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ASTRAL PROJECTIONS
JANUARY 2006
Happy New Year to all ASTRA Members
ASTRA’s Election results: ASTRA held its elections on December 9th with J. Randolph Walton returning as
ASTRA’s President for a second year. He will be working with newly elected Rich Gamba as Vice PresidentSecretary. Also returning as Treasurer will be Ro Spedaliere. To round out the rest of ASTRA’s Executive
Board will be Paul Gitto-Webmaster and John Endreson-Newsletter Editor. Congratulations to all of ASTRA’s
officers and Administrators.
ASTRA Regular Meetings - 2nd Friday of the month, 8:00 P.M. in room P-109 of the
Planetarium.
Sept. 2005 Deep Sky Objects and Asterisms - Bob Salvatore - Display of Sky Atlas Books - all members
Oct. 2005 Demonstration of Sky Atlas computer program - Gene Russo. Planning for 2006 Schedule - all
members
Nov. 2005 Distance in Astronomy -Rich Brady – see page 2 for a synopsis of the meeting.
Dec. 2005 Election results, Awards, and depending on the time a discussion of how to prepare for & behave at a
Star Party – or a video "Solar Blast" - Randy Walton - all members
2006 Meeting schedule
Jan. 2006 Workshop to help the public use their telescope - all members Early meeting start 7:00 PM
Feb. 2006 Eyepieces - Rich Brady
Mar. 2006 Getting Started in Astronomy Books, Show & Tell
For the January meeting, club members
Apr. 2006 Solar Eclipse - Phil Zollner
need to show up at 6:30 PM as the public is
May 2006 Astronomy Equipment, Show & Tell - all members
to come starting at 7:00 PM. If you can
June 2006 TBD (To Be Determined)
bring some simple tools they may be used
July 2006 Famous Astronomers II - Bob Salvatore
to put the public's telescopes together.
Sep. 2006 Telescopes in Movies - Bob Salvatore
Also people will be needed to help that
Oct. 2006 TBD
Nov. 2006 TBD Dec. 2006 Election results, Awards, and TBD do not need to know a lot about telescopes.
The Paper-Copy of the ASTRAL PROJECTIONS will continue to be mailed out to all ASTRA
members who wish to receive one thanks to Rich Gamba who volunteered to help with the printing and mailing
of the newsletter.
Newsletter Deadline: Material for ASTRAL Projections must be received 21 days before the next meeting. Email to [email protected] or [email protected] or mail to: ASTRA Newsletter Editor c/o Robert J.
Novins Planetarium Ocean County College P.O. Box 2001 Toms River, New Jersey 08754-2001
A Synopsis for the November 2005 meeting…
Distance in Astronomy. At the November meeting Rich Brady gave a presentation on Distance in Astronomy.
Except for the probes that have been sent to the planets, astronomers cannot reach out and touch their
experiment, which is the universe itself. One of the key measurements in Astronomy is distance. To measure
distances, the astronomer must rely on the light from any object. Distances are then determined by a series of
techniques building up to greater distances. The process is like climbing a ladder, with each new technique a
rung on the ladder.
Outside of the solar system distances are first measured using parallax – the apparent shift of a star against a
background of more distant stars. Once this shift is measure using the earth’s orbit as a baseline, geometry is
used to determine the distance. Up until recently distances to about 160 light years could be measured using
parallax. With the Hipparcos satellite distances to 1600 light years were measured. Future satellites expect to
go further.
The next step in the process is to use the color-magnitude (CM) diagram, which is a plot of the stars color
against its magnitude. For nearby stars we can create a standard CM diagram of color against absolute
magnitude – a measure of the stars real brightness. For clusters of stars, whose stars are at about the same
distance, astronomers can compare the cluster CM diagram against the standard CM diagram and determine
distance. Distances within our galaxy and into some of the nearby galaxies can be measured using this
technique.
Astronomers then use Cepheid Variables (named after delta Cephei) to measure distances. Cepheid variables
are stars that expand and contract (pulsate). The light of the star varies when it changes size. Brighter Cepheids
take longer to vary in brightness. So if astronomers measure how long it takes for the light to vary, they know
how bright the star is. The distance to some Cepheids can be measured directly using parallax, so astronomers
can calibrate the relationship between the time it takes for the star to vary in brightness and how bright it really
is. This allows astronomers using the Hubble space telescope to measure distances to 82 million light years.
By measuring the real brightness of different types of objects in galaxies whose distance we know from
Cepheid variables, astronomers can then use these objects to determine the distances to galaxies further away.
The following objects are used to measure distances to the edge of the observable universe.
Distance Indicator
Brightest Red Supergiants
Brightest Globular Clusters
Brightest Blue Stars
Type Ia Supernovae
Brightest Galaxy in Cluster
Brightest Absolute
Magnitude
-7.9
-9
-10
-19
-21
Max Distance
(Million ly)
210
326
500
14,000
14,000
Measuring the galaxies speed that it is receding from us and its distance gives us a Hubble constant of 71
kilometer per second per megaparsec. That is the galaxy’s velocity of recession increases by 71 kilometers per
second for every million parsecs that it is further away. Using these techniques, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
and the 2 Micron All Sky Survey show the universe is very clumpy and not smooth. Astronomers have been
able to determine that the universe is about 13.7 billion years old and that the expansion of the universe is
accelerating and not slowing down as expected. And finally the universe is made of strange stuff about which
we know very little: 73% dark energy (which contributes to the acceleration), 23% dark matter, and 4% matter
that we can see.
Committee Sign-up Form
Please print this page, mark those that interest you, and return it to ASTRA.
Astronomy Day__________________
Lectures _______________________
Perseid Picnic ___________________
Newsletter______________________
Star Party_______________________
Telescope Loan__________________
Workshops______________________
Setup-Refreshment-Cleanup________
Thank You. We appreciate your willingness to help.
________________________________
Name (please print)
________________________________
Email address
_______________________________
Phone #
Astronomy Day Committee:
Duties: Coordinate the Astronomy Day Program.
Lectures:
Duties: Providing lectures for the club meetings.
Perseid Picnic:
Duties: Hosting the Perseid Picnic.
Newsletter Committee:
Duties: Supporting the Club Newsletter Editor (who will head the committee)
help publish, and distribute the newsletter.
Star Party Committee:
Duties: Arrange Star Parties throughout the year, and to make sure that they
do not coincide with other scheduled events.
Telescope Loan Committee:
Duties: Oversee, disburse, collect and inspect club telescopes.
Workshop Committee:
Duties: Coordinate any workshops.
Setup, Refreshment, and Cleanup committee:
Duties: Moving tables and chairs as necessary, being sure that the room is
left in a clean and reset condition. Purchase, setting up and cleaning up of
refreshments. The Treasure will reimburse as appropriate.
From the President: Please volunteer for the Lecture Committee. This committee will collect ideas for
lectures, collect names of anyone that wants to give a specific talk, consider topics, pick topics, arrange meeting
dates for people to speak on a topic picked, and then inform: the president; webmaster; and newsletter editor to
update the Meeting Calendar. If a member does not volunteer as chairperson and enough members volunteer to
work, the meetings will only be whatever the president has time to do. There were allot of ideas from the
October meeting to start from, and I have some of the meetings already committed to.
Items for Sale
Dave Cromwell has a telescope for sale. The scope is less than 1 year old. I have a Meade LX-90 8" scope with
UHTC coating, LNT-AutoStar-SmartFinder, Tripod. The eyepiece that came with scope= 26mm Plossl. Plus
the following eyepieces; Meade 4000 set of Plossl eyepieces, 6.4mm, 9.7mm, 12.4mm, 15mm, 20mm, 32mm,
40mm plus the aluminum case. Meade DewShield, TeleVue 2X-Barlow and assorted filters. I paid over
$2700.00 for everything but will sell all for $1900.00.
If interested or have any questions please call or email me. 609-607-1013 or [email protected]
For Sale: Burnham’s Celestial Handbook, 3 volumes, Vol. 1 & 2 original loose-leaf format, Vol. 3 soft back.
$20. Contact Rich Brady at 732-840-0137, or at [email protected]
Group Purchase: If you are an ASTRA member and want to handle a “Group Purchase” or have something to
sell: contact J. Randolph Walton (Randy) phone # 732-458-3465 to announce it at a meeting or E-mail to
[email protected] or [email protected] to place it in the newsletter.
Celestial Events for January 2006
January 1, 2006 /// Venus 7° north of Moon
January 1, 2006 /// Moon at perigee (The point in the Moon's orbit when it is nearest to Earth.)
January 2, 2006 /// Neptune 4° north of Moon
January 3, 2006 /// Quadrantid meteors (The Quadrantid shower is named for the constellation Quadrans Muralis, but now has a
radiant in Boötes.)
January 3, 2006 /// Uranus 2° north of Moon
January 4, 2006 /// Earth at perihelion (The point in Earth's orbit when it is closest to the Sun.)
January 5, 2006 /// Vesta at opposition (Opposition occurs when a body farther from the Sun than Earth appears opposite the Sun in
the sky. It is the best time to observe a planet.)
January 6, 2006 /// First Quarter Moon (1:56 P.M. EDT)
January 8, 2006 /// Mars 1.3° south of Moon
January 13, 2006 /// Venus in inferior conjunction (Venus passes between the Sun and Earth. )
January 14, 2006 /// Full Moon (4:48 A.M. EDT)
January 15, 2006 /// Saturn 4° south of Moon
January 16, 2006 /// Juno stationary (The body appears motionless in the sky due to the turning point between its direct and
retrograde motion.)
January 17, 2006 /// Moon at apogee (The point in the Moon's orbit when it is farthest from Earth.)
January 21, 2006 /// Spica 0.6° south of Moon, occultation (An occultation is the passage of one object in front of a smaller one,
temporarily obscuring all or part of the background object from view.)
January 22, 2006 /// Last Quarter Moon (10:14 A.M. EST)
January 23, 2006 /// Jupiter 5° north of Moon
January 25, 2006 /// Antares 0.02° south of Moon, occultation (An occultation is the passage of one object in front of a smaller one,
temporarily obscuring all or part of the background object from view.)
January 26, 2006 /// Mercury in superior conjunction (Mercury passes on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth. )
January 27, 2006 /// Saturn at opposition (Opposition occurs when a planet farther from the Sun than Earth appears opposite the
Sun in the sky. It is the best time to observe a planet.)
January 27, 2006 /// Venus 12° north of Moon
January 29, 2006 /// New Moon (9:15 A.M. EST)
January 30, 2006 /// Moon at perigee (The point in the Moon's orbit when it is nearest to Earth.)
January 31, 2006 /// Uranus 1.7° north of Moon
Some Astro-Photos from our members…
This one is from Ro Spedaliere taken with her 8” Meade LX-200 with the Meade LPI camera. Combining
mutable pictures and editing them with a computer.
This one was taken by Rich Brady it was taken with his Canon EOS 10d; 5:20 PM; Lens – 105 mm telephoto;
ASA equivalent of 400; f/5.6 at about 1/90th sec.
Dues are Due. . . .
To renew your membership, all you need to do is fill out the form below and send it with your dues to:
Robert J. Novins Planetarium
ATTN: ASTRA
Ocean County College
Toms River NJ 08754-2001
PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO ASTRA. You can also pay at the next meeting. If you do, please
bring this form with you. Hope we’ll see you there!
Annual dues, per family:
$15.00
Refreshments fee — $1.00 for each additional
family member who is active in ASTRA:
__________
Telescope fund assessment (only if you wish Optional for continuing members):
5.00
TOTAL (minimum $15.00):
__________
Privileges of membership include 12 issues per year of Astral Projections, use of Club telescopes (after suitable
training), student discount on admission to Planetarium shows, membership in the Astronomical League, and a
subscription to the Astronomical League’s quarterly newsletter, Reflector. Dues are payable January 1 each
year, and past due as of the end of the March business meeting.
NAME______________________________________
PHONE (
)_________________
ADDRESS____________________________________________________________________
CITY_______________________________________
STATE________ ZIP___________
NAMES OF OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS JOINING ASTRA (Add $1.00 for Each):
(Please indicate if member is over 18 - for voting purposes)
18+
18+
18+
18+
_________________ _________________ __________________ ___________________
E-MAIL ADDRESS (if applicable) ________________________________________________
TOTAL AMOUNT PAID (minimum $15.00)__________
I grant permission to publish the following to ASTRA members only (check any that apply):
phone number
e-mail address
put me on the star party phone list
ASTRA’s ALCor: John Endreson - [email protected]
The Astronomical League is composed of over two
hundred and forty local amateur astronomical
societies from all across the United States. These
organizations, along with our Members-at-Large,
Patrons, and supporting members form one of the
largest amateur astronomical organizations in the
world.
The mission of the Astronomical League is to
promote the science of Astronomy. The benefit of
belonging to this organization is receiving the
quarterly newsletter, The Reflector, which keeps you
in touch with amateur activities all over the country
also the AL Observing Clubs offer encouragement
and certificates of accomplishment for
demonstrating observing skills. For more
information, visit their homepage at:
www.astroleague.org
Members of the Astronomical League may
order any book on astronomy at a ten per cent
discount through the Book Service.
Just send us the following:
The book's title,
The author of the book,
The publisher of the book,
The publisher's address (if known),
The name of the Astronomical League Society
you belong to, or indicate your direct
membership status in the Astronomical League,
and
A check made out to the Astronomical League
Book Service for the retail price of the book
minus 10%. There is no shipping or handling
charge for domestic orders.
Address your request to: Marilyn Unruh 324 W.
Gurley St. Prescott, AZ 86301 (928) 778-2130
[email protected] Also visit their online
store at: www.astronomicalleague.com
Newsletter Deadline: Material for ASTRAL Projections must be received 21 days before the next meeting. Email to [email protected] or [email protected] or mail to: ASTRA Newsletter Editor c/o Robert J.
Novins Planetarium Ocean County College P.O. Box 2001 Toms River, New Jersey 08754-2001
Planetarium office: 732/255-0343 weekdays 9 AM - 4 PM. Hot line: 732/255-0342. Touch 5 for ASTRA. Visit
the Planetarium page at http://ocean.edu/planet.htm or visit our Web page at http://astra-nj.org
Astronomy Courses: Planetarium staff offers a number of mini-courses on astronomy. Call the OCC
Department of Continuing and Professional Education, 732/255-0404, for information or to register.
Astronomy Help Wanted: If you have an “Astronomy Help Wanted” advertisement for the newsletter: E-mail
to [email protected] or [email protected] of mail to: ASTRA Newsletter Editor c/o Robert J.
Novins Planetarium Ocean County Collage P.O. Box 2001 Toms River, NJ 08754-2001
Group Purchase: If you want to handle a “Group Purchase” for something: contact J. Randolph Walton
(Randy) phone # 732-458-3465 to announce it at a meeting or E-mail to [email protected] or
[email protected] to place it in the newsletter.
Executive Board: President -J. Randolph Walton - Phone # 732-458-3465 Vice President-Secretary – Rich
Gamba Treasurer - Ro Spedaliere Webmaster - Paul Gitto Newsletter Editor - John Endreson