From jvn at svpal.org Tue Jan 6 19:34:29 2004 From: jvn at svpal.org (Jim Van Nuland) Date: Sat Sep 30 03:57:23 2006 Subject: [SJAABoard] Grant from Andrah Foundation -- Ephemeris article Message-ID: <3FFB7E45.194A@svpal.org> Paul & Mary: for the Ephemeris Andrah Foundation supports SJAA As in previous years, the Andrah Foundation of Michigan, through it's local representatives, Paul and Ann Summers, have given $500 to SJAA. This is to promote education and public awareness of Astronomy. We thank Paul and Ann, and the Andrah Foundation, for their generosity. Clear Skies! -- Jim Van Nuland, San Jose (California) Astronomical Association JVN's home page From Dana.Crom at Zoran.com Fri Jan 9 09:54:34 2004 From: Dana.Crom at Zoran.com (Dana Crom) Date: Sat Sep 30 03:57:23 2006 Subject: [SJAABoard] Ouch! Missing ANOTHER meeting. Message-ID: <9162A32EBBB6ED428BC932239A30D77157F488@zcoex.ZCO.Zoran.COM> My apologies - despite the best of intentions, work is (once again) forcing me to miss a board meeting. I'll be flying out to Korea tomorrow - just like last month, I'll be somewhere over the Pacific during the meeting. I haven't seen any business going by on the list since Gary's posts on insurance and their replies. Anything else we should be considering? Also, I (finally!) got my new scope structure and moved my primary over. If there's any monetary value in the remainder (Meade 12.5 tube, secondary mirror, and base) I'd like to donate it to the club for the spring swap meet. If you think this is more like a white elephant, I'll just offer it to anyone who wants it on sjaa-announce and the TAC list. Hoping to be back in time for new moon . . . Clear skies - Dana Crom Dana Crom Staff SW Engineer ZORAN Corporation 1390 Kifer Road Sunnyvale, CA 94086 Phone: (408) 523-4213 Email: Dana.Crom@Zoran.com Web: http://www.zoran.com From bhavner at earthlink.net Sat Jan 10 13:14:02 2004 From: bhavner at earthlink.net (Bob Havner) Date: Sat Sep 30 03:57:23 2006 Subject: [SJAABoard] Would you like to be in an instructional video? Message-ID: <000b01c3d7be$ad7fd560$0b0356d1@default> Would you like to be in an instructional video? I am involved in a project to make an instructional video for NASA JPL and the ASP. It will be for the up coming Planet Quest kits, one of which the SJAA will be receiving. They want to film a ?mock? star party for the ?Telescope Tour of the Sky? activity. We will need amateur astronomers (with telescopes) and extras (friends and family members to be ?the public?). The location is yet to be announced, possibly in the S.F. area but the dates are Saturday 1/17 with a rain out date of Saturday 1/24. This is not a real star party, filming will be before and during sunset as night filming may not be possible. If you are interested please contact me at bhavner@earthlink.net and when I have the details I will contact all that reply. Bob Havner bhavner@earthlink.net From wsnelson at concentric.net Sat Jan 10 14:38:27 2004 From: wsnelson at concentric.net (wendy&steve) Date: Sat Sep 30 03:57:23 2006 Subject: [SJAABoard] Dino Pt area 20 year state parks plan Message-ID: <01c3d7ca$76e09060$LocalHost@crc3.concentric.net> Club input on 20 year plan for Dino Point and Pachaco State Park. I think with the increased use of the Dino Pt area as a local observing area for some of our members, we should at least send a letter to the state parts department on the 20 year plan for state recreational lands in that area. Since last spring there have been formal public planning sessions on development and uses of Pachaco for the next 20 years. I checked the records and there is no public input on 'dark sky' public astronomy use. This area is a valuable resource. I think we can formally put in our opinion (as representatives of our members) that the area should be "preserved and developed" as an area for "public dark sky star gazing". suggesting wording State Dept of Parks & Recreation Re: Pachaco State Park/Dinosaur Point 20 year plan The San Jose Astronomical Association, as a non-profit representing over 300 recreational astronomers in the South Bay area, would like to go on record as supporting the preservation of the state lands in this area as a great resource for public appreciation of the night sky. We urge that the 20 year plan recognize that this area area is a unique local resource for appreciating the heavens away from city lights. This "dark sky" rural resource is unusual. We are aware of many of our fellow amateur astronomers who have discovered and started making use of this unique site in the last 10 years. We are asking that the general plan make provisions to see that the state property is "preserved and developed" to preserve "public dark-sky star gazing". This would include design of facilities to allow limited night-time use in light-restricted areas. We would also like to ask for lighting designs that restrict glaring lights and perhaps allow docent control of lights in restricted areas. The amateur astronomy community has shown its responsibility to the environment and state lands it's use of these lands over the last 5 years. We as an organization, would like to see this relationship continue for many more decades. Adopted by SJAA Board January 10, 2004 JVN Board Secretary From jvn at svpal.org Sat Jan 10 15:30:09 2004 From: jvn at svpal.org (Jim Van Nuland) Date: Sat Sep 30 03:57:23 2006 Subject: [SJAABoard] Dino Pt area 20 year state parks plan References: <01c3d7ca$76e09060$LocalHost@crc3.concentric.net> Message-ID: <40008B01.588C@svpal.org> wendy&steve wrote: > > Club input on 20 year plan for Dino Point and Pachaco State Park. > > I think with the increased use of the Dino Pt area as a local observing > area for some of our members, we should at least send a letter to the > state parts department on the 20 year plan for state recreational lands > in that area. Yes! A number of TAC members have an arrangement with the park staff to use Dino Point. It's a bit complicated about who may open gates, etc., but that's not a big problem. Since TAC does not have official officers, we gotta do this. Presumably individuals might also write letters. -- Jim Van Nuland, San Jose (California) Astronomical Association JVN's web site From mgwagner at resource-intl.com Sat Jan 10 15:44:14 2004 From: mgwagner at resource-intl.com (Mark Wagner) Date: Sat Sep 30 03:57:23 2006 Subject: [SJAABoard] Dino Pt area 20 year state parks plan In-Reply-To: <40008B01.588C@svpal.org> References: <01c3d7ca$76e09060$LocalHost@crc3.concentric.net> Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.2.20040110153833.00ba9380@mail201.pair.com> At 1/10/2004, you wrote: > Since TAC does not have official officers, we gotta do > this. Presumably individuals might also write letters. Two suggestions: 1. Contact Albert Highe to learn what he and others have done in developing a relationship with the staff at Dinosaur Point. 2. Contact Michelle Stone to learn how she successfully, with help she solicited via folks on TAC, incorporated language into the general plan for Castle Rock State Park that included dark skies as a natural resource. Additionally, when Ranger Clark Dooley, now retired, and I were were first looking for observing sites at Pacheco State Park, he said it would be possible for amateur astronomers to work on incorporating language into the future general plan to provide a range of astronomical uses at that par, possibly including anything from dark sky preservation to an astronomical observatory. Ranger Dave Milam is currently the contact there, and I assume would be amenable to working with the SJAA regarding the park's plans. Mark Wagner From robhawley at earthlink.net Sun Jan 11 06:46:08 2004 From: robhawley at earthlink.net (Rob Hawley) Date: Sat Sep 30 03:57:23 2006 Subject: [SJAABoard] Dino Pt area 20 year state parks plan In-Reply-To: <01c3d7ca$76e09060$LocalHost@crc3.concentric.net> Message-ID: Here is albert's email Albert Highe [ahighe@ix.netcom.com] Rob Hawley From akkana at shallowsky.com Sun Jan 11 20:48:29 2004 From: akkana at shallowsky.com (Akkana Peck) Date: Sat Sep 30 03:57:23 2006 Subject: [SJAABoard] Dino Pt area 20 year state parks plan In-Reply-To: <01c3d7ca$76e09060$LocalHost@crc3.concentric.net> References: <01c3d7ca$76e09060$LocalHost@crc3.concentric.net> Message-ID: <20040112044829.GB25869@shallowsky.com> wendy&steve writes: > Re: Pachaco State Park/Dinosaur Point 20 year plan I assume the board has already discussed and voted on this, but in case you do send the letter (which seemed fine to me as a member), please make a good first impression by spelling the park name right: Pacheco. (Probably someone already caught it, but just in case ...) ...Akkana From pkohlmil at best.com Sun Jan 11 23:02:45 2004 From: pkohlmil at best.com (Paul Kohlmiller) Date: Sat Sep 30 03:57:23 2006 Subject: [SJAABoard] February Ephemeris Proofread Message-ID: <001501c3d8da$152a7500$0400a8c0@pkhome.local> Dear Ephemeproofers, The February issue of Ephemeris can be seen at http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0402/EphFeb04.pdf Please give it a pass for us. We would like to send it to Accuprint first thing Wednesday morning. All comments are welcome. Thanks for your submissions this month, very little editing was needed. Paul & Mary Kohlmiller -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.sjaa.net/pipermail/sjaaboard/attachments/20040111/1aacec67/attachment.html From jvn at svpal.org Mon Jan 12 00:20:39 2004 From: jvn at svpal.org (Jim Van Nuland) Date: Sat Sep 30 03:57:23 2006 Subject: [SJAABoard] February Ephemeris Proofread References: <001501c3d8da$152a7500$0400a8c0@pkhome.local> Message-ID: <400258D7.C90@svpal.org> Paul Kohlmiller wrote: > > Dear Ephemeproofers, > The February issue of Ephemeris can be seen at > http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0402/EphFeb04.pdf > > Please give it a pass for us. We would like to send it to Accuprint > first thing Wednesday morning. Hi, Paul, Two calendar additions, both things I didn't get onto the web because I didn't know earlier, or maybe I forgot: (1) On the Feb.7 meeting, Dr. F's topic is "The Case for Cosmic Anti-Gravity". (2) On the March 20 deep-sky weekend, make it read, instead of deep-sky weekend: Annual Messier Marathon at Henry Coe park. Sunset 6:20 pm, 1% moon sets 6:20 pm. Details on page 6. I've also added these to the 2004 calendar and the hotline pages. Thanks much! -- Jim Van Nuland, San Jose (California) Astronomical Association JVN's web site From north at znet.com Mon Jan 12 11:03:10 2004 From: north at znet.com (Dave North) Date: Sat Sep 30 03:57:23 2006 Subject: [SJAABoard] February Ephemeris Proofread In-Reply-To: <001501c3d8da$152a7500$0400a8c0@pkhome.local> References: <001501c3d8da$152a7500$0400a8c0@pkhome.local> Message-ID: <4002EF6E.8030301@znet.com> > Please give it a pass for us. We would like to send it to Accuprint Uh oh. I boneheaded in my own column. Fifth paragraph from the end "astro software includes as least" should be "at least" of course... In the "Semi Dark Matter" sidebar the text (at least in my copy) is butting the left box border. There's a similar right-side problem in "Remember Columbia." I don't know if these are artifacts on my PDF or not. I was also surprised to discover a couple of weeks ago that Don Machholtz has a hardcover and very detailed version of his Messier Marathon book out -- saw it at Borders in Santana Row. Don't know if that could be squeezed in or not at this point. Drat! Dave From bhavner at earthlink.net Mon Jan 12 17:12:29 2004 From: bhavner at earthlink.net (Bob Havner) Date: Sat Sep 30 03:57:23 2006 Subject: [SJAABoard] Video Shoot Message-ID: <008901c3d972$51a9fda0$41d0f7a5@default> Last call for anyone interested in taking part in the Planet Quest video shoot. I would like to see at least 3 more people participate. Anyone interested in participating should contact me before Wednesday 1/14 so I can let them know how many to expect. Thanks to Gordon Ken and Jim for expressing interest so far. Here is the details of the project: Here is information about the shoot on Saturday, January 17. Time: 3:30 PM., sharp. It is imperative that we start on time as we are depending on the late afternoon sun for a nice look. We will be on location well before this time. Location: Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley. Directions: >From 880 North (Nimitz Freeway); from San Jose 1. 880 to 980 2. 980 to Hwy. 24 (towards Walnut Creek) 3. Exit at Claremont Avenue and turn left. 4. Turn left onto College Avenue at a stop light. 5. Turn right onto Dwight Way at a stop light. 6. Turn left onto Prospect Street (two blocks above the stop light at Piedmont Avenue). 7. Turn right onto Stadium Rimway (around the back of the stadium). 8. Turn right onto Centennial Drive at the stop sign. Go uphill about 1 mile. LHS is on the left just below the top of the hill. Parking lots are on both the left and right. LHS website info at: http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/generalinfo/directions.html http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/generalinfo/map.html Weather: if it looks like rain, call me, Bob Havner at 408-723-2559 Invite your friends and their families, but please ask them to bring warm clothes and be patient. Shooting video involves a great deal of waiting around. This is not a real star party and there will be nothing to look at through the scopes. There will some drink and snacks. LHS will be open until 5:00pm with access to power and restrooms. Some of the shots we hope to get: People unloading telescopes and setting up. Close-ups of person setting up scope shots of presenters leading activities shots of public responding to presentation, asking questions, etc. shots of silhouettes against the skyline. Bob Havner bhavner@earthlink.net From wb6yru at aenet.net Sat Jan 31 23:11:05 2004 From: wb6yru at aenet.net (Gary Mitchell) Date: Sat Sep 30 03:57:23 2006 Subject: [SJAABoard] Next SJAA meeting Message-ID: <401CA689.1112@aenet.net> Something just occurred to me... Since Dr. Alex Filippenko will be our speaker at the next SJAA meeting, I imagine we'll have a larger crowd than usual. If there will be some announcements (including TAC), and I think there should be, then even more so. My point is: when we have a big name speaker, it's standing room only. Are there any more chairs somewhere, perhaps in the next building? If not, maybe we could consider renting some. If we bought some chairs and donated them, maybe that would get us a lot of brownie points with the park, perhaps even enough so they'll let us have our own cabinet in there. The next meeting is just a week away. Gary