Saguaro Skies - Saguaro Astronomy Club

Saguaro Skies
Saguaro Astronomy
Club, Phoenix, AZ
Volume 40, Issue 5
May 2016
The President’s Corner
Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. I’m
really pushing it this month. I’m writing this
on the evening of our editor’s deadline for
the May edition of our club’s newsletter. I
could say I wanted to wait until after today’s
Mercury transit but…I was just lazy.
However, that does let me report on said
transit. My wife and I were visiting her
Mother for that other occurrence this
weekend, yes, that’s right, the Kentucky
Derby. Since we were heading to central
Arizona I figured I’d bring a telescope for
Monday’s celestial event also. Besides, it’s
an excuse to take a day off. So we packed
our car including three dogs and headed up
the hill. We had a nice weekend including a
homemade brunch for Mom on Sunday. Then
it was time to set up some equipment for
Monday morning.
Since the transit was underway at
sunrise there wasn’t too much reason to get
up extra early. I was able to observe from
about 7:30 until the conclusion. The dark
disc of Mercury was a sharp contrast to a
very nice and large sunspot also visible. I
was able to take some photos, which I hope
to share at the May SAC meeting. I hope you
will as well if you had a chance to
photograph this event.
Don’t forget we have our club’s public
star party at Thunderbird Park on the 14th.
Inside this issue:
* Click Links to jump
This will be the 39th time SAC has shared the
wonders of the heavens with folks who may
not stop to ponder them very much. You
never know whom you may inspire to start
looking up at night. I hope to see as many of
you there as possible.
See you at our regular club meeting on
May 20th at GCU!
Michael
mail to:[email protected]
Editor Notes, Events
& Spaceflight Trivia
2
(Rick Rotramel)
Best of the NGC:
3-4
NGC 4656, The Hockey Stick
Galaxy in Canes Venatici
(SAC Imagers & Observers)
(Compiled by: Rick Rotramel)
5
Call for Best of the NGC
Images, Notes & Sketches
(Rick Rotramel)
SUCH-A-DEAL
6-8
(Eight ads)
Bits & Pisces
SAC Meeting Minutes
9
(Rick Rotramel subbing for Kevin Kozel)
25 and 10 Years Ago in SAC
10
(Rick Rotramel)
And They Build Telescopes
11
(Rick Rotramel)
Photo: Michael Poppre
SAC Imaging
Website: saguaroastro.org
Follow SAC on Facebook
Mercury Transit
Hubble's Variable Nebula Time-Lapse
(Tom Polakis)
12
SAC Observing
Forrest Gump and Clear Skies
13
(Steve Coe)
Quick Calendar
Saturday, May 14: SAC Outreach: Thunderbird Park Public Star Party, See pg. 2
Tuesday, May 17: SAC ATM/Imaging Meeting, 6:30 PM; @ Paul Lind's Shop
Friday, May 20: SAC General Meeting, 7:30PM; Speaker: Nat Butler, ASU School of
Earth & Space Explore; Topic: “Recent progress in the field of gamma ray bursts.”
Fri. & Sat, June 3 & 4: Star Party, Fredericksen Meadow, See page 2
Sat.-Sat, June 4-11: SAC Outreach: Grand Canyon Star Party, North Rim, See pg. 2
Tuesday, June 21: SAC ATM/Imaging Meeting, 6:30 PM; @ Paul Lind's Shop
Friday, June 24: SAC General Meeting, 7:30 PM; Speaker: TBA, Topic: TBA
SAC Outreach
Arrowhead Elementary Science Fair
14
(Kevin Kozel)
SAC Officers/Chairs
15
(Meeting Location & Occultation Info)
SAC Membership Form 16
Header image © 2000-2013 Stellarium
Developers
Scorpius setting in the southwest.
© Saguaro Astronomy Club, 2016
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May 2016
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Editor Notes
Schedule of Events 2016
Hi Folks,
SAC General Meetings
The big event in our Solar System this month
was the Mercury Transit on Monday, May 9th. The
event was already in progress at sunrise and ended
in Arizona by noon. A SAC member was there to
capture images of the event and processed it into
an animated sequence of the last ten minutes as
Mercury left the face of the Sun. See it in the SAC
Imaging feature, along with a link to the animation.
The Best of the NGC features this month, NGC
4656, The Hockey Stick galaxy in Canes Venatici,
thanks to all who contributed this month.
In Bits and Pisces, you can find Meeting Minutes
for the April SAC General Meeting, and SAC
History & And They Build Telescopes for your
reading pleasure.
In SAC Observing, a SAC member since the
beginning of the club, Steve Coe, writes a great
piece about his enjoyment of the Arizona Skies he
has experienced with fellow members of the club.
Kevin Kozel writes about the outreach done at
the Arrowhead Elementary Science Fair. Kevin was
joined by Jack Jones and yours truly, providing
views through our telescopes of the Sun and Jupiter
and it's moons. See the report in the SAC Outreach
feature along with some photos of the event.
Rick Rotramel, Editor
Jan 22
Feb 19
Mar 18
Apr 22
May 20
Jun 24
Jul 22
Aug 12
Sep 9
Oct 14
Nov 11
Party, TBA
@ Grand Canyon University, Fleming Building, 7:30 PM
See page near back of this issue for location.
SAC ATM/Imaging Meeting
@ Paul Lind's Home Shop, 6:30 PM
Tuesday, May 17
SAC Star Party
Fredericksen Meadow, Fri. & Sat, June 3 & 4
Info: http://www.saguaroastro.org/content/Meadow-Directions.htm
SAC Outreach
Thunderbird Park Public Star Party
Saturday May 14, 2016, with Glendale Parks and Recreation
Setup: 6:30 PM (Sunset: 7:21 PM) End: 9:30 PM
Info Flyer: http://saguaroastro.org/content/t-bird_2016-spring.pdf
Grand Canyon Star Party, North Rim
June 4-11; Steve Dodder, Coordinator
For details, click here:
http://saguaroastro.org/content/2016GrandCanyonStarPartyNorthRim.htm
* Steve says he needs volunteers for the week long free camping, week long telescope operators.
Spaceflight Trivia
Can you name the mission involved in this
picture below? (See answer on page 5)
SAC Announcements
2016 SAC Officers
President: Michael Poppre
Vice President: Tom Polakis
Secretary: Kevin Kozel
Treasurer: Jack Jones
Properties Director: Steve Dodder
2016 Membership Dues, Due Now
Use the membership form at the end of this newsletter
and mail to the address listed. Or, bring in it in to the
next SAC meeting. Thank you
NASA
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Saguaro Skies
May 2016
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Best Of The NGC:
NGC 4656, The Hockey Stick Galaxy in Canes Venatici
By SAC Imagers, Observers & Sketchers, Compiled by Rick Rotramel
Crop
NGC 4656 with NGC 4631
Image by Roger Walters, Orion 8”f/5.3 Maksutov Newtonian, SBIG ST 8300C one shot
color, 6 exposures of 5 minutes each, automatically stacked with Track and Accumulate
in CCDOps software, 3-13-16, from my back yard in Mesa, AZ
David Douglass
Canes Venatici Star Map
© Roberto Mura
Continued on next page...
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May 2016
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Best Of The NGC:
NGC 4656, The Hockey Stick Galaxy in Canes Venatici
By SAC Imagers, Observers & Sketchers, Compiled by Rick Rotramel
SAC Observer: Steve Coe
TV 102; Antennas, S+T=7, 14mm, faint, pretty large,
elongated 4X1, the "hockey stick" curved end is seen with
averted vision only.
SAC Observer: Rick Rotramel
16” f4.4, 200x; Pretty bright, fairly large, irregularly
shaped, large at one end, tail hook at the other end.
Nexstar 11; Cherry Rd, S=5, T=6, pretty bright, pretty
large, much elongated 2.5X1, very little brighter middle with
an irregular figure. I knew this was the "hockey stick", but on
a mediocre night that shape was not to be seen.
13" f/5.6; Camp 613, S=7, T=9, pretty bright, large,
much elongated 4X1 in PA 30. Not much brighter in the
middle, no real nucleus, just several bright spots near the
center of the galaxy. The "hockey stick" shape is obvious at
150X.
30' x 30'
17.5" f/4.5; Dugas Road, S=6, T=7, 100X, pretty bright
and large with a very irregular shape. It looks like an airplane
wing! It shows this bizarre detail at 100X, with a bright area at
one end (nucleus?) and a curved fainter body extending away
from the brighter point. Put this guy on your observing list for
next time.
30' x 30'
Rick Rotramel, 16” f4.4, 200x
SAC Imager: David Dillmore
Steve Coe, 13” f5.6, 135x
SAC Imager: Kevin Kozel
10" Newtonian reflector, Canon Rebel DSLR camera. The
galaxy is long and narrow with a brighter bulging center and a
bent end that gives the galaxy its name. The galaxy in my
photo is faint but does show up against the background. The
companion galaxy, NGC 4631, shown in the photo is much
brighter than the Hockey Stick. May 3, 2016, Phoenix, AZ
Celestron 8" Newtonian, f/5, Nikon D3300 with Multipurpose
Coma Corrector and "SkyGlow" filter, ISO was 3200 with fortyone 20-second exposures for 13 minutes 40 Seconds. Image
processing with Deep Sky Stacker and Adobe Paint Shop Pro.
Picture was cropped from 6016 by 4016 to 4242 by 3724
pixels (there was some vignetting and coma distortion at
edges), (further rotated north up and cropped...Editor).
5-10-16 at my home in Tonopah, AZ
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May 2016
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Call for Best of the NGC images, notes and sketches.
Hello SAC Imagers, observers & sketchers:
For June, the Best of the NGC will feature
NGC 4361, planetary nebula in Corvus. 12 24.5
-18 48, 10.3 mag, 80,” small, bright.
For submitting images, send your file as an
attachment in an email to the editor. Please send
caption details of the image: Optics, camera,
main software used, exposure, location and date
taken.
Observation notes are sent in the email text
area or as an attached file.
For scanned sketches, send a file with caption
details: optics and eyepiece power used.
Email to: [email protected]
For July, NGC 6503 galaxy in Draco. Sb, 17
49.4 +70 09, 11.5 mag, 8x2.6, bright, elongated.
For August, NGC 6781 planetary nebula in
Aquila, 19 18.5 +06 32, 11.8 mag, 111"x109,"
large, pale.
Spaceflight Trivia Answer
STS-49: Space Shuttle Endeavour Maiden Flight
Launch: Kennedy Space Center, Fla., May 7, 1992
Landing: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif, May 16, 1992.
Orbiter: (OV-l05) Endeavour
Initial Altitude: 137x186 nautical miles
Inclination: 28.35 degrees
Mission Duration: 7 days (2 days provided for weather and contingencies)
Crew
Daniel C. Brandenstein - Commander
Kevin P. Chilton - Pilot
Richard J. Hieb - Mission Specialist 1
Bruce E. Melnick - Mission Specialist 2
Pierre J. Thuot - Mission Specialist 3
Kathryn C. Thornton - Mission Specialist 4
Thomas D. Akers - Mission Specialist 5
Cargo Bay Payloads
Intelsat Upper Stage
ASEM (Assembly of Station by EVA Methods) Equipment
AMOS (Air Force Maui Optical System) Experiement
Middeck Payloads
PCG (Protein Crystal Growth)
CVTE (Crystals by Vapor Transport Experiment)
Mission Highlights
First flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour
Retrieve, repair and re-deploy stranded INTELSAT-VI satellite
Three Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVAs)
Mission Objectives
Endeavour Flight Test
All of Endeavour's basic systems will be thoroughly tested and evaluated during
the 7-day maiden flight. As the newest member of the Shuttle fleet, Endeavour
has several new features that will be evaluated including new avionics, hydraulic
and braking systems. The most visible test will be the first use of a drag chute
which will be deployed after landing to assist in slowing the orbiter during rollout.
Intelsat Reboost
The following records were set during the STS-49 mission:
• First spacewalk involving three astronauts.
• First and second longest spacewalks to date: 8 hours and 29 minutes and 7
hours and 45 minutes.
• First shuttle mission to feature four spacewalks.
• Most spacewalking time for a single Shuttle mission to that date: 25 hours and
27 minutes, or 59:23 person hours.
• First Shuttle mission requiring three rendezvous with an orbiting spacecraft.
• First attachment of a live rocket motor to an orbiting satellite.
• First use of a drag chute during a Shuttle landing.
Saguaro Skies
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May 2016
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SUCH-A-DEAL
ITEMS FOR SALE
ITEMS FOR SALE
Miyauchi 100mm Flourite APO 45 Binoculars
160mm (6-inch) f/8 Celestron HD150 refractor
Celestron HD150 refractor
on Celestron CI-700 mount
Included:
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NGC-Max control computer
Sky Commander computer
All cables, power cords
Orion 8x50 finder scope
Telrad
Metal eyepiece tray
Battery shelf
Large Pelican case for mount and
its accessories
Golf club case for OTA
Baader white solar filter
Extra 5-pound counterweight
Two 2.5 lb weights
23-pound counterweight
Manual for CI-700
Leveling legs for tripod
UV filter
2-inch EP / focusing assembly
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Like new
Carrying case
Miyauchi 3x12mm finder
20x and 37x eyepieces
I also had a surveying instrument company fit a Hewlett
Packard mount. This is more solid than the no longer available
Miyauchi fork mount. As similar pair sold recently w/o mount
on astromart.com for $3500.
I want $3000 and will drive it (don't trust shipping) to any
location in Arizona.
Thanks, Monte
Email: [email protected]
Excellent planet and double star telescope, the HD150 gives sharp edgeto-edge views. The included UV filter helps a bit with color correction on
planets.
Offered by Richard Harshaw ([email protected])
Cell: 480.227.7231.
Asking price: $1,610.00 (Check, cash or credit card)
Call for appointment to see. Located in Cave Creek near
Cave Creek Road and Carefree Highway (AZ 74)
In the 70's & early 80's HP
made an electronic distance
measuring device (EDM). It
was a pivoting yoke mount
on a tribrach, attached to a
heavy surveyors tripod.
This tribrach/mount goes on
to either a pier or surveyor's
tripod via a 5/8"x 11 thread. I
will include a Trimble commercial GPS pier. It will also
go directly on any 5/8x11
tripod.
Celestron Skyris 618C Color CCD Camera
Celestron Skyris 618C color
CCD camera
Included:
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2-meter long shielded USB cable
Driver CD including iCap software
and Registax Software
1.25” adapter
Ferrite chokes (two)
For technical specs on the camera, check this URL:
http://www.celestron.com/browse-shop/astronomy/astroimaging-cameras/s
kyris-618c
Excellent camera for planetary imaging and high speed imaging. (I have
used it for speckle interferometry running shutter speeds as low as 4
milliseconds per frame.) Recent acquisition of a faster monochrome
camera for speckle lets me part with the Skyris.
Cable was shielded to help reduce noise from an AM radio station 1 mile
from my observatory.
Offered by Richard Harshaw ([email protected])
Cell: 480.227.7231.
Asking price: $225.00 (Check, cash or credit card)
Call for appointment to see. Located in Cave Creek near
Cave Creek Road and Carefree Highway (AZ 74)
SUCH-A-DEAL
Ads placed here are free to SAC members. SAC is not responsible for the quality of
the advertised items.
If you wish to place an ad here to sell your telescope or astronomy related items,
contact Rick Rotramel at: [email protected]
Page 7
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May 2016
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SUCH-A-DEAL
ITEMS FOR SALE
ITEMS FOR SALE
Meade 10” LX200 GPS w/UHTC Telescope
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LX200 GPS with UHTC (Enhanced Optical Coatings)
Meade 26mm Super Plossl eyepiece, Finder Scope and tripod mount.
8 Meade Eyepieces in aluminum brief case:
6.4mm
9.7mm
12.4mm
15mm
21mm
32mm
40mm
2x Barlow Lens
Moon Filter
Lumicon Deep Sky Filter
Wired and Wireless Handsets
Cosmic One SCT Cooler (12-volt plug. Cools inside of SCT Tube to
ambient temperature).
Soft Cover for Telescope
Note: The electric micro-focuser is not functioning presently. Needs
troubleshooting.
Original Shipping Box
MEADE ETX-90EC 90mm Maksutov Telescope
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Includes the following:
#07426 8 x 21mm Erect Image Viewfinder
#07427/#825 8 x 25mm Right Angle Viewfinder
Deluxe Tripod
Eyepieces:
Meade Ultra Wide Angle 6.7mm multi-coated
Meade Super Plossl 26mm LP multi-coated
Meade 2X telenegative multi-coated
Meade remote controller
#880 Table Tripod for Polar Alignment of the
ETX-90EC Astro Telescope
Manual
Compass
Carrying Case
Allen wrenches
Selling on behalf of a friend,
Asking $350.00 For all.
Contact Rick Tejera: 623-203-4121
Email: [email protected]
FOR SALE $1,700
Contact Tim Tucker: 480-215-4453
Email: [email protected]
FYI: I live in Maricopa
Celestron G-9.25 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope
Includes:
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Celestron G-9.25 Telescope tube and cover
Star Diagonal Mirror and Meade 40mm Konig Eyepiece
6 x 30mm Finder and Bracket
CG-5 German Equatorial Mount
Counterweight Bar
Two Counterweights (11 lbs each)
Declination (DEC) Slow motion Knob
Adjustable Tripod
Accessory Tray
HEQ5/EQ6 Motor Drive with cord
and 8 "D" Cell batteries
Celestron Sky Maps book with
Glow-in-the-Dark Star Finder
Original tube packing box
Original manual
Asking price is $1000 (OBO)
Contact Susan Trask at
[email protected] Or
623-934-7496
1350 S Greenfield Rd #2105
Mesa, AZ 85206
Phone: (480) 779-9262
http://corvus-optics.com/
SUCH-A-DEAL
Ads placed here are free to SAC members. SAC is not responsible for
the quality of the advertised items.
If you wish to place an ad here to sell your telescope or astronomy
related items, contact Rick Rotramel at: [email protected]
Page 8
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May 2016
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SUCH-A-DEAL
FOR SALE: TELESCOPE AND ACCESSORIES PACKAGE
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Orion SkyQuest 10” f/4.7 XT10 Dobsonian Intelliscope
Meade Series 4000 Super Plossl 1.25” Eyepieces (7):
6.4mm, 9.7mm, 12.4mm, 15mm, 20mm, 32mm, 40mm
Orion Sirius Plossl 1.25” 25mm Eyepiece
Orion 1.25” 2X Barlow
Mead Eyepiece Case (metal, holds all eyepieces)
Orion Deluxe Stargazer’s 1.25” Eyepiece Filter Set (6 filters)
Orion Ultrablock Narrowband Light Pollution Filter
Orion Red Beam II Variable Brightness LED Flashlight
Observing Table
Observing Chair
Total Original Cost: over $1500.00
Only used 4 times! Everything just like new. Selling due to
health issues.
Asking $750.00
Contact: Donald Sommers
mailto:[email protected]
623-594-3233
For Sale – Celestron CG-5 Equatorial Mount: Make Offer
http://www.lowell.edu/visit.php
Non-GPS, but motorized. Needs a good home, I need to
reduce my "stuff" as I am nearing retirement. Any fair offer
accepted. I am near Central and Bethany Home road.
Scott McDonald, Phone: 602-466-8521
Email: [email protected]
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SUCH-A-DEAL
Ads placed here are free to SAC members. SAC is not
responsible for the quality of the advertised items.
http://www.photoninstrument.com
Welcome to Starizona! In addition to a complete selection
of astronomical products, we offer free online resources
such as our award-winning Guide to CCD Imaging and
more. We also manufacture unique products such as the
HyperStar imaging system. Our staff consists of
experienced observers and astrophotographers who love
to share their knowledge. Please feel free to contact us
for advice or answers to any of your questions.
Hours: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu 10AM-5PM Fri, Sat 10AM-10PM
Closed Sun. Free Viewing Fri and Sat nights!
5757 N. Oracle Rd., Suite 103 · Tucson, Arizona 85704 ·
If you wish to place an ad here to sell your telescope or
astronomy related items, contact Rick Rotramel at:
[email protected]
The HyperStar-equipped ISERV telescope is now
installed on the ISS!
The HyperStar-equipped Celestron 9.25" telescope (and
its backup) that is now installed on the ISS. The scope
also features a Starizona MicroTouch Autofocuser. With
the Starizona gang: Steve, Scott, Dean, and Donna.
(Steve has since had to move to NY because he was
dressing too much like Scott.)
Call Us: (520) 292-5010
http://starizona.com/acb/index.aspx
[email protected]
Saguaro Skies
May 2016
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Bits & Pisces
Minutes of the April 22, 2016 SAC Meeting
By Rick Rotramel subbing for Kevin Kozel, SAC Secretary
Vice President Tom Polakis, substituting for President Michael Poppre,
called the meeting to order at about 7:30 PM and asked if any visitors
are in attendance, and two spoke up including James Baker (who has
joined SAC as a member, according to SAC Treasurer, Jack Jones.)
Jack Jones gave the Treasurer's Report and said that the AAMM Raffle
made $267, last month's 50/50 Raffle made $30, and a donation of
$500 for the amateur telescope photo spread by Nationwide Insurance
company, (see last month's meeting minutes for details.) The Port-aPotties rented for the Marathon cost $350. The SAC Budget for 2016
was presented last month, was about $3283. Jack announced that the
39th Annual Thunderbird Park Public Star Party will be on Saturday, May
14th. Ads for the party will be in The Arizona Republic and in the
Glendale Parks & Recreation publications. You can see photos of past
Thunderbird Park star parties on the SAC Facebook page.
Eric Hoag, SAC Public Outreach Chairman, asked SAC for volunteers to
bring a telescope for the Arrowhead Elementary School Science Fair on
Wed, May 4th, 6-8 PM. Eric also thanked all who provided telescopes at
the Alhambra High School star party on Tuesday, April 12th.
Steve Dodder said that he was happy to announce that he has filled up
the slate for volunteers for the telescopes for the Grand Canyon Star
Party, North Rim, running from June 4th to June 11th. He got two extra
people to come to the star party from Griffith Observatory in Los
Angeles. Also he announced that Science magazine has an article on
the Pluto Encounter by the New Horizons Spacecraft. And, that he has
a ccd camera and a Meade flip mirror assembly for sale in the back of
the room. And he noted that the ccd camera has a parallel port! Finally
he announced that he is the SAC Novice Chairman and invited newbies
out to his observatory out in the fairly dark skies of Maricopa, AZ.
David Dillmore announced that he brought in “free for the taking,” a
bunch of precut, laptop display dimming, red plastic panels. They were
all grabbed by SAC members very quickly!
Tom Polakis announced that Mercury will transit the Sun on Monday,
May 9th and it starts at Sunrise in Phoenix and ends by about Noon. And
that you need about 30x to see Mercury against the Sun's disk in a
solar telescope.
Show 'n Tell:
David Dillmore talked about and showed photos of his roll-off roof
observatory that he built in Tonopah, AZ. He showed the telescope
currently mounted on the pier inside. Then he showed his Celestron 8”
f/5 Newtonian that he has taken astrophotos with. Then he showed a
couple of educational videos he made about astronomy with the topics
of: the northern celestral pole and the celestral equator.
Next, Paul Lind talked about the ATM meeting of Tuesday, April 19th at
his home workshop. He showed photos taken by Rick Rotramel, of the
meeting, including a box of stuff brought in by Jack Jones, of the last of
the stuff he had from Pierre Schwaar, that he discovered in his (Jack's)
garage. It contained abrasives used to grind and polish mirrors. The
box also contained two 6” mirror blanks, one 6” plate glass tool, and
one 6” f12 finished aluminized mirror on a mirror cell. Next he showed
a photo of him drilling and tapping a thread to receive a bolt to provide
a locking method on the azimuth portion of the Lynn Blackburn German
Equatorial mount, which was given to Rick Rotramel. (Look for this
mount at the Thunderbird Park Public Star Party with an Orion 4.7” f/8.3
refractor on it.) Finally, he showed the telescope counterweights
brought in by Lori Prause, which needed larger screws installed into
them. Lynn Blackburn removed the original screws, drilled and tapped
and then installed the larger screws into the counterweights.
Next up was JD Maddy from Clarkdale, AZ who showed a wide field
astrophoto of the Milky Way from his home which showed the Phoenix
light pollution on the horizon. Then he showed a great image he took of
252/Comet Linear, in Ophiuchus, that he took a week or so ago that
showed a coma, about half a degree in size, which looked almost like a
fine and huge, globular cluster.
Last for Show 'n Tell was Claude Haynes, who presented the video
series that astronomer Dr. Phil Plait, (who does the Bad Astronomy
series) narrates about astronomy topics. Claude watched some on his
own and said that they are about 10 minutes long and that they were
very good indeed. He found them on You Tube, and there are 47 videos,
which were great and fun. They are part of the PBS Digital Series.
The meeting paused for a break at 8:11 PM.
Tom continued the meeting at about 8:30 PM by announcing the
background of our speaker for the evening, which was geology; Craig
Hardgrove of ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration. Craig is the
Principal Investigator for ASU's first own, designed and built spacecraft,
the LunaH-Map, or The Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper. It is a CubeSat,
about the size of a shoe box, containing six cubes that house all the
components of an interplanetary spacecraft in miniature. His talk was
titled, “Revealing Hydrogen Distributions at the Moon's South Pole.” He
talked about the Neutron Spectrometers that he designed that will
count the molecules of hydrogen when the spacecraft makes its close
dive above the lunar surface at the Moon's south pole to precisely map
the location of the hydrogen in the shadowed craters located there for
future mining by a lunar mining outfit. Craig talked in detail about the
spacecraft components. He received a lot of questions after his talk
from SAC members and he provided detailed answers about this little
spacecraft that he was proud to talk about. LunaH-Map will launch on
the SLS rocket flight that tests the new Orion capsule in 2018.
The April SAC Speaker
The Speaker was: Craig Hardgrove, of ASU's
School of Earth and Space Exploration
His Topic: “The Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper.”
http://www.nasa.gov/feature/lunah-map-university-built-cubesat-to-ma
p-water-ice-on-the-moon
Tom Polakis, SAC Vice President
Craig Hardgrove
Photo, Ken Fagan of ASU Now
LunaH-Map is a 6U CubeSat that will enter
a polar orbit around the Moon with a low
altitude (5-12km) perilune centered on the
lunar South Pole. LunaH-Map carries two
neutron spectrometers that will produce
maps of near-surface hydrogen (H). LunaHMap will map H within permanently
shadowed craters to determine its spatial
distribution, map H distributions with depth
(< 1 meter), and map the distribution of H in
other permanently shadowed regions
(PSRs) throughout the South Pole.
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Saguaro Skies
May 2016
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Where we
going today
Mr. Peabody?
© Peabody and Sherman, 'Rocky and Bullwinkle' Pictures
25 Years Ago
in SAC
The WABAC Machine!
10 Years Ago
in SAC
May 2016
Saguaro Skies
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And They Build Telescopes
By Rick Rotramel
The monthly SAC ATM (Amateur Telescope
Making) / Astro-Imaging meeting of April 19, 2016
was attended by Paul Lind, AJ Crayon, Dwight,
Gene, Jack, Lori, Lynn, and me.
Jacks' box of Pierre Schwaar Stuff
Jack Jones brought in a box of stuff he found in
his garage that was the last box of stuff that he
knew of that came from Pierre Schwaar's estate.
Pierre was a SAC member who passed away
March 6, 2000. He was a telescope maker who
made his own mirrors and who designed and built
the stable and sturdy Big Foot telescope mounts.
Azimuth Lock, Blackburn Mount
I brought in my Lynn Blackburn mount that
needed an additional item installed. I needed
some way to lock down the azimuth rotation of
the mount onto the tripod. This, so that when
moving the telescope around the sky, the mount
would not turn in azimuth. After major brain
storming by a bunch of people in the room, I
decided to go with my original thought of
threading a screw into the mount at a 45 degree
angle, thus locking the mount to the tripod head.
Paul drills the hole for the azimuth locking screw
Jack holds the box containing abrasives
In the box were two 6” mirror blanks, a 6” tool,
abrasives for grinding and polishing mirrors, and a
6” f/12 aluminized mirror mounted on a cell.
Customizing Counterweights
Paul taps the threads for the screw
Lori Prause brought in some counterweights
that had a screw in them that she said were too
small and wanted a larger screw installed in them.
Lynn Blackburn took on the job of removing the
old screws and then he drilled and tapped the
counterweights for the larger screws. He installed
the larger screws into the counterweights.
The locking screw installed into the mount
Epilogue
The finished modified counterweights
That’s all for this month, see you next time. Remember, if
you have a “need” for your telescope, bring it over to Paul
Lind’s shop at the next SAC ATM/Astro-Imaging meeting on
the Tuesday evening before the SAC general meeting and join
in on all the fun. Paul will post the date on the SAC-Forum list.
Hope to see you there. It’s a fun time for all.
May 2016
Saguaro Skies
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SAC Imaging:
Tom Polakis
Mercury Transits the Sun
9 May 2016: 10 Minutes Through Egress, Tempe, AZ
“Time-lapse movie of the last 10 minutes of Mercury's passage in front of the
sun. Imaging scope is a single-stacked Lunt 100. Each of the 31 images in the
sequence used the best 360 out of 600 video frames. I think it's time to stop
staring at a computer display for a while now...”
To view the animated sequence, click below:
http://www.pbase.com/polakis/image/163198287
Hubble's Variable Nebula Time-Lapse: 22 Frames, 24 Weeks
Nov 7, 2015 - April 24, 2016, Tempe, AZ
“This time-lapse sequence shows changes in Hubble's Variable Nebula over the course of a half year with an interval of roughly one week. Images are averaged 5-minute
exposures taken with a 12.5-inch f/6.7 telescope in Tempe, Arizona. Native image scale is 0.88 arcsec/pixel, but it was doubled in post-processing.”
To view the animated sequence click below:
http://www.pbase.com/polakis/image/163069532
May 2016
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SAC Observing:
Forrest Gump and Clear Skies
by Steve Coe
Steve Coe has been a SAC member since the beginning of the
Club and shares this sentimental journey he has taken with his
Fellow members of this astronomy club. The Editor
I know how goofy the title sounds, but do stay with
me, please.
I watched the movie Forrest Gump for about the
fifth time this evening, I get teary eyed ever time. I
know that you have movies that touch you as well, it is
one of the reasons they are made. Yes, I know that
movies have to make money also, but let's stay
sentimental for a few minutes.
Today is my 67th birthday (April 16th) and I can't
deny that I am much closer to the end of my life than
the beginning. Forrest and I were both born in the
South and many of his friends and relatives are similar
to my own.
At one point Forrest runs away from disappointment
and I do mean literally runs away. As he jogs across
the US from ocean to ocean he has a chance to think
and consider his choices and remember his late
mother. I did not physically run away, I bought this
motor home in which I am sitting and drove around,
sometimes doing the same thing as Forrest. I have had
a chance to meet people I had only known
electronically and make some new friends as I made
my way around. It has been a joy.
I have often said that the Saguaro Astronomy Club
is the best astronomy club in this arm of the Galaxy
and I mean it. It is filled up with lots of fun people who
enjoy setting up telescopes and viewing the night sky.
We rarely get bogged down in politics or other
distracting problems. In the decades that I have been
a member there have been a wide variety of excellent
speakers on a wide variety of topics. My friends in the
club are as close as any family I have in this world.
I have lived in Arizona for 40 years now and it has
been a wonderful choice for me. I have a wide variety
of friends in the Southwest and it has been lots of fun
to visit with them and view the sky as I enjoy their
company. Some of my friends have passed on to
whatever is next and I do hope that I will see them
again, however that happens. Maybe we can view the
stars together again.
Steve with his 9.25” SCT at Fredericksen Meadow June 2015
Forrest speaks of how beautiful a mountain lake
was as he passed it. "It looked like there were two
skies, one above the other." It is so important that we
slow down and enjoy the beauty all around us. When
we go out telescoping we always try and take a break
around midnight. We will eat a snack, take on some
caffeine and just look up at the sky. This provides some
time to enjoy the night and stop being distracted by
the technology of telescopes and cameras. I have
gotten to where I look forward to that time.
So, my point is to enjoy the sky in all its forms. We
do live in a beautiful Universe. You have to take
advantage of it while you can, because, to quote
Forrest's Mama, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you
never know what you are going to get."
Clear skies to us all
Steve Coe
May 2016
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SAC Outreach:
Arrowhead Elementary, 5/4/16
By Kevin Kozel, SAC Secretary
Susan Peck, 6th Grade Math/Science Teacher at
Arrowhead Elementary, invited the Saguaro Astronomy
Club to join the Arrowhead Elementary School in their
Science Fair once again on Wed, May 4th, 2016. The
event was attended by Jack Jones, Rick Rotramel and
Kevin Kozel of the Saguaro Astronomy Club, and was
held at the school playgrounds at the east end of the
school campus.
The astronomers arrived by 6:00pm and set up
their telescopes. Soon after getting set up, the students
began to come and look at the sun until it set behind
the school building. There was a short quiet time until
the sky darkened enough to begin viewing Jupiter.
Looking at Jupiter was quite a thrill for all the students
and their parents, most of whom had never looked
through a telescope before. Members of the astronomy
club find this to be true at most public star parties. The
people who come to events have never used a
telescope to look at anything, not just the night sky.
Most of the students would look for just a few short
seconds, but a few of them would spend time looking
at the Gas Giant and ask numerous questions. One
eight year old boy even told me the names and correct
order of all the planets. He was quite the talker too and
told me of some of the spacecraft that have been sent
out to explore the solar system. This boy was the only
student that showed any knowledge of astronomy of all
the many students who I talked with.
The other club members were kept very busy
showing the young people and their parents and
teachers the night sky, but Jupiter was the highlight of
the evening. The sky did not get dark enough to see
anything except the very brightest stars and the planet
Jupiter by the time the event was over.
The students and club members had a very nice
time with this event and we in the club told Susan Peck
that we will come again the next time she asks for us to
put on another star party for the students.
Photos (4) by Rick Rotramel
May 2016
Saguaro Skies
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2016 SAC Officers and Contacts
Occultation Info
Board Members
President
Michael Poppre (mail to:[email protected])
Vice-President Tom Polakis (mail to:[email protected])
Treasurer
Jack Jones (mail to:[email protected])
Secretary
Kevin Kozel (mail to:[email protected])
Properties
Steve Dodder (mail to:[email protected])
Wayne Thomas has
asteroid occultation info
for the greater Phoenix
Area:
Non-board Positions
Novice Leader Steve Dodder (mail to:[email protected])
Editor
Rick Rotramel (mail to:[email protected])
Webmaster
Peter Argenziano (mail to:[email protected])
Public Events
Jack Jones (mail to:[email protected])
ATM Group
Paul Lind (mail to:[email protected])
Imaging
Al Stiewing (mail to:[email protected])
Deep Sky
AJ Crayon (mail to:[email protected])
Public Outreach Eric Hoag (mailto:[email protected])
Gene Lucas has Lunar
Total and Graze
Occultation info:
Mail to:[email protected]
[email protected]
Mail Address
SAC, P.O. Box 11491, Glendale AZ 85318-1491
Meeting Location: Grand Canyon University is
located at 3300 W. Camelback Rd, Phoenix, AZ We meet
in Fleming Hall, Room 105, 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Saguaro Astronomy Club
Saguaro Astronomy Club (SAC), Phoenix,
Arizona, was formed in 1977 to promote
fellowship and the exchange of scientific
information among its members-amateur
astronomers. SAC meets monthly for both
general meetings and star parties, and
regularly conducts and supports public
programs on astronomy. Membership is
open to anyone with these interests.
Saguaro Skies is posted as a pdf file
monthly on the SAC website,
www.saguaroastro.org/content/SACNEWS/newsindex.htm
for browsing or downloading for SAC
members and friends of SAC. A email
announcement of the monthly newsletter
release is included with membership.
Parking: Turn into the campus from Camelback Road at
33rd Ave. and drive straight and stop at the guard
station. Tell the guard you are attending the astronomy
club meeting. Then, turn left past the guard and park.
Direct all membership inquiries to the
SAC Treasurer by using the membership
form found in this newsletter. For editorial
and SUCH-A-DEAL advertising inquiries,
contact the Saguaro Skies Editor.
Contacting This Issue’s Authors
Saguaro Skies Staff
If you wish to write to an author in this month’s issue, complaining
that they don’t know what they are talking about or that they utterly
dazzled you with their wordsmith skills, contact them by sending
your message to the editor of Saguaro Skies, Rick Rotramel, at:
[email protected]
I will then forward your questions, comments or carping to the
author who may (or may not) reply.
Editor: Rick Rotramel
Photographers: Tom Polakis, Rick Rotramel and
Susan Trask
2013-2016 Contributors: Bob Christ, Mike Collins, AJ
Crayon, Paul Dickson, Steve Dodder, Richard
Harshaw, Kevin Kozel, Tom & Jennifer Polakis,
Michael Poppre, Jimmy Ray, Rick Rotramel, SAC
Imagers & Observers, Darrell Spencer & Rick Tejera.
Page 16
Saguaro Skies
May 2016
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[email protected],
[email protected] and/or
[email protected]
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