The Celestial Observer September, 1999

Ready, set, go back to school !

Well, not me. But many kids will be returning to advance their education, and this usually means that star parties and requests for other assistance to the general public will be on the upswing. Watch out for the opportunity to get involved in these worthwhile activities.

The month of August offered tremendous promise for observing: eclipses, meteors, dark skies. And, as often happens, the gods did not look favorably on our efforts. The only view of the eclipse I saw was a video taken by some guy on the Maine Coast who taped it through breaking clouds. Ever watch 10 minutes of cloud obscured eclipse video? Not all that impressive - but, hey, better than I got!

Of course, this chap didn't run his cruise liner into a cargo vessel. But the finale to Ralph Pass' European vacation cum eclipse chase ended on just this note. Read on for further details. And Ralph, Chevy Chase is looking for you. He wants to make another National Lampoon Vacation movie and needs some help with a script.

Please remember that we will hold the September meeting on the third, even though it conflicts with the Labor Day Weekend.

John Gall
President

Salem State College

The Observatory is opening this month, in conjunction with the return of students - and the lengthening night. The Observatory opens every clear Monday night at around dusk. See Ric Shanahan if you'd care to get involved in this interesting activity.

Height of Land Star Party and Moose Dodge

This event will take place the weekend of September 10th through 12th, in the Rangely Lakes area of Maine. Spectacular dark skies.

If you plan to attend you should inform Rob Nelson (978)374-3527 or email: rnelson807@AOL.com no later than Friday September 3, 1999. This will give us time to determine the number of sites we will need, to get an idea on tent space availability/requirements, and to buy groceries.

We are planning a menu for this trip based on the number of registrants, unless you have dietary restrictions (let us know in advance that you will not participate) we respectfully request that you take advantage of this plan so that we do not over buy groceries.

This is a 4-hour drive on a good day, 182 miles from Groveland. The observing site we will be using is owned by Boise Cascade and we have secured permission to use it. There is no camping at the observing site. The site is 8 miles from the State Park, is at about a 2 thousand foot elevation and offers a 360 degree horizon that is for the most part unobstructed to about 20 degrees.

Night driving to this area is not recommended to those unfamiliar with the area and or driving in a heavily populated moose area!!!

Do not bring food into your tent or leave any in an open accessible area overnight! There has been problems with the black bears of late, residents have been asked to move their trash away from their living quarters and not to fill any bird feeders they may have. All food items should be stowed in your vehicle overnight!

Scope for Sale

Art Corbett is selling his 10 " Meade dobsonian reflector. He says he has too many scopes, and needs to decrease his inventory. This f 4.5 scope includes magellan digital setting circles, a telerad and a 25 mm Meade eyepiece. Art offers the scope to club members only for a price of $500. This is an excellent value. Retail value approaches $1,000! If no one from the club picks it up within a month, he'll go through other channels to sell it, at a higher price.

NSAAC Annual Picnic

Our annual picnic was held on August 28th at VMP. Some 15 members and family were present and enjoyed fine weather, dogs, burgers and various munchies brought by members. Chef John Gall invented a new way to cook burgers - ever have cheeseburger flambe ? Said another way, ever see Kraft Singles catch on fire ?

The highlight (?) of the day was the first annual NSAAC Extreme Croquet tournament. Four members scrambled across the devilish course laid out by Ilaine Walberg, which challenged at every stroke. Some participants likened the layout to a Scotsman's version of a golf course - deep rough, undulating greens and surprises at every turn.

In a fitting turn of events, the tournament was won in a spectacular come from behind fashion by Wyn Palmer. Wyn, of course, is a native of the British Empire, home of "civilised" croquet. We suspect a mis-spent youth where Wyn hustled croquet at the local greensward. A suitable memorial trophy will be awarded at the September meeting.

SHARE

Rob Nelson reports that several applications for further funding of this system are in the works . Hopefully he'll be able to report back some good news to us in the near future. A SHARE star party is planned for the month of September at the Children's Floating Hospital. Stay tuned for further details.

Business Meeting Minutes for the August, 1999 Meeting of the NSAAC

The meeting was called to order at 8:10 pm on August 6, 1999 President John Gall presiding.

There were no new members or guest present. The minutes of the June meeting were accepted as printed in the July newsletter.

Ric Shanahan updated us on ongoing renovations in the observatory at Salem State College and reminded us that public observing will begin again in September. We were advised that Wyn Palmer had donated a new computer to the club for use at the Merrimack College Observatory. This new, high-powered machine makes imaging much easier. Also, there actually was public observing at Merrimack in July. Barrie Sawyer updated us on the successful star Party held at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary on July 22. Many thanks to the many members who turned out for this event.

We were updated on upcoming activities including Stellafane, solar eclipses, road trips and Perseid Meteor showers. We were reminded that Lew Gramer was going to Hawaii for the Perseids - or whas it his honeymoon ? The club voted to send Lew and Karen a suitable memento.

John Gall mentioned that a future meeting might feature Harry Chase of FC Meichsner Co.

The meeting adjourned at 9:00 pm and was followed by John Gall's presentation about imaging Omega Centauri.

Directions to the NSAAC Observing Site

The NSAAC meets regularly on clear Friday nights in Groveland, MA at Veasey Memorial Park, 201 Washington Street. Observing begins around dusk throughout the year. If the sky is only marginally clear, members may not be present to observe on that night. Monthly business meetings are held on the first night Friday of the month at 8:00 p.m.

Getting to Veasey Memorial Park

From Interstate 95 north, take the Route 133 west (54B) exit, and follow it into Georgetown Center. Go straight through the light, now on Route 97n . Go about 1.5 miles and take a left onto Salem Street (Tea Garden Restaurant at this intersection). Stay on Salem Street and turn left onto Washington Street. VMP is a short distance down on the right

For more information about the club and its activities, call Dave Thomas, Membership Director at 978-388-2341 or contact John Gall, President, e-mail at M104@aol.com. Better yet, visit our Web Site at : http://www.nsaac.org.

Please support those who support us.

Star.net is our internet service provider, please look them up if you need internet service. Also, Brewster LaMacchia's company Jovian Systems is now hosting our internet e-mail service. We're not sure what Jovian system does, but Brewster says if you send him money, that's ok.

Additionally, the Phoenix Press in Groveland provides printing services for our monthly newsletter. Please consider them for any printing needs you may have.

Lastly, we'd like to make special note of those people who have made generous contributions in support of the SHARE program, including Lucent Technologies and that inestimable gentleman, Harry Chase at F. C. Meichsner Co, in Boston. If you need to equip a telephone company see Lucent. If you need a telescope, see Harry.

Club Goods/Assets

The new blue Tee's are in sizes L, XL, and XXL @ $10.00 each. Quantity discounts are available for 2 or more purchased at the same time. See Dennis Gudzevich for them, as well as mugs and other items.

Members who subscribe to Astronomy or Sky and Telescope through the club should send their renewal notice, together with a check in the proper amount payable to the NSAAC to Treasurer Chris McCarthy. Chris then sends it on to the magazine.

European Ramblings

My wife picked a cruise that had me arriving in England the day of the eclipse. Even with only a 40% chance of seeing the eclipse (using climatology), I opted to go a day early to see the eclipse. We had reservations in a motel in Plymouth which was in the path of totality, albeit a bit north of the centerline. The last weather before flying over indicated at most a 15% chance of seeing the eclipse.

We rented a car and this was my first trip driving on the British side of the road, with a manual transmission to boot. (Oh, sorry, that is the trunk of the car in the UK). Shifting with my left hand was interesting as well. On the way from London to Plymouth we went by Stonehenge. The day was overcast and sputtery. We walked the fence around the grounds and shot pictures but did not go up to the stones.

Eclipse day dawned with a 70% cloud cover. The forecasters on the telly were putting the chances of seeing the eclipse at 15% but I thought they were being optimistic. To me, it did not look like any of England on the totality line would see the eclipse. About three hours before the eclipse it clouded over completely and stayed that way the rest of the day. We opted to stay in the garden of the motel (lawn for us USAers). The clouds got dark and you could see the edge of totality sweep the clouds and then pass on towards the channel. My forecast was better than the meteorologists in England: none of England saw totality. Those on the line of totality saw no part of the eclipse, including the partial phases.

There was much press about the dangers of looking at the sun, almost to the point of obsession. Patrick Moore was a featured on the telly. He sports a monocle now and was surprisingly informative. The Brits had a C-130 flying above the clouds to provide totally coverage which was displayed on the telly in lieu of ground shots. Interesting approach to providing coverage.

After the eclipse we left for Andover England and stayed there, fitting since we live here in Andover, Massachusetts. It was then on to Dover to board the Norwegian Dream for our cruise. Clouds prevented any observation of the Perseids. One of our stops was at St. Petersburg. On a trip to a classical concert we went by Pulkovo Observatory. The guide would not divert the tour to allow me to visit this renowned observatory.

Another of our stops was in Copenhagen where we toured Frederickborg Castle. The walls were adorned with painting of the royal family. However, in one section, and the only non-royal family member highlighted on the tour were too pictures of Tycho Brahe and a copy of his sarcophagus (the original is in Prague). I have always pronounced his name as Tiko Brah-he. I was informed that the Danish pronunciation is Teeko Brahk. On leaving Copenhagen we sailed by Hven, the site of Brahe's observatory: Urania Castle. I could not glimpse the ruins of this castle, the first observatory in Europe.

Our last night at sea provided a green flash at sunset. The vacation ended on about the same note as it started: the cruise ship collided with a container ship. Lots of excitement, but that is another story.

Ralph Pass

Last February, when I realized that Munich would be in the path of totality, I planned a visit to our parent company's headquarters for a technical consultation with my German counterparts. My boss here saw no ulterior motive in this, and so the trip was approved.

Planning for the trip required that I get some kind of telephoto lens for my camera, as well as a solar filter. This was the real adventure. I decided on an Orion Short Tube 80 for the lens, as I had the T ring necessary to connect the camera. I borrowed a tripod from Rich Bickerton, and thought that I was all set. The first problem arose when I discovered that solar filters were impossible to obtain. I ducked that by purchasing a sheet of the Mylar used by Thousand Oaks from Pocono West (for some reason, Pocono East wasn't selling it). That arrived two days before my departure.

The Short Tube 80 was lost somewhere in Illinois though, and it looked as though the only lens I'd have would be my 135mm telephoto. In an inspired moment, I picked up the phone the day before my departure and ordered another Short Tube, this time paying for overnight delivery. It arrived a AM the next morning, 10 hours before departure. I was all ready....

Arriving in Munich, I immediately headed for the nearest Biergarten in order to assimilate the culture, and adjust myself to the time difference. After adequate assimilation, I retired for the evening. My friends and I spent a pleasant Sunday in Austria, under clear skies, enjoying the Alpine vistas ( and assimilating more beer, uh, "culture" ).

When Monday dawned, it was a cloudy day. No problem, I thought, better now than Wednesday. Tuesday dawned. Rain. No problem, I thought, better now than Wednesday. Wednesday dawned clear, and I thought, great! Then as the hour for first contact approached, so did a massive weather front. Although I was able to visually see first contact through the thin cloud layer, it got worse and worse. Five minutes before totality, the skies above the roof of the OSRAM building cleared, and the entire event was cloud free! The 50,000 people gathered at Olympic Park in the north of the city were clouded out, and one person 800 meters down the street didn't see it, but the 600 employees on the roof at OSRAM had a wonderful sight to behold! Despite what I had read to prepare of the event, despite the warnings of those who chase eclipses constantly, the event is over whelming emotionally. Some atavistic, animal memory kicks in and one is almost paralyzed by the sight of the sun disappearing. I snapped out of the trance in time to take a few shaky photos (some actually came out OK!). It was over in what seemed like 20 seconds instead of the 128 seconds promised. During the event, red and pink prominences were clearly visible around the disk of the moon, and the corona was spectacular. I did not think that the corona was uniform, but my pictures prove that it was.

Two minutes after the sun reappeared, the clouds obscured the sky once again. We were truly fortunate that the hole in clouds was directly overhead. For most of Europe the eclipse was a non-event.

I now understand why people chase these events all over the world. Now I'm hooked. And I can't wait for the next opportunity to chase one.

John Lennerton

Events for September, courtesy of Astronomy Magazine

Day 	Time 	Event
1	2 a.m. 	The moon passes 3 degrees south of Saturn 
2	6 p.m. 	The moon passes 0.8 degree north of Aldebaran 
7	noon 	The moon passes 8 degrees north of Venus 
8	11 am 	Mercury is in superior conjunction 
	11 am	The moon passes 1.1 degrees north of Regulus
16 	6 am	The moon passes 7 degrees north of Mars 
17 	3 am 	Mars passes 3 degrees north of Antares (evening) 
20	 6 pm 	The moon passes 0.7 degree north of Neptune 
21 	4 pm 	The moon passes 0.6 degree north of Uranus 
23 	8 am 	Equinox (northern autumn /southern spring begins) 
26 	11 am 	Venus is at greatest brilliancy (magnitude -4.6) 
27 	9 am 	The moon passes 4 degrees south of Jupiter 
28 	8 am 	The moon passes 3 degrees south of Saturn 
29 	midnite	The moon passes 1.0 degree north of Aldebaran 
30	noon	Mercury passes 1.7 degrees north of Spica (evening)