       7:30 PM
           
                                                                        
.

 Links to other club sites:

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


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



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





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.


Orbiting



Submit Club news, astro-photos, equipment sale/trades to the editor:

Bill MacIntosh
nightwinger2004@yahoo.com