PAS General Meeting Friday, January 5th, 7:30 PM UNO Science Bldg. Room Snowy Worlds Beyond Earth Page 5

Transcription

1 PAS-Times The newsletter of the Pontchartrain Astronomy Society January 2018 Visit us online at Volume 59, Issue 1 PAS General Meeting Friday, January 5th, 7:30 PM UNO Science Bldg. Room 1001 Snowy Worlds Beyond Earth Page 5

2 Page 2 PAS Officers for 2018 President: Bill Johnson paspres@astronola.org 1st Vice-President: David Williams Program Chairman pas1vp@astronola.org 2nd Vice-President: Kent Birkle PAS-Times Editor pas2vp@astronola.org Treasurer: John Scholl pastreas@astronola.org Secretary: Nanette Johnson Archivist passec@astronola.org SPMOS: Ron Marcella passpmos@astronola.org Community Outreach: Jerry LaBauve pasoutreach@astronola.org ALCOR (Astronomy League): Jerry LaBauve pasalcor@astronola.org President s Message By: Bill Johnson Welcome to As I look over the year that has just concluded, I want to thank Barry Simon for his service to the PAS as President for the last three years. We are a strong organization with 100+ members. Barry has been a big influence on me. I appreciate his encouragement and assistance since I joined PAS three years ago. I also want to thank Bill Davis for his service in 2017 as 1st VP. We have had some outstanding presentations at the meetings this year, and most could not have happened without Bill s efforts. I now embark on a mission to follow in some very large footsteps, and trust that all of you will help keep me on track to move the club along. I come into this position as President with many ideas, ideas that the PAS membership will truly appreciate. Some which may have been tried before, others that may look brilliant but still not quite work out. To put ideas into place will take time, and effort. I look forward to adding fun and excitement into our activities. There is a lot of astronomical knowledge in our current membership. I would like to tap into it and find ways to share that knowledge. I will also look to you, the PAS member, for ideas you would like to see implemented into the PAS. I may be the President, but it is your PAS. I want, and encourage input from YOU. What do you like, what do you not like, what PAS Times Volume 59, Issue 1 would you like to see more of, or less of. Feel free to contact me at any time, and any idea to make the PAS a better organization will receive valid consideration. I also know that there is a lot of work in front of me, and I will be working with the other officers for 2018 to achieve our goals. David Williams has been gracious to accept the position as 1st VP, which will be a change for I look forward to his presentations that will be of great interest to you, the member. Kent Birkle will also continue as 2nd VP and his efforts in producing the PASTIMES each month are nothing short of remarkable. We look forward to more outstanding issues of the PASTIMES from Kent. As he is always looking for new interesting articles to publish, why not submit something to him to publish in an upcoming issue. New viewpoints, or just new topics, are always welcome. John Scholl will continue as Treasurer, and I thank John for continuing to manage our funds in a responsible and careful manner. Nanette Johnson has stepped up to my old position as Secretary, and will certainly do a fine job. I look forward to seeing all of you at the January PAS meeting at UNO Science Bldg., Room 1001 on Friday, January 5th, 2018 at 7:30PM. Bring a guest! Bill Johnson - PAS President 2018 The PAS Holiday Party on December 9th Photo By Barry Simon

3 PAS-Times Volume 59, Issue 1 Secretary s Report December 9th, 2017 By: Bill Johnson The monthly meeting for December was held as a Christmas Dinner party at Porter & Luke s Restaurant on Metairie Road. There were 44 members and guests present. Dinner was served and consisted of Gumbo or Salad, along with a choice of Fish, Chicken, or Beef. Several choices for desert as well. Barry called the meeting to order about 7:30 P.M. and introduced the new officers for 2018 as voted on at the November meeting. Our PAS officers for 2018 will be: President- Bill Johnson 1st Vice President- David Williams 2nd Vice President Kent Birkle Treasurer John Scholl Secretary Nanette Johnson Each of the officers were introduced and addressed the membership on looking forward to 2018 as a PAS officer. Barry then offered a recap of 2017 with the numerous Outreach events throughout 2017 and other activities we participated in throughout the year. It was a successful year and we are looking for more good things in Next, the annual awards were presented. The PAS President s Award went to Nanette Johnson. Nanette Johnson and Barry Simon The Decade of Continuous Service Awards went to Treasurer - John Scholl, and 2nd Vice President - Kent Birkle Ron Marcella and Norm Stevens were presented the Award for Extraordinary Service in renovations to the SPMOS bunkhouse. Page 3 Photo By Bill Davis Barry and Norm Stevens Photo By Bill Davis Barry and Ron Marcella Photo By Bill Davis John Scholl asked that all members who have not yet paid the dues for 2018, please do so soon as the deadline is December 31 or you will be late, and subject to loss of privileges until you do pay up. Our annual Christmas Raffle Pelican carry cases, a Moon mugs won by lucky PAS delicious, the drinks lively, outstanding. A grand time not able to attend, please don t miss out next year. A motion was made to meeting was concluded was held, with several Globe, and several PAS members. The food was and the comradeship was had by all. If you were make plans now so you adjourn, and seconded. The approximately 9:30PM Barry and John Scholl Photo By Bill Davis

4 Page 4 PAS-Times Volume 59, Issue 1 John Martinez and Barry Simon Photo By Bill Davis PAS Holiday Party December 9th, 2017

5 PAS-Times Volume 59 Issue 1 Page 5 Snowy Worlds Beyond Earth By Linda Hermans-Killiam There are many places on Earth where it snows, but did you know it snows on other worlds, too? Here are just a few of the places where you might find snow beyond Earth: Mars The north pole and south pole of Mars have ice caps that grow and shrink with the seasons. These ice caps are made mainly of water ice the same kind of ice you d find on Earth. However, the snow that falls there is made of carbon dioxide the same ingredient used to make dry ice here on Earth. Carbon dioxide is in the Martian atmosphere and it freezes and falls to the surface of the planet as snow. In 2017, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter took photos of the sand dunes around Mars' north pole. The slopes of these dunes were covered with carbon dioxide snow and ice. NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this image of carbon dioxide snow covering dunes on Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona The Voyager 2 mission captured this image of Triton. The black streaks are created by nitrogen geysers. Credit: NASA/JPL/USGS A Moon of Neptune: Triton Neptune's largest moon is Triton. It has the coldest surface known in our solar system. Triton's atmosphere is made up mainly of nitrogen. This nitrogen freezes onto its surface covering Triton with ice made of frozen nitrogen. Triton also has geysers like Enceladus, though they are smaller and made of nitrogen rather than water. A Moon of Jupiter: Io There are dozens of moons that orbit Jupiter and one of them, called Io, has snowflakes made out of sulfur. In 2001, NASA's Galileo spacecraft detected these sulfur snowflakes just above Io's south pole. The sulfur shoots into space from a volcano on Io's surface. In space, the sulfur quickly freezes to form snowflakes that fall back down to the surface. A volcano shooting molten sulfur out from the surface of Io. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech A Moon of Saturn: Enceladus Saturn's moon, Enceladus, has geysers that shoot water vapor out into space. There it freezes and falls back to the surface as snow. Some of the ice also escapes Enceladus to become part of Saturn's rings. The water vapor comes from a heated ocean which lies beneath the moon s icy surface. (Jupiter s moon Europa is also an icy world with a liquid ocean below the frozen surface.) All of this ice and snow make Enceladus one of the brightest objects in our solar system. On the front cover - Enceladus as viewed from NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Credit: NASA

6 PAS-Times Volume 59, Issue 1 Page 6 Pluto Farther out in our solar system lies the dwarf planet Pluto. In 2016, scientists on the New Horizons mission discovered a mountain chain on Pluto where the mountains were capped with methane snow and ice. The snowy Cthulhu (pronounced kuh-thu-lu) mountain range on Pluto. Credits: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI Beyond Our Solar System There might even be snow far outside our solar system! Kepler-13Ab is a hot, giant planet 1,730 light years from Earth. It's nine times more massive than Jupiter and it orbits very close to its star. The Hubble Space Telescope detected evidence of titanium oxide the mineral used in sunscreen in this planet s upper atmosphere. On the cooler side of Kepler-13Ab that faces away from its host star, the planet s strong gravity might cause the titanium oxide to fall down as snow. This is an artist s illustration of what Kepler-13Ab might look like. Credit: NASA/ESA/G. Bacon (STScI) Want to learn more about weather on other planets? Check out NASA Space Place: This article is provided by NASA Space Place. With articles, activities, crafts, games, and lesson plans, NASA Space Place encourages everyone to get excited about science and technology. Visit spaceplace.nasa.gov to explore space and Earth science!

7 PAS-Times Volume 59, Issue 1 Page 7 Upcoming Events PAS General Meeting - Friday, January 5th - 7:30pm UNO Science Buildinf Room 1001 Northshore Observers Group Meeting - Wed. January 17th Check SPMOS Observing Day - Saturday, Jan. 27th 10am Check This is just a reminder that your membership in the Pontchartrain Astronomy Society will expire on January 1st, You may renew your membership by filling out the form to the right and mailing it with your remittance to PAS Treasurer John Scholl at Lake Ramsey Road, Covington, LA Make the checks payable to the Pontchartrain Astronomy Society. Since your information is already on file, you need only enter your name and any data that has changed PAS Meeting Dates January 5 February 2 March 2 April 6 May 4 June 29 July 27 August 24 September 28 October 26 November 23 December 21 February 2018 PAS-Times Deadline Sunday, Jan.21st Please submit all things astronomical to be included in the next edition of PAS-Times to the editor at the following address: pas2vp@astronola.org 2018 Membership Renewal Form Date Name Address City St ZIP Home Phone* Work Phone* Occupation Address *Check here if you DO NOT want your phone numbers published. Membership Dues: (Calendar year per household) $40.00 Optional Subscriptions: Sky & Telescope $32.95/yr $65.95 two years New Renewal Astronomy $34.00/yr or $60.00/2years New Renewal Mailed Newsletter $20.00/yr SPMOS Key Deposit $25 Only pay this if you do not have a Dorm key and want to obtain one. Optional Donation: (Tax Deductible) Total Amount: (Make check payable to PAS) Pontchartrain Astronomy Society, Inc Lake Ramsey Rd. Covington, LA Visit the PAS on FaceBook and at On the Cover Enceladus as viewed from NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Credit: NASA On the Back Cover A star chart of the constellation Scorpius

8 Pontchartrain Astronomy Society, Inc Kent Birkle, PAS-Times Editor Lowe Davis Rd. Covington, La The Pontchartrain Astronomy Society, Inc. is an organization of amateur astronomers representing the greater New Orleans area, southeastern Louisiana and adjacent parts of Mississippi. Our members come from many walks of life, and have a common interest in astronomy and observing the sky. The PAS aims to enhance the study and enjoyment of astronomy among our members, and to promote an understanding of astronomy in our local community. Scorpius was in the list of constellations that Ptolemy assembled circa AD 140. The two stars at the tip of the tail or stinger have been known as Lesath and Shaula. Antares or Alpha Scorpii is named so because this star is the rival of Mars.