From koopm at koopm.best.vwh.net Fri Apr 1 16:38:43 2005 From: koopm at koopm.best.vwh.net (Michael Koop) Date: Fri Jul 29 03:57:08 2005 Subject: [SJAA-announce] Astro Class and Houge Park SP Tonight! Message-ID: <20050401173331.P29436@koopm.best.vwh.net> A) Beginning Astronomy Class Tonight (Friday, April 1, 2005) B) Houge Park Star Party Tonight! (Friday, April 1, 2005) C) Evolution and the Universe Dialog at NASA/Ames Apr. 28 ************************************************** A) Beginning Astronomy Class Tonight (Friday, April 1, 2005) Telescopes and Eyepieces with Jim Van Nuland What is a Maksutov Telescope? Why are Al Naglers Eyepieces so expensive and why should I buy them? The San Jose Astronomical Association Observational Astronomy Class is here to help you! This informal monthly series will teach basic astronomy, the constellations, the movement of the sky, and the use of the telescope. The Class occurs every third quarter moon Houge Park Star Party Night through out the year. No Reservations needed and you can join the class at any time. The class is a free public service provided by the SJAA. Tonights class starts at 7:30 PM in the hall at Houge Park. Jim Van Nuland is the secretary for the club and has been a member for over 31 years. He has personally witness two major telescope revolutions ( the S/C and the Dobsonian). Come hear Jims view on the Tools of amateur astronomy: types of telescopes, accessories, and manufacturers. What to buy and what to avoid and the trade offs to be made. The class finishes with a "Sky Tour" by SJAA President Mike Koop, pointing out how to find the constellations and planets. Weather permitting, after the class we will be pointing out the constellations, planets, and other deep sky wonders through telescopes. (Note: Akkana Peck was originally scheduled to give her planet talk tonight, but she could not attend due to a scheduling mishap. We have rescheduled the planet class for Friday, April 29th. Special thanks to JVN for stepping in at this late date.) ************************************************** B) Houge Park Star Party Tonight! (Friday, April 1, 2005) Tonight, the SJAA hosts public observing session on the grounds at Houge Park. Families are welcome to attend. Feel free to bring your scope and share views with others. While the seeing and the transparency will not be optimum tonight, we do have nice weather and a public interested in seeing things. Saturn and Jupiter will be well placed for viewing. Clear Sky Clock for San Jose: http://cleardarksky.com/c/SanJoseCAkey.html?1 NRL Monterey East Pacific & US West Coast Images http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/sat-bin/epac_westcoast.cgi Star Party Details: Sunset: 6:31 PM Civil Twilight: 6:57 PM Nautical Twilight: 7:28 PM Astronomical Twilight: 8:00 PM Moonrise: 2:19 AM Sat. Morning Posted Star Party Hours: 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM **** 10 Cool Things to Observe at tonights Star Party: ***** 1) Saturn! 2) Jupiter! There will be a Transit of Io and its shadow on the planet during the Star Party! (Times courtesy of http://www.calsky.com) 20h54.5m Io Shadow Begin (5.4 mag) 20h57.4m Io Transit Begin (5.4 mag) 22h02.4m Io Inferior Conjunction (5.4 mag) 23h06.4m Io Shadow End (5.4 mag) 23h07.5m Io Transit End (5.4 mag) 3) A nice Hubble Space Telescope Pass: (Times courtesy of Heavens Above) http://www.heavens-above.com/main.asp?lat=37.25746&lng=-121.94131&loc=Houge+Park%2C+San+Jose%2C+CA&TZ=PST Event /Time /Alt. / Az / D (km)/Look Reaches 10 altitude /19:18:16 /10 / 225 (SW )/ 1,857 /Eridanus to Below Lepus Maximum altitude /19:21:40 / 23 /172 (S ) / 1,230 / Lower Canus Major to Pyxis Enters shadow /19:24:13 /14 / 128 (SE ) / 1,612 / Pyxis to Hydra to Crater 4) M44 The Beehive Cluster in Cancer. Nice in Binos. 577 Light Years Away 5) Gamma Leonis: Pair of golden yellow giant stars. Mag 2.2 and 3.5. Orbit is 600 years 6) M81 Spiral Galaxy about 18 Million LY away 7) M3 Globluar Cluster: 33900 LY away, First Original Discovery of Messier 8) M46 Open Cluster: 5400 LY away, contains NGC 2438 Planetary 9) Mel 111: Coma Bernices. 80 Mag 5 to 6 Stars in a 5 deg field. 288 LY away 10) 2342 Ghost of Jupiter. Planetary Nebula 2600 LY away ************************************************************* C) Evolution and the Universe Dialog at NASA/Ames Apr. 28 Evolution and the Universe - Science and the Human Spirit April 28, 2005, 6:30-9 pm NASA Exploration Center NASA Ames Research Center Mountain View, CA Father George Coyne SJ PhD, Director of the Vatican Observatory, and Dr. Lynn Rothschild PhD, NASA research scientist, will dialogue on science, the human spirit and the beginnings of life at an evening sponsored by the Vatican Observatory Foundation. The event will be held from 6:30 to 9:00 in the Exploration Center at NASA Ames Research Facility. The presentation will be from 7:00 - 7:45 with a 30 minute question and answer period afterward. Guests will also have the opportunity to view the many exhibits in the facility. For directions and other information on the Ames facility please visit http://www.NASA.gov/centers/ames The Exploration center is the white tent to your right just before entering the Moffett Field Gate. http://www1.nasa.gov/centers/ames/home/Directions.html More on the Exploration Center: http://www1.nasa.gov/centers/ames/home/home-explorationcenter.html The Vatican Observatory's website is http://clavius.as.arizona.edu/vo/R1024/VO.html For more information please contact Nancy Knoche at nknoche earthlink net or 602-482-9147. ************************************************************* Directions to Houge Park: Houge Park is in San Jose, near Campbell and Los Gatos. >From Hwy.17, take the Camden Avenue exit. Go east 4/10 mile, and turn right at the light, onto Bascom Avenue. At the next light, turn left onto Woodard Road. At the first stop sign, turn right onto Twilight Drive. Go three blocks, cross Sunrise Drive, then turn left into the park. >From Hwy.85, take the Bascom Avenue exit. Go north 0.2 miles, and turn right at the first traffic light, onto White Oaks Road. Run another 0.2 miles to the first stop sign, then turn left onto Twilight Drive. You will now be passing the park. Turn right at the first driveway, into the parking lot. See Map at http://www.sjaa.net/img/houge.jpg *********************************** Clear Skies, Mike Koop President, SJAA Questions? Comments? Flames? Email: koopm best com From koopm at koopm.best.vwh.net Thu Apr 7 02:40:08 2005 From: koopm at koopm.best.vwh.net (Michael Koop) Date: Fri Jul 29 03:57:08 2005 Subject: [SJAA-announce] Bob Garfinkle's Einstein survey response in today's Guardian Message-ID: <20050407033020.N28681@koopm.best.vwh.net> SJAA Member and Lunar section historian at the British Astronomical Association Bob Garfinkle has a very nice quote in today's Guardian, a newspaper produced in the UK. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,5164417-111414,00.html Bob writes: Dear friends, I was invited to participate in a survey in honor of the centenary of Einstein's E=mc2. I thought you might like to read what some of the 250 invitees had to say in answer to the question: If you had one thing to teach about science, what would it be? I am honored to be among such a top-flight list of the world's scientists. This is for your enjoyment and maybe your education. Note that they did not include anybody's professional affiliations, such as my being a F.R.A.S. For those of you in the UK reading this, take note of the discussion at the bottom of the web page linked below. Some of the participants in the survey will debate the issues raised on 10 May at the Royal Institution in London. Sounds like it will be a lively evening. Take care. Robert A. Garfinkle, F.R.A.S. 32924 Monrovia Street Union City, CA 94587 USA E-mail: ragarf earthlink net -----Original Message----- From: Sandy Starr Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2005 1:01 AM To: Robert Garfinkle Subject: Your Einstein survey response in today's Guardian Dear Robert, Edited selections from spiked's Einstein survey, to mark the centenary of the equation 'E = mc2', have been published in the Guardian newspaper today. The survey is the cover story of the Guardian's Life supplement, and I'm delighted to inform you that your survey response is one of those excerpted. The piece can be found online here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,5164417-111414,00.html Sandy Starr spiked Ltd http://www.spiked-online.com From bhavner at sbcglobal.net Thu Apr 7 18:39:09 2005 From: bhavner at sbcglobal.net (Bob & Brenda Havner) Date: Fri Jul 29 03:57:08 2005 Subject: [SJAA-announce] Fw: [AANC Contacts] Robert Garfinkle Speaking on the Crab Nebula Message-ID: <003301c53bdb$c31706f0$60d9fea9@Turtlerock> Subject: [AANC Contacts] PAS mtg. Dear Friends: Just to remind everyone that this Friday, April 8 is the next Peninsula Astronomical Society general meeting at 7:30PM at Foothill Community College in Los Altos Hills in Rm. 5001, Bldg. 5000 near Parking Lot #5. Don't forget parking is $2.00 so bring 8 quarters! Should be a very interesting topic! Ken L. =========================== The Crab Nebula: Its History and What We Currently Know By Ken Lum On July 4, 1054 A.D. to April 26, 1056, a remarkable event was observed and recorded for posterity in the night sky by Chinese and Japanese observers-the appearance of a temporary star in the constellation we today know as Taurus. Nearly 700 hundred years later, something else was discovered in the same location of that short-term visitor by a British amateur astronomer; a faint fuzzy object which made Item #1 on Charles Messier?s famous list of ?non-comets.? Over the centuries, astronomers have been studying this mysterious space cloud, with more and more information accumulating as to just what it is, what it?s made of, and where we think it?s going. Join Bob Garfinkle at the next PAS General Meeting as he describes to us who else may have also observed the supernova of 1054, how Messier came to discover the remnant of that explosion, who actually discovered it before he did, and many other fascinating facts and figures about the Crab Nebula. East Bay Astronomical Society member, Robert Garfinkle, born and raised in Alameda, holds BA degrees in History and English from Cal State University. He?s been an avid amateur astronomer since the 1960s. In 1985, he began writing astronomy articles for ?Astronomy? magazine. His first astronomy book, ?Star-Hopping; Your Visa to Viewing the Universe? was published in 1994 as a hardback and reprinted in both hard and paperback editions in 1997. Also in 1997, he co-authored ?Advanced Skywatching.? Bob is currently writing a major lunar observers? handbook, a second edition of ?Star Hopping?, and works of fiction. EAS member Dr. John Westfall (who spoke to us last year on the Transits of Venus) and Apollo 17 astronaut, Harrison H. Schmitt have written introductions for Bob?s lunar book. In 1997, Bob was elected Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society of London. He is a life member of the Fremont Peak Observatory Association and a member of several local and international astronomical organizations. He serves the Lunar Section Historian for the British Astronomical Association and is on the editorial staff of the ?journal of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers?. Bob and his family have traveled to observe the total solar eclipses of 1991 (on a ship off Baja, California), 1998 (on a ship off the island of Montserrat), on a ship in the Black Sea in 1999, and Zimbabwe in 2001. They also traveled to San Diego to see the fabulous sunset annular eclipse in Jan. 1992. Bob?s main observing instrument is a 10? Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain (non-GOTO) telescope. He also owns an historic 1875 With-Browning 8.5? reflecting telescope, once owned by several prominent English lunar observer/writers of the past 125 years. While serving as a member of the City Council of the City of Union City, he faced and beat by ONE vote an attempt to recall him from office in 1993. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________ Contacts mailing list Contacts@aanc-astronomy.org http://mail.aanc-astronomy.org/mailman/listinfo/contacts -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.sjaa.net/pipermail/sjaa-announce/attachments/20050407/b1c04c0e/attachment.html From bhavner at sbcglobal.net Fri Apr 8 17:05:44 2005 From: bhavner at sbcglobal.net (Bob & Brenda Havner) Date: Fri Jul 29 03:57:08 2005 Subject: [SJAA-announce] Fw: [AANC Contacts] Large Scale Hubble Images at Independence Planetarium on 4/25 in San Jose Message-ID: <001401c53c97$e03bf080$60d9fea9@Turtlerock> Just as an FYI for the South Bay... We are doing an unveiling also on April 25th at 10:10 am at Independence Planetarium 1776 Educational Park Drive San Jose, Ca 95133 (408)928-9604 Article and directions to the planetarium are on the website: http://planet.esuhsd.org Thanks, Gail Chaid Planetarium Director From bhavner at sbcglobal.net Wed Apr 13 21:17:52 2005 From: bhavner at sbcglobal.net (Bob & Brenda Havner) Date: Fri Jul 29 03:57:08 2005 Subject: [SJAA-announce] Fw: YURI'S NIGHT: BAY AREA Message-ID: <004101c540a8$eda27ea0$60d9fea9@Turtlerock> Yuki D. Takahashi, a Project ASTRO Partner, asked that I forward this announcement. For more details about this event, visit: http://sf.yurisnight.net ________________ YURI'S NIGHT: BAY AREA WHEN: Friday, April 15, 2005, from 6 p.m. to midnight 6:00pm, Doors open 6:00 to 7:00pm, Bay Area Space Summit 7:30 to 8:30 pm, V.I.P. Reception 8:00pm, Music starts WHAT: The Bay Area joins 41 other parties in 14 countries to celebrate the first human spaceflight! * We?re also celebrating the "T-Minus 1 Month" point for the Space Shuttle?s Return to Flight! * Bay Area Space Summit: A gathering/pow-wow/meet&greet for Bay Area Space activists and enthusiasts, with brief presentations from leading space leaders * V.I.P. Reception: VIP guests can examine an ACTUAL Soviet Soyuz capsule, with a personal tour given by the team that is restoring it for Chabot's future spaceflight exhibit. Also, experience special presentations by local Space Artists, speak with local ?space celebrities? and receive a goodie bag with special YN memorabilia * Music & Dancing: provided by Space Cowboys; with additional performances by Russian musicians * Food & Drink: Russian hors Od oeuvres and Yuri-themed non-alcoholic beverages. * Exhibition tables hosted by major space activist organizations and local space companies, a public space art exhibition featuring local artists and their works, * Unlimited access to the entire Chabot Space & Science Center exhibits, unlimited telescope viewing until 10:30 p.m., * AND MUCH MORE! WHERE: The Chabot Space & Science Center, 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland, CA [Mapquest directions] [Area Map] COST: $20 adults, $10 students / $75 V.I.P. adults $50 V.I.P. students BENEFIT: All event profits benefit both the educational outreach efforts of Bay Area space advocacy non-profits, as well as Chabot?s upcoming exhibit on human spaceflight. From bhavner at sbcglobal.net Wed Apr 13 21:29:58 2005 From: bhavner at sbcglobal.net (Bob & Brenda Havner) Date: Fri Jul 29 03:57:08 2005 Subject: [SJAA-announce] Fw: Exploring Saturn at Ames Message-ID: <005501c540aa$9e02d190$60d9fea9@Turtlerock> Exploring Saturn at Ames Saturday April 16, 2005 NASA Ames Research Center / Exploration Center Free Admission, Open to the Public 6-10pm Exhibits and Activities for kids 7-8:30pm Presentations by Experts 8:30-10pm Viewing with Telescopes The next Family Night at Ames event on Saturday, April 16. Last year they had very successful versions of this event focusing on the exploration of Mars. This year, we are looking forward to highlighting NASA's exploration of Saturn and its moons. A panel of experts consisting of Dale Cruikshank, Jeff Cuzzi, Chris McKay, and Jeff Moore will certainly be a big draw, and will be very appreciated by the audience. The four will be presenting some of the latest images and results from the Cassini and Huygens missions This event officially begins at 6:00pm with some educational activities conducted in the Visitor Center. Guests will be invited to the Eagle Room in the adjacent building (943) for the 7:00 beginning of presentations. Following that, the Visitor Center will remain open until 10:00. Weather permitting, visitors will be able to conduct their own first-hand explorations of Saturn and its moons through telescopes being set up around the venue by the Peninsula Astronomical Society. Flier at: http://quest.nasa.gov/calendar/images/cassini.jpg Directions to Ames at: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/home/Directions.html From koopm at koopm.best.vwh.net Fri Apr 15 14:17:06 2005 From: koopm at koopm.best.vwh.net (Michael Koop) Date: Fri Jul 29 03:57:08 2005 Subject: [SJAA-announce] Events Tonight and Tomorrow Message-ID: <20050415151000.T61935@koopm.best.vwh.net> A) Houge Park Star Party Tonight! B) SSP registration fees increasing tomorrow! C) Exploring Saturn at Ames Research Center, Saturday April 16th ********************************************************** Houge Park Star Party Tonight! Friday, April 15, 2005 Public Hours: 8:30-11:30 PM PDT Tonight, the SJAA hosts public observing session on the grounds at Houge Park. Families are welcome to attend. Feel free to bring your scope and share views with others. Saturn and Jupiter will be well placed for viewing. It looks like the weather should cooperate tonight! Clear Sky Clock for San Jose: http://cleardarksky.com/c/SanJoseCAkey.html?1 NRL Monterey East Pacific & US West Coast Images http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/sat-bin/epac_westcoast.cgi Star Party Details: Sunset: 7:43 PM PDT Civil Twilight: 8:10 PM PDT Nautical Twilight: 8:42 PM PDT Astronomical Twilight: 9:16 PM PDT Moonset: 2:47 AM PDT on Saturday 10 Cool Things to Observe: 1) 1st QTR Moon 2) Watch the Moon Eclipse a Star! Immersion of Upsilon Geminorum at 9:35:48 on the Dark Limb Emmersion of Upsilon Geminorum at 9:44:18 on the Dark Limb (Times courtesy of http://www.calsky.com) More info: http://sfsidewalkastronomers.org/thesky/thismonth/ugem/ 3) An Iridium Flare: -1 Magnitude at 8:04:15 Alt: 67 Deg Az: 135 Deg (SE) Within 10 Degrees from Regulus Can you spot it in the Twilight? 4) Saturn! 5) Jupiter! Europa Eclipse Ends at 11:05:54 6) M44 The Beehive Cluster in Cancer. Nice in Binos. 577 Light Years Away 7) M3 Globluar Cluster: 33900 LY away, First Original Discovery of Messier 8) Gamma Leonis: Pair of golden yellow giant stars. Mag 2.2 and 3.5. Orbit is 600 years 9) M81 Spiral Galaxy about 18 Million LY away 10) Mel 111: Coma Bernices. 80 Mag 5 to 6 Stars in a 5 deg field. 288 LY away ************************************************************** B) SSP registration fees increasing tomorrow! The Shingletown Star Party Czar Mark Wagner reminds us: Just a heads-up for those who have not registered or paid yet for SSP 2005. The registration fee increases tomorrow from $40 to $50 per adult. If you want to save the $10 per person, paypal your fee ($42 for paypal) today, or get your check in the mail with today's postmark. The SSP registration form is at: http://www.shingletownstarparty.org/registration.html Star Party at a glance: Dates: July 6-11, 2005 Location: Shingletown Airport, CA (Near Mt. Lassen) ******************************************************* c) Exploring Saturn at Ames Research Center, Saturday April 16th Exploring Saturn at Ames Saturday April 16, 2005 NASA Ames Research Center / Exploration Center Free Admission, Open to the Public 6-10pm Exhibits and Activities for kids 7-8:30pm Presentations by Experts 8:30-10pm Viewing with Telescopes The next Family Night at Ames event on Saturday, April 16. Last year they had very successful versions of this event focusing on the exploration of Mars. This year, we are looking forward to highlighting NASA's exploration of Saturn and its moons. A panel of experts consisting of Dale Cruikshank, Jeff Cuzzi, Chris McKay, and Jeff Moore will certainly be a big draw, and will be very appreciated by the audience. The four will be presenting some of the latest images and results from the Cassini and Huygens missions This event officially begins at 6:00pm with some educational activities conducted in the Visitor Center. Guests will be invited to the Eagle Room in the adjacent building (943) for the 7:00 beginning of presentations. Following that, the Visitor Center will remain open until 10:00. Weather permitting, visitors will be able to conduct their own first-hand explorations of Saturn and its moons through telescopes being set up around the venue by the Peninsula Astronomical Society. View Flyer at: http://quest.nasa.gov/calendar/images/cassini.jpg Want to help at the Star Party by setting up a scope? Email Mike Koop for details. koopm best com ************************************************************* Directions to Houge Park: Houge Park is in San Jose, near Campbell and Los Gatos. >From Hwy.17, take the Camden Avenue exit. Go east 4/10 mile, and turn right at the light, onto Bascom Avenue. At the next light, turn left onto Woodard Road. At the first stop sign, turn right onto Twilight Drive. Go three blocks, cross Sunrise Drive, then turn left into the park. >From Hwy.85, take the Bascom Avenue exit. Go north 0.2 miles, and turn right at the first traffic light, onto White Oaks Road. Run another 0.2 miles to the first stop sign, then turn left onto Twilight Drive. You will now be passing the park. Turn right at the first driveway, into the parking lot. See Map at http://www.sjaa.net/img/houge.jpg *********************************** Clear Skies, Mike Koop President, SJAA Questions? Comments? Flames? Email: koopm best com From bhavner at sbcglobal.net Sat Apr 16 19:14:14 2005 From: bhavner at sbcglobal.net (Bob & Brenda Havner) Date: Fri Jul 29 03:57:08 2005 Subject: [SJAA-announce] Fw: [AANC Contacts] JPL open house Message-ID: <000e01c542f3$27810460$60d9fea9@Turtlerock> Michael Portuesi wrote: > If you plan to visit Southern California next month you > may want to visit the "Lab" in Pasadena. The NASA Jet > Propulsion Laboratory has scheduled its popular Open House for May > 14th and 15th. > > JPL Open House is a sort of scientific Disneyland for the public. > It seems impossible to see everything at this daytime event. Even > if you ignore the Ha filtered telescopes and speed through the other > astronomy oriented exhibits and demonstrations you can run short on > time before you check out all of the current spacecraft. Every year > the place is thick with engineers and scientists who are yearning to > discuss and display their work. During this event NASA sells all > sorts of souvenirs and astronomy related gear and they also give > away plenty of photographs, mission related materials, and > educational literature. Information about this annual event is > available at the JPL web site. > > http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/pso/oh.cfm > > _______________________________________________ Thanks to Michael for posting this...And hi to you northern Californians from sunny southern California! If you do plan on attendeng JPL open house in Pasadena May 14 or 15, be sure to stop by the HUGE Solar System tent near the main entrance to JPL. That's where I'll be, with the Cassini-Huygens exhibit. A few words of caution. 20,000 people attended each day last year. There are loooonnnnngggg lines to get to some of the exhibits (like the Mars exhibits, which take up a whole building with all the various Mars missions), but there is so much to see and do. There is parking for about 5,000 cars, so parking and getting in is going to take some time - carpooling would be a great idea. Arriving early in the day is probably a good idea, too. You'll find some words of caution (such as no backpacks or ice chests), and more info about JPL open house right here on the JPL website under JPL events - that's Mojo in hat showing solar h-alpha views through our sun telescope on the page. :-) Also notice the Astronomy Day link under News and Features. I had just a "little" to do with that new link which went up yesterday. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ Today is National Astronomy Day, founded in 1973 by the AANC . Mojo and I will be out at our local library corner in Monrovia, Ca with some telescopes, including our f/9 AP180EDT refractor since it is going to be an exceptionally good seeing night. Just look at our clear sky clock for tonight. It's often lunar and planetary perfection around here. http://cleardarksky.com/c/MnrviaCAkey.html May 13 and 14 are our normal monthly first quarter moon sidewalk astronomy nights, too, so if you do come down for JPL open house, drop by Pasadena's Colorado Blvd on Friday night or Monrovia's Library Park on Saturday night for some familiar sidewalk astronomy. Info is posted on our new local "Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers" website http://www.otastro.org/ I now return you to your local programming. :-) Jane -- Jane Houston Jones Monrovia, CA 34.2048N 118.1732W, 637.0 feet http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org From koopm at koopm.best.vwh.net Fri Apr 22 17:04:12 2005 From: koopm at koopm.best.vwh.net (Michael Koop) Date: Fri Jul 29 03:57:08 2005 Subject: [SJAA-announce] Astronomical Auction and Swap Sunday! (4/24) Message-ID: <20050422175708.D62048@koopm.best.vwh.net> This is just a reminder the SJAA Astronomical auction is this Sunday, April 24th at Houge Park in San Jose. Check in for Auction material is Noon, with the selling to commence at 1 PM. Telescopes, eyepieces, mountings, mirrors, lenses, clock drives, books, camera equipment, star charts, finders, tubes, diagonals, photographs, space art everything you need to make your hobby more enjoyable. You name it; it's likely to be there! Check your garage and closets for anything astronomical you would like to sell. Anyone can buy and sell! It's fun and easy! Thinking of bringing a telescope to Sell? A telescope is a large investment for most people. The longer buyers have to think about the purchase, the greater the chance they would buy it. We will post any information on material you are planning on bringing as long as you get it to us by 7 PM on Saturday. Please feel free to send this message on to anyone who has expressed interest in astronomy. There are many great beginner telescopes that can be bought for a fantastic price. Don't have anything to buy or sell? We could use a few volunteers to help set up, work the auction desk, and other tasks starting at 11AM. You can still fully participate even if you volunteer. Please contact me at koopm _at_ best.com if you are interested. Finally, if you have some easily transportable chairs, please bring them. It seems that the park has been losing chairs over time. Hope to see you there! Mike Koop President San Jose Astronomical Association *********************** Some Cool things that will be at the auction: Check the auction webpage as more items are announced http://www.sjaa.net/auction05.html 1) A Pronto with a panoramic mount 2) Sky Image Lab has donated two very large framed images: Massive Coronal Mass Ejection http://www.skyimagelab.com/oursun.html M51 Whirlpool Galaxy http://www.skyimagelab.com/whirgal.html 3) A Lumicon Digital Setting Circle System 4) A 1902 Copy of John Herschel's Outlines in Astronomy Volume 1 and 2 5) A new Meade Electronic Eyepiece 6) Planetary Filter Set 7) OIII Filter 8) Eyes on Mars DVD 9) A Park Accessory Case 10) The New 8x42 Parks Wave Binoculars 11) Fun! *********************** Some Swap Vendors: Joe Sunseri of Earth and Sky Adventure Products will be there with many fine new and used items Sky Image Lab with many astronomical prints Our friends at Scope City with some incredible deals! *********************** Original Auction Announcement Auction XXV It's spring, and time for the annual migration of astronomical paraphernalia from one garage to another! On Sunday, April 24, 2005, an astronomical auction and swap meet will be conducted at Houge Park in San Jose, sponsored by the San Jose Astronomical Association. The SJAA Auction is a great opportunity for beginners to purchase their first telescope at a great price! Experienced observers often find equipment they need for their next observing project, from OIII filters to finders to star charts. All kinds of interesting items are found in the auction. We will have the auction first, followed by a swap, to allow people some additional haggling time for those items that were optimistically priced by the seller in the auction, or to sell those odds and ends items which were better off being in a swap. It is an odd year, so Jay Freeman will be our auctioneer. Those who have observed his performance in previous auctions have learned to appreciate his skillful evaluation of classical astronomical items on the spot. Great entertainment for all! Doors open at 12:00 p.m. (or only slightly before) to register material for the auction, and view the auction material. The club reserves the right to accept only appropriate material for the auction so that the auction will run smoothly. The auction will begin at 1 p.m., and will run as long as needed. Seller may specify a minimum bid, which if not met, will return the item back to the seller with no commission applied. After the auction, buyers and sellers settle up using one check to (or from) SJAA and claim their items. Seller pays 10% commission, with a cap of $50 for any one item. We do not handle charge cards. There is no fee for bidder cards. After the auction, material for the swap meet will be allowed into the hall, about 3 p.m. or perhaps earlier. Sellers are encouraged to bring items that would interest the astronomical audience such as astronomical, science, computer, or tech items. The SJAA reserves the right to turn away inappropriate items for the swap. Joe Sunseri of Earth and Sky Adventure Products will be there with many fine new and used items. At the swap, each buyer pays the seller. Sellers are to keep track of their sales, and pay a 10% commission, as for the auction. There are no table fees. All commissions from the auction and the swap are tax-deductible, as SJAA is a 501(c)(3)educational organization. Do you have a large item such as a telescope? Please email the auction team at auction at sjaa.net with a description of the scope and a picture if possible. We will add it to the auction website for some pre-auction publicity. This allows the bidders to find out how much that APO scope is really worth, so you will be more likely to sell it. Do you have 5 or more items? We suggest pre-registering at the above email address as much as possible to avoid a crush at the registration table. For more about SJAA, visit our web site at http://www.sjaa.net or email Jim Van Nuland at the above address. See you there! Directions: >From Hwy. 17, take the Camden Avenue exit. Go east 0.4 mile, and turn right at the light, onto Bascom Avenue. At the next light, turn left onto Woodard Road. At the first stop sign, turn right onto Twilight Drive. Go three blocks, cross Sunrise Drive, then turn left into the park. >From Hwy. 85, take the Bascom Avenue exit. Go north about 0.2 miles; turn right at the first traffic light, onto White Oaks Road. At the first stop sign (another 0.2), turn left onto Twilight Drive. You will now be passing the park. Turn right at the first driveway, into the parking lot. From koopm at koopm.best.vwh.net Sun Apr 24 10:19:05 2005 From: koopm at koopm.best.vwh.net (Michael Koop) Date: Fri Jul 29 03:57:08 2005 Subject: [SJAA-announce] Auction Today! Bring a chair. Message-ID: <20050424111707.Q46191@koopm.best.vwh.net> The auction elves have been busy setting up the hall at Houge Park till the wee hours of the night. There are only 64 chairs in the room currently. If you can bring a chair easily, please do so. Some late arriving notices of what will be at the auction: 1) Celestron NexStar 8I 2) Burgess 20x80 binoculars 3) Celestron 76 Newtonian tabletop 4) Meade Giant Field Tripod Check the auction website for other registered items. http://www.sjaa.net/auction05.html Rumors: There might be a Vega for sale. The big man himself, Sa........, oops. This elf said too much. Come join the fun. Registration and Preview at 12 PM Auction starts at 1 PM Swap starts around 3 PM. See you there! Mike Koop President San Jose Astronomical Association From pkohlmil at best.com Sun Apr 24 21:54:34 2005 From: pkohlmil at best.com (Paul Kohlmiller) Date: Fri Jul 29 03:57:08 2005 Subject: [SJAA-announce] May Ephemeris Online Message-ID: <000e01c54952$dff9c080$0300a8c0@eclipsys.lan> The May 2005 issue of Ephemeris is now available online at http://ephemeris.sjaa.net . Please remember that the deadline for articles for the next Ephemeris is May 10. The SJAA newsletter, SJAA Ephemeris, is available in three different forms. 1. The hard copy form is mailed with the intent that it arrives by the first of the month (at least for San Jose addresses). 2. An Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) version is available. 3. Each article is broken out into a distinct HTML page. This version is the best for following URLs and showing pictures in the best available resolution. The above link is the starting point for the online versions. Paul and Mary Kohlmiller -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.sjaa.net/pipermail/sjaa-announce/attachments/20050424/3b40bb57/attachment.html From bhavner at sbcglobal.net Tue Apr 26 18:24:47 2005 From: bhavner at sbcglobal.net (Bob & Brenda Havner) Date: Fri Jul 29 03:57:08 2005 Subject: [SJAA-announce] Fw: [AANC Contacts] Be an ASTRO Volunteer: Help a Local School withAstronomy Message-ID: <001d01c54ac7$e72312f0$60d9fea9@Turtlerock> Be an ASTRO Volunteer: Help a Local School with Astronomy ----- Original Message ----- From: Christina de Leon To: Christina de Leon Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2005 3:07 PM Subject: [AANC Contacts] Be an ASTRO Volunteer: Help a Local School withAstronomy Less than two weeks left to send in your Project ASTRO Application! Do you remember when you first discovered the wonder of astronomy? Do you love astronomy and wish you had more opportunities to share your knowledge with kids in a school near you? Well, then, Project ASTRO is just the program for you. Project ASTRO is looking for amateur and professional astronomers who would like to work with Bay Area teachers in grades 3rd - 9th to bring the excitement of astronomy and scientific discovery to kids. Volunteers are paired in a one-on-one partnership with a Bay Area teacher in schools near you. Together, you attend a 2-day workshop on August 19-20 where you will learn how to do hands-on astronomy activities that actively involve students. Volunteer astronomers commit to visiting their classroom 4 times a year. You and your partner determine a schedule that works best for the both of you. This is a wonderful opportunity to share your love of astronomy with an enthusiastic audience and to make a difference in your community! If you are interested in the program and would like an application or more information about the program contact, Christina de Leon at 415-337-1100 ext. 101 or visit: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/astro/bayarea/volunteer.html. Christina de Leon Bay Area ASTRO Coordinator Astronomical Society of the Pacific 390 Ashton Ave., San Francisco, CA 94112 ph: 415-337-1100 x101 fx: 415-337-5205 cdeleon@astrosociety.org www.astrosociety.org Become a Project ASTRO Volunteer http://www.astrosociety.org/baprojectastro.html ------ End of Forwarded Message -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________ Contacts mailing list Contacts@aanc-astronomy.org http://mail.aanc-astronomy.org/mailman/listinfo/contacts -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.sjaa.net/pipermail/sjaa-announce/attachments/20050426/bb05c759/attachment.html From koopm at koopm.best.vwh.net Wed Apr 27 17:42:16 2005 From: koopm at koopm.best.vwh.net (Michael Koop) Date: Fri Jul 29 03:57:08 2005 Subject: [SJAA-announce] Evolution and the Universe Dialog at NASA/Ames Tomorrow Message-ID: <20050427184121.H77206@koopm.best.vwh.net> Evolution and the Universe - Science and the Human Spirit Thursday, April 28, 2005, 6:30-9 pm NASA Exploration Center NASA Ames Research Center Mountain View, CA Father George Coyne SJ PhD, Director of the Vatican Observatory, and Dr. Lynn Rothschild PhD, NASA research scientist, will dialogue on science, the human spirit and the beginnings of life at an evening sponsored by the Vatican Observatory Foundation. The event will be held from 6:30 to 9:00 in the Exploration Center at NASA Ames Research Facility. The presentation will be from 7:00 - 7:45 with a 30 minute question and answer period afterward. Guests will also have the opportunity to view the many exhibits in the facility. For directions and other information on the Ames facility please visit http://www.NASA.gov/centers/ames The Exploration center is the white tent to your right just before entering the Moffett Field Gate. http://www1.nasa.gov/centers/ames/home/Directions.html More on the Exploration Center: http://www1.nasa.gov/centers/ames/home/home-explorationcenter.html The Vatican Observatory's website is http://www.VaticanObservatory.org. For more information please contact Nancy Knoche at nknoche@earthlink.net or 602-482-9147. From robhawley at earthlink.net Wed Apr 27 18:06:49 2005 From: robhawley at earthlink.net (Rob Hawley) Date: Fri Jul 29 03:57:08 2005 Subject: [SJAA-announce] April 29 SJAA Houge Park Star Party and Astronomy Class Message-ID: <20050428010653.2D7F07A39@mail.whiteoaks.com> ********Beginning Astronomy Class******* Beginning Astronomy Class Tonight! Observing the Planets with Akkana Peck 7:30 PM. This class will be held regardless of the weather. Can't tell the Encke Division from Cassini division? What are festoons and Barges? The San Jose Astronomical Association Observational Astronomy Class is here to help you! This informal monthly series will teach basic astronomy, the constellations, the movement of the sky, and the use of the telescope. It occurs every third quarter moon Houge Park Star Party Night until November. No Reservations needed and you can join the class at any time. The class is a free public service provided by the SJAA. Tonight's (Friday, April 29th) class starts at 7:30 PM in the hall at Houge Park. Shallow Sky Diva Akkana Peck will take us on a grand tour of the planets, giving expert advice on what to observe on each through your telescope. The Class finishes with a "Sky Tour" by SJAA President Mike Koop, pointing out how to find the constellations and planets. Weather permitting, after the class we will be pointing out the constellations in addition to viewing the planets and other deep sky wonders through telescopes. Akkana's Shallow Sky Website: http://www.shallowsky.com ***Houge Park Star Party*********** On Friday April 29th the SJAA will host its public observing session on the grounds at Houge Park. Families are welcome to attend. Feel free to bring your scope and share views with others. The evening star party will start about 9:00 PM and last until midnight. Weather for Houge Park: http://www.sjaa.net/weather/sites.html#Houge-Park Phase of the Moon on 29 April: waning gibbous with 67% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated. You can follow this link for a map of tonight's sky http://skymaps.com/skymaps/esmn0504.pdf. Object visibility for 22:00:00 on Fri 29 Apr 2005 (From the SAC Urban 110) Sunset: 19:55 Twilight: 21:33 Darkness: 21:33 - 02:07 Twilight: 04:35 Sunrise: 06:13 Object Type Con Alt Az ------ ---- --- --- -- 24 Comae Berenices Star Com +66? 136? iota Cancri Star Cnc +56? 267? M 3 Globular Cluster CVn +60? 97? M 44 Open Cluster Cnc +50? 255? M 51 Galaxy CVn +65? 57? M 53 Globular Cluster Com +60? 122? M 81 Galaxy UMa +56? 346? M 82 Galaxy UMa +56? 347? M 97 Planetary Nebula UMa +72? 355? M 104 Galaxy Vir +38? 157? Mel 111 Open Cluster Com +73? 128? NGC 6543 Planetary Nebula Dra +31? 27? Cat's Eye Nebula SS Virginis Star Vir +51? 156? xi Bootis Star Boo +42? 97? Y Canum Venaticorum Star CVn +73? 55? Detailed information on any of any of these objects may be obtained at http://www.ngcic.org/pubdb.htm And http://www.seds.org/messier/ No bright satellites will be visible tonight There will be an Iridium Flare Date Time Local Intensity Alt. Azimuth 29 Apr 20:46:21 -0 62? 103? (ESE) Rob Hawley From robhawley at earthlink.net Fri Apr 29 09:19:32 2005 From: robhawley at earthlink.net (Rob Hawley) Date: Fri Jul 29 03:57:08 2005 Subject: [SJAA-announce] Tonight! - SJAA Houge Park Star Party and Astronomy Class Message-ID: <20050429161936.CDFA47C8A@mail.whiteoaks.com> Reminder the current aviation forecast is for clear skies ********Beginning Astronomy Class******* Beginning Astronomy Class Tonight! Observing the Planets with Akkana Peck 7:30 PM. This class will be held regardless of the weather. Can't tell the Encke Division from Cassini division? What are festoons and Barges? The San Jose Astronomical Association Observational Astronomy Class is here to help you! This informal monthly series will teach basic astronomy, the constellations, the movement of the sky, and the use of the telescope. It occurs every third quarter moon Houge Park Star Party Night until November. No Reservations needed and you can join the class at any time. The class is a free public service provided by the SJAA. Tonight's (Friday, April 29th) class starts at 7:30 PM in the hall at Houge Park. Shallow Sky Diva Akkana Peck will take us on a grand tour of the planets, giving expert advice on what to observe on each through your telescope. The Class finishes with a "Sky Tour" by SJAA President Mike Koop, pointing out how to find the constellations and planets. Weather permitting, after the class we will be pointing out the constellations in addition to viewing the planets and other deep sky wonders through telescopes. Akkana's Shallow Sky Website: http://www.shallowsky.com ***Houge Park Star Party*********** On Friday April 29th the SJAA will host its public observing session on the grounds at Houge Park. Families are welcome to attend. Feel free to bring your scope and share views with others. The evening star party will start about 9:00 PM and last until midnight. Weather for Houge Park: http://www.sjaa.net/weather/sites.html#Houge-Park Phase of the Moon on 29 April: waning gibbous with 67% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated. You can follow this link for a map of tonight's sky http://skymaps.com/skymaps/esmn0504.pdf. Object visibility for 22:00:00 on Fri 29 Apr 2005 (From the SAC Urban 110) Sunset: 19:55 Twilight: 21:33 Darkness: 21:33 - 02:07 Twilight: 04:35 Sunrise: 06:13 Object Type Con Alt Az ------ ---- --- --- -- 24 Comae Berenices Star Com +66? 136? iota Cancri Star Cnc +56? 267? M 3 Globular Cluster CVn +60? 97? M 44 Open Cluster Cnc +50? 255? M 51 Galaxy CVn +65? 57? M 53 Globular Cluster Com +60? 122? M 81 Galaxy UMa +56? 346? M 82 Galaxy UMa +56? 347? M 97 Planetary Nebula UMa +72? 355? M 104 Galaxy Vir +38? 157? Mel 111 Open Cluster Com +73? 128? NGC 6543 Planetary Nebula Dra +31? 27? Cat's Eye Nebula SS Virginis Star Vir +51? 156? xi Bootis Star Boo +42? 97? Y Canum Venaticorum Star CVn +73? 55? Detailed information on any of any of these objects may be obtained at http://www.ngcic.org/pubdb.htm And http://www.seds.org/messier/ No bright satellites will be visible tonight There will be an Iridium Flare Date Time Local Intensity Alt. Azimuth 29 Apr 20:46:21 -0 62? 103? (ESE) Rob Hawley