MeetUps, Spring Cleanups, Trees Are Gonna Tumble, Leased Again and Columbia’s Jacqueline van Gorkom Visits!
By Dan Wright
I’m pleased to announce we have a lease again! After going month to month since January, and not to beat a dead horse, the town really put us through the ringer this go-round. This time the Board of Finance got involved and made negotiations with the town much more… Lively.
Thankfully, our Treasurer Franco Fellah made time to reach out to all 7 of the BoF, getting 6 of them to come up and tour the observatory grounds so they could understand what it is we’ve been doing since 1975. Franco really did his work on this and the BoF passed the lease unanimously after some wonderful comments about us and our mission.
The Reader’s Digest version of the lease is that it’s still 3 years, we’re still 100% responsible for all repairs/maintenance and the rent stays the same. We now have the ability to do unlimited fundraising without town permission but the town tacked on a 1 year termination clause with a small reimbursement to us on capital improvements depending where we are on the lease, if we get the hook.
We’ve begun some serious Spring Cleaning at the Observatory. I started by washing the Dome Telescope and the always affable Frank Cirino swept all the stairs of the tower then attacked the computer table with vigor in the Warm Room. After seeing that table, I’d imagine Frank is still trying to clean himself after that ordeal. We also started throwing away lots and lots of junk that’s been accumulating for the last decade or 12. This is truly a work in progress.
The Chavenello Brothers (Lou and Doug) who helped us out after Hurricane Sandy blew down trees at our gate have marked many trees around the campus that are about to meet their maker. Doug, who’s a retired fireman and arborist from Fairfield will knock the trees down with Lou in the next few days. We’re going to need some help with putting the limbs through a wood chipper and please ask that you consider helping us out for a few hours when the dates are set. I’ll send out emails to round up the troops when we have some firm dates.
Lou also organizes all of the MeetUps and has scheduled the first one for Friday, April 19 at 8:00, clear skies only. It’s sold out and over 60 people will be attending and really hope that you can help. We ask for a donation of $10 per person so these are great ways to fill our coffers with a very fun group that LOVES astronomy. We’re planning another MeetUp on May 3 with a rain/cloud date of May 4.
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Thanks to Martin Hamar for his donation of an office chair for the Warm Room. We still need another one and no one cares if it matches anything as long as it’s not avocado green and is somewhat comfortable. So, I’ll keep asking! If you can help us find some decent, used office furniture for the office, all of us that use it regularly would be incredibly grateful. It’s about 140 years over due. We’re not looking for even more horrible junk but a donation of some gently used, comfortable office chairs would be fantastic. Please check with Bob Meadows or I if you have something to donate before you drop anything off!
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NEXT FREE MEETING: Tuesday, April 16, 8:00 pm
Prof. Jacqueline van Gorkom
Professor Jacqueline van Gorkom, Professor of Astronomy, Columbia University:
Galactic Neighborhoods How galaxies are influenced by their surroundings
Galaxies are like people. Ones that grow up in the suburbs tend to be different from those that are raised in the city. Moreover, just like people, they can change dramatically when they move from one place to another. I will discuss the different evolutionary paths of galaxies in different environments and the trauma they experience upon moving into a large metropolis, i.e., a dense cluster of galaxies.* * * * * *
Astro Web Site Of The Month
by Cal Powell
If you believe that humans are better than computers at pattern recognition, login to the Planet Hunters web site and join the search for exoplanets. This citizen science project is a collaboration between Yale University and Zooniverse that parcels out light curves from the Kepler mission to volunteers across the web in the hope that sharp-eyed individuals can spot exoplanet transits that the Kepler team might have missed. Point your web browser to http://www.planethunters.org/ to read the FAQ, view a tutorial, register, and join the search.
Please send e-mail on your own personal web pages, or astronomy links that you find interesting or noteworthy to me at planetarium.guy@gmail.com
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Upcoming Events at the Rolnick Observatory
Next Month:
May 21, 2013 – Professor Matthew Pappas: Exoplanets: A Census of Our Interstellar Neighbors
Image: An artist’s concept of the planet HR 8799b (NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon/STScI)
In 1989, astronomers discovered the first planet beyond our solar system orbiting the remnants of a dead star. Since that first discovery, advances in technology and observing techniques have steadily pushed the number of known exoplanets ever higher. In this lecture, Associate Professor Matthew Pappas of Suffolk Community College will present a survey of the exoplanets that have been found and discuss the implications that such discoveries may have on the search for life beyond Earth.
Soon:
Western CT Outdoor Adventures MeetUp Private Star Party:April 19, 8:00pm Western CT Outdoor Adventures MeetUp Private Star Party: May 3 (rain date May 4), 8:00pm WAS Pre-Summer Solstice Picnic & Elections: June 18, 6:00 pm Andrew Kessler:July 16 – Author of Martian Summer: Robot Arms, Cowboy Spacemen, and My 90 Days with the Phoenix Mars Mission Bob Meadows: August 20 – The Bob Meadows Annual Stellafane Report Caleb Scharf, Director of Astrobiology, Columbia University: September 17* * * * * *
Astronomy Prose
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Observatory Report
by Bob Meadows
The Astronomical society of New Haven planned on doing a Messier Marathon on March
8 and 9. Due to the snow the day before, they postponed it to April.
On March 8 we had 3 to 4 inches of wet snow. We didn’t shovel it since it was followed
by a warm spell.
A telescope training class for the 12 inch telescope was held on April 2. Three members
attended. We will have more classes soon. If you want to learn to operate the 12 inch
and serve on public nights, contact Bob Meadows or Dan Wright.
A 10 inch Meade LX200 telescope with tripod and accessories was donated by former
member Dan Bernstein.
NEAF, the Northeast Astronomy Forum and Telescope Show is April 20 & 21. Many of us plan to attend.
Bob Meadows and Dan Wright represented WAS at the Discovery Museum’s Space Day
on April 6. Attendees got to view the Sun through the museum’s 14 inch telescope with a
white light filter and through the WAS hydrogen-alpha solar telescope.
ROTATION SCHEDULE
April
17 Tom Davis Quintin Brantley *Dan Wright
24 Bob Blasko David Ives
May
1 Bob Tobin Evan Tilley *Franco Fellah
8 Mike Bellacosa Dan Wright *Bob Meadows
15 Tom Davis Frank Cirino *Dan Wright
22 Bob Blasko Quintin Brantley
29 Bob Meadows David Ives
June
5 Mike Bellacosa Evan Tilley *Franco Fellah
12 Dan Wright Bob Tobin *Bob Meadows
19 Tom Davis Frank Cirino
26 Bob Blasko David Ives *Dan Wright
Call Bob or make arrangements for someone to cover your shift if you can’t make it. We’re counting on you.
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Phil Harrington’s Binocular Universe: Let’s Play Hydra and Seek
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New Feature! Check out NASA’s Space Place!
Ninety-nine percent of the space inhabited by living creatures on Earth is under water. In many ways, Earth is as alien to us as any other planet or moon in our solar system. At least we can now learn about it without having to rely on instruments set adrift on the waves.
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Bookmark http://www.was-ct.
We are an all volunteer society that is financially responsible for everything at the Rolnick Observatory, and we can always use your help. Please donate and renew your membership today!
Check out the WAS Wear Store! Incredible custom gear made for the Star Parties! Show your WAS pride!
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WAS Officers
| President: | Dan Wright |
| Vice President: |
Bob Meadows |
| Treasurer: | Franco Fellah |
| Secretary: | Adam Yates |
| Board Members at Large: | David Ives Carl Lancaster Anthony Maida |
| Martin Hamar | |
| Web Master: | Adam Yates |
