{"id":1672,"date":"2018-10-21T17:24:48","date_gmt":"2018-10-21T21:24:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/?p=1672"},"modified":"2019-01-17T07:55:49","modified_gmt":"2019-01-17T12:55:49","slug":"octnovdec2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/2018\/10\/21\/octnovdec2018\/","title":{"rendered":"OctNovDec2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

Connecticut Star Party 28, September 7-9, 2018<\/strong><\/h1>\n

The annual Connecticut Star Party was held on the weekend of September 7-9 at the Edmund Strang Scout Camp in Goshen.  This was the fourth year that CSP has taken place at this location.<\/p>\n

On Friday afternoon, attendees started to arrive and set up their tents, campers, or stake out positions in the bunk houses. After a nice dinner in the main hall on Friday evening, Pete Kandefer gave two slide presentations, one on the recent Mars opposition, and the second on galaxies.  For a short time during the evening the skies cleared, and the Milky Way stretched across the sky.  Some intrepid observers set up their scopes and were able to take a look at Mars, Saturn, the Perseus Double Cluster, and a few other targets.  Some meteors were also seen.  Soon patchy clouds came in, but we were able to view constellations here and there through breaks in the clouds.  The Double Cluster and the Andromeda Galaxy were both visible to the naked eye when the clouds parted.  Later in the evening the clouds thickened, and groups of people sat and chatted around the observing field and their tents on this warm September night.
\n\"\"Saturday’s events included two interesting talks by our featured speakers. Karsten Heeger from Yale University spoke on the topic of “Neutrinos and dark matter:  Exploring the invisible universe.”  He described the mysterious particles called neutrinos which have almost no mass, travel at nearly the speed of light, and pass through everything made of ordinary matter.  Billions pass through our bodies every second, with no effects on us.  Heeger explained how researchers have set up elaborate detectors deep beneath the earth (including at a site in Antarctica) to observe the rare cases where neutrinos collide with particles such as atomic nuclei or electrons. Heeger also talked a bit about dark matter and dark energy, which together comprise more than 90% of the universe and are equally mysterious.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Karsten Heegan<\/p><\/div>\n

The second talk, by the well known astronomy writer Bob Berman, was on “The greatest sky spectacles.”  Berman described what he considers to be the five most impressive sky spectacles one can observe with the naked eye alone.  His top two were total solar eclipses and strong auroral displays.  Berman gave a preview of total solar eclipses that will occur over the next 10 years and beyond, including the US eclipse coming up in April 2024.  He talked about his experiences viewing auroral displays, and suggested that Alaska is the best place to observe them because of its proximity to the magnetic north pole and its frequency of clear skies during certain parts of the year.  Berman’s other favorite naked-eye spectacles included meteor storms, bright comets, and a close approach to Earth by the asteroid Apophis that will occur on April 13, 2029. He also mentioned lunar eclipses, and reminded us that one will be visible over the US in just a few months, on January 20, 2019.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Bob Berman<\/p><\/div>\n

No observing was possible on Saturday night because of overcast skies, but throughout the day and evening, the dining hall was filled with good food and good conversation among friends old and new.  There were also the ever-popular raffle, the children’s raffle (where every child is a winner), a display of the ASHN meteorite collection, a planet walk, and the group photo shoot.<\/p>\n

Many thanks to everyone who attended and helped to make CSP 28 a pleasant and memorable event!<\/p>\n


\nMore CSP photos:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"

Photo by Shannon Calvert<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2018 President\u2019s Annual Address<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Another year has passed, our 81st<\/sup>, and it\u2019s been mostly a cloudy and rainy one. We\u2019ve canceled most public and private events again this year, due to the weather. Though the few we\u2019ve actually held were successful. Due to the construction at Silver Sands, we had to move to our newest public outreach venue Stratford Point. The clouds once again prevailed, though we will be back! We\u2019ve re-established connections with some old friends, Massaro Farms, the Girl Scouts and Hammonasset State Park. Once again, we\u2019ve had events with the New Haven Land Trust at Long Wharf, the Madison Moonlight Walk and judging at the New Haven Science Fair just to name a few. Al Washburn was able to present, with his usual flair, our extensive meteorite collection, where kids and parents had the opportunity to hold real space rocks. This year we\u2019ve been asked by more groups than ever have to participate in their outreach events, which has helped us gain new members and retain others. Our membership remains around 85.<\/p>\n

The 28th<\/sup> Connecticut Star Party (CSP28) was successful as usual, in spite of the clouds. Over 60 people stayed through Saturday to enjoy the comradery and listen to our speakers.  My personal thanks to the CSP committee for working as hard as usual to keep everything running smoothly.<\/p>\n

Even though we do have weather cancellations, we want to see more members at the events we do have. You don\u2019t have to have a scope or know the sky to lend a hand. Just attend and have fun.<\/p>\n

Thank you all for another outstanding year.  Best wishes for a wonderful Holiday season and New Year.<\/p>\n

Greg Barker<\/p>\n

President ASNH<\/p>\n

Recent ASNH Activities<\/strong><\/h1>\n

By Donna Pursley<\/h3>\n

Stratford Point Observing, Friday July 27<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This was the first time at this new location for us. We were able to set up on blacktop which is much better than grass for the bugs. The views are very good in all directions. There was an outdoor concert going on nearby with lots of lights. It was nice to have music while star gazing, but we could have done without the lights. The area was brighter than I thought it would be so far from everything. There were some very interesting cloud formations with the sunset while we were starting to set up. The moon appeared very big tonight. There weren\u2019t very many people, but it was a good chance to finally check out the new site.<\/p>\n

Colchester Land Trust Observing Night at Cold Spring Farm, Saturday September 15<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This is our second year at this location. This is a wide open field with terrific views of the East, West and North. The grass was a bit high, so we all took precautions. We were able to view Venus before the crowd came. When the crowd did start, the clouds also covered the sky. We viewed in the holes until the clouds passed. We did see Jupiter, Saturn and Mars.<\/p>\n

The number of people was much higher than last year. There was a continuous line at all scopes for a while. I would guess about 100 people attended.<\/p>\n

This was a long drive out here, but it was worth it. Dark skies (could see the Milky Way), inquisitive crowd and good company.<\/p>\n

Quilts at Stellafane<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Sara Schechner of West Newton MA displayed these quilts at this year’s Stellafane convention in Springfield VT.  She won a special award for the quilt of the pink clubhouse. (Photos by Donna Pursley.)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Astronomy Links<\/strong><\/h1>\n

 Recommended by Ray Kaville<\/h3>\n

Bob Berman: Strange Universe<\/p>\n

http:\/\/wamc.org\/topic\/strange-universe-bob-berman<\/a><\/p>\n

Jim Metzner and Bob Berman: Astounding Universe<\/p>\n

https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/astounding-universe\/id1314654837?mt=2<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/h1>\n


\n<\/strong><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Upcoming Public Events<\/strong><\/h1>\n

These events are free and open to the public. If the weather looks questionable for an observing event, check the ASNH website<\/a> after 4:00pm. There will be a scrolling message on the home page if an event has been cancelled.<\/p>\n

Friday, October 5, 7:00pm<\/strong>
\nStratford Point Public Observing
\n<\/span>Directions: Off I-95: Take Exit 30 turn left onto Surf ave turn toward School for Aviation,Sikorsky Memorial Airport. Turn left on to Lordship Blvd. Left at Oak Bluff Ave, at rotary take 2nd exit onto Prospect Drive. Gated entrance to Audubon Society on the left<\/span><\/p>\n

Saturday, October 6, 7:00pm
\n<\/strong>Young’s Park, Branford CT
\nPublic Observing Session<\/p>\n

Sunday, October 21, 6:30pm<\/strong>
\nMadison Surf Club, Madison CT
\nMoonlight walk (with telescope observing)<\/p>\n

Tuesday, October 30, 7:00pm<\/strong>
\nUnitarian Universalist Church
\n608 Whitney Avenue, New Haven CT
\nGeneral monthly meeting<\/p>\n

Friday, November 9, 7:00pm<\/strong>
\nStratford Point Public Observing
\n<\/span>See Friday, October 5 event for directions<\/span><\/p>\n

Saturday, November 10, 7:00pm
\n<\/strong>Young’s Park, Branford CT
\nPublic observing session<\/p>\n

Friday, November 16, 7:00pm<\/strong>
\nMeigs Point Nature Center
\nHammonasset Beach State Park, Madison CT
\nPublic observing session
\nRain date: Saturday, November 17<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tuesday, November 27, 7:00pm<\/strong>
\nUnitarian Universalist Church
\n608 Whitney Avenue, New Haven CT
\nGeneral monthly meeting<\/p>\n

Upcoming Events for ASNH Members<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Saturday, October 20, 7:00pm
\n<\/strong>Eisenhower Park, Milford
\nGirl Scout Outreach Event<\/p>\n

Saturday, October 27, 7:00pm<\/strong>
\nBayview Park Bayview Park
\n15 Hallock Ave, New Haven (map<\/a>)
\nStargazing night at New Haven Land Trust (private)
\nRain date: Saturday, November 3
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Features<\/strong><\/h1>\n

If you have not looked at the newsletter before, check out some of the regular features. There are four useful links in the menu at the top of this page:<\/p>\n

Calendar <\/b> This is a monthly calendar that includes all the scheduled events of ASNH, other regional events of interest, plus the dates and times of noteworthy events in the night sky.<\/p>\n

SkyMap <\/b> This page has a chart of the sky as it appears over the New Haven area at the present date and time. It is constantly updated, so you can go to this page on any clear night to see what is overhead.<\/p>\n

Space Place<\/strong> Read the monthly article from Space Place.<\/p>\n

Directions <\/b>This page gives directions to all the locations where regular activities of ASNH take place, including the monthly meeting, public observing sessions, and the annual Connecticut Star Party.<\/p>\n

Other regular features can be found within these pages:<\/p>\n

Upcoming Public Events <\/strong>Many ASNH events are free and open to the public. These include the monthly meetings and public observing sessions at Young’s Pond Park in Branford and Silver Sands State Park in Milford. This section gives the dates, times, and descriptions of these events.<\/p>\n

Upcoming Events for ASNH Members <\/strong>These events are for ASNH members only. Some are private observing nights, and others are outreach events where volunteers are needed with the telescopes and equipment.<\/p>\n

Night Sky Highlights <\/strong>This section lists some objects to observe in the sky during the next few months, whether you are using just your eyes, a pair of binoculars, or a telescope.<\/p>\n

Gallery <\/strong> This section will feature recent photographs of celestial targets taken by ASNH members and others. If you have a picture you want to share with us, please submit it to newsletter@asnh.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/h1>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Night Sky Highlights for October-December 2018<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Solar System<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Geminid Meteor Shower
\nPeaking on the night of December 13-14<\/strong>
\nWeather permitting, the Geminids could be the best meteor shower of this year. Up to 120 meteors per hour are possible under perfect conditions.  This year it will be best to look after midnight, when the Moon has set and Gemini is higher in the sky.<\/p>\n

Mercury
\n<\/strong>Mercury truly moves quickly.  The best dates to observe it in the west after sunset will be around November 6.  Then, around December 15, it will be visible in the morning sky, low in the east just before dawn. On the morning of December 21 it will be less than a degree above Jupiter.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Venus<\/strong>
\nVenus will be near the Sun during October and early November.  By mid-November and throughout December and beyond, it will be visible as the brightest object in the eastern sky before dawn.<\/p>\n

Mars<\/strong>
\nThe disk of Mars will appear to shrink in size as it move away from Earth this fall.  However, it will still be a fairly decent size through October, and worth taking a look.  By the end of the year it will be lost in the Sun’s glare.<\/p>\n

Jupiter<\/strong>
\nIf you want to see Jupiter in the evening, be sure to do so in early October, when it will be low in the west after sunset.  After that it will be too close to the Sun to observe.  In late December, it reappears in the eastern sky just before dawn.<\/p>\n

Saturn<\/strong>
\nSaturn is in Sagittarius, and it will be well placed for observing in the southwest sky after sunset during October and early November. After that it will be too close to the Sun to get a good view of it.<\/p>\n

Uranus and Neptune<\/strong>
\nThe fall is an ideal time to see these two planets.  Uranus is in Pisces, and Neptune is in Aquarius.  In fact, during October, Uranus will be about magnitude 5.7, making it potentially visible to the naked eye from a very dark location.  To find these gas giants, you will need a finder chart such as the one in this article from the Sky & Telescope<\/em> website:<\/p>\n

www.skyandtelescope.com\/observing\/planets\/ice-giants-neptune-and-uranus\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Deep Sky Objects<\/strong><\/h2>\n

With a typical amateur telescope on a clear, dark fall evening, you can spot deep-sky objects ranging from relatively nearby open clusters to distant galaxies. There are also beautiful nebulae, double stars, and globular clusters waiting to be seen. Here is a small sample of what is available.  For help in finding any of these objects, click on the link to get a star-hop chart.<\/p>\n

Almach (Gamma Andromedae)
\n<\/strong>Double star in Andromeda
\nThis is a beautiful double star, with a brighter yellow star of magnitude 2.2 and a dimmer blue star of magnitude 5.0.  They are separated by 9.8 arcseconds, so they can be split with even a small telescope.  The pair is about 390 light years away.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Melotte 20, the Alpha Persei Association
\n<\/strong>Stellar association in Perseus
\nThe bright star Mirfak is also known as Alpha Persei. The group of young, hot stars that surround it is called the Alpha Persei Association. This is one of the few star clusters that can be seen with the naked eye, and it is a wonderful sight through binoculars. The cluster extends about 3 degrees from end to end, making it too large to fit in the field of view of most telescopes. This group of stars is about 600 light years away.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 2
\n<\/strong>Globular cluster in Aquarius
\nAt magnitude 6.6 and covering 1\/4 degree of sky, Messier 2 is a nice view through a small telescope and a very impressive one through a larger telescope. It has a dense and bright center. It is tricky to find because there are no bright stars nearby, but it is worth the effort. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 15
\n<\/strong>Globular cluster in Pegasus
\nMessier 15 is one of the brightest globular clusters at magnitude 6.1, and it has a very dense core. The cluster is estimated to be about 33,000 light years away, and to contain over 100,000 stars. It is a nice sight through telescopes of small or medium aperture, and the view through a large Dobsonian scope is spectacular. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 27, the Dumbbell Nebula
\n<\/strong>Planetary nebula in Vulpecula
\nThe Dumbbell Nebula is one of the largest and brightest examples of a planetary nebula. It is high overhead during fall evenings. It can be seen as a dim patch through binoculars, and a telescope will reveal its hourglass shape. This nebula is about 3 light years in diameter and about 1360 light years away.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 76, the Little Dumbbell Nebula
\n<\/strong>Planetary nebula in Perseus
\n<\/strong>After viewing the Dumbbell Nebula, why not try for its smaller namesake?  This planetary nebula is smaller and harder to see well. Through a telescope at medium to high power, it has a rectangular shape with a slighlty narrower midsection.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 52
\n<\/strong>Open cluster in Cassiopeia
\nMessier 52 is a rich open cluster of some 200 stars covering an area about 1\/3 the size of the full Moon. A few of its stars can be seen with binoculars, but the best view is through a telescope at low power, where the cluster will stand out nicely from the Milky Way background. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 33
\n<\/strong>Galaxy in Triangulum
\nThe Triangulum Galaxy is the second closest spiral galaxy (after M32, the Andromeda Galaxy), about 2.3 million light years away and a member of our local galaxy group. It covers an area of sky larger than the full moon, but because its light is spread out over a large area, it can be difficult to see when you first look through a telescope or binoculars.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 74
\n<\/strong>Galaxy in Pisces
\nUnder dark skies, this face-on spiral galaxy can be seen in a small telescope, and large scopes will show a brighter center and some detail in its spiral arms. This galaxy is similar in size to our Milky Way Galaxy, and it is about 32 million light years away.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 77
\n<\/strong>Galaxy in Cetus
\nAlso known as Cetus A, M 77 is an example of a Seyfert galaxy–a galaxy with a bright and active nucleus that is a strong emitter of radio waves. This bright nucleus is quite noticeable through a telescope. With a large telescope, quite a bit of structure can be seen in this face-on galaxy. The distance to M77 is about 47 million light years.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Gallery, page 1<\/strong><\/h1>\n

These two pages show images of some of the deep-sky objects described in the Night-Sky Highlights of this issue.<\/p>\n

All photos on this page are by Leo Taylor.<\/p>\n

Messier 2, Globular Cluster in Aquarius<\/strong>
\nTaken with an 8-inch Meade 2080 telescope and a Pentax D110D camera.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Messier 27, the Dumbbell Nebula in Vulpecula<\/strong>
\nThe brightest parts of this planetary nebula form the dumbbell or hourglass shape.  Under dark skies, the fainter sections can be seen in amateur telescopes, filling out the oval shape seen here. Taken with an 8-inch Meade 2080 telescope and an SBIG ST4000XCM imager.
\n\"\"
\nMessier 76, the Little Dumbbell Nebula in Perseus<\/strong>
\nThis image shows the rectangular shape of the brightest portions of the nebula and a lot of structural detail.  Notice also the fainter winglike projections on the left and right. Taken with an 8-inch Meade 2080 telescope and an SBIG ST4000XCM imager.
\n\"\"
\nMessier 33, the Triangulum Galaxy<\/strong>
\nThis nearby spiral galaxy has a low surface brightness, but on a dark night it is easy to see with binoculars as a dim oval glow.  Taken with an 8-inch Meade 2080 telescope and a Pentax D110D camera.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Gallery, page 2<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Photos on this page are by Jim Mazur, taken with a 14-inch Meade LX850 telescope and an SBIG ST8300M imager.<\/p>\n

Messier 15, Globular Cluster in Pegasus
\n\"\"<\/strong>
\nMessier 52, Open Cluster in Cassiopeia<\/strong>
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Messier 77, Seyfert Galaxy in Cetus<\/strong>
\n\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Connecticut Star Party 28, September 7-9, 2018 The annual Connecticut Star Party was held on the weekend of September 7-9 at the Edmund Strang Scout Camp in Goshen.  This was the fourth year that CSP has taken place at this location. … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-12"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1672","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1672"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1672\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1878,"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1672\/revisions\/1878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}