August 2020 The Sidereal Times The Official Newsletter of The … · 2020-07-24 · Page 3 The...

Just as Hale-Bopp was the comet of 1995 (and perhaps the 20th Century) Comet C2020 F3 NEOWISE is certain-ly the comet of 2020

Comet NEOWISE over Albuquerque July 7 452 AM MDT from West Bluff Park on the west mesa looking northeast across the city with a hint of the Sun and noctilucent clouds

guest speaker Dave Finley a former president of TAAS and long-time Public Information Officer for what is for-mally known as the National Radio Astronomy Observa-tory

Vice President Steve Snider will issue invitations and instructions via TAAS_talk as the time approaches with a limit of 100 on-line participants who must register in advance To register email Steve at slsnider423yahoocom

All August TAAS Events Cancelled

Once again due to the Covid-19 pandemic all regular TAAS events are cancelled for the month of August The TAAS Board of Directors made this deci-sion on June 24 in accordance with a New Mex-ico Public Health order to maintain its rules and restrictions for mass gatherings Observing events may continue at GNTO with a five-person limit for each event

The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical SocietyPO Box 50581 Albuquerque New Mexico 87181-0581 wwwTAASorg

S i n c e 1959

I N S I D E2 Presidentrsquos Message4 TAAS The Best Never Rest5Under the Dome

6 Telescope Loan Update7 Astrophoto The Whirlpool Galaxy M519 Telescopes I Have Known and Loved

10 Get a TAAS Cap11 TAAS Reports amp Notices12 TAAS Directors amp Staff

continued on page 2

August 2020 ObservemdashEducatemdashHave Fun

The Sidereal Times

TAAS General Meeting - August 8th Via Zoom

Speaker Dave Finley ldquoThe Very Large Arrayrdquo

We will hold a very non-traditional General Meet-ing on August 8th via Zoom but with the usual format of welcome to new and old members introduction of Board news from Board decisions and then on to our

G e n e r a l M e e t i n g N e w s Lynne Olson

continued on page 3

Chasing the Comet of 2020NEOWISE

By Bob Fugate

Page 2

The Sidereal Times August 2020

The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society

G e n e r a l M e e t i n g N e w s c o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 1

Join Us for the Virtual Observing SessionsFor July we offered the Globular Clusters Virtual Observing Session I hope you have been able to view a few of those beautiful objects in and around all of the clouds we have had in the evening latelyFor August Dee Friesen and Boris Venet are plan-ning a Variable Star virtual event The details for all virtual sessions are on the TAAS website Keep sending your inputs to Dee on what other virtual programs you would like to participate in

The General Meeting Goes VirtualPlease plan to attend our first virtual General Meeting which is scheduled for August 8th Steve Snider has made all of the arrangements To reg-ister for the meeting send an email to Steve at sl-snider423yahoocom

Can GNTO Be UsedYes The GNTO Committee will soon announce an expanded schedule of GNTO events and a new way to register for them Be watching TAAS_Talk and the website for details

On nights when we are not opening GNTO for a scheduled observing event any TAAS member can open the Observing Field on their own If you see that the observing will be great on a Tuesday night take advantage of our great Dark Sky Site The procedure for using the site on your own is avail-able at httpwwwTAASorgGNTODocumentshtm Look for the GNTO Observing Field Access Proce-dure and Checklist

Whether you use GNTO is a personal decision Please keep in mind that the Governorrsquos Stay-at-Home order places a limit of no more than five people participating in a group activity If you plan to use GNTO you need to comply with that limit The best way to accomplish that is to determine who will attend in advance via TAAS_Talk

Keep safe out there and keep Observing Educat-ing (yourself) and Having Fun

P r e s i d e n t rsquo s M e s s a g e Jim Fordice

Here is Daversquos description of his topic New Mexicorsquos own Very Large Array

The National Science Foundationrsquos Karl G Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) is the worldrsquos most famous radio telescope An iconic fixture in the high desert of New Mexico it is a premier tool for astronomers who seek to advance our understanding of the Uni-verse and how it works

I will present a well-illustrated look at the history and scientific achievements of the VLA over four de-cades of operation at the frontiers of human knowl-edge beginning with an overview of pre-VLA radio astronomy the presentation recounts the VLArsquos conception design and construction and its break-through discoveries

Today we are seeing a dramatic technical expansion of the VLArsquos capabilities culminating in a rededica-tion in 2012 and discoveries made possible by that expansionMy presentation will conclude with a look at plans for the next-generation VLA a new telescope that will be an essential part of taking science into a new era of 21st-Century discovery

NOTE The Aug 8 meeting will begin on Zoom at 7 PM only TAAS members who have registered to take part in the session will receive emailed invitations includ-ing a link to join the meeting See the TAASorg website or TAAS_talk for any additional details as the date ap-proaches -Ed

mdash Lynne Olson

Page 3



Discovered on March 27 by the Near Earth Orbit Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) the cometrsquos orbit has a period of 6766 years It made its closest ap-proach to the Sun (43 million km 267 million miles) on July 3 and closest approach to Earth (102 million km 634 million miles) to Earth on July 23 2020 The core is estimated to be 5 km (about 3 miles) in diameter

NEOWISE rises over South Mountain east of the Sandia Mountains on July 10 at 0420 AM MDT Image taken from Sedillo Hill Road This image was created by integrating a stack of 10 images each with 10 secs exposure The blue ion tail was evident in a single exposure The comet was a joy to observe with the naked eye in this setting

NEOWISE evening sunset shot from the NE Heights of Albuquerque on July 14 at 938 PM MDT This was a quick roadside shot made east of Tramway when I saw a break in the clouds Not visible to the unaided eye but quite bright in binoculars continued on page 4

C h a s i n g t h e C o m e t o f 2 0 2 0 N e o w i s e c o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 1

In the quest for a darker sky on July 9 and 10 I went to a friendrsquos house near Sedillo Hill Road just off I-40 east of Albuquerque I arrived at 2 AM with two trackers and 3 cameras The first night I didnrsquot get usable shots but it was a good dry run for July 10 which turned out to be the clearest night of the five I spent shooting NEOWISE I used my 400mm F28 lens on the EQ6 tracking mount for close up shots The comet was amazing to see naked eye and stunning to examine in binoculars (I even got a great selfie with my iPhone on NightMode with a 30 sec exposure)

My next opportunity limited by cloudy monsoon weath-er was on July 14 in the foothills east of Tramway It was cloudy and I had to shoot through ldquosucker holesrdquo but got an interesting picture of the comet framed by red clouds

By July 13 astrophotographers with clear dark skies especially in the northern latitudes were reporting a very long ion tail ndash 20 to 25 degrees I needed a dark clear sky to capture it so I went to the White Ridge Bike Trails northwest of Albuquerque

There I found a view of the valley in the direction where the comet would set My hoped-for dark clear sky was not to be - clouds everywhere ndash but I thought if I took

NEOWISE viewed in the New Mexico desert on July 16 at 1058 PM MDT near White Ridge Bike Trails on BLM land northwest of Albuquerque This image is a composite of 3 images all three exposures 60 seconds at ISO 800 The comet was very bright to the unaided eye and spectacular in binoculars at this location

Page 4



middot Mike Pendley Ray Collins Jim Seargeant ATMTelescope Making and Maintenance

middot Lynne Olson Publicity and PR Facebookmiddot Jim Roucis Cosmic Carnivalmiddot Chaz Jetty Scout Coordinatormiddot Billie Sue Patrick ID Badges

These people are working during this period when we canrsquot gather in groups--making plans for the future adding new features preparing to help TAAS move for-ward to bigger and better things

IF YOU WOULD LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF THIS WITH YOUR IDEAS--NEW PROGRAMS AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO EX-ISTING PROGRAMS OR JUST JOINING IN ON ONE OF THESE AREAS-- PLEASE CONTACT STEVE SNIDER AT vpTAASorg

TAAS THE BEST NEVER

RESTBy Lynne Olson

All of our mem-bers who work for the good of TAAS and the enjoyment of the members and public are unpaid

volunteers from the President to each one who brings hisher telescope to public star parties and school star parties and TAAS Fab Fifties

There is a list at the end of this Newsletter that shows all of your helpers but this is a reminder if you donrsquot get that far (Their contact emails are found there)

bull TAAS Officers - Jim Fordice President Steve Snider Vice President Carl Larson Secretary and Doug Le-Grand Treasurer

bull TAAS Board of Directors - The above officers plus these Bob Anderson Bob Havlen Rich Vergas Mark Goodman Boris Venet Jim Roucis

The following people hold down specific jobs within the organization some in addition to being Board Members some only with certain programs

middot Jim Fordice GNTO Directormiddot Steve Snider Arranges speakers and coordi-

nates public star parties and special eventsmiddot Bob Anderson Membership Chairmanmiddot Rick Vergas Telescope Loan Coordinatormiddot Mark Goodman Educational Outreach Coordi-

nator School Star Partiesmiddot Boris Venet UNMO Coordinator and Chaco Can-

yon eventsmiddot Bruce Meyer amp Gary Cooper - Sidereal Times

Newsletter Editorsmiddot John Purnell ndash Webmastermiddot Becky Ramotowski - Astronomical League Co-

ordinatorPhil Fleming TAAS Fab Fifty Director


enough pictures maybe I could piece a few together So I did At least the landscape was illuminated by light pol-lution from Albuquerque reflected off the low clouds a rare case when clouds and light pollution were useful The evening yielded two useful shots with help from Photoshop

The pictures aside what I value most during my 9 days of chasing the comet is the lifetime of memories and in-spiration I gained while observing this visitor from the far reaches of our solar system

All photos by TAAS member Bob Fugate using Nikon D850 NOTE Full resolution versions of these and oth-er Neowise images can be seen on my website at httpswwwrqfphotocomAstrophotographyNightscapes mdashBFugate

Page 5



Under the DomeNotes from and about GNTO Jim Fordice

July 11 - 3rd Quarter Moon Observing SessionI opened the site just after 7 PM Tom Lilies joined me soon after and by 8 Jim Roucis Viola Sanchez and Jon Wheeler joined us There was a lot of wind and clouds as the sun set but the wind calmed down and the clouds pretty much went away Seeing was not good with a lot of smoke in the air Jim Roucis used his big dob to look at brighter objects Viola used the loaner 10rdquo Dobsonian and Tom looked a lots of Sagittarius and Scorpio binocular objects with his tripod-mounted 20x80 binoculars He also used his 12x36 image stabilized binoculars while sitting comfortably in his chair

I left at about 10 and left the closing duties to Tom By 130 AM every-one had departed and Tom closed the site

continued on page 6

photo by eric edwards

Jim Roucis reported It turned out to be a very productive evening for me I focused on (pun intended) globular clusters and planetary nebulae of varying brightnesses and sizes in the region shared by Ophiu-chus and Sagittarius I finished the session just as the moon rose by viewing Saturn and Jupiter The seeing was good mdash but not excel-lent mdash so there were fleeting mo-ments of great detail on the planets punctuating the typical shimmering faces The transparency was com-promised by wildfire smoke and perhaps other particulates in the air but it turned out to be less of a hinderance than I expected I sim-ply avoided magnitude 15+ galaxies and that worked well

Sometime in the late stages of twi-light (I wish I had looked at my watch) we were treated with a very

long-lasting fireball moving east to west perhaps 10 degrees above the southern horizon I caught it just about the time it passed the meridi-an and watched until it disappeared (or burned out) over the WSW ho-rizon It had a greenish-blue color and left no trail The remarkable thing about it was its longevity mdash perhaps 3 or 4 seconds When I first recognized it I yelled ldquowowrdquo think-ing it would vanish that instant but then continued to yell ldquowowrdquo several more times as it persisted In retrospect I should have yelled ldquolook southrdquo but I was dumbfound-ed by the duration of the event and fixated on a less eloquent and less descriptive term It sure was enter-taining

We had some clouds drift over throughout the evening but oddly they never seemed to bother the

Page 6



region of the sky in which I was working The GNTO Breezetrade came and went but was only briefly an-noying One interesting experience was sweating at the eyepiece I was in a T-shirt long pants and hiking boots and just moving back and forth between the telescope and the computer raised some perspi-ration When I left around 130 am the thermometer in my van said 85o F It was probably a few degrees cooler than that but Irsquod say this qualified as a ldquohotrdquo observ-ing session

Many thanks to Jim and Tom for opening and closing It was great therapy for me

July 18 - New Moon Observing SessionJeff Boggs was the Opener He re-ported Mike Soukup and I got to GNTO about 630 PM with Jim Stanley showing up somewhat later Clouds everywhere Eric Ed-wards showed up near dusk We visited and waited for dark There were lightning shows off in the distance (see photo) A hole in the clouds opened up giving us an op-portunity to view Jupiter and the southern end of the Milky Way but only for about 30 minutes Jim and I used our binos and Eric set up his equipment Around 1130 PM everyone left except Eric who decided to wait out a passing rain shower Eric volunteered to lock the gate Hoping for better observ-ing conditions next time

U n d e r t h e D o m e c o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 4 Eric reported I left and locked the

gate about 20 minutes later when the rain wouldnrsquot stop only to drive to Albuquerque and find clear skies there So I used Sky Safari to find Neptune from my suburban drive-way and then went to bed

Upcoming EventsThe GNTO Committee will soon expand the number of scheduled observing events Be sure to watch TAAS_Talk and the website for de-tails See my Presidentrsquos Message concerning how GNTO can be used while we are under the Stay-at-Home order

Donrsquot forget that the GNTO Observ-ing Field is available for use by TAAS members any time Check the TAAS website for the procedure to follow Contact me if you have any questions

As always check TAAS_Talk and the TAAS website for last-minute changes and updates GNTO events are open to all TAAS members and their guests

Contact me regarding GNTO at GNTOTAASorg or 505-803-3640

Telescope Loan Program UpdateBy Rick Vergas Telescope Loan Program Coordinator

A number of new enthusiastic members have kept me busy Remember face coverings and social distancing The Coulter Dob has been retired from service and replaced with a newish Orion XT8 We also now have an Edmunds Scientific Astro-Scan for members with young children in ad-dition to the one kept at GNTO Donrsquot forget we also have very serviceable binoculars to easily scan the skies

Loan Program Statistics

of Scopes on Loan Available

on Loan

39 30 5 86 Type Reflectors Refractors Catadioptrics

23 7 12

Size Large (gt8rdquo) Medium (5rdquo-8rdquo) Small (lt5rdquo) 12 17 13

Tracking Manual Push-To Go-To Tracking 26 5 7 11 As of 72220

Page 7



The Whirlpool Galaxy M51 This image taken from my backyard observatory It is a series of 2 minutes x 10 images in RGB and L Total time was 1 hour and 20 minutes

Telescope used was a Meade LX200R 14 connected to a QSI660 camera on a AP1200 mount I was shooting at -15 degrees C The scope was operating at f10

I have been wanting to take a long shot of this object but the weather never allowed me to This photo is not deep enough for me yet but we will see if I get another chance

mdashDwightTalley

Page 8



Telescopes I Have Known and Loved

By Alan ScottMy first telescope was a 10rdquo Meade that was the size and weight of a filled water heater One of my fond-est memories was kneeling beside it scanning the skies south of Salt Lake City in June Object after object ap-peared in my scope and I was speechless The next year I learned these objects had names (Messier objects) I destroyed that scope trying to put a smoother shorter focuser on it and finding out that my eyepieces no longer focused I had no idea what to do

A few years later I was living in Phoenix One afternoon I drove to Tucson and stopped in at the local astrono-my store Starazona I began with a 6rdquo Orion Dob hop-ing it would fit in my Honda Del Sol

In the end I headed home with an 8rdquo Orion Dob in the passengerrsquos seat of my car I did my first Messier Mara-thon with that scope at the spring 2003 All Arizona star party I believe my object count was in the mid 80rsquos One of the best nights observing I have ever hadNext TAAS member Jim Lawrence dropped into my lap with an ultra-compact ultra-light 12rdquo He EAS-ILY fit this tiny monster into the trunk of the Del Sol With big hungry eyes I asked if I could take pictures and measurements Jim did me one better ndash he offered to let me make a replica in his garage Boards were sawed poles were cut sandpaper flew and paint was sprayed And the first of the ldquoDeep Spacerdquo telescopes was born ndash DS 3 (Thatrsquos 03 meters by the way)Using Jimrsquos minimalistic 12rdquo design we started work on an ultralight 16rdquo With a heaviest component under 40 lbs I still think this is the ultimate telescope Two good stories here

First I picked up a Featherouch focuser When it ar-rived I pulled it out of the box and promptly dropped

it on the tile floor This of course bent the focuser shaft Ah but Irsquom an engineer After pulling it apart I realized how over my head I truly was I called the owner of Feathertouch and can still hear the emotion in his voice as I explained that I 1) dropped it then 2) tore it apart down to the bearingsHe was not happy

However he fixed it up good as new (for a hefty rebuild fee) This pretty telescope has a wire spider the only one like this I have ever seen The secondary mirror was held in place with double sided sicky tape One time at Okie Tex I was puttering with the telescope on a warm afternoon All of a sudden the secondary fell right off its holder landing in the dirt Unprintable words were screamed at the skies but soon after the secondary was silicon glued back in place This is DS 4 (04 meters)

The obvious next step was a 20rdquo After designing for a few years it looked like this would work In theory the heaviest weight should be 54 lbs (Theory lied ndash it ended up 63 lbs) Again after a few years work in the shop things came together The last thing I needed was a mirror which was ordered from OWL (Optic Wave Labs)

The primary mirror hadnrsquot arrived for Okie Tex so I decided to substitute a cement disk painted with

continued on page 9

Page 9



T e l e s c o p e s i H a v e K n o w n a n d L o v e dc o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 8

aluminum paint into the scope Everyone at Okie Tex enjoyed seeing the new scope but for some reason no one came over to look at the views Although a bit rough around the edges this has been a wonderfully successful telescope I figure over a thousand objects have been ob-served with this telescope over the years Deep Space 5 (05 meters) has been a wonderful scope

I had been dreaming of a large travel telescope that fits in luggage for years Surprisingly the hardest deci-sion was how to package it I chose a soft-side wheeled suitcase that could be checked onto an airline DS Trill was born ndash a 12rdquo that completely fits within me-dium size luggage ndash including mirror and poles

I took DS Trill to the OzSky star party in 2017 and fin-ished the Southern Skies Telescope list entirely with it as well as all southern Caldwells Showing Omega Cen-tauri Lachlan McDonaldrsquos only reply was ldquoOh My Godrdquo Made my day (night)

On the way home as we were headed to the airport a minor di-saster the shuttle driver put the telescope in a trailer and on arriv-ing opened the trailer door The suitcase fell out dropping about 25 feet onto the ground landing on the telescopersquos face I couldnrsquot look

But arriving back in the States I found the cope was fine other except that the spider was totally trashed Easily repairedldquoThere are some things a person

should never ever sell children guitars pets tools of any kind and telescopesrdquo mdashSy Santos

Saturday August 8 7 PM on Zoomus

TAAS General Meeting

Dave FinleyldquoThe Very Large Arrayrdquo

To register email Steve Snider at slsnider423yahoocomLimited to 100 Attendees

meeting on zoom video chat

app

0



Proud To Be a Member of TAAS Get a Cap

For many years we have had TAAS hats and other apparel made at Black Duck Embroidery amp Screen Printing (httpblackduckonlinecom) here in Albu-querque Recently they gave us an excellent price on two types of caps due to our frequent orders We can get the TAAS ball cap andor the woven watch cap both in midnight blue with the TAAS logo for only $10 and you can order one (or both) via our dedi-cated publicist Lynne Olson at no additional charge During this stay-at-home social-distancing time if you want to keep TAAS on your mindmdashand on your headmdashnotify Lynne at prtaasorg Shersquoll let you know when the order comes in and payment will be arranged

Page 11



M e m b e r s h i p S e r v i c e s

forbullMembership InquiriesbullEvents InformationbullVolunteer Opportunities

Contact Bob Anderson at membershipTAASorg

forbullMembership DuesbullAddresse-mail changes

Contact Doug LeGrand at treasurerTAASorg

TAASPO Box 50581

Albuquerque NM 87181

Courtesy Pete Eschman

E x p l a n a t i o n o f D u e s a n d M e m b e r s h i p R e n e w a l D a t e

new memberships are registered immediately if you pay online If you pay by check your membership is registered when your check is re-ceived by the treasurer

Renewal notices will be sent out via e-mail beginning 60 days before your membership expires If your membership is renewed before it expires or with in 90 days after it ex-pires your new expiration date will be advanced one year from the previous expiration date and your membership will be continuous

If dues payment is received more than 90 days after the expiration date you will be reinstated as a mem-ber with an expiration date set as one year from the receipt of payment

D o n a t i o n s t o T A A S

The Albuquerque Astronomical Society is a 501(c)(3) organization Donations are deduct-ible as charitable contributions on the donorrsquos federal income tax return

Gabriel Prins Fosse

Tom Goslee Lewis Jr

Bruce Meyer

Leslie HR Mulkey

Robert Rosenberg

Steve Welch

T A A S R e p o r t s amp N o t i c e s

E d i t o r rsquo s N o t e The deadline for the next issue of The Sidereal Times is Monday August 24 The newsletter editorsrsquo e-mail address is editorTAASorg

W e l c o m e t o N e wo r R e t u r n i n g

T A A S M e m b e r s

Paree Allu bull Diane BaptistaBrooke Chapla Barb Clark

Justin Clark bull Kurt ClarkPreston Clark bull Debra Dees

Gabriel Fosse bull Cayla JimenezJohnathan Jimenez bull Rose Jimenez

Tom Lewis bull Jonah MasekNathan Masek bull Sarah Masek

Sasha Masek bull Beth Moore-LoveLeslie Mulkey bull Olivia Mulkey

Penelope MulkeySharon OrsquoConnor

Jann Pierce bull Jonathan ShestakGeorge Shoup

L o c a t i o n L o c a t i o n L o c a t i o nbull Chaco Canyonbull

6185rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 36˚ 01rsquo 50rdquoN 107˚ 54rsquo 36rdquoW

3603˚ -10791˚ 36˚ 183rsquo -107˚ 5460rsquo

bull Oak Flatbull 7680rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 34˚ 59rsquo 48rdquoN 106˚ 19rsquo 17rdquoW

3499˚ -10632˚ 34˚ 5980rsquo -106˚ 1928rsquo

bull UNM Campus Observatorybull 5180rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 35˚ 5rsquo 29rdquoN 106˚ 37rsquo 17rdquoW

3509˚ -10662˚ 35˚ 548rsquo -106˚ 3729rsquo

For security reasons GNTO location is available by request only so please contact

Jim Fordice GNTO Director for GNTO information e-mail GNTOTAASorg

M o n t h l y M e m b e r s h i p R e p o r tJ u l y 2 0 2 0

Membership Current Past Change Month Month

Regular 238 231 7Family 144 130 14Educator 15 15 0Student 9 11 -2Military 2 2 0Honorary 5 5 0Total Members 413 394 19

Page 12



Astronomical League Coordinator Becky Ramotowski 505-286-8334 AL_coordinatorTAASorg ATM Coordinator Ray Collins 505-344-9686 atmTAASorg Chaco Events Coordinator Boris Venet 505-507-7838 venetbsprintmailcom Education Outreach Mark Goodman 505-328-6157 education_coordTAASorg Explora Adult Night Coordinator Bob Hufnagel 505-890-8122 rhufnagel2comcastnet Fabulous Fifty Coordinator Phil Fleming 505-870-5604 fab50TAASorg GNTO Director Jim Fordice 505-803-3640 gntoTAASorg Membership Chair Bob Anderson 505-275-1916 membershipTAASorg Nametag Coordinator Billie Sue Patrick 575-937-1659 nametagTAASorg Newsletter Co-Editor Content Bruce Meyer 917-449-0700 editorTAASorg Newsletter Co-Editor Design Gary Cooper 505-227-3974 editorTAASorg Public Events Coordinator Steve Snider 505-249-4066 events_coordinatorTAASorg Publicity Coordinator Lynne Olson 505-856-2537 prTAASorg Scout Coordinator Chaz Jetty 505-350-7949 scout_coordinatorTAASorg Telescope Loan Coordinator Rick Vergas 505-620-2832 telescope_loansTAASorg UNM Observatory Coordinator Boris Venet 505-507-7838 UNM_coordTAASorg Webmaster John Purnell 209-355-5166 webmasterTAASorg

Jim Fordice PresidentpresidentTAASorg505-803-3640

steve snider Vice PresidentvpTAASorg505-249-4066

doug Legrand TreasurertreasurerTAASorg505-559-0252

carL Larson Secretary secretaryTAASorg408-623-4717

robert anderson DirectorMembership CoordinatormembershipTAASorg505-275-1916

Jim Fordice DirectorGNTO Director gntoTAASorg505-803-3640

mark goodman DirectorEducation Outreach Directoreducation_coordTAASorg505-328-6157

bob havLen Directorrhavlenearthlinknet505-856-3306

Jim roucis DirectorJim Rouciscom719-651-9663

boris venet DirectorChaco Events Coordinator UNM Observatory Coordinator venetbsprintmailcom505-507-7838

rick vergas DirectorTelescope Loan Coordinatortelescope_loansTAASorg505-620-2832

2 0 2 0 T A A S B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s S t a f f

TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoEditorrsquos Pick 2013 Best of the Cityrdquo award from Albuquerque Magazine

BEST PLACE TO STARGAZECELESTIAL EDITION

TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoOUT-OF-THIS-WORLDrdquo AWARD 2011

from Astronomy Magazine for Outstanding Public Programming

MEMBERSHIP

You can join TAAS or renew your membership online Just go to wwwtaasorg and select ldquoJoin Usrdquo or ldquoRenew Your Membershiprdquo from the main menu on the left side Annual dues are $30 for a regular membership $15 for educators and active military and $5 for students Only regular members are eligible to vote in society matters Our new member information packet can be viewed or downloaded from the same location on the website You can pay your dues on line through PayPal by Visa MasterCard or American Express To pay by check mail your check to TAAS PO Box 50581 Albuquerque NM 87181-0581 or give it to the treasurer at one of our meetings

MAGAZINES

TAAS no longer offers magazine subscriptions

ARTICLESADVERTISEMENTS

Articles personal astronomical clas-sified advertisements and advertise-ments for businesses related to as-tronomy must be submitted by the deadline shown on the Society calen-dar (generally the Friday near the new Moon) Rates for commercial ads (per issue) are $120 per page $60 per half page $30 per quarter page $7 for business card size The newsletter edi-tor reserves the right to include andor edit any article or advertisement E-mail attachments in Microsoft Word or compatible word processor format ASCII and RTF are acceptable One space between paragraphs is pre-ferred One column is approximately 350 words Contact the Newsletter Editor at editorTAASorg for more in-formation

Note that the Sidereal Times is no longer mailed It is posted on the TAAS website wwwTAASorg

Send submissions or correspondence to editorTAASorg

The Albuquerque Astronomical Society

PO Box 50581Albuquerque NM 87181-0581

taas ONLINE

TAAS website httpwwwTAASorg

The TAAS website includes

bull Programs bull taas 200 bull TAAS Fabulous Fiftybull Educational Outreach School Star

Parties Solar Astronomy Outreachbull Equipment Trader bull Telescope Loaner Programbull Telescope Making and Maintenance And more

bull Online Sidereal Timesbull Calendar of TAAS Eventsbull Membersrsquo Guidebull Links to Astronomy Resources and

Membersrsquo Blogs

E-mail TAASTAASorg

Membersrsquo Google GroupTAAS_talkgooglegroupscom



G e n e r a l M e e t i n g N e w s c o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 1

Join Us for the Virtual Observing SessionsFor July we offered the Globular Clusters Virtual Observing Session I hope you have been able to view a few of those beautiful objects in and around all of the clouds we have had in the evening latelyFor August Dee Friesen and Boris Venet are plan-ning a Variable Star virtual event The details for all virtual sessions are on the TAAS website Keep sending your inputs to Dee on what other virtual programs you would like to participate in

The General Meeting Goes VirtualPlease plan to attend our first virtual General Meeting which is scheduled for August 8th Steve Snider has made all of the arrangements To reg-ister for the meeting send an email to Steve at sl-snider423yahoocom

Can GNTO Be UsedYes The GNTO Committee will soon announce an expanded schedule of GNTO events and a new way to register for them Be watching TAAS_Talk and the website for details

On nights when we are not opening GNTO for a scheduled observing event any TAAS member can open the Observing Field on their own If you see that the observing will be great on a Tuesday night take advantage of our great Dark Sky Site The procedure for using the site on your own is avail-able at httpwwwTAASorgGNTODocumentshtm Look for the GNTO Observing Field Access Proce-dure and Checklist

Whether you use GNTO is a personal decision Please keep in mind that the Governorrsquos Stay-at-Home order places a limit of no more than five people participating in a group activity If you plan to use GNTO you need to comply with that limit The best way to accomplish that is to determine who will attend in advance via TAAS_Talk

Keep safe out there and keep Observing Educat-ing (yourself) and Having Fun

P r e s i d e n t rsquo s M e s s a g e Jim Fordice

Here is Daversquos description of his topic New Mexicorsquos own Very Large Array

The National Science Foundationrsquos Karl G Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) is the worldrsquos most famous radio telescope An iconic fixture in the high desert of New Mexico it is a premier tool for astronomers who seek to advance our understanding of the Uni-verse and how it works

I will present a well-illustrated look at the history and scientific achievements of the VLA over four de-cades of operation at the frontiers of human knowl-edge beginning with an overview of pre-VLA radio astronomy the presentation recounts the VLArsquos conception design and construction and its break-through discoveries

Today we are seeing a dramatic technical expansion of the VLArsquos capabilities culminating in a rededica-tion in 2012 and discoveries made possible by that expansionMy presentation will conclude with a look at plans for the next-generation VLA a new telescope that will be an essential part of taking science into a new era of 21st-Century discovery

NOTE The Aug 8 meeting will begin on Zoom at 7 PM only TAAS members who have registered to take part in the session will receive emailed invitations includ-ing a link to join the meeting See the TAASorg website or TAAS_talk for any additional details as the date ap-proaches -Ed

mdash Lynne Olson

Page 3












Page 4







TAAS THE BEST NEVER

RESTBy Lynne Olson

















Page 5






continued on page 6






Page 6
















on Loan


23 7 12



Page 7






mdashDwightTalley

Page 8












continued on page 9

Page 9















app

Page 10





Page 11








TAASPO Box 50581









Gabriel Prins Fosse

Tom Goslee Lewis Jr

Bruce Meyer

Leslie HR Mulkey

Robert Rosenberg

Steve Welch














3603˚ -10791˚ 36˚ 183rsquo -107˚ 5460rsquo


3499˚ -10632˚ 34˚ 5980rsquo -106˚ 1928rsquo


3509˚ -10662˚ 35˚ 548rsquo -106˚ 3729rsquo






Page 12




















MEMBERSHIP


MAGAZINES








taas ONLINE






Membersrsquo Blogs

E-mail TAASTAASorg













Page 4







TAAS THE BEST NEVER

RESTBy Lynne Olson

















Page 5






continued on page 6






Page 6
















on Loan


23 7 12



Page 7






mdashDwightTalley

Page 8












continued on page 9

Page 9















app

Page 10





Page 11








TAASPO Box 50581









Gabriel Prins Fosse

Tom Goslee Lewis Jr

Bruce Meyer

Leslie HR Mulkey

Robert Rosenberg

Steve Welch














3603˚ -10791˚ 36˚ 183rsquo -107˚ 5460rsquo


3499˚ -10632˚ 34˚ 5980rsquo -106˚ 1928rsquo


3509˚ -10662˚ 35˚ 548rsquo -106˚ 3729rsquo






Page 12




















MEMBERSHIP


MAGAZINES








taas ONLINE






Membersrsquo Blogs

E-mail TAASTAASorg








TAAS THE BEST NEVER

RESTBy Lynne Olson

















Page 5






continued on page 6






Page 6
















on Loan


23 7 12



Page 7






mdashDwightTalley

Page 8












continued on page 9

Page 9















app

Page 10





Page 11








TAASPO Box 50581









Gabriel Prins Fosse

Tom Goslee Lewis Jr

Bruce Meyer

Leslie HR Mulkey

Robert Rosenberg

Steve Welch














3603˚ -10791˚ 36˚ 183rsquo -107˚ 5460rsquo


3499˚ -10632˚ 34˚ 5980rsquo -106˚ 1928rsquo


3509˚ -10662˚ 35˚ 548rsquo -106˚ 3729rsquo






Page 12




















MEMBERSHIP


MAGAZINES








taas ONLINE






Membersrsquo Blogs

E-mail TAASTAASorg







continued on page 6






Page 6
















on Loan


23 7 12



Page 7






mdashDwightTalley

Page 8












continued on page 9

Page 9















app

Page 10





Page 11








TAASPO Box 50581









Gabriel Prins Fosse

Tom Goslee Lewis Jr

Bruce Meyer

Leslie HR Mulkey

Robert Rosenberg

Steve Welch














3603˚ -10791˚ 36˚ 183rsquo -107˚ 5460rsquo


3499˚ -10632˚ 34˚ 5980rsquo -106˚ 1928rsquo


3509˚ -10662˚ 35˚ 548rsquo -106˚ 3729rsquo






Page 12




















MEMBERSHIP


MAGAZINES








taas ONLINE






Membersrsquo Blogs

E-mail TAASTAASorg

















on Loan


23 7 12



Page 7






mdashDwightTalley

Page 8












continued on page 9

Page 9















app

Page 10





Page 11








TAASPO Box 50581









Gabriel Prins Fosse

Tom Goslee Lewis Jr

Bruce Meyer

Leslie HR Mulkey

Robert Rosenberg

Steve Welch














3603˚ -10791˚ 36˚ 183rsquo -107˚ 5460rsquo


3499˚ -10632˚ 34˚ 5980rsquo -106˚ 1928rsquo


3509˚ -10662˚ 35˚ 548rsquo -106˚ 3729rsquo






Page 12




















MEMBERSHIP


MAGAZINES








taas ONLINE






Membersrsquo Blogs

E-mail TAASTAASorg







mdashDwightTalley

Page 8












continued on page 9

Page 9















app

Page 10





Page 11








TAASPO Box 50581









Gabriel Prins Fosse

Tom Goslee Lewis Jr

Bruce Meyer

Leslie HR Mulkey

Robert Rosenberg

Steve Welch














3603˚ -10791˚ 36˚ 183rsquo -107˚ 5460rsquo


3499˚ -10632˚ 34˚ 5980rsquo -106˚ 1928rsquo


3509˚ -10662˚ 35˚ 548rsquo -106˚ 3729rsquo






Page 12




















MEMBERSHIP


MAGAZINES








taas ONLINE






Membersrsquo Blogs

E-mail TAASTAASorg













continued on page 9

Page 9















app

Page 10





Page 11








TAASPO Box 50581









Gabriel Prins Fosse

Tom Goslee Lewis Jr

Bruce Meyer

Leslie HR Mulkey

Robert Rosenberg

Steve Welch














3603˚ -10791˚ 36˚ 183rsquo -107˚ 5460rsquo


3499˚ -10632˚ 34˚ 5980rsquo -106˚ 1928rsquo


3509˚ -10662˚ 35˚ 548rsquo -106˚ 3729rsquo






Page 12




















MEMBERSHIP


MAGAZINES








taas ONLINE






Membersrsquo Blogs

E-mail TAASTAASorg
















app

Page 10





Page 11








TAASPO Box 50581









Gabriel Prins Fosse

Tom Goslee Lewis Jr

Bruce Meyer

Leslie HR Mulkey

Robert Rosenberg

Steve Welch














3603˚ -10791˚ 36˚ 183rsquo -107˚ 5460rsquo


3499˚ -10632˚ 34˚ 5980rsquo -106˚ 1928rsquo


3509˚ -10662˚ 35˚ 548rsquo -106˚ 3729rsquo






Page 12




















MEMBERSHIP


MAGAZINES








taas ONLINE






Membersrsquo Blogs

E-mail TAASTAASorg






Page 11








TAASPO Box 50581









Gabriel Prins Fosse

Tom Goslee Lewis Jr

Bruce Meyer

Leslie HR Mulkey

Robert Rosenberg

Steve Welch














3603˚ -10791˚ 36˚ 183rsquo -107˚ 5460rsquo


3499˚ -10632˚ 34˚ 5980rsquo -106˚ 1928rsquo


3509˚ -10662˚ 35˚ 548rsquo -106˚ 3729rsquo






Page 12




















MEMBERSHIP


MAGAZINES








taas ONLINE






Membersrsquo Blogs

E-mail TAASTAASorg









TAASPO Box 50581









Gabriel Prins Fosse

Tom Goslee Lewis Jr

Bruce Meyer

Leslie HR Mulkey

Robert Rosenberg

Steve Welch














3603˚ -10791˚ 36˚ 183rsquo -107˚ 5460rsquo


3499˚ -10632˚ 34˚ 5980rsquo -106˚ 1928rsquo


3509˚ -10662˚ 35˚ 548rsquo -106˚ 3729rsquo






Page 12




















MEMBERSHIP


MAGAZINES








taas ONLINE






Membersrsquo Blogs

E-mail TAASTAASorg





















MEMBERSHIP


MAGAZINES








taas ONLINE






Membersrsquo Blogs

E-mail TAASTAASorg


August 2020 The Sidereal Times The Official Newsletter of The … · 2020-07-24 · Page 3 The...

Documents

Transcript of August 2020 The Sidereal Times The Official Newsletter of The … · 2020-07-24 · Page 3 The...