Official Newsletter of the Salt Lake Astronomical Society Volume 45 Number 1 January - February Please Welcome The Newest SLAS Members!

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1 Official Newsletter of the Salt Lake Astronomical Society Volume 45 Number 1 January - February 2015 Please Welcome The Newest SLAS Members! Alarco, Carlos Brimhall, Samantha Fletcher, Millie George, Craig Nelson, Matthew Ramsey, Skyler Wilde, Darian Mike Wilson shot of Jupiter and Venus gathering near SLC's Methodist church bell tower, 11 March 2012.

2 Thanks to SLAS Members for Making 2014 A Great Year As this year is drawing to an end, I have been reflecting on what accomplishments we have made as an organization in It has been an event-full year with good participation at our general meetings and great support in our public outreach programs. In 2014, we had scheduled 39 star parties and 15 solar parties. Of these, six star parties were rained or clouded out and one solar party was clouded out (not counting the possible NHMU solar parties that weren t held). At those events that were not rained our clouded out, a total of 47 events, we had excellent support from our volunteers. We had up to 13 solar telescopes set up at the solar parties and up to 23 telescopes at the star parties. If you total the number of volunteers we had at all the star/solar parties and assume that three-hours are spent by each volunteer at those events, we had over 1,500 man-hours of volunteer time donated (absolutely outstanding!). These figures don t include the four-days at Bryce Canyon where we had approximately 35 telescopes each night which would add over 400 man-hours of donated time. This level of participation has a profound impact on the visitors that attended each of these events. If you total up the estimates of the attendees at each of our events, we shared our passion in astronomy with about 5,000 visitors. For an organization with fewer than 300 members, this level of support is incredible. This activity is not created by our governing board or any one individual (we only organize a program to fit the desires of you, the SLAS members). This level of dedicated service is because of the strong members we have that are committed to bringing astronomy to the public. Thanks for making 2014 a great year for SLAS. Rodger C. Fry SLAS 2014 President Ann House Scores Another Grant for SLAS SLAS grant writer extraordinaire and former SLAS vice president Ann House has scored yet another ZAP grant for SLAS (see letter below). At $6, its the biggest ZAP grant SLAS has ever received. This brings Ann's total to $37, moving her ahead of the previous top grantor Harmons with $29, Congratulations and thank you Ann! Thank You Stansbury Park Last month the Stansbury Park Service District planted several lilac bushes on the south and west perimeters of the club's observatory to help block stray light coming from those directions. This was done at no cost to SLAS.

3 Highlighting Astronomical League Observing Programs Troy Stratton Urban Program This program is one of the few (if any) where having dark skies is a bad thing. With light pollution becoming so rampant, the Urban Observing Program helps us learn that we shouldn t let city lights and sky glow deter us from enjoying our passion of astronomy. This program has two observing lists: deep sky objects, and double/variable stars. The uniqueness of this program, requires that the Milky Way galaxy can not be seen from your observing site. Binocular Double Star Observing Program This program is intended for those observers whose primary viewing instruments are binoculars or for those of us that just enjoy using a low maintenance optics system and the wide field of views they offer. As we know the visual appearance of double stars can be among the most pleasant in amateur astronomy. Bright Nebula Observing Program Explore the beauty and diversity of the different types of bright, also known as diffused, nebula. When you begin this program, you begin a journey to view a variety of nebulae from supernova remnants, to emission and reflection nebulae. This observing program is considered to be one of the more advanced. It is recommended that you have a telescope with an aperture of at least 8 to complete the program. Remember, always consult the related web page, before beginning your selected observing program. The list of programs, and their prospective websites can be found here: Happy Skies

4 Minutes of the Salt Lake Astronomical Society Board Meeting, 12 November 2014 SLAS Vice-President Ann House called the meeting to order in the Denny's restaurant located at 250 West 500 South in SLC at 6:33 p.m. Others in attendance were Secretary/Treasurer Patrick Wiggins & Board Members at Large Nate Goodman and Rebeca Granillo and members Charlie Green, George Van Komen, Joe Bauman, Mike Anderson, Stan Ericksen, Joan Carman and Dave Bernson. The venue for 2015 SLAS General membership meetings was discussed. Joan suggested asking the membership. That will be accomplished via an online opinion poll. Ann suggested holding a test meeting at the planetarium. Rebeca confirmed next month's Solstice Festival at the Golden Corral in Midvale will be held on the 6th from 6:00-8:00. Those wishing to donate items to be raffled off at the festival and those wishing to help with the festival should contact Rebeca (contact info below). Ann, who doubles as SLAS grant writer has now brought in $37, in ZAP funds. This makes her the leading "grant getter" in the club's 40+ year history. Ann received the thanks of all present and a loud round of applause. Dave and Nate presented their proposed 2015 star and Sun party schedule. The public events on the schedule are: April 04 Sun party S 1100 W - 9:00 to noon 10 Wheeler Farm S 900 E - Dusk to 9:00 11 SPOC - Dusk to 9:00 24 Harmons Cougar store W 6200 S - Dusk to 9:00 25 SPOC - Dusk to 9:00 (Astronomy Day) May 02 Sun party S 1100 W - 9:00 to noon 08 Wheeler Farm S 900 E - Dusk to 10:00 09 SPOC - Dusk to 10:00 22 Harmons 7th Street store S 700 E - Dusk to 10:00 23 SPOC - Dusk to 10:00 30 Sun party S 1100 W - 9:00 to noon June 05 Wheeler Farm S 900 E - Dusk to 11:00 06 SPOC - Dusk to 11:00 26 Harmons Taylorsville store S Redwood Rd - Dusk to 11:00 27 SPOC - Dusk to 11:00 July 04 Sun party S 1100 W - 9:00 to noon 10 Wheeler Farm S 900 E - Dusk to 11:00 11 SPOC - Dusk to 11:00 24 Harmons Bangerter store E S - Dusk to 11:00 25 SPOC - Dusk to 11:00 August 01 Sun party S 1100 W - 9:00 to noon 07 Wheeler Farm S 900 E - Dusk to 11:00 08 SPOC - Dusk to 11:00 21 Harmons Brickyard store S 1300 E - Dusk to 11:00 22 SPOC - Dusk to 11:00 29 Sun party S 1100 W - 9:00 to noon

5 September 04 Wheeler Farm S 900 E - Dusk to 10:00 05 SPOC - Dusk to 10:00 18 Harmons South Jordan store S Redwood Rd - Dusk to 10:00 19 SPOC - Dusk to 10:00 26 Sun party S 1100 W - 9:00 to noon October 02 SPOC - Dusk to 9:00 03 SPOC (if Wheeler Farm is not available) - Dusk to 9:00 16 Harmons 7th Street store S 700 E - Dusk to 9:00 17 SPOC - Dusk to 9:00 24 Sun party S 1100 W - 9:00 to noon The schedule will be discussed and voted on at next week's meeting. It was announced that long time SLAS member Boyd McNeil had died recently and that his family has donated Boyd's telescopes and accessories to SLAS. Items donated include a 13" Coulter Dobson, a Celestron C-8, a Meade 10" LX-200, an 8" Newtonian, two small refractors, a power inverter and a few photo tripods. SLAS is grateful for the donations and Ann noted that Boyd and his wife Colleen who died a few years ago are sorely missed. SPOC was closed and winterized on 31 October and is scheduled to reopen next March, weather permitting. The SPOC Advisory Committee will meet in February. The telescope operator vests SLAS purchased for members' use a few years ago have not been used very much. There was a discussion about what to do with them including selling them, giving them away or keeping them for one more season to see if members will wear them while running scopes at SPOC. It was decided to go with the latter. Ann has the vests and will come up with ways of getting them more widely used. The Eclipse Watch SLAS participated in at the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU) during last month's partial eclipse of the Sun was a huge success. The museum put attendance at over 500 and museum staffers and management were very grateful for SLAS's help with the event. Representatives of SLAS are going to meet with NHMU staffers about doing impromptu Sun parties at the museum during the off-season (December-March). There appears to be little interest in SLAS continuing to order Observer's Handbooks and Calendars for members. Mike announced that he will not be able to serve on next year's board. Per the club's constitution next year's board will appoint a replacement. Mike suggested Mike Wilson as a possible replacement while Rebeca volunteered to fill the position. The meeting was adjourned at 7:51 p.m. General Meeting, 19 November 2014 SLAS President Rodger Fry called the meeting to order in room 2230 of the University of Utah's Engineering/Mines building at 7:03. Approximately 33 people attended the meeting.

6 Rodger introduced the members of the board and asked guests and those attending a SLAS meeting for the first time to identify themselves. Rodger then introduced the evening's guest speaker, the U of U's Dr. Gordon Thompson who presented Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays. Rodger announced that 2 of the 2015 board members elect, Mike Anderson and George Van Komen, had decided they will not be able to serve so next year's board will have to appoint their replacements. Rodger then went over next year's public star party schedule. SLAS 2015 president elect Joan Carman announced speakers for upcoming meetings: Von Del Chamberlain on skylore for the January general meeting; Dr. Anil Seth to speak at the February General meeting on black holes; the March general meeting will be Lowell Lyon on creating your own observing program and observing programs available through the Astronomical League; the April general meeting will be Physics Family Fun Night to be held in the South Physics building on the U of U campus; and SLAStrofest to be held on the third quarter moon Saturday in May. SLAS plans on conducting impromptu Sun viewing events at the Natural History Museum through the winter. Details TBA. The meeting was adjourned to "Advanced Training" at Denny's at 250 W 500 S at 8:23 p.m. Transitional Board Meeting, 10 December 2014 SLAS President Rodger Fry called the meeting to order in the Denny's restaurant located at 250 West 500 South in SLC at 6:30 p.m. Others in attendance were Secretary/Treasurer Patrick Wiggins, Board Members at Large Nate Goodman and Rebeca Granillo and members Kenneth Porras, Mike Anderson, Stan Ericksen, Ryan Simpkins, Joan Carman, Dave Bernson, Mike Wilson, Larry Holmes, Siegfried Jachmann and Kristin Mitchell. Rodger started the meeting with a discussion of the future of SLAS. All agreed we want the club to survive for years to come and that the membership needs more diversity in gender and ages. Kristen noted that this year's social media outreach is reaching many younger people and has netted nearly 1,400 followers on Instagram and 900 on Facebook. Kristen also suggested SLAS think about securing an endowment to make SLAS's financial future secure and possibly even allowing SLAS to hire a part time person to publicize the club. Looking at next year's meeting schedule 2015 SLAS President elect Joan Carman said she had met with the director of the planetarium and learned that their offer to host 8:00 p.m. SLAS meetings is open ended. She said the planetarium is also open to SLAS's input with a new exhibit being planned for the fall dealing with attracting more people to amateur astronomy. Joan said she anticipates SLAS meetings will continue at the U at least through the first quarter of the new year. Rodger will assist Joan as needed with reserving a meeting room at the U with a preference for the lecture hall in which we used to meet until we had to move earlier this year. The proposed meeting schedule for 2015 (to be discussed and decided on by the members present at January's general meeting) has board meetings continuing to be held on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at the Denny's at 250 S 500 W in SLC with the start time moved back from 6:30 to 7:00. General meetings on the 3rd Wednesday with start times moved back from 7:00 to 7:30.

7 The annual Solstice Festival was set for the traditional 1st Saturday in December at a time and venue to be determined. Dues will be proposed (again to be discussed and decided on by the members present at January's general meeting) to remain at $20.00 per year. However the proposed structure of the dues will change as follows: Item Current Proposed General Fund $ 8.00 $ 6.00 Entertainment Astro League Insurance SPOC Total $20.00 $20.00 Rodger detailed the books we have on hand as give-away prizes at star parties. Rodger showed an A-frame sign he had made for advertising Sun parties. Ken will be in charge of erecting and taking down the sign at Sun parties. Expressing an interest in spending most of what remains in the ZAP account Rodger suggested that in addition to the $ spent on the sign we spend $1, on books and up to $1, on 6" Dobsonian telescopes all of which are to be given away at star parties. The idea was approved and Rodger will take care of making the purchases. There was much discussion about the 2015 star and Sun party schedule. After it was approved at last month's meeting a few members brought up possible problems so it now looks like this: April 04 Sun party S 1100 W - 9:00 to noon 10 Wheeler Farm S 900 E - Dusk to 9:00 11 SPOC - Dusk to 9:00 24 Harmons 7th Street store S 700 E - Dusk to 9:00 25 SPOC - Dusk to 9:00 (Astronomy Day) May 02 Sun party S 1100 W - 9:00 to noon 08 Wheeler Farm S 900 E - Dusk to 10:00 09 SPOC - Dusk to 10:00 22 Harmons Brickyard store S 1300 E - Dusk to 10:00 23 SPOC - Dusk to 10:00 30 Sun party S 1100 W - 9:00 to noon June 05 Wheeler Farm S 900 E - Dusk to 11:00 06 SPOC - Dusk to 11:00 26 Harmons Taylorsville store S Redwood Rd - Dusk to 11:00 27 SPOC - Dusk to 11:00 July 04 Sun party S 1100 W - 9:00 to noon 10 Wheeler Farm S 900 E - Dusk to 11:00 11 SPOC - Dusk to 11:00 18 Jordanelle State Park - Dusk to 11:00 24 Harmons Bangerter store E S - Dusk to 11:00 25 SPOC - Dusk to 11:00

8 August 01 Sun party S 1100 W - 9:00 to noon 07 Wheeler Farm S 900 E - Dusk to 11:00 08 SPOC - Dusk to 11:00 21 Harmons 7th Street store S 700 E - Dusk to 11:00 22 SPOC - Dusk to 11:00 29 Sun party S 1100 W - 9:00 to noon September 04 Wheeler Farm S 900 E - Dusk to 10:00 05 SPOC - Dusk to 10:00 18 Harmons South Jordan store S Redwood Rd - Dusk to 10:00 19 SPOC - Dusk to 10:00 26 Sun party S 1100 W - 9:00 to noon October 02 SPOC - Dusk to 9:00 03 SPOC - Dusk to 9:00 23 Harmons Cougar store W 6200 S - Dusk to 9:00 24 SPOC - Dusk to 9:00 31 Sun party S 1100 W - 9:00 to noon Joan will contact Harmons and Wheeler Farm to confirm the dates of star parties at their locations. Kristen offered to continue to head SLAS's intern and social media efforts. She anticipates sticking with 4 interns aged 16 to 18. She will work with Patrick to get the intern application out and will be accepting applications through March. Sponsors are needed to pay the dues for the interns. Rodger and Larry each agreed to pay for one intern each. SPOC has been winterized and will remain closed until March. On 4 December Stansbury Park planted 20 lilac bushes to act as light barriers on SPOC's south and west perimeters. This was done at no cost to SLAS and the board expressed their gratitude for the donation. There was a brief discussion about filling one vacancy on the SPOC Advisory Committee and renewing the terms of a few others but Siegfried thought that should be put off until an official committee meeting can be advertised and held. A meeting was set for Saturday the 7th of February at 2:00 at the Denny's at 250 W 500 S in SLC. Off season impromptu Sun parties will continue at the natural history museum on clear Saturdays from noon to 3:00. The loaner scope program continues to expand. The 13" Dobson recently donated to the program by the estate of late SLAS member Boyd McNeil was deemed too bulky for the program so the board approved trading it to Siegfried in return for a Pan Optic 35mm eyepiece. Mike Anderson will discuss the club's long term (1 year) loaner scope program at next month's general meeting. Siegfried thanked Rodger and the rest of the board for their service. The meeting was adjourned at 8:12 p.m.

9 SLAS Member Information The SLAS Member Information file is available at Loaner Telescopes For SLAS Members SLAS has several scopes available for loan to current SLAS members. Check the SLAS website under "Membership Benefits" for details SLAS Board of Directors President Joan Carman Meetings Vice President Ryan Simpkins Publicity, PR and Web Content Secretary-Treasurer Patrick Wiggins Membership Dues & Renewals Board Member at Large Position vacant School & Special Star Parties Board Member at Large Position vacant SPOC Star Party Coordinator Appointed Positions Astronomical League Contact Robert Taylor Equipment Manager Anderson, Mike Equipment Manager, Assistant Hays, David Historian Ann Blanchard NASA Night Sky Ambassador Ann House Newsletter Editor Patrick Wiggins Observatory Director Rodger Fry Observatory Training Director Roger Butz Private Star Party Coordinator Don Colton Solar Scope Manager Ken Porras Webmaster Ken Warner ZAP Grant Writer Ann House Current SPOC Advisory Committee Chair Position vacant Member through JAN 2015 Rodger Fry Member through JAN 2015 Robyn Anderson Member through JAN 2017 Larry Holmes Member through JAN 2015 Bill Kennedy Member through JAN 2015 Nate Goodman Member through JAN 2016 Ken Porras Member through JAN 2017 Patrick Wiggins Member while SLAS President Joan Carman Member while Observatory Dir. Rodger Fry Member as Obser. Dir. Emeritus Bruce Grim Member while Training Dir. Roger Butz Member while Harmons Rep. Tara Haynie Current SPOC Telescope Instructors Dave Bernson Refractor, Ealing, Grim Mark Bloomenthal Grim Roger Butz Grim Rodger Fry Refractor, Ealing, Grim Bill Kennedy Refractor, Ealing Patrick Wiggins Refractor NOVA is a publication of the Salt Lake Astronomical Society, a non-profit organization. Nova contains minutes of meetings, Board member names & contact info, activities, reports and special club events. The editor of NOVA is appointed by the Board. Members are encouraged to contribute content. Current NOVA editor is Patrick Wiggins, paw@getbeehive.net.

10 Events Calendar Following subject to change. February and March board and general meeting data to be voted on at the January General meeting. January Board Meeting 7:00 pm at Denny's restaurant, 250 W 500 S. 21 General Meeting 7:30 pm at U of U Engineering/Mines Classroom Building, Room 105. Former Hansen Planetarium Director Von Del Chamberlain to present "Stellar Icons from Native America". February SPOC Advisory Committee Meeting 2:00 pm at Denny's restaurant, 250 W 500 S. 11 Board Meeting 7:00 pm at Denny's restaurant, 250 W 500 S. 18 General Meeting 7:30 pm at U of U Engineering/Mines Classroom Building, Room 105. U of U's Dr. Anil Seth to speak on black holes. March Board Meeting 7:00 pm at Denny's restaurant, 250 W 500 S. 18 General Meeting 7:30 pm at U of U Engineering/Mines Classroom Building, Room 105. SLAS member Lowell Lyon to speak on setting up your own observing program. View a list of all SLAS events online on the Events Calendar

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