2016 04 - Los Angeles Astronomical Society

THE BULLETIN
The Los Angeles Astronomical Society
1
April, 2016 - Volume 90, Issue 4
Our next General meeting will be held on Monday, April 11,
2016 at the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, CA.
Our guest speaker will be Gabriel Vajente, PhD, a fellow club member .
His presentation will be an exciting one and we hope you’ll join us
for the meeting.
Catching the Wave: The Search
For Gravitational Waves
One hundred years ago, Albert
Einstein published his revolutionary theory of General Relativity,
which described how gravity
works. This theory aged incredibly well, passing with flying colors
all experimental tests. One of the
most intriguing prediction is the existence of gravitational waves: a new
form of radiation produced by rapidly moving massive bodies. The scientific community has been trying to detect gravitational waves on Earth
for more than 50 years, without success so far.
In this talk, I’ll try to explain what gravitational waves are, why they are
so interesting, and how we are today trying to detect them with the Laser Interferometric Gravitational Observatory LIGO.
I’ve been an amateur astronomer since my childhood, and the fascination for the universe brought me to study physics. I got my master degree in theoretical physics at University of Pisa and Scuola Normale
Superiore, in Italy. Afterwards, I started studying the problem of gravitational wave detection, in 2004, earning a Ph.D in experimental physics
in 2008 from Scuola Normale Superiore (Italy). In the last 10 years I’ve
been working on the design, installation and tuning of two of the major
experiments trying to detect gravitational waves on Earth. First in the
Virgo experiment, an European collaboration. Finally, one and a half
year ago, I moved to Caltech as a Post Doctoral Scholar, to work in the
LIGO collaboration.
In This Issue
General Meeting …………......…..Page 1
New Members Potluck……….......Pages 2-3
Guide to the Night Sky.……....……Page 4
Outreach Report…...…………....…..Pages 5-6
LAAS Committees........................Pages 7-8
Public Star Party Photos…….….....Pages 9-10
Mt Wilson Nights………..………..…..Page 11
2017 Solar Eclipse Trip News…....Page 12
Universe Discovery Guide……...…Page 13
New Members…………..……...…....Page 14
Magazine Subscriptions….….....…Page 14
Event Calendar…………………..….… Page 15
I’m presently working at the commissioning and improvement of the
Advanced LIGO detector, which will start its first scientific data taking
period at the end of this year. ~ Gabriel Vajente
Almanac………………………………..… Page 16
Club Contacts…………………..….……Page 17
2
LOS ANGELES ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
SAVE THE DATE!
Saturday, April 2, 2016
New Member Potluck,
Star Party, and a whole lot more!
At Garvey Ranch Park Observatory
731 S. Orange Ave.
Monterey Park, CA. 91755
Gate opens at 2pm and runs till 10pm
Enjoy BBQ hotdogs and hamburgers ~ Yard Sale/Swap Meet
Details to follow
3
NEW MEMBER POTLUCK AT GARVEY RANCH OBSERVATORY
Dear LAAS members -First, a plea for help with this event. Right now we have about five people on board who have volunteered to oversee
various segments of this day's proceedings, but not everyone can be there through the entire eight to ten hours. Those
who can volunteer, if only for part of the time, with watching equipment or setup and tear-down, please contact Kevin at
the email address at the end of this email.
This year's New Member Potluck will be much more than just food and conversation. It's not just for new members -current members are invited, nay, implored to join in the festivities which will include:
The BBQ and Potluck -- Provided by LAAS are hot dogs, hamburgers, and soft drinks. Other food and dessert items
brought by you. We will set up next to the parking lot, in the middle seating area - you can't miss it! Remember to
bring disposable serving utensils or to collect your serving what-nots afterwards. We will provide plates, cups, knives,
forks, spoons, and napkins. Please note that we will start going indoors after 5pm, where we will have coffee and desserts. Any dinner items that are brought in late might yet be consumed with gusto.
The Star Party: Solar telescopes by day and non-solar telescopes by night - given we have clear skies! Setup on the
lawn. We hope that any members who have made their scopes in our workshop will bring them to show new members
what can be done with guidance from Bob Nolan and other members. Also, we want to encourage anyone who has a
special rig - whether you made it yourself or you tricked-out your store-bought for astrophotography or astrovideography, or it's just dang good-looking and special - bring it in! This will be a chance to show-and-tell to other members of
your club.
The Yard Sale and Swap Meet: Bring in that equipment you are not using any more! Telescopes, binoculars, eyepieces, and other accessories. If you don't have your first telescope yet, or you are looking for your fourth or fifth, you
just might find it here. If you have items to sell or trade, we have stickers for you to place your name, phone, and price
on the item. Though we will have members who will keep an eye on things, it is your responsibility to collect money or
to conduct your swap. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items. We will have a table out on the lawn for smaller
items.
The Workshop: Bob Nolan will have the workshop open for those who want to push glass and for those who just want
to watch. Bob loves to answer questions and to show you how to grind and polish your own telescope mirror.
The Dome: Head up the stairs or admire the view on the workshop's widescreen monitor. We have recently added a
125mm refractor with a monochrome video camera and will be adding another monitor in the near future. As always, if
we have clear skies, come on up and have a look through the club's 8" refractor.
Heads up! Classes in photo processing software to be announced: LAAS member Vance Tyree will present a
preview for possible classes later this summer. He gets spectacular photographic results using (mostly) free/
shareware while shooting from a very-far-from-ideal location (Bortle 8-9). This promises to be interesting for all but the
most jaded astrophotographer who shoots only from a dark sky site and who has every piece of software known to man
since UNIX. We are already buzzed about this and we want to make it worthwhile for Vance to put this together as a
three or four-session class. Your response afterwards will be the determining factor. Come and see if this is for
you! Will be held in the classroom after 5pm.
BTW: Vance is also the man responsible for our new video system and rebuilt clock drive in the dome.
The Entertainment: To go along with that cake and coffee we will see how to make a comet. You too can make one
at home with the proper equipment and supplies. Just don't try to launch it into space so you can impress the neighbors.
Also, if anyone wants to share their astrophotos or their snaps of LAAS events, we will have a laptop and projector for
those who will bring in a thumb drive, or bring your portfolio.
Please come! The gate will open at 2pm for people who need to set up scopes or put out their wares for the yard
sale. The BBQ will start heating up at 2pm but will close down with the sun. Those needing to eat a late dinner will
need to bring theirs to the classroom. We plan to close up by 10pm, but you know how it is with us night owls.
Looking forward to seeing you!
Kevin Gilchrist
Membership Committee Chair, 2016
If you have any questions, you may direct them to me at [email protected].
4
A Guide To The Night Sky for April, 2016
by Tre Gibbs, LAAS
Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, is a giant ball of gas.
It also has about 67 moons, four of which can be seen with an ordinary pair of binoculars. Jupiter is also the fourth brightest object in
the sky after the sun, the moon and the planet Venus. Why am I
mentioning all this Jupiter stuff? Because Jupiter is poised for perfect viewing this month and also the coming months, as Earth slowly
glides past “The King of the Gods”.
Rising early in the month around 5:30 pm and late in the month
around 3:30 pm, Jupiter is relatively high in the sky by the time night
falls. A bright beacon resembling a non-twinkling star, Jupiter is brilliant - and on the evening of the 17th, the moon will pair with Jupiter
and the two will do their monthly cosmic dance as they travel the sky
together. Look for Jupiter just above and to the left of the moon on this one night only.
On a clear night, grab your binoculars, lean against a car, preferably yours (or find another way to
steady yourself), aim the binoculars at Jupiter, and you just may be able to see four of it’s moons,
known as the Galilean Satellites, since Galileo discovered them in 1609. They will look like tiny pinpricks of light all in a straight line. Depending on where they are in their respective orbits, you might
see all four on one side of Jupiter, or any combo of one, two or three on one side. What’s spectacular
about this sight, is that you will be seeing the exact same thing Galileo saw over 400 years ago, which
over time, enabled him to discern that Earth was then not the only center of motion in the universe HUGE news! This led to further observations and discoveries, specifically about the moon’s surface
and the phases of Venus, which proved once and for all that Earth was in fact a planet orbiting the sun
- not the other way around. This had been the established thought for over 15 centuries. This discovery landed Galileo in aqua caliente with the Catholic Church, who, even after viewing these discoveries, placed Galileo under house arrest for the remainder of his life. All is well today, for The Catholic
Church formally apologized to Galileo - in 1992. Seriously.
But let’s not forget the other “wanderers” in our night sky (Planet is from the Greek word for wander).
Orangish Mars rises around midnight early in the month, and then around 10:30 pm by month’s end.
Saturn, the quintessential ringed gas giant, follows Mars about an hour later, rising around 1:00 am
early in the month, but then closer to 11:00 pm by month’s end. If you aren’t certain which star like objects are Mars and/or Saturn, just wait until the evening of the 25th - the moon will be right above and
between both planets, and all three will engage in their own cosmic conjunction as the trio travel the
night sky together, gliding west in a slow yet deliberate astronomical interlude…
Have a great month - and take some time to pause and look up. There’s an incredible show going on
overhead each and every night
Learn more about the planet Jupiter: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/jupiter
.
5
Outreach Report from Van Webster/LAAS
Monterey Hills Elementary School
South Pasadena, CA
March 10. 2016
The weather started out questionable for an outreach event at Monterey Hills Elementary School in South Pasadena on Thursday night, March10, 2016. The school was
holding its annual Science Night and once again, a team of astronomers from the Los
Angeles Astronomical Society gathered on the school playground to set up their telescopes for an evening of night viewing. The school is located in the hills above the
city and the playground is surrounded on three sides by tall trees blocking the view to
the east, south and west. High clouds were also a factor as the sun set.
First on view was a thin crescent view that stayed visible above the trees for about 20
minutes. Next up was Sirius shining as a jeweled sparkle in the eyepieces. With a
little luck, M42 was spotted with limited nebulosity at first, improving as the night went
on. We could see Jupiter’s light filtering through the trees to the east.
As the night grew darker, the clouds cleared and the seeing improved greatly. By the
time Jupiter and its four moons were above the trees, the seeing was quite good.
Lots of Oohs and Aahs were heard from the crowd of nearly 200 students, parents,
teachers and staff as they had their opportunity to look through the various telescopes. LAAS members were kept very busy with a constant stream of visitors to
their instruments during the two hour session.
By 8:00 PM the school administrators called it a night and the students went home to
their studies
6
More photos from the Monterey Hills Outreach.
Photo credit: Van Webster
7
LAAS Committees in Action
Membership committee, Kevin Gilchrist, chair: Part of the duties I see for myself and the committee
are to greet our new members and guests, to point out the amenities of Griffith and Garvey Ranch Observatories, and to introduce them to our leadership, our Board, and other members. I see the tasks of
the committee members as primarily "floor-level", "where is?" and "who do I ask?" If you would like to
be on the membership committee, please contact Kevin at [email protected]
Soon, a link to an online questionnaire will be sent out asking for the membership's impressions of how
well we are meeting your expectations and requesting your comments. Though coming from the membership committee, the questionnaire will cover most all of our current programs and ask for your ideas
for possible programs for the future. As I write, our membership stands at 600, and we want to hear
from all of you, our members, both old and new.
Come and welcome our new members at this year's New Members Potluck. Garvey Ranch Observatory. April 2nd, starting at 2pm. BBQ, potluck, yard sale/swap meet, star party (solar telescopes welcomed during the day - as long as we have clear skies, day and night!), a preview of Vance Tyree's
class in astrophotography, and Bob Nolan will have the workshop open. Come and enjoy the food and
fun. Details were released previously. Check LAAS-ANC emails.
Eclipse Committee, Penny Kunitani, chair: We are planning a trip to observe the 2017 eclipse which
will swing coast to coast across the USA. Tasks include doing extensive research and making arrangements for everything from meals to t-shirts, and from Star Parties to porta-potties! Contact Penny
at [email protected] to be put on the email list to join us in the work and the fun!
Lockwood Maintenance committee, Penny Kunitani, chair: Maintenance of our Lockwood Valley
observing site has for many years been limited to cutting weeds, trimming trees, and repairing the driveway after heavy rains. Recently, we have cleaned the warm-up trailer's interior, installed new ceiling
and carpeting, and put on a new elastomeric roof. A tree had been removed from the north/center of
the property, improving the view. Other trees need to be earmarked for trimming or removal. It has
come to attention that a few of the concrete pads, which were poured 40 years ago, are now subject to
spalling from the freeze/thaw cycle. Discussion is underway about the best route to either repair or replace the damaged pads. If you, or someone you know, is well-versed in the ways of concrete, or you
would like to participate in the annual cleanup, please contact Penny at [email protected]
News! It looks like the 31" mirror, which was removed last year for recoating at the Mount Wilson Observatory facility, will soon be in the vacuum chamber along with other, smaller mirrors used in the CHARA
array. Thanks go to LAAS member Tim Thompson to help arrange this feat of mirror-magic. Look for
much sharper, higher contrast views from the Clyde-O-Scope.
8
Lockwood Master Plan committee, Penny Kunitani, chair: A recently formed committee,
will be studying ways in which our Lockwood site can be expanded to accommodate our growing membership over the next 10 to 20 years. Additional pads, a new observatory dedicated to
astrophotography, parking, and other issues are topics for discussion. The work of the committee will be broken down into sub-committees that will be working closely with the Lockwood
Maintenance, and Imaging committees. We are especially looking for the participation of our
Star Members. Our first meeting will take place at Garvey Ranch Observatory on March 23, at
7:30 pm, with a second meeting planned for April 9th at 2:00 pm, at the Steve Kufeld Astronomical Site in Lockwood Valley, a dark sky night. Please contact Penny [email protected]
Imaging committee, John O'Bryan, chair: Continuing discussion about how best to house
the equipment that was donated to the club and how to make it accessible to the membership. It had been decided that Lockwood Valley would be the best location, and to that end,
the Lockwood Master Plan committee was formed to study the feasibility of a dedicated observatory as part of its mandate. For more information or participation in the Imaging committee,
please contact John [email protected]
Education committee, Geo Somoza and Curtis Byrom, co-chairs: The Education committee looks forward to offering the membership several classes in basic telescope setup and use
in astrophotography later this summer, presented by LAAS member Vance Tyree. Included will
be a special class on use of free/shareware programs for processing astrophotos taking in light
polluted skies. Come see the preview at the upcoming New Members Potluck, at Garvey
Ranch Observatory, this April 2nd. For more information or participation in the Education committee, contact Geo at [email protected], or Curtis at [email protected]
9
Public Star Party Photos~ March 14, 2016 at Griffith Observatory
Photo Credit: Geo Somoza
Rob Komoto and star party visitors .
Daniel Belmour shares his homemade Dobsonian scope with visitors
Bob Nolan and one of our youth members
This is how the patrons got to view today's
Sun. Imagine was taken by David Pinsky at
the front lawn area of Griffith Observatory.
10
Board members Kevin Gilchrist and Curtis Byrom.
Herman Meyerdierks and Board member Dave Sovereign at our
LAAS info booth on the lawn at sunset.
This was the view of tonight's Moon
from the front lawn area. Imagine taken
by David Pinsky.
FYI! The next public star party
will be held on April 16, 2016.
Board Member Joe Phipps adjusts the 26 Inch scope.
11
60 and 100 Inch Nights at Mt. Wilson Observatory
Darrell Dooley, our Mt. Wilson Coordinator has reserved the following nights as private LAAS observing sessions
for all club members, families, and guests. This is one of the best benefits of your membership. Our club also has
the best price available for club members and guests. You and a group of other members and guests will enjoy
several hours of deep sky observation using the 60 Inch or 100 Inch telescope. This is an opportunity of a lifetime
and one new members are highly encouraged to take advantage of each year.
The following nights are all HALF nights. The time for each session will be from 6 PM to Midnight
60 Inch Nights
Fees and Payment Info:
Saturday, May 26, 2016
$50.00 per person for the 60 Inch Night
Saturday, June 25, 2016
$170.00 per person for the 100 Inch Night
Friday, July 29, 2016
If you wish to mail in a check, please send it to the following
address:
Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016
LAAS
Saturday, Sept 24, 2016
c/o Griffith Observatory
Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016
2800 E. Observatory Road
Los Angeles, CA. 90027
100 Inch Night
ATTN: Treasurer/Mt. Wilson
Friday, Aug. 26, 2016
Please write“60 Inch” or :100 Inch” on your check. Make your
check payable to: LAAS
If you wish to reserve a session,
If you wish to pay by PayPal, please use this link:
please contact Darrell at:
https://fs30.formsite.com/LAAS/MtWilson/index.html
[email protected].
Note: If you pay by check, your check may be held by our
Treasurer for several weeks, before clearing your bank.
Only Darrell can confirm your reservation so contact him before sending in your check . This is
iimportant as the sessions are limited . Only 25 individuals may attend a 60 Inch session. Only 18 individuals may attend a 100 IInch session at one time. Darrell keeps track of the reservations for the
membership. He will also be able to answer any and all of your questions or concerns via email.
To learn more about Mt. Wilson Observatory, please follow this link:
http://www.mtwilson.edu/
12
Update to Eclipse 2017
We are continuing to work on a LAAS trip to see the Total Eclipse of the Sun on Aug. 21, 2017!
We've hit some bumps in the planning, and though we have secured the most important element, the
100 hotel rooms in the path of totality, we wanted to get other details secured before starting to release
our package. We are looking to include three nights of hotel, a dinner and a lunch, plans for rehearsal
and viewing together, and a star party or two (BYO telescope).
Options beyond the package may include excursions such as river rafting, visits to national parks, horseback riding, and perhaps some dark sky viewing in the days leading up to the weekend. The main snag
at this time is obtaining a viewing site, though we hope that it will get cleared up in a few
months. Meanwhile, keep saving your allowance and plan for the vacation of your life!
Penny Kunitani
Above: The “Diamond Ring” photo captured
during a live video feed after reaching totality.
Click on the map to visit NASA’s web site for complete
information about the eclipse. Or follow this link: http://
eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/
SE2017Aug21Tgoogle.html
For further information, contact Penny Kunitani at [email protected].
13
Outreach Resources
Universe Discovery Guide: April
Download Download Universe Discovery Guide for March (Full-Color) (PDF, 943 KB)
Download Download Universe Discovery Guide for March (Red) (PDF, 944 KB)
Index of all Universe Discovery Guides
14
Meet Our New Members!
Brad Denny
Chris Volk
Christopher Kelly
Kal Valdma
Greg Guiradelli
Brad Beacom
Larry Scherr
Allan Ault
Owen Bubar
Magazine Subscriptions
Sky and Telescope renewals should be sent directly to Sky Publishing.
To start a subscription at club rates, send a check payable to “Sky & Telescope” in the amount of
$32.95 for a one year subscription to :
Los Angeles Astronomical Society
C/0 Griffith Observatory
2800 East Observatory. Road
Los Angeles, 90027
ATTN: Treasurer
Be sure to include the exact name and mailing address for your subscription, then thereafter send the renewal bills directly to Sky Publishing.
For a club rate subscription to Astronomy, send a check payable to Kalmbach Publishing Co.
in the amount of $34 for one year or $60 for two years to the above address. Be sure to include the exact name and mailing address for your subscription. That
magazine also requires later subscription renewals to be handled through the LAAS Treasurer.
15
Event Calendar
The club calendar may be updated with more events. Please log on to your Night Sky Network (NSN) account to get further details
for any of our private and outreach events.
Click on the Night Sky Network logo to log on to your account
or to discover more about the network.
16
Almanac
April
April 7 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same
side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the
night sky. This phase occurs at 11:24 UTC. This is the
best time of the month to observe faint objects such as
galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight
to interfere.
April 18 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 19.9 degrees from the Sun. This is the best
time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point
above the horizon in the evening sky. Look for the planet
low in the western sky just after sunset.
April 22 - Full Moon. The Moon will be located on the
opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be
will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 05:24 UTC.
This full moon was known by early Native American
tribes as the Full Pink Moon because it marked the appearance of the moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is
one of the first spring flowers. This moon has also been
known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Growing Moon,
and the Egg Moon. Many coastal tribes called it the Full
Fish Moon because this was the time that the shad
swam upstream to spawn.
Astronomy Freebies and Links
Free Star Charts: http://www.skymaps.com/
downloads.html
Free Online Astronomy books: http://www.ebooksdirectory.com/astronomy.php
Free Online Astronomy Courses: http://
www.planetary.org/multimedia/video/bettsclass/?
referrer=https://www.google.com/
Free Outreach Activities Info: https://
www.astrosociety.org/education/k-12-online-astronomy
-activities/
Free Astronomy Printables and Worksheets: http://
www.kbteachers.com/astronomy-activities/
Astronomy Apps For Phones: http://
www.hongkiat.com/blog/stargazing-apps/
April 22, 23 - Lyrids Meteor Shower. The Lyrids is an
average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per
hour at its peak. It is produced by dust particles left behind by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which was discovered in 1861. The shower runs annually from April 16-25.
It peaks this year on the night of the night of the 22nd
and morning of the 23rd. These meteors can sometimes
produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds.
Unfortunately this year the glare from the full moon will
block out all but the brightest meteors. If you are patient,
you should still be able to catch a few good ones. Best
viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Lyra, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar2016.html
17
Club Contact Infomation
President: Geovanni Somoza
[email protected]
Vice President: Heven Renteria
[email protected]
.
Treasurer: John O’Bryan, Jr.
[email protected]
Secretary: Spencer Soohoo
[email protected]
Outreach Coordinator: Heven Renteria
[email protected]
LAAS.org Webmaster: Steve Dashiell
[email protected]
Communications Coordinator: Andee Sherwood
[email protected]
Mt. Wilson Coordinator: Darrell Dooley
[email protected]
Phone Numbers:
LAAS Message Phone:
213- 673-7355
Griffith Observatory:
213-473-0800
Sky Report:
213-473-0880
Lockwood Site:
661-245-2106
(Not answered, arrange time with caller.
Outgoing calls – collect or calling card)
Discover the LAAS on Twitter, Facebook and on the
Night Sky Network:
Twitter:https://twitter.com/LAAstroSociety
Telescope Loaner Program: Dave Sovereign 626-794-0646
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/
LosAngelesAstronomy
Bulletin Editor: Andee Sherwood
[email protected]
The Night Sky Network: http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/
club-view.cfm?Club_ID=1344
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
LosAngelesAstronomicalSociety
Click on any of the icons above to learn more about the LAAS.
18
Contact Us
The Los Angeles Astronomical
Society
2800 E. Observatory Road
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Give us a call for more information
about our organization and outreach program.
213-673-7355
[email protected]
Visit us on the web at
www.LAAS.org
Los Angeles Astronomical Society
2800 E. Observatory Road
Los Angeles, CA. 90027
PLACE
STAMP
HERE