{"id":908,"date":"2015-09-25T09:28:49","date_gmt":"2015-09-25T13:28:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/?p=908"},"modified":"2019-01-17T08:04:44","modified_gmt":"2019-01-17T13:04:44","slug":"octnovdec2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/2015\/09\/25\/octnovdec2015\/","title":{"rendered":"OctNovDec2015"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><strong>A New Location for the 2015 Connecticut Star Party<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h1>\n<h2><strong>CSP 25 will be held at the Edmund D. Strang Scout Reservation in Goshen CT, October 9-11, 2015<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div id=\"csplogoFontsSmallAnnouncement\">\n<p>Due to an unexpected last minute change, J.N. Webster in Ashford CT is unavailable this year. For this reason registration will be starting late. After scouring the state for a suitable location, we are pleased and lucky to have the opportunity to celebrate our 25th anniversary of the Connecticut Star Party (CSP) back in the dark skies of Northwestern Connecticut. This year we will be holding CSP-25 at the Edmund D. Strang Scout Reservation in Goshen, CT on the weekend of October 9-11, 2015.<\/p>\n<p>Camp Strang offers three different observing locations to choose from, all with beautiful dark skies. Each field has its own character, and it&#8217;s up to you to choose where you want to set up.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Brownsea Field&#8221; is similar in size to the main observing field in Ashford, but a little more hilly. This field includes showers with electric power available for field use, and a bunkhouse with a back porch for lounging during the day. The field has a good-sized flat area to set up on near the showers, and plenty of room around the field to pitch a tent.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Dining Hall Field&#8221; does not have power available and is located between the Dining Hall and the &#8220;Training Facility&#8221; bunkhouse near the main entrance.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Camporee Field&#8221; is the largest of all the fields. It is also the highest elevation and has the best all around horizontal views, almost to the horizon in all directions.Camporee is also the most remote and &#8220;rustic&#8221; of the three. There is no power available on Camporee, and outdoor latrines are available.<\/p>\n<p>Everything is a little more spread out in this camp, with the walk from the Brownsea field to the Dinning Hall being approximately a 1\/2 mile. Roughly this is the distance from the lower cabins in Ashford to the mess hall. Camporee is approximately a quarter mile from Brownsea Field, but accessible directly from West Side Road.<\/p>\n<p>Your support of Connecticut Star Party has allowed us to spread the word about the wonders and beauty of astronomy to hundreds of people through our public outreach program. ASNH has observed here in the past, and based on common consensus most believe the skies are at least a mag darker than our other locations. It&#8217;s very difficult to find a good spot in our state, and we truly believe this is a good one! ASNH and the CSP Team are very grateful for your support and understanding, and we hope you&#8217;ll give this great new location a try.<\/p>\n<p>Ashford will be available again next year. We look forward to seeing you all!<\/p>\n<p>The ASNH Board of Directors<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a title=\"CSP reservation\" href=\"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/slideshow\/CSPpicIndex.php\" target=\"_blank\">Register for CSP here!<\/a><\/h2>\n<p>.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-953\" src=\"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Strong-map.jpg\" alt=\"Strong map\" width=\"850\" height=\"571\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Strong-map.jpg 850w, https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Strong-map-300x202.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h1><strong>Frequently asked questions about the new CSP location<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>Q: <strong>Where will Registration be located?<br \/>\n<\/strong>A: Registration will be in the Dining Hall instead of at the entrance. Find your spot and then register.<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>How dark are the skies compared to Ashford?<br \/>\n<\/strong>A: At least 1 Mag darker.<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>Are there restrooms or portable facilities relatively close to where people will be camping?<br \/>\n<\/strong>A: Each observing location has adequate latrine or restroom facilities near by.<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>For attendees with limited mobility, where would the best place to camp be?<br \/>\n<\/strong>A: That would depend on the limitation of mobility. People with limited mobility will be provided instructions on where to park in each observing area so they can drive to the other venues.<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>How do I choose where I want to set up my scope?<br \/>\n<\/strong>A: That is a first come first served basis, depending on your needs. If you want to be near the showers, Brownsea is best choice.<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>Are cars allowed on the fields?<br \/>\n<\/strong>A: Yes. Each field has a location for overnight parking and day parking. Overnight parking is for anyone who is not planning on leaving till the event is over. Day parking is a location for anyone planning on leaving during the night for either limited mobility attendee\u2019s or anyone not staying through the observing time. Instructions will be supplied for parking in each field, as well as where RV\u2019s depending on size will be allowed to park.<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>Is there driving allowed between the fields?<br \/>\n<\/strong>A: No. For safety concerns there will not be any driving between fields by attendees.<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>Is their cell phone service at the site?<br \/>\n<\/strong>A: Yes, Major service providers have adequate service.<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>Is there WiFi service at the site?<br \/>\n<\/strong>A: No.<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>Are the fields level?<br \/>\n<\/strong>A: All fields have slight grades and level location. We will have the level locations roped off where you can set up your equipment.<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>What if we need to leave after dark?<br \/>\n<\/strong>A: Not a problem. However you will need to park in the designated Day Parking areas.<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>What else is different between Ashford and Goshen?<br \/>\n<\/strong>A: There are a few things:<\/p>\n<p>Gate opens an hour early at 3pm on Friday afternoon.<br \/>\nObserving time on Friday night starts later, 9pm (vs. 8pm). This will allow more time to set up in the new location.<br \/>\nGate closes at 8pm (vs. 10pm) Saturday when observing begins.<br \/>\nThere are designated Day Parking locations for anyone not remaining after observing starts.<br \/>\nThere are \u201cPrivate Family Bunk\u201d rooms. Only 2 rooms available on a first come first served basis.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_930\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-930\" class=\"size-full wp-image-930\" src=\"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Brownsea-Field.jpg\" alt=\"Brownsea Field at the Edmund D. Strang Scout Reservation.\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Brownsea-Field.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Brownsea-Field-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-930\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brownsea Field at the Edmund D. Strang Scout Reservation.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_931\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-931\" class=\"size-full wp-image-931\" src=\"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Camporee-Field.jpg\" alt=\"Camporee Field at the D. Strong Scout Reservation, facing west.\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Camporee-Field.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Camporee-Field-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-931\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Camporee Field at the Edmund D. Strang Scout Reservation, facing west.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h1><strong>Upcoming Public Events<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>These events are free and open to the public. Our members will also point out the stars, planets, and constellations that you can see with the naked eye. If you have your own telescope or binoculars, feel free to bring them. If you have a telescope but don&#8217;t know how to operate it, our experienced observers can help you learn to use your equipment. If the weather looks questionable for an observing event, check the <a title=\"ASNH\" href=\"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\" target=\"_blank\">ASNH website<\/a> before you leave home. There will be a scrolling message on the home page if an event has been cancelled.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>October&nbsp;2015<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Sunday, October 25, 7:00-10:00pm<br \/>\n<\/strong>Madison Surf Club, Madison CT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/Surf+Club,+Madison,+CT+06443\/@41.2730548,-72.6166268,17z\/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x89e62bd8b6087c67:0xa4473199514835ed?hl=en\">map<\/a>)<br \/>\nMoonlight Walk and telescope observing<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tuesday, October 27, 7:00pm<\/strong><br \/>\nYale Leitner Student Observatory<br \/>\nGeneral monthly meeting<\/p>\n<h2><strong>November&nbsp;2015<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Friday, November 20, 7:00pm<\/strong><br \/>\nBethany Observatory, Bethany CT<br \/>\nOpen house and public observing session<\/p>\n<p><strong>Saturday, November 21, 7:00pm<\/strong><br \/>\nYoung\u2019s Pond Park, Branford, CT<br \/>\nPublic observing session<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tuesday, November 24, 7:00pm<\/strong><br \/>\nYale Leitner Student Observatory<br \/>\nGeneral monthly meeting<\/p>\n<h2><strong>December&nbsp;2015<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Friday,&nbsp;December 4, 7:00pm<\/strong><br \/>\nBethany Observatory, Bethany CT<br \/>\nOpen house and public observing session<\/p>\n<h1><strong>Upcoming Events for ASNH members<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><strong>S<\/strong><strong>aturday, October 3, beginning at sunset<br \/>\n<\/strong>Ansonia Nature Center, Ansonia, CT<br \/>\nMembers only observing session<\/p>\n<p><strong>Saturday, November 14, beginning at sunset<br \/>\n<\/strong>Bethany Observatory, Bethany CT<br \/>\nMembers only observing session<\/p>\n<p><strong>Saturday, December 12<br \/>\n<\/strong>Bethany Observatory, Bethany CT<br \/>\nWinter Solstice Party (More information will be forthcoming)<\/p>\n<h1><strong>Connecticut Star Party<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><strong>Friday, October 9 &#8211; Sunday, October 11<br \/>\n<\/strong>Edmund D. Strang Scout Reservation<br \/>\nGoshen, CT<br \/>\n<a title=\"CSP reservation\" href=\"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/slideshow\/CSPpicIndex.php\" target=\"_blank\">Information and Registration<\/a><\/p>\n<h1><strong>Features<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>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<p><b>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<p><b>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<p><strong>Space Place<\/strong> Read the monthly article from Space Place.<\/p>\n<p><b>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<p>Other regular features can be found within these pages:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Upcoming Public Events <\/strong>Many ASNH events are free and open to the public. These include the monthly meetings, open houses at Bethany Observatory and public observing sessions at Young&#8217;s Pond Park in Branford. This section gives the dates, times, and descriptions of these events.<\/p>\n<p><strong>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<p><strong>Night Sky Highlights <\/strong> For those who are new to astronomy, 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<p><strong>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 <a href=\"mailto:newsletter@asnh.org\">newsletter@asnh.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h1><strong>Recent ASNH Activities<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h1>\n<h3>by Donna Pursley and Jim Mazur<\/h3>\n<h2><strong>Ansonia Nature Center Event, August 7<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>ASNH does an astronomy night at the Ansonia Nature Center a few times a year. This event was to coincide with the Perseid meteor shower. There were about 40 people there waiting for it to get dark to see the meteors. It was very cloudy with clear sky holes. The two of us with scopes were able to show the families the brighter objects in the sky such as double stars and Saturn. The main draw was Al Washburn and ASNH\u2019s collection of meteorites. He had a huge crowd surrounding him. We only saw a few meteors but some were going to look for them later that night at their homes.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Boulder Knoll Community Farm Outreach Event, August 14<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>On this clear and pleasant Friday evening, about 40 or 50 people came to the Boulder Knoll Farm in Cheshire for Perseid meteor watching and telescope observing. The evening began with a presentation on meteors and meteorites by Bob Carruthers. Quite a few ASNH members brought their telescopes and binoculars, as did a few of the visitors. As the sky started to darken, most telescopes were aimed at Saturn and its moons, which put on a good show. When darkness fell, many summer deep-sky objects were viewed through the telescopes, including double stars such as Albireo and Mizar, the Hercules cluster, the Wild Duck Cluster, the Ring Nebula, and the galaxy pair M81 and M82 in Ursa Major.<\/p>\n<p>The attendees ranged from families with young children to older adults, and besides looking through the telescopes, many of them set up blankets and lawn chairs to gaze upward and look for meteors. Quite a few meteors were seen during the course of the evening. Finally, just around 10 pm as the event was winding down, the International Space Station appeared in the western sky and passed overhead, exactly on schedule. A few of us were able to view the ISS through a telescope with a wide-field eyepiece, and we got a fleeting look at the rectangular shape of the space station\u2019s solar panel array.<\/p>\n<h1><strong>Stellafane 2015<\/strong><\/h1>\n<h3>&nbsp;by Donna Pursley<\/h3>\n<p>The Springfield Telescope Makers Stellafane convention was held on August 13<sup>th<\/sup> -16<sup>th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<p>Thursday night was almost perfect. The skies were dark and there wasn\u2019t much dew. I was able to find 53 Messier objects including M76 which is mag 11.5 in my 6\u201d scope.<\/p>\n<p>Friday and Saturday brought clouds and thunder. Friday cleared up a bit after 11pm and some people viewed through the holes. Saturday night it rained while the program was held in the Flanders Pavillion.&nbsp; Afterward the sky was clearing but it was very foggy and damp.<\/p>\n<p>I didn\u2019t see very many ASNH members there this year. I saw Andy Paniros, Pat Maturo and Chris Predom along with his daughter.<\/p>\n<h1><strong>Sidewalk Astronomers of New Haven<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>This is a group astronomy enthusiasts who promote interest and excitement about astronomy by periodically setting up their telescopes in downtown New Haven.&nbsp; They offer views of the Moon and planets to anyone and everyone who happens to pass by.&nbsp; ASNH members Donna Pursley and Mike Zarick recently participated in one of these events.&nbsp; Donna writes:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;On Saturday, August 29<sup>th<\/sup> Mike and I decided to bring my scope to where the Sidewalk Astronomers set up in downtown New Haven. The Sidewalk Astronomers follow in Dobson\u2019s footsteps and bring astronomy to the people in crowded areas.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There were 4 scopes set up. We were able to see Saturn for a while until it set behind a building. Then we focused on the moon. There must have been at least 200 people stop and look through the scopes.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;People are funny. Some people said \u2018no thank you\u2019 and continued on while others stayed for a while and enjoyed what they were seeing through the scopes.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was a fun night and much different than other public viewing events that we normally do.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>On Sunday, September 12, the Sidewalk Astronomers participated in International Solar SUN-DAY by setting up two solar scopes at the corner of York and Broadway in New Haven. ASNH member Leo Taylor brought one of our club&#8217;s Personal Solar Telescopes and participated in the event.&nbsp; Although there were occasional clouds, much of the time the Sun was visible, and about 150 people stopped to view the solar surface, sunspots, and prominences along the rim of the Sun.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-958\" src=\"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/SolarSUN-DAY2L.jpg\" alt=\"SolarSUN-DAY2L\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/SolarSUN-DAY2L.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/SolarSUN-DAY2L-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-959\" src=\"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/SolarSUN-DAY4L.jpg\" alt=\"SolarSUN-DAY4L\" width=\"339\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/SolarSUN-DAY4L.jpg 339w, https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/SolarSUN-DAY4L-254x300.jpg 254w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 339px) 100vw, 339px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h1><strong>Night Sky Highlights for October-December, 2015<\/strong><\/h1>\n<h2><strong>Solar System<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Mercury<br \/>\n<\/strong>The innermost planet will be visible in the east before dawn in mid-October, with the best views around October 16.&nbsp; It will be in the western sky just after sunset in late December, with the best views around December 29.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Venus<\/strong><br \/>\nThroughout the fall, Venus will be shining brightly in the eastern sky before dawn.&nbsp; Its greatest western elongation, when it will be highest in the sky, is on October 26, but it will be readily visible through the rest of 2015 and into the beginning of 2016.&nbsp; During the morning of December 7 (in daylight), the crescent Moon will occult Venus.&nbsp; This could be interesting to watch with binoculars or a telescope (as always, being very careful not to point your telescope anywhere near the Sun!).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mars<\/strong><br \/>\nThis is not a good year for observing Mars because it is far from the Earth, but it can be seen in the pre-dawn sky this fall, with the best views in December when it is highest in the sky.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jupiter<\/strong><br \/>\nAlong with Venus and Mars, Jupiter will also be visible in the early morning hours throughout the fall, located in the tail end of Leo, the Lion.&nbsp; By December, it starts to rise before midnight, so it can be viewed very late in the evening.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Saturn<br \/>\n<\/strong>The ringed planet is in Scorpius, and it will still be observable during October low in the southwest sky just after sunset.&nbsp; After that, it will start to disappear in the glow of the western sky at dusk, and it will not be visible for the rest of 2015.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Uranus and Neptune<br \/>\n<\/strong>After Saturn disappears from view in early November, none of the bright planets will be visible in the evening sky, so this fall is the perfect time for viewing Uranus and Neptune, especially if you have never seen them through a telescope.&nbsp; They can be a challenge to find and observe, but a challenge that can be accomplished with a little effort.&nbsp; Both can be viewed in even small telescopes or binoculars if you have a chart showing you where to look. These planets move very slowly against the background stars, so once you have learned to locate them, you can show these outer planets to your friends or to fellow astronomy enthusiasts at a later time.&nbsp; For many people, this will be the first time they have seen these outer planets in the night sky.<\/p>\n<p>Both Uranus and Neptune have a blue or green tint that helps to distinguish them from stars in the vicinity.&nbsp; Once you locate them, use high power to view their small disks.&nbsp; With large telescopes, some of the moons of Uranus can be dimly seen, and so can Triton, the largest moon of Neptune.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wpview-selection-before\">Uranus is in Pisces and Neptune is in Aquarius.&nbsp; These finder charts from <em>Sky &amp; Telescope<\/em> can be used to locate them:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.skyandtelescope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/WEB_UrNep_Finders.pdf\u00a0\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.skyandtelescope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/WEB_UrNep_Finders.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Geminid Meteor shower<\/strong><br \/>\nPeaking on <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">December 13-14<\/span><\/strong><br \/>\nIt should be a good year for the Geminids because they reach maximum around the time of the new Moon.&nbsp; This is a very strong and reliable meteor shower, and at its peak, from 50 to over 100 meteors per hour can be seen under ideal conditions.&nbsp; The best time to watch in in the early morning hours, but these meteors can be seen in the mid to late evening as well.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Deep Sky Objects<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Every deep-sky object on this list for the fall season can be seen with the naked eye under some conditions, although they vary from very easily visible objects to those that are so dim that they require very dark skies and good eyesight.&nbsp; Of course, most of them are a much better sight in binoculars or a telescope.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Star Clusters and Associations<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Perseus Double Cluster<br \/>\n<\/strong>Pair of open clusters in Perseus<br \/>\nWith the naked eye, these two clusters appear as a faint oblong cloud.&nbsp; Through a telescope, hundreds of stars can be seen, including several red giant stars (which have an orange-red tint).&nbsp; This is almost certainly the most impressive pair of open clusters in the night sky.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Alpha Perseus Association<br \/>\n<\/strong>Stellar association in Perseus<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong>Find the brightest star in Perseus, and look closely around it with the naked eye.&nbsp; You should see a number of dimmer stars in the vicinity.&nbsp; These are hot, blue-white stars in a loose group or association.&nbsp; This group is also called the Perseus OB1 Association because the spectral classification of these stars are O and B.&nbsp; This is a good target for binoculars; the group is too large to view well through a telescope.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Messier 45, the Pleiades<br \/>\n<\/strong>Open cluster in Taurus<br \/>\nThis group is also known as the Seven Sisters, and it is probably the best-known star cluster.&nbsp; An observer with good eyesight can see seven or more stars under good conditions.&nbsp; Even under light polluted skies, about five stars can be seen in a tiny dipper shape.&nbsp; This is a great object for binoculars or a telescope with a wide-angle eyepiece.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Hyades<br \/>\n<\/strong>Open cluster in Taurus<br \/>\nThis cluster appears large because it is relatively close to us, at about 150 light years.&nbsp; The reddish first-magnitude Aldebaran marks the location of this cluster, but Aldebaran is actually closer to us and not part of the group.&nbsp;&nbsp; Several of the other brightest stars form a V-shape that represents the head of Taurus, the Bull.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Galaxies<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Milky Way<br \/>\n<\/strong>Portions of our home galaxy can be seen throughout the fall.&nbsp; In October, look for the bright sections of the Milky Way in the southwest in the constellations Sagittarius, Scutum, and Aquila.&nbsp; Later in the fall, look in Cygnus, Cassiopeia and Perseus.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Messier 31, the Andromeda Galaxy<br \/>\n<\/strong>Spiral galaxy in Andromeda<br \/>\nThe nearest spiral galaxy to our own is fairly easy to see with the naked eye on a dark clear night.&nbsp; We have seen it and pointed it out to visitors many times at public observing sessions at Young&#8217;s Pond Park in Branford.&nbsp; Through a telescope, its two largest satellite galaxies (M32 and M101) can also be seen.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Messier 33, the Triangulum Galaxy<\/strong><br \/>\nSpiral galaxy in Triangulum<br \/>\nThis is the most difficult object on this list to observe with the naked eye, and it may not be possible from the light-polluted skies of Connecticut.&nbsp; However, at magnitude 5.7, M33 is bright enough to see under very dark skies, and many observers have seen without optical aid.&nbsp; It should look like a very diffuse glow about the size of the Moon.&nbsp; Since it is a bit farther away than the Andromeda Galaxy, for most people it is the most distant object visible to the naked eye.&nbsp; (But there are exceptions, and some expert observers with very good eyesight have seen more distant galaxies.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b>Variable and Multiple Stars <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Algol (Beta Persei)<\/strong><br \/>\nVariable star in Perseus<br \/>\nAlgol is an eclipsing binary star, and it has been known to be variable since ancient times.&nbsp; Normally it is magnitude 2.1, the second brightest star in Perseus.&nbsp; But the dimmer of the two stars eclipses the brighter every 2.85 days, and for about 10 hours Algol&#8217;s brightness decreases, dropping to magnitude 3.4 at its minimum.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Algiedi (Alpha Capricorni)<\/strong><br \/>\nDouble star in Capricornus<br \/>\nLook closely at the star at the western tip of Capricornus, and you should be able to detect that it is a double star.&nbsp; The two components are separated by about 1\/10 degree (or about 1\/5 the diameter of the full Moon).&nbsp; This is an optical double&#8211;a chance alignment of two stars that are not really close together.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Omicron 1 Cygni<\/strong><br \/>\nTriple star in Cygnus<br \/>\nThis multiple star system, about 5 degrees to the west of first-magnitude Deneb, is well worth checking out.&nbsp; With the naked eye you might be able to detect that it is a double star if you have good eyesight, but it is not easy. It is just about one degree from a similarly bright star, Omicron 2.&nbsp; But in binoculars or a telescope, three stars of different colors can be seen.&nbsp; The brightest is yellow or orange, and next to it is a dimmer blue star.&nbsp; On the opposite side, a little farther away, is the third component, mainly white.&nbsp; This is a very attractive group through a low power eyepiece.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h1><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>These two pages display some astronomical images taken by ASNH members.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Early summer conjunction of Venus and Jupiter<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In late June and early July 2015, Venus and Jupiter met in the evening sky in an unusually close conjunction. Richard LaPlante captured two views of this event on two different nights. The image below, taken on June 29, shows trails of very bright Venus in the center and Jupiter and its moons to the upper left. This was a single 8-second exposure using a tripod-mounted Canon 1DS Mark III camera at full frame (21 MB), at ISO 800 and f8, through a Canon zoom lens at 400 mm. The raw image was processed in Photoshop 6 and heavily cropped. This was done without using any tracking or image stacking.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-920\" src=\"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/LaPlante-conjuction-1.jpg\" alt=\"LaPlante conjuction 1\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/LaPlante-conjuction-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/LaPlante-conjuction-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/LaPlante-conjuction-1-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>LaPlante&#8217;s second picture was taken with the same equipment on July 4 at a much shorter exposure of 1\/8 second and ISO 400. By this time, the planets had switched their relative positions, with Venus now to the left of Jupiter. When this picture was taken, Europa was eclipsed by Jupiter, but the other three moons are visible and labeled (C = Callisto, I = Io, G = Ganymede).&nbsp; Below the full image is an enlarged section that shows Jupiter and its moons more clearly.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-921\" src=\"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/LaPlante-conjuction-2.jpg\" alt=\"LaPlante conjuction 2\" width=\"800\" height=\"320\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/LaPlante-conjuction-2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/LaPlante-conjuction-2-300x120.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-928\" src=\"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/LaPlante-conjuction-enlarged.jpg\" alt=\"LaPlante conjuction enlarged\" width=\"500\" height=\"490\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/LaPlante-conjuction-enlarged.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/LaPlante-conjuction-enlarged-300x294.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h1><strong>Gallery, page 2<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><strong>Galaxies far and farther<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Jim Mazur used a 14&#8243; Meade LX850 telescope at f\/6 and an SBIG ST-8300M imager to photograph some distant galaxies.<\/p>\n<p>This spiral galaxy is NGC 7331 in the constellation Pegasus.&nbsp; It is estimated to be about 47 million light years away.&nbsp; Its oblong shape can be seen in even small telescopes.&nbsp; To its left are four smaller and dimmer galaxies that are much farther away, as their relative sizes suggest.&nbsp; However, they are still bright enough to be observed visually through the eyepiece of a large telescope, and many amateur astronomers have seen them.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-936\" src=\"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/NGC7331-800.jpg\" alt=\"NGC7331-800\" width=\"800\" height=\"602\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/NGC7331-800.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/NGC7331-800-300x226.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"NGC 7331\" href=\"http:\/\/www.skyledge.net\/NGC7331-L.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Larger image of NGC 7331<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Below is a view of Abell 2151, known as the Hercules Galaxy Cluster.&nbsp; At an estimated distance of 500 million light years, it is one of the most distant galaxy groups that can be seen in amateur telescopes.&nbsp; Look closely (or click on the link below to view a larger version this image) and you can see a great variety of galaxy sizes and shapes.&nbsp; To capture these dim galaxies, Jim used the following total exposure times: 225 minutes of luminance (that is, through a clear filter), and 30 minutes each through red, green, and blue filters.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-939\" src=\"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Abell2151-L.jpg\" alt=\"Abell2151-L\" width=\"800\" height=\"606\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Abell2151-L.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Abell2151-L-300x227.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Abell 2151\" href=\"http:\/\/www.skyledge.net\/Abell2151-L.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Larger image of Abell 2151 Galaxy Cluster<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A New Location for the 2015 Connecticut Star Party CSP 25 will be held at the Edmund D. Strang Scout Reservation in Goshen CT, October 9-11, 2015 Due to an unexpected last minute change, J.N. Webster in Ashford CT is &hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/2015\/09\/25\/octnovdec2015\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/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":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-15"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/908","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=908"}],"version-history":[{"count":42,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/908\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1891,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/908\/revisions\/1891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}