The Miami Valley Astronomical Society Presents The 41st Annual Apollo Rendezvous Telescope Convention Hosted by The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery

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MAY 2011 MIAMI VALLEY ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY DAYTON, OH. HTTP://MVAS.ORG May Events Board Meeting 6 May 7:30pm, AO BMD Space Day at the WPAFB 5 May JBSP http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/ spacenight.

AO BMD Members Night 4 June JBSP The Miami Valley Astronomical Society Presents The 41st Annual Apollo Rendezvous Telescope Convention Hosted by The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery Apollo Rendezvous

1 MAY 2011 MIAMI VALLEY ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY DAYTON, OH. May Events Board Meeting 6 May 7:30pm, AO BMD Space Day at the WPAFB 5 May JBSP spacenight.asp Members Night - 7 May JBSP General Meeting 13 May l 7:30pm, AO BMD Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Stargaze 2751 Washington Mill Rd 14 May 8:30 10:30, AO BMD Future Programs Board Meeting 3 June 7:30pm, AO BMD Members Night 4 June JBSP The Miami Valley Astronomical Society Presents The 41st Annual Apollo Rendezvous Telescope Convention Hosted by The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery Apollo Rendezvous June l 5:30pm, AO BMD June 10-11, 2011 JBSP = John Bryan State Park AO = Apollo Observatory BMD=Boonshoft Museum of Discovery Registration on line

2 Page 2 MVAS Officers & Committee President - Robert Connell Vice President - Jim Ventling Secretary - Joe Tarkany Treasurer - David Orth Membership Director- Carl Allen Observatory Committees - AO - Charles Shirk JB - Dave Polan Qualifications Committee - William Trost Events and Outreach Coordinator- Pat Johnson Librarian- / Programs- Beth Meece Astronomical League (Alcor)- Alan Zucksworth Miami Valley Astronomical Society Board Meeting April 2nd 1. President- Bob Connell * Apollo Rendezvous - AR Chair we are working on details * Dr. Dale Partin, Scott Lever, Mara Payne, Joe Childress confirmed speakers for AR. * AR schedule as in Science on a Sphere for Friday. * Mailers will be worked on * Hospitality Chair group Bob C will supply February General meeting 2.Vice President- Jim Ventling * Decorative Posters ordered and arrived. Are ready for display * Biz cards estimates are around $45-50 for 1000 * Ed Jones from AO looked at JB dome seals and will replace and fix 3. Secretary/ Joe Tarkany * News letter and request for material * AR material will be a feature in the next few issues. * I will miss the May board meeting John Bryan Observatory Phone The Miami Valley Astronomical Society general meeting is held on the second Friday of each Month (except June) in the Apollo Observatory of the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery at 7:30PM. 4. Treasurer- Dave Orth * Audit of 2010 Journal of accounts is complete required by by-laws * Full report for March is on hand and in detail if needed ask for the details. * Tax filing requirement statement has been submitted * Balance on hand $8666 * Wade Allen family donation sent to Brenda

3 Page 3 * Boston s still owes us for their promotion 5. Membership- Carl Allen * 62 members * Newsletter article for renewals March to March Individual memberships $35. * Send E Mail to members to renew * Key holders must renew or return their keys. 6. John Bryan Observatory- Dave Polan * Dome work is being done * New focuser under the dome * Paint needed inside and out of the observatory * Leslie Pelletier Merry-go Round Featured in British Astronomy Now Magazine * Blocking strips in the chain link fence are being worked on 7. Apollo Observatory- Charles Shirk * Solar telescope is operational. Still needs some work. * Up in the dome with the big telescope the dome rotation works in one direction 8. Events- Pat Johnson * Upcoming Out reach events are being scheduled at this time the calendar will be full. We will urge new contacts to go to other scheduled events. * Shared astronomical events with Cincinnati were discussed. Six or seven events including the Perseus shower with Pat freeman the contact. Kelner Park and Caesar Creek Camp ground events are also scheduled. * May 5th Thursday at WPAFB Museum. Space Day. A good site has been chosen 5000 people expected and we need volunteers to man the tables. * April 20th Ida Weller * April 10th Dr John Hole is to be added to the calendar. * April 5th Valley elementary Tuesday * May 10 Beavercreek HS * May 19th Five points elementary school * May29th first campers stargaze. Needs work (Continued on next page)

4 Page 4 9. Programs- Beth Meece * MVAS clothing supplier. Looking for options. Alley Cats can be used for a close supplier. Need two weeks for pre order * April general meet speaker Tom Presdorf * May Chris Guib Astronomy trip 10. Qualifications- William Trost 11. Astronomical League (Alcor) - Alan Zucksworth * The night sky network tools will be explained and demonstrated at club events and a general meeting program will be done at a later date * Three Night Sky Network telescopes events listed 12. Museum- Cheri Adams * Sun room grand opening Friday April 15th 5-6:30pm * Volunteer thank you dinner Thursday April 20th RSVP * May 7th Astronomy Day Noon to Four give a ways from Astronomy Magazine Motion to adjourn by Beth then seconded by Dick Editors note Editor Joe Tarkany Please submit materials about amateur astronomy to joe.tarkany@mvas.org The Amateur Astronomer is a publication of the Miami Valley Astronomical Society of Dayton, Ohio This new format has errors and I plan on making this work Once the format is complete a template will be saved. Please send suggestions or corrections to the MVAS.

Page 5 Pat Johnson supplied the picture from the April 5th Stargaze April 5th By Joe Tarkany Valley Elementary in Beavercreek is an annual spring Stargaze.

Because of the ambient light from the area we try to schedule this event near the first quarter moon. Regardless of the sky conditions or the surrounding light we should get a good look at the Moon.

5 Page 5 Pat Johnson supplied the picture from the April 5th Stargaze April 5th By Joe Tarkany Valley Elementary in Beavercreek is an annual spring Stargaze. From the playground in the back of the school we have treated students to our telescopes since the mid nineties. Because of the ambient light from the area we try to schedule this event near the first quarter moon. Regardless of the sky conditions or the surrounding light we should get a good look at the Moon. The Moon provides a great introductory target for a telescope because it is such a bright object. Yet, an added bonus for the past few springs has been Saturn. Looking at the ringed planet it is easy to get a WOW from the students. Saturn goes around the sun in twenty nine and a half years. So consequently it rises later by

6 Page 6 about an hour on the same date each year. We will see it again next year. When we arrived it was still daylight and the sky was blue. Mark remembers why he likes this event. We get to see something. This is typically the first time in the spring that we get to look through a telescope. It was just a few days past a new Moon and when someone spotted the Moon above the trees in the west all of the telescopes aimed west. Still light out, it was an easy way to show the students the telescopes and how they worked. Later, Jim was the first to find Saturn in the sky. When he announced where it was all of the telescopes then aimed east toward Saturn. When the stars started to appear in the sky the telescopes aimed all over the sky. The Great Orion Nebula with the big new stars made a nice target. Altogether there were five telescopes and binoculars aimed at the night sky. Many nice objects were found: Old stars, new stars, distant galaxies Planets and Moons. Leonard moved his home made DOB to the grass to get around the trees in the west. There he shared a good look at the Moon then Orion. Mark had his TeleVue Genesis refractor next to his new big binoculars. With the Binoculars you could see the rings of Saturn and then the two galaxies together, M81 and M82. These binoculars are twice as big as his telescope. There were three different vintage Celestron eleven inch (C11) telescopes set up. More nice views of M81 and M82. One C11 was polar aligned and dialed in on Saturn. The rings and three of its Moons were good views. Toni Cary, the Valley Elementary school teacher sent the following message. Thank you for a wonderful evening of star gazing. It was wonderful! The kids who came were all talking about it today, We had about students and parents and a BEAUTIFUL CLEAR SKY WINDOW!! Toni wrote down the names of those who helped JOE TARKANY, MARK FORSTHOEFEL, DAVID ORTH, JIM VENTLING, LEONARD HOWIE and PATRICK JOHNSON

7 Page 7 TUESDAY APRIL 12 th Pat Johnson sent the following THANKS FOR THE GREAT TURNOUT AT THE DR. JOHN HOLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STARGAZE!! WE HAD A GREAT NIGHT OF VIEWING WITH STU- DENTS AND THEIR PARENTS. THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS: (IF I MISSED ANYONE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW SO I CAN UPDATE MY RECORDS) LORI CARTWRIGHT, DAVE POLEN, CARL ALLEN, JIM VENTLING, LEONARD HOWIE, RON HESTAND, MARK FORSTHOEFEL, JOE TARKANY, and PATRICK JOHNON I can add some details. With the students running around next to a school yard play ground nobody really could count them all is a good guess. Altogether we shared eight telescopes to the students and their parents for about three hours. The Moon was spotted first and when it got dark enough, Saturn looked good. Mark let me use his two inch variable polarizing filter for the Moon. The extremely bright Moon turned into a pleasant view. We need one for the big telescope downtown. My first try on finding north was about 10 degrees off so I had to wait for the North Star to show up before I was able to correct the alignment. Until then I had to stay close to the telescope. No problem, it was a good view of the ringed planet and a few of its moons. With the line at my telescope it was also difficult to leave my scope and see though the others. It was a great telescope show! Starting with Ron s twelve inch Meade LX200 that I did get the privilege to look through it for the first time. There was also three C11 s a couple of Dobsonians and a TeleVue Genesis. After a while I found some star clusters but I did not want to move around too much. M37 and M3 were recognizable but faint with the bright Moon. With the other telescopes and after their two star alignments they were able to cover many other objects in the night sky. And yes, the students and their families echoed a few WOWS! It was a fun night and they did give us a donation. It will be worth coming back next year.

8 Page observing list Our discussion at the JB warm room included compiling an observing list for the MVAS members that can be presented in a news letter ready to print They should be simple objects requiring only a few words to complete Maybe eighty percent is required to get an award. The first completed award could get an observing guide from the Astronomical League 1. List a planet seen at through a telescope at a Campers Star Party that you attended. List planet telescope and Date 2. Look and recognize a crater on the moon at a Campers Star Party List crater Telescope and Date 3. Using the big telescope under the dome at JB see and list moons from other planets seen through the scope List Moons and Date 4. using the Merry Go Round List a couple of Messier objects seen through the scope List objects and Date 5. Using the roll-off-roof at JB list a couple of Messier objects seen through the scope List objects and Date 6. Using the JR observatory List a couple of Messier objects seen through any scope. List telescope objects and Date 7. At any outreach event identify and list any satellite going over head seen during the event. List event satellite and Date 8. See a star cluster seen through the big scope at Apollo observatory List object and Date

9 Page 9 9. Using any solar telescope list the sunspot or sunspot group seen through the Scope Seen today Sunspot group 1147 has been mostly quiet since it rounded the eastern limb. List telescope object and Date 10. Using binoculars identify any deep sky object found. List binoculars object and Date 11. List any Night Sky Network tool and when it was used List tool and Date 12. Check out and return a book from the library List book and return date 13. Participate in a club workshop Examples A Camera workshop or Photo Shop List workshop and date 14. Participate in a JB work party List event and date 15. Learn to use a piece of club equipment Example Leslie Peltier's Merry-Go-Round Observatory List equipment 16. Attend a members night at JB List event and date 17. Attend a BBQ at JB List event and date 18. Observe a varmint at John Bryan State Park Observatory and list them. Example- A Pleated Woodpecker has already been seen this year. When seen deer there should be more then one. Please report any skunks at the compound. List varmint number and date >

10 Page 10 Campers Stargaze Schedule 2011 The Campers Stargazes at John Bryan State Park have been led by Wade Allen for more then thirty years. Wade went to the campers tents before the star gazes to make them aware of our schedule. He then gave an introductory to Astronomy slide show and led them to the telescopes away from the campground lights in the parking lot across from the Day Lodge. Wade passed away last winter. We appreciated his work and amazed at his diligence. May 28th we will meet the campers at the camp office near the entrance of the park and then lead them to the parking lot across form the Day Lodge. We will have telescopes set up and waiting. If MVAS members need a telescope for these events there are telescopes owned by the MVAS that have been to this parking lot. They are stored at the observatory. The big 16 inch DOB moves on a truck and takes at least two people to lift it. It was there last year. The Saturn Telescope(4 inch refractor), the ten inch DOB, and the Celestron eight inch have also made the trip. Saturn, Albireo, Ring Nebula, Keystone Cluster (M13), M92, M3, M5 will be early targets. If it gets dark enough the Whirlpool Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy could be seen. You can use the map on the next page. Remember to check for satellites STARGAZE Dates May 28, June 4 & 18, July 9 & 16, Aug 6 & 20, Sep 3

11 Page 11 THE MIAMI VALLEY ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY May Observers Highlights New moon: 02:51 Tuesday, 03 May First quarter: 16:33 Tuesday, 10 May Full moon: 07:09 Tuesday, 17 May Last quarter 14:53 Tuesday, 24 May May 05 - Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower Peak May 07 - Mercury At Its Greatest Western Elongation (27 Degrees) May 13 - Asteroid 10 Hygiea At Opposition (9.1 Magnitude)

On the Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Park District Community Center web page you can find this information

On the Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Park District Community Center web page you can find this information A PUBLICATION OF THE MIAMI VALLEY ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY DAYTON, OHIO FEBRUARY 2011 February Events Board Meeting 4 February 7:30pm, AO BMD Members Night - Frostbite Marathon 5 February JBSP General Meeting