Congrats to Kevin Bonges Observing 9 Planets in a One Night

November
EVANSVILLE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, INC.
2015
Congrats to Kevin Bonges
Observing 9 Planets in a One Night Observing Session
Recently Keven had a productive trip to Gran
Quivira, New Mexico. He wound up seeing all
9 planets in one night, Oct 12/13. Saturn &
Pluto at/ after sundown, Neptune & Uranus
around midnight, Venus, Jupiter Mars in the
Pre-dawn sky. Mercury at dawn then I looked
at my feet and counted Earth (9)!
Kevin Bonges
Observing Site
Inside this Issue……
2 – Local Events and information
3 – News around the Globe
4 – Calendar/ Events
5 – Science with a Twist by Mitch Luman
6 – EAS Business – Minutes
The EAS newsletter, Observer, is published monthly. Anyone wishing to contribute articles or photos may mail
them to the club’s PO Box: EAS, PO Box 3474, Evansville, IN 47733, or e-mail them to the editor at:
[email protected]
EAS OBSERVER NEWSLETTER
The Evansville Astronomical Society (EAS) is a
non-profit organization fully incorporated in the
state of Indiana. It has, as its primary goal, the
advancement of amateur astronomy. Founded in
1952, the society seeks to:
1… maintain adequate facilities for its members
and the public in order to extensively study the
skies and
2… promote an educational program for those
who wish to learn more about the science of
Astronomy.
Meetings are held the third Friday of each month,
except June, when the annual EAS picnic is held.
The society also sponsors monthly Open House
events during the warmer seasons that afford the
public an opportunity to tour the observatory.
Local Events and Information
EAS Schedule Update:
Please Note that we have a Regular Meeting scheduled
for Friday November 20th, 2015 at the Observatory
beginning at 7:30pm.
EAS Update:
Please Note that we have a Regular Meeting scheduled
for Friday December 18th, 2015 at the Observatory
beginning at 7:30pm. This is our Christmas Potluck and
Astronomy Quiz.
EAS 2015 Officers and Contacts
President – Scott Conner
812-.604.7164
[email protected]
EAS Update:
Vice President – Tony Bryan
Secretary – Charleen Kaelin
812.303.1711
Treasurer – Ted Ubelhor
EAS Update:
Counselors
Michael Borman
Kent Brenton
Ken Harris
Webmaster – Michael Borman
EAS Update:
Program Director
Tony Bryan
News editor – David Kube
[email protected]
For more information about the EAS or directions
to the Observatory, please visit the club’s web
page:
www.evansvilleastro.org
EAS Update:
Telescopes and accessories for sale ...
As mentioned in last month’s issue, Mike Borman still has
some excellent telescope equipment and imaging
accessories for sale. Some of the gear has already been
sold. If interested, go to Mike’s web page. Here is the link:
http://www.mborman.org/forsale.htm
WWW.EVANSVILLEASTRO.ORG
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EAS OBSERVER NEWSLETTER
New Horizons finds blue skies and water ice
on Pluto.
The first color images of Pluto’s atmospheric hazes,
returned by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft last week,
reveal that the hazes are blue. The haze particles
themselves are likely gray or red, but the way they
scatter blue light has gotten the attention of the New
Horizons science team. “Who would have expected a
blue sky in the Kuiper Belt? It’s gorgeous,” said Alan
Stern, New Horizons principal investigator from
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), Boulder, Colorado.
NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI
Hubble’s planetary portrait captures new
changes in Jupiter’s Great Red Spot.
NASA/ESA
The youngest crater on Charon?
NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI
WWW.EVANSVILLEASTRO.ORG
Scientists using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have
produced new maps of Jupiter — the first in a series of
annual portraits of the solar system’s outer planets.
Collecting these yearly images will help current and
future scientists see how these giant worlds change over
time. The observations are designed to capture a broad
range of features, including winds, clouds, storms, and
atmospheric chemistry. Already, the Jupiter images have
revealed a rare wave just north of the planet’s equator
and a unique filamentary feature in the core of the Great
Red Spot not seen previously.
New Horizons scientists have discovered a striking
contrast between one of the fresh craters on Pluto’s
largest moon Charon and a neighboring crater dotting
the moon’s Pluto-facing hemisphere. The crater,
informally named Organa, caught scientists’ attention as
they were studying New Horizons’ highest-resolution
infrared compositional scan of Charon. Organa and
portions of the surrounding material ejected from it show
infrared absorption at wavelengths of about 2.2 microns,
indicating that the crater is rich in frozen ammonia, and
from what scientists have seen so far, unique on Pluto’s
largest moon. The infrared spectrum of nearby
Skywalker crater, for example, is similar to the rest of
Charon’s craters and surface, with features dominated
by ordinary water ice.
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EAS OBSERVER NEWSLETTER
Up and Coming Events 2015
th
Regular Meeting – Friday, November 20 , @ 7:30pm @ Observatory
th
Regular Meeting – Friday, December 18 , @ 7:30pm @ Observatory
Moon Phases
First Quarter
Full Moon
Third Quarter
New Moon
December 18th, 2015
December 25th, 2015
December 3rd, 2015
December 11th, 2015
Moon Phases courtesey of Time and Date.com
WWW.EVANSVILLEASTRO.ORG
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EAS OBSERVER NEWSLETTER
Wednesday
November 16th, 2015
By Mitch Luman
The public seems to imagine that all scientists and engineers wear lab coats and are
surrounded by frothy, bubbling beakers. Science with a Twist is a new, monthly event in
Evansville where an expert can have face-to-face conversation in a relaxed setting with other
people. It is a place where barriers are removed between researchers and the public. It is a
place to show that science can be exciting, relevant and fun.
The Science with a Twist format has spread across the globe and the time has come to launch
one here in Evansville. Science with a Twist is not lecture, but rather an event where
researchers, scientists and engineers can reach out to new audiences. Our event welcomes
people who would not typically engage in discussions about science. Science with a Twist
meets at the Bokeh Lounge located 1007 Parrot Street in the Arts District at Haynie’s Corner
the third Friday every month. The events feature a short trivia contest, a short video, food and
drinks for purchase and are organized and moderated with support from the Indiana Academy
of Sciences by the Evansville Museum.
WWW.EVANSVILLEASTRO.ORG
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EAS OBSERVER NEWSLETTER
EAS MEETING for October 16th, 2015
The meeting was CALLED TO ORDER @ 7:36 PM by Tony Bryan.
It was moved & seconded to approve the MINUTES as seen on the EAS Internet page.
Ted Ubelhor gave the TRESSURER’S REPORT indicating that each account was in the black.
We are good shape - ? was raised as to say are we adequately covered for what we have.
The UPCOMING EVENTS were announced as the following:
Regular Meeting Friday, November 16th @ 7:30 pm
There were 12 Members in attendance.
SPECIAL PROJECT
The 28” TELESCOPE was tested @ Okie-Tex and is in need of just a few minor tweaks.
OLD BUSINESS
Dave Kube reported that the Folk Festival on September 19 th went well. We had 125-150
guests. Dave reported that he requested a move in location to near the playground and all
members (Ted Ubelhor and Glen Bye) agreed that this was a good location for us to setup in
the future.
Ken Harris reported that the PSW held on September 19th was a success. There were 11-12
guests and we had a good member turnout as well.
NEW BUSINESS
On November 20th, 2015 there will be our regular meeting at 7:30pm held at the observatory.
The PROGRAM for tonight “Adventure at Okie-Tex” by Tony Bryan.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:08 PM.
WWW.EVANSVILLEASTRO.ORG
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