Prime FocusPrime FocusPrime Focus A Publication of the Kalamazoo Astronomical SocietyA Publication of the Kalamazoo Astronomical SocietyA Publication of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society

April 2012

Highlights of theHighlights of the

April SkyApril Sky

-- -- -- 22nd nd -- -- -- PM Waxing Gibbous Moon PM Waxing Gibbous Moon forms an arc with Mars forms an arc with Mars and Regulusand Regulus

-- -- -- 22nd nd rarr 3rarr 3rdrd-- -- --

PM Venus passes south of PM Venus passes south of the Pleiades clusterthe Pleiades cluster

-- -- -- 33rd rd -- -- -- PM The Moon forms a PM The Moon forms a triangle with Mars and triangle with Mars and RegulusRegulus

-- -- -- 66thth -- -- -- Full MoonFull Moon PM The Moon is about 2deg PM The Moon is about 2deg left of Spica and Saturn is left of Spica and Saturn is 5deg left of Spica5deg left of Spica

-- -- -- 1313thth -- -- -- Last Quarter MoonLast Quarter Moon

-- -- -- 1515thth -- -- -- Saturn at oppositionSaturn at opposition

-- -- -- 1818thth -- -- -- Dawn Mercury is about 7deg Dawn Mercury is about 7deg below the Moonbelow the Moon

-- -- -- 2121stst -- -- -- New MoonNew Moon AM Lyrid meteor shower AM Lyrid meteor shower peaks (~12 meteorshour)peaks (~12 meteorshour)

-- -- -- 2222ndnd -- -- -- Dusk Jupiter is 3deg below Dusk Jupiter is 3deg below a very thin crescent Moon a very thin crescent Moon very low in westvery low in west

-- -- -- 2323rdrd -- -- -- PM The Pleiades are to PM The Pleiades are to the right of a very thin the right of a very thin crescent Mooncrescent Moon

-- -- -- 2424thth -- -- -- PM Venus is 6deg to upper PM Venus is 6deg to upper right of the thin crescent right of the thin crescent MoonMoon

-- -- -- 2929thth -- -- -- First Quarter MoonFirst Quarter Moon

-- -- -- 3030thth -- -- -- PM Look above the Moon PM Look above the Moon for Mars (left) and Regulusfor Mars (left) and Regulus

wwwkasonlineorg

General Meeting Friday April 13 700 pm

Kalamazoo Area Math amp Science Center - See Page 12 for Details

Observing Session Saturday April 14 800 pm

Venus Saturn amp Mars - Kalamazoo Nature Center

Board Meeting Sunday April 15 500 pm

Sunnyside Church - 2800 Gull Road - All Members Welcome

Astronomy Day 2012 Saturday April 21 1000 am

Day amp Evening Activities - Please See Pages 4 amp 5 for Details

This Months This Months KAS EventsEvents

Inside the Newsletter Inside the Newsletter March Meeting Minutes p 2

Board Meeting Minutes p 3

Observations p 3

AD2K12 Daytime Activities p 4

AD2K12 Keynote Presentation p 5

Venus by Dayp 6

Gazing at the Richland Star Field p 7

NASA Space Place p 9

April Night Sky p 10

KAS Board amp Announcements p 11

General Meeting Preview p 12

April 2012

The general meeting of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society was brought to order by President Richard Bell on Friday March 2 2012 at 715 pm EST Approximately 67 members and guests were in attendance at the Kalamazoo Area Math amp Science Center (KAMSC) Dr Nicolle Zellner an Associate Professor of Physics at Albion College was the special guest speaker Dr Zellner last spoke to us at 2007 June General Meeting That talk was about the two months she spent in Antarctica as a member of the Antarctic Search for Meteorites Team (or ANSMET) Her latest presentation was entitled Astronomical Walkabout Research (and other stuff) in Australia Dr Zellner began with a brief introduction of herself Shersquos a planetary scientist but her undergraduate degree is in astronomy She enjoyed working at the campus observatory located at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was part of the STS-67 mission which launched an ultraviolet telescope about the space shuttle Endeavour in March 1995 Dr Zellner then described her ongoing research which focuses on our understanding of the impact history of the Earth-Moon system and how those impacts affected the conditions for life on Earth Shersquos interested in learning when objects struck the Moon and how that may have affected Earth and possibly what Earthrsquos environment was like at the time Next she gave a brief overview of the different types of meteorites and what essential ingredients they contain for life on Earth Some craters on Earth such as Meteor Crater in Arizona and Wolfe Creek Crater in Australia were also shown These craters are much younger than those that formed on the Moon so lunar impacts help us understand

how much the Earth was hit early in its history She also gave a brief overview of research done with Apollo samples Itrsquos been determined that the Moonrsquos large impact basins all formed at the same time during the ldquoLunar Cataclysmrdquo or Late Heavy Bombardment 41 to 38 billion years ago The earliest evidence for life on Earth dates to the end of this period The earliest fossils are 35 billion years old Dr Zellner currently studies lunar impact glasses that are formed mainly as a result of small impacts on the lunar surface the ages of these impacts can be determined by the 40Ar39Ar isotope technique This is the research she performed during her 3frac12 month sabbatical in the Earth Science Department at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra which has a large faculty and dozens of specialized research instruments Once she settled in the first thing she saw during a walk were kangaroos which are deer-like in their behavior She then went to work at ANU and spent several weeks picking out appropriate lunar glasses to study She then took a break and went to Sydney There she checked out the famous Sydney Opera House and visited an animal sanctuary and petted kangaroos and koalas She also visited Sydney Observatory which was founded in 1857 Back at work she prepped the lunar glasses she picked out for further analysis After that she headed off to Tasmania and took a three hour boat tour Among the various native wildlife she saw were Tasmanian Devils which are nothing like the cartoon character Tasmanian Devils are being wiped out through a facial tumor disease and many experts think theyrsquoll become extinct by 2020 Breeding campaigns are underway to try and save the species Back to work again This time with a scanning electron microscope to reveal the geochemical composition of the lunar glasses Some of the samples were formed during lunar volcanic events and not impacts Her next excursion was to the Australian Outback and visited Ayres Rock or Uluru Her attempt to see the southern stars was thwarted by clouds She did manage to see the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds plus the southern Milky Way She also visited Mount Stromlo Observatory which was heavily damaged by bush fires in 2003 Dr Zellner then began to perform laser analysis on her glass samples and gave a brief overview of her progress thus far Her final destination was the Tidbinbilla Tracking Station which helps to constantly monitor planetary spacecraft Dr Zellner concluded her talk after thanking those that helped with her research and fund her sabbatical She encouraged everyone to check out her blog which covers much of her adventures down under The meeting concluded at 916 pm

Prime Focus Page 2

March Meeting MinutesMarch Meeting Minutes

Associate Professor of Physics at Albion College Dr Nicolle Zellner gave a well-received presentation at our general meeting on March 2 2012

April 2012

The general meeting of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society was brought to order by President Richard Bell on Friday March 2 2012 at 715 pm EST Approximately 67 members and guests were in attendance at the Kalamazoo Area Math amp Science Center (KAMSC) Dr Nicolle Zellner an Associate Professor of Physics at Albion College was the special guest speaker Dr Zellner last spoke to us at 2007 June General Meeting That talk was about the two months she spent in Antarctica as a member of the Antarctic Search for Meteorites Team (or ANSMET) Her latest presentation was entitled Astronomical Walkabout Research (and other stuff) in Australia Dr Zellner began with a brief introduction of herself Shersquos a planetary scientist but her undergraduate degree is in astronomy She enjoyed working at the campus observatory located at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was part of the STS-67 mission which launched an ultraviolet telescope about the space shuttle Endeavour in March 1995 Dr Zellner then described her ongoing research which focuses on our understanding of the impact history of the Earth-Moon system and how those impacts affected the conditions for life on Earth Shersquos interested in learning when objects struck the Moon and how that may have affected Earth and possibly what Earthrsquos environment was like at the time Next she gave a brief overview of the different types of meteorites and what essential ingredients they contain for life on Earth Some craters on Earth such as Meteor Crater in Arizona and Wolfe Creek Crater in Australia were also shown These craters are much younger than those that formed on the Moon so lunar impacts help us understand

how much the Earth was hit early in its history She also gave a brief overview of research done with Apollo samples Itrsquos been determined that the Moonrsquos large impact basins all formed at the same time during the ldquoLunar Cataclysmrdquo or Late Heavy Bombardment 41 to 38 billion years ago The earliest evidence for life on Earth dates to the end of this period The earliest fossils are 35 billion years old Dr Zellner currently studies lunar impact glasses that are formed mainly as a result of small impacts on the lunar surface the ages of these impacts can be determined by the 40Ar39Ar isotope technique This is the research she performed during her 3frac12 month sabbatical in the Earth Science Department at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra which has a large faculty and dozens of specialized research instruments Once she settled in the first thing she saw during a walk were kangaroos which are deer-like in their behavior She then went to work at ANU and spent several weeks picking out appropriate lunar glasses to study She then took a break and went to Sydney There she checked out the famous Sydney Opera House and visited an animal sanctuary and petted kangaroos and koalas She also visited Sydney Observatory which was founded in 1857 Back at work she prepped the lunar glasses she picked out for further analysis After that she headed off to Tasmania and took a three hour boat tour Among the various native wildlife she saw were Tasmanian Devils which are nothing like the cartoon character Tasmanian Devils are being wiped out through a facial tumor disease and many experts think theyrsquoll become extinct by 2020 Breeding campaigns are underway to try and save the species Back to work again This time with a scanning electron microscope to reveal the geochemical composition of the lunar glasses Some of the samples were formed during lunar volcanic events and not impacts Her next excursion was to the Australian Outback and visited Ayres Rock or Uluru Her attempt to see the southern stars was thwarted by clouds She did manage to see the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds plus the southern Milky Way She also visited Mount Stromlo Observatory which was heavily damaged by bush fires in 2003 Dr Zellner then began to perform laser analysis on her glass samples and gave a brief overview of her progress thus far Her final destination was the Tidbinbilla Tracking Station which helps to constantly monitor planetary spacecraft Dr Zellner concluded her talk after thanking those that helped with her research and fund her sabbatical She encouraged everyone to check out her blog which covers much of her adventures down under The meeting concluded at 916 pm

Prime Focus Page 2

March Meeting MinutesMarch Meeting Minutes

Associate Professor of Physics at Albion College Dr Nicolle Zellner gave a well-received presentation at our general meeting on March 2 2012

April 2012 Prime Focus Page 3

April is going to be a busy month for the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society We begin with the general meeting on April 13th delayed one week due to the holiday weekend This meeting begins our ldquoTransit of Venus Trilogyrdquo The next three meetings will deal with the last Transit of Venus of our lifetime on June 5th Chuck Bueter webmaster of the transitofvenusorg website is up first Hersquoll discuss the basics of observing the transit and all the related events thatrsquoll occur in the Michiana area Please be sure to check out the website for more about Chuckrsquos talk and other upcoming presentations about the Venus Transit Another season of Public Observing Sessions begins on April 14th the night after the general meeting Naturally we need members to setup telescopes and share views of sparkling star clusters and wispy galaxies We also need members to just show up and share the night sky together Attendance for general meetings is excellent - heck we just had 67 for Dr Zellnerrsquos talk on March 2nd - but observing session attendance has never been outstanding Sure we get clouded out a lot so it gets tiresome trying to plan an evening of observing only to have it spoiled by persistent cloud cover Please check out the observing session schedule on the website and make every effort to attend some sessions this year Irsquoll be looking for YOU Our big event of the month (and year) is Astronomy Day on April 21st The Air Zoo will host our daytime activities this year from 10am - 4pm Letrsquos hope this change in venue will bring in a whole new crowd of astronomy enthusiasts Wersquoll have the usual array of displays hands-on activities and solar observing Irsquoll be giving short presentations on how and where observe the Transit of Venus Wersquoll also have inflatable planetarium shows which will be really fun and different Yoursquoll also be able to get your portrait taken with a cool celestial backdrop Donations from that will go toward the Robotic Telescope Project This yearrsquos Astronomy Day Keynote Speaker is Dr Jill Tarter Science Working Group member for NASAs Kepler Space Telescope and Director of the Center for SETI Research Dr Tarterrsquos research career was Carl Saganrsquos inspiration for Ellie Arroway the main character in his only science-fiction novel Contact Dr Tarter also spent time with Jodie Foster as she prepared to play Dr Arroway in the movie version of Dr Saganrsquos novel If you donrsquot come and meet Dr Tarter at the Air Zoo and hear her presentation at the Nature Center then YOU ARE NUTS There I said it Please be sure to check out the Astronomy Day 2012 website for complete details Herersquos hoping for great weather and an even greater crowd

ObservationsObservations by Richard S BellRichard S Bell

The KAS Board met on March 11 2012 at Sunnyside Church The meeting was called to order by Richard Bell at 507 pm Present were board members Scott Macfarlane Jack Price Don Stilwell and Roger Williams Also attending was KAS member Tony Gurczynski After approval of the agenda the Board reviewed the Treasurerrsquos Report previously e-mailed by Rich Mather No issues were noted On the robotic telescope front Richard described a strategy of trying to get a response from every member and then to work seriously on grant applications In the area of coming events Richard reported that things were set for the April General Meeting (April 13th) and first Public Observing Session on April 14th He mentioned a possible electrical power problem at Owl Observatory (subsequently checked out and solved by Jack) Concerning Old Business Richard reported that Plainwell Middle School was still eager for our presence on Science Night April 18th Don and Roger agreed to appear and Don will ask for more volunteers Portage has also invited the KAS again for their Green-a-Thon at Celery Flats on April 28th Jack agreed to respond to Portage Eclipse shades sales were reported to be going well and Richard suggested that we take out an ad in the paper In further Old Business the Library Telescopes had been ordered and were expected within the week Some discussion was given to preparations for Astronomy Day The usual greeting table freebie table solar observing setup and hands-on activities tables will need to be staffed New highlights will be an inflatable planetarium and a green-screen photo attraction that can place the subjectrsquos portrait in an astronomical setting (eg on the Moon) Some discussion was held about the aforementioned eclipse and transit events Don moved that we spend $200 to rent a pavilion at Warren Dunes State Park on June 5th which would provide a source of electrical power The motion passed unanimously In related New Business Richard suggested a repeat of the Solar Filter Workshop held a few years back allowing binoculars and small telescopes to be made solar-viewing compatible May 11th was the favored date and Jack agreed to see if Sunnyside would be available on that date at 730 pm There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 615 pm The next meeting was set for April 15 2012 same time and place Respectfully submitted by Roger Williams

BOARDBOARDBOARD Meeting MinutesMeeting MinutesMeeting Minutes

Solar ObservingSolar Observing DisplaysDisplays HandsHands--on Activitieson Activities

astrodaykasonlineorg

Meet Dr Jill TarterMeet Dr Jill Tarter Chat with Dr Tarter Kepler Space Telescope scientist and SETI Institute Director and get her autograph

mdash From 1pm rarr 4pm mdash

Our Last Transit Our Last Transit ofof VenusVenus Learn where when and how to safely view the last Transit of Venus of our lifetime

mdash Shows at 11am 1pm amp 3pm mdash

Starlab Planetarium ShowsStarlab Planetarium Shows Take a tour of the night sky in the inflatable planetarium

Free stargazing shows every 30 minutes starting at 1100 am

Celestial Portrait FundraiserCelestial Portrait Fundraiser Take a photo against a green screen and incorporate one of a half-dozen celestial back drops A $5 donation is required

April 2012

Imagine using your telescope with no lost sleep no light pollution no need to seek out remote sites and plenty of curious onlookers to demonstrate your fascination with astronomy Make it sohellipby aiming your telescope at Venus during the daytime The planet Venus offers spectacular telescopic views especially when the Sun is still up Venus is currently in a prime position for daytime viewing The trick is to find the planet However a telescope with a finderscope an equatorial mount and even modest setting circles can be used to locate this planet A watch and a small level are also needed Herersquos how to seek out our sister planet by day Beforehand mdash Polar Align the Telescope at Night

1 Choose a location that has a clear view of both the ecliptic and Polaris

2 Set up the telescope and mark or otherwise note the position of the legs (for example set it up so two legs of the tripod are parallel to an expansion line in a driveway or patio)

3 Level the telescope mount (eg by adjusting the legs of the tripod)

4 Accurately polar align the telescope Admittedly this is not trivial However the alignment does not have to be astrophotography-worthy There are several methods available on the internet such as this one from Arkansas Observatory or this one from Astro-Tom

5 That accomplished do not move the azimuth or altitude settings on the mount

Finding Venus in the Daylight

CAUTION ALWAYS MAKE CERTAIN THE TELESCOPE IS NOT AIMED AT THE SUN DURING ANY OF THESE STEPS 1 Write down the celestial coordinates of Venus [Right

Ascension (RA) and Declination (Dec)] Up-to-date information on planetary coordinates can be found here

2 Get the current local sidereal time For example use this site from the US Naval Observatory or download this program for your computer

3 Write down the difference between the sidereal time and the time on your watch so that the sidereal time can be calculated later

4 Place the telescope tripod in the same position that the polar alignment was done

5 Level the telescope mount as in step 3 above 6 Position the mount so that the Dec axis is level One

simple way to do this is to move the telescope so it is pointing straight up Using a level make fine adjustments with the RA and Dec knobs until the scope is truly pointing straight up Alternatively try putting a level on the Dec axis and adjusting the RA knob until it is level

7 In this position the RA coordinate that the telescope is pointing to in the sky equals your current local sidereal time

8 Using the data obtained in steps 2 and 3 determine the current local sidereal time

9 Loosen the RA setting circle so it turns freely and rotate it so that the index mark is pointing to the sidereal time Be sure to use the RA scale designed for the northern hemisphere (unless yoursquore in the southern hemisphere) Then tighten the setting circle

10 Now move the telescope to the RA and Dec coordinates of Venus as determined in step 1

11 If all went well Venus should appear as a star in the finderscope Adjust to get Venus in the cross-hairs and behold the view in the eyepiece

Donrsquot get discouraged if this doesnrsquot work the first time Double-check Venusrsquo coordinates the sidereal time and whether the correct RA scale was used Keep in mind that hazy sky conditions can hamper onersquos navigation to Venus Once Venus is in the eyepiece the real challenge is to contain your enthusiasm Venus appears as a white jewel amidst a blue background As you share the view people will be amazed at the phase (some may even think theyrsquore really looking at the Moon) From now through May Venus will change from a small gibbous phase to a larger but thinner crescent phase This is also a good opportunity to inform passersby about the upcoming rare Transit of Venus the evening of June 5th In addition donrsquot forget to demonstrate that this planet can actually be seen with the unaided eye when looking at the right spot in the sky Enjoy

Prime Focus Page 6

Venus by DayVenus by Day

Venus during the day Taken with an Orion Starmax 102mm Maksutov-Cassegrain and Nikon D60 (shot through eyepiece) by the author on 11202010

by Joe ComiskeyJoe Comiskey

April 2012

A friend of mine Jim Bradshaw and I arrived late at Richland Township Park on March 13th Where I bet Joe Comiskey with his Orion StarMax 102mm Maksutov-Cassegrain had already spotted his favored Mercury before it followed the Sun below the horizon Mike Cook was observing with his usual full setup a CG-5 equatorial mount with an 8 Hardin Star Hoc Reflector and his primo Nikon 8times40 binoculars ($500 yard sale gold) Mikersquos objective was to check off many binocular Messier Objects Dan Flanagan had the KAS one-armed Celestron Nexstar 8 Alt-Az Go-To setup Of course Dan also had his ever present Nikon camera and a hand-sized touch screen operated device connected to the web After 30 minutes including 15 minutes to look at everyone elsersquos setup I had my LX90 purring and ready to observe At this time I could eyeball Megrez and most of the stars in the Little Dipper so seeing for my eyes was about magnitude 5 okay for suburban Michigan The first target for Jim and I was Venus At first I was getting some color and edge distortion because my 8rdquo Schmidt-Cassegrain tube needed more time to reach thermal equilibrium (cool down) So we bummed looks from the others while waiting Joe was looking at Jupiter and then M42 (Orion Nebula) This was my first chance to view through an Orion Starmax and I was impressed with the sharp images of both objects Jupiter appeared as a nice tight circle with the two stripes easily visible The four Galilean moons were clear dots of light all in a row The trapezium in the Orion Nebula showed four clear points of light surrounded by the star making hydrogen ion clouds The molecular clouds separating M43 and M42 were evident in the view through the eyepiece I did not think to ask Joe what eyepiece he

used but the view was quite crisp Nice views Joe After about 30-40 minutes of cool down back at the LX90 Jim and I marveled at how sharp the half circle of Venus glowed in the 13mm Nagler eyepiece (154times) Using a green Moon filter to block some light helped preserve our night vision After everyone had a chance to look at Venus we moved on to JuniperuhJupiter The 13mm Nagler paired with a Celestron 80a color filter offered us a beautiful view of the giant gas planet and its moons As Jupiter was getting a little low on the western horizon we could just make out the giant pale spot formally known as the Great Red Spot We had hoped seeing near the horizon would let us view Io a Galilean moon transit Jupiter but the horizon won Jupiter set about 15 minutes before first contact If we had researched ahead we would have known By now somewhere after 10pm we got interested in ldquohelpingrdquo Mike spot his binocular Messier Objects for his Astronomical League (AL) Observing Club Upon completion of his observing regimen Mike will earn an observing club pin and be listed by name in the Reflector the AL quarterly magazine Since we all had our own handheld binoculars this proved to be fun From his list Mike had been admiring the striking galactic pair of M81 a nearly face on spiral galaxy (SG) and its edge on irregular galaxy (IR) partner M82 He mentioned he wanted to continue working in the area of the Ursa Major In particular he wanted to spy the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) a SG pair with one galaxy about a third the size of the other ldquoHey Mike I can see the Sunflower Galaxy (M63 a SG)hellipWow therersquos the Crocrsquos Eye Galaxy (M94 a SG in Canes Venatici)hellipMan I just caught M109 M106 and M101 (all SGs around Ursa Major)hellipLook at that I can see the Little Beehive (an open cluster (OC) M41 in Canis Major)rdquo We all chimed in further mentioning M93 (OC in Puppis) M50 (a small OC above Sirius in Monoceros) M46 amp M47 (small OC in Puppis) M48 (a small OC in Hydra) and the Beehive (M44 a beautiful wide OC in Cancer) Our cooing peaked when we turned our binoculars to the spectacular Double Cluster (NGC 884 amp 869) a combination of two very close OCs Mike who had been quietly noting his many observations while alternately ignoring us or oohing and ahing with us said ldquoThanks guys I found the Whirlpoolrdquo Easy to spot by eye but you should scan with binoculars in Taurus for M45 the kingpin of Northern Hemisphere single OCs and the Hyades an asterism below Aldebaran which appears as a triangle pattern of double stars forming the vertex from which the bullrsquos horns spring upward From there venture up towards Gemini and then find M45 on the foot of the twin nearest Auriga Next swing toward the west

Prime Focus Page 7

GazingGazing at theat the Richland Star FieldRichland Star Field

Don Stilwell and his trusty LX90 are ready to conquer the night sky

by Don StilwellDon Stilwell

April 2012 Prime Focus Page 8

into the edge of Auriga to find the OC M37 Then challenge yourself to distinguish the tight little OCs M36 amp M38 also in Auriga Back to our observing party of five itrsquos after 11pm and Joe had to work the next day so he reluctantly retired for home and some sleep As will we all later hersquoll no doubt have stars in his eyes as the sandman cometh Unbeknownst to us about this time Dan got a phone call which led him to aimlessly wander the park fields for quite a while We could hear his voice waft over the grass and we wondered if he was talking to someone else in the field or the beauty of the stars had driven him over the edge It was now Mike who said he wanted to knock off some more galaxies such as M49 M87 and M89 three elliptical galaxies (EG) as well as M61 and M90 two SGs all part of the great Virgo Cluster of galaxies at about 60 million light-years distant Most of this galactic family resides in the night sky below Coma Berenices east of Denebola the tail star of Leo and west of Vindemiatrix the right hand of Virgo With the seeing still good Mike bagged several more galaxies including the Sombrero M104 an edge-on SG not to be missed in Virgo just above Corvus Out of the clear blue sky a distinctly red dot of light on the underside of Leo caught the attention of Jim and I Oh yeah we were here to see planets After poking at the LX90 keypad the tube turned to the Red Planet Mars The SC tube had cooled and Leo was high in the sky (less atmosphere to distort our view) After careful focus a little time at the eyepiece to accustom our eyes to the view and turning down the eyepiece to accommodate Mikersquos eyelevel we had details Using the Nagler 13mm (154times) and Nagler 9mm (222times) with no filter amid the overall pinkish red background we made out the north polar cap the dark area under the polar cap and above the Utopia Planitia the western reach of the Mare Tyrrhena Mare Cimmeria and the Athabasca Vallis Last Friday (March 6th) I had viewed Mars from my front yard and easily made out the north polar cap and Syrtis Major Of course all these features were more apparent after time at the eyepiece because as the seeing varies the features will blink into focus for brief moments I estimate for each minute at the eyepiece I got a couple of 2-3 second blasts of clarity In our minds it was time well spent As it got on after midnight Mike checked his list and said he needed M3 a globular cluster (GC) in Canes Venatici He began ldquoItrsquos betweenhelliprdquo At this point I rudely interrupted him and claimed I would find it on my own If only I could remember the finding trick Objects are easy to find if you know the trick Naturally Mike was trying to tell me the trick for M3 You find Arcturus the main star in Booumltes and then direct your gaze toward Cor Carroli the main star in Canes Venatici Just short of half way toward Cor Carroli tucked in among a small three star triangle sits M3 a typical GC About now soupy seeing caused by moist cooling air

was taking over the treetops to about 15 or 20 degrees altitude So that and the fact I could not remember the trick caused me to ask Mike for it after about 15 minutes Well after midnight we began ldquohelpingrdquo Mike find more GCs like M53 in Coma Berenices tucked in near Diadem We ogled M13 (the premier GC in the northern hemisphere) nestled in the Keystone (a four star asterism forming the corners of a box or the points of a diamond depending on how you look at it) of Hercules Across the Keystone and still in Hercules sat M92 a smaller GC but quite compact and bright against an isolated dark background About now 1245am we noticed a prominent steady point of light above the treetops just east of Spica the main star in Virgo Thatrsquos right the planet Saturn presented itself the last of our solar system targets for the night Hope dictated I swing the LX90 into position even though the rising soup was taking over that ringed planetary beauty Nonetheless Titan and two other moons shown in the eyepiece again the Nagler 13mm (154times) and 9mm (222times) More of the ring came into view as we leave the ldquoearsrdquo view of several years ago Dan back from the fields claimed he could see the Cassini division but not me I did see a dark strip on the larger portion of the globe of this gas giant In the end our group bagged five planets and if we had planned better we could have also bagged Uranus very early around 8pm By now nearly 1am on the 14th clouds begin taking over the sky spoiling our plans to catch the unique three SGs of the Leo Triplet M65 and M66 are mostly face-on and bright while the third NGC 3628 is dimmer by comparison and edge-on Also clouded away and in Leo the visually appealing matched pair of SGs M95 and M96 make a worthy target for another night As I sang ldquoTurn out the lights the parties overrdquo The remaining stargazers packed up and left the field resolved to return maybe for the KAS Messier Marathon

Mike Cook was also present at the Richland Star Field and spent much of the night observing with his 8rdquo f4 Newtonian Reflector

April 2012

The story goes that a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil can over time cause a tornado in Kansas The ldquobutterfly effectrdquo is a common term to evoke the complexity of interdependent variables affecting weather around the globe It alludes to the notion that small changes in initial conditions can cause wildly varying outcomes Now imagine millions of butterflies flapping their wings And flies and crickets and birds Now you understand why weather is so complex All kidding aside insects are not in control The real ldquobutterfly effectrdquo is driven by for example global winds and ocean currents polar ice (melting and freezing) clouds and rain and blowing desert dust All these things interact with one another in bewilderingly complicated ways And then therersquos the human race If a butterfly can cause a tornado what can humans cause with their boundlessly reckless disturbances of initial conditions Understanding how it all fits together is a relatively new field called Earth system science Earth system scientists work on building and fine-tuning mathematical models (computer programs) that describe the complex inter-relationships of Earthrsquos carbon water energy and trace gases as they are exchanged between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere Ultimately they hope to understand Earth as an integrated system and model changes in climate over the

next 50-100 years The better the models the more accurate and detailed will be the image in the crystal ball NASArsquos Earth System Science program provides real-world data for these models via a swarm of Earth-observing satellites The satellites which go by names like Terra and Aqua keep an eye on Earthrsquos land biosphere atmosphere clouds ice and oceans The data they collect are crucial to the modeling efforts Some models aim to predict short-term effects mdash in other words weather They may become part of severe weather warning systems and actually save lives Other models aim to predict long-term effects mdash or climate But long-term predictions are much more difficult and much less likely to be believed by the general population since only time can actually prove or disprove their validity After all small errors become large errors as the model is left to run into the future However as the models are further validated with near- and longer-term data and as different models converge on a common scenario they become more and more trustworthy to show us the future while we can still do something about it mdash we hope For a listing and more information on each of NASArsquos (and their partnersrsquo) Earth data-gathering missions visit

httpsciencenasagovmissionsearthhtml Kids can get an easy introduction to Earth system science and play Earthy word games at

httpspaceplacenasagovecosphere This article was provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Prime Focus Page 9

CloudSat is one of the Earth-observing satellites collecting data that will help develop and refine atmospheric circulation models and other types of weather and climate models CloudSatrsquos unique radar system reads the vertical structure of clouds including liquid water and ice content and how clouds affect the distribution of the Sunrsquos energy in the atmosphere See animation of this data simulation here

The Planet in the MachineThe Planet in the MachineThe Planet in the Machine by Diane K Fisher amp Tony PhillipsDiane K Fisher amp Tony Phillips

Earth as seen by NASArsquos Terra satellite

April 2012

The story goes that a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil can over time cause a tornado in Kansas The ldquobutterfly effectrdquo is a common term to evoke the complexity of interdependent variables affecting weather around the globe It alludes to the notion that small changes in initial conditions can cause wildly varying outcomes Now imagine millions of butterflies flapping their wings And flies and crickets and birds Now you understand why weather is so complex All kidding aside insects are not in control The real ldquobutterfly effectrdquo is driven by for example global winds and ocean currents polar ice (melting and freezing) clouds and rain and blowing desert dust All these things interact with one another in bewilderingly complicated ways And then therersquos the human race If a butterfly can cause a tornado what can humans cause with their boundlessly reckless disturbances of initial conditions Understanding how it all fits together is a relatively new field called Earth system science Earth system scientists work on building and fine-tuning mathematical models (computer programs) that describe the complex inter-relationships of Earthrsquos carbon water energy and trace gases as they are exchanged between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere Ultimately they hope to understand Earth as an integrated system and model changes in climate over the

next 50-100 years The better the models the more accurate and detailed will be the image in the crystal ball NASArsquos Earth System Science program provides real-world data for these models via a swarm of Earth-observing satellites The satellites which go by names like Terra and Aqua keep an eye on Earthrsquos land biosphere atmosphere clouds ice and oceans The data they collect are crucial to the modeling efforts Some models aim to predict short-term effects mdash in other words weather They may become part of severe weather warning systems and actually save lives Other models aim to predict long-term effects mdash or climate But long-term predictions are much more difficult and much less likely to be believed by the general population since only time can actually prove or disprove their validity After all small errors become large errors as the model is left to run into the future However as the models are further validated with near- and longer-term data and as different models converge on a common scenario they become more and more trustworthy to show us the future while we can still do something about it mdash we hope For a listing and more information on each of NASArsquos (and their partnersrsquo) Earth data-gathering missions visit

httpsciencenasagovmissionsearthhtml Kids can get an easy introduction to Earth system science and play Earthy word games at

httpspaceplacenasagovecosphere This article was provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Prime Focus Page 9

CloudSat is one of the Earth-observing satellites collecting data that will help develop and refine atmospheric circulation models and other types of weather and climate models CloudSatrsquos unique radar system reads the vertical structure of clouds including liquid water and ice content and how clouds affect the distribution of the Sunrsquos energy in the atmosphere See animation of this data simulation here

The Planet in the MachineThe Planet in the MachineThe Planet in the Machine by Diane K Fisher amp Tony PhillipsDiane K Fisher amp Tony Phillips

Earth as seen by NASArsquos Terra satellite

April Night SkyApril Night Sky

NORTH

EAST W

EST

GG rab your binoculars and point them at Venus on either April 2nd or 3rd The

brilliant ldquoevening starrdquo passes less than a degree from the Pleiades star cluster Venus will be below the seven sisters on April 2nd and left of them on April 3rd The Full Moon will be 2deg left of Spica in

Virgo on April 6th Saturn will be 5deg off to Spicarsquos left at this time Saturn itself will be at opposition on April 15th and therefore closest to Earth and at its observing best Yoursquoll need a telescope to see famous ring system Yoursquore in luck as the KAS will celebrate

Astronomy Day on April 21st Join us at the Air Zoo starting at 10am and at the Nature Center starting at 7pm Saturn will be a prime target at our observing session that night See our website for full details A thin crescent Moon will be 3deg above Jupiter on April 22nd Use those binocs

SOUTH

This star map is property of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society However you may make as many copies as you wish free-of-charge so long as it is for non-profit educational purposes and full credit is given to the KAS

wwwkasonlineorg

Late March 11 pm

Early April 10 pm

Late April 9 pm

Early May 8 pm

This map represents the sky at the following local times

PRESIDENT

Richard Bell 373-8942

VICE PRESIDENT

Jack Price 343-3193

TREASURER

Rich Mather 629-5312

SECRETARYALCOR

Roger Williams 375-4867

MEMBERS-AT-LARGE

Joe Borrello 321-0410 Mike Cook 762-2241 Scott Macfarlane 679-2865 Don Stilwell 963-5856

E-MAIL a BOARD MEMBER

KAS BOARDKAS BOARD April 2012 Page 11

Planetarium admission is $300 per person The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is located at 230 North Rose Street in downtown Kalamazoo For more information please call (269) 373-7990 or visit us on the web at wwwkalamazoomuseumorg

Mystery of the Missing SeasonsMystery of the Missing Seasons Saturday 1pm Sunday 2pm

The Artistsrsquo SkyThe Artistsrsquo Sky Tues amp Thurs 3pm Sat 2pm

Crossing the SunCrossing the Sun Sun Mon Wed Fri amp Sat 3pm

A minimum of $300 each

Prepare yourself for the Partial Solar Eclipse on May 20th and the last Transit of Venus of our lifetime on June 5th

These handy glasses will allow you to safely view both events Buy a pair for yourself friends family and co-workers All proceeds go toward the Robotic Telescope Project

Send your orders to kaskasonlineorg

Public Observing SessionsPublic Observing Sessions

Kalamazoo Nature Center Kalamazoo Nature Center 7000 N Westnedge Ave7000 N Westnedge Ave

Saturday April 14th Features Great Nebula in Orion Saturday April 21st Features Venus Saturn amp Mars

Gates Open 800pm Observing Begins 900 pm

PRESIDENT

Richard Bell 373-8942

VICE PRESIDENT

Jack Price 343-3193

TREASURER

Rich Mather 629-5312

SECRETARYALCOR

Roger Williams 375-4867

MEMBERS-AT-LARGE

Joe Borrello 321-0410 Mike Cook 762-2241 Scott Macfarlane 679-2865 Don Stilwell 963-5856

E-MAIL a BOARD MEMBER

KAS BOARDKAS BOARD April 2012 Page 11

Planetarium admission is $300 per person The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is located at 230 North Rose Street in downtown Kalamazoo For more information please call (269) 373-7990 or visit us on the web at wwwkalamazoomuseumorg

Mystery of the Missing SeasonsMystery of the Missing Seasons Saturday 1pm Sunday 2pm

The Artistsrsquo SkyThe Artistsrsquo Sky Tues amp Thurs 3pm Sat 2pm

Crossing the SunCrossing the Sun Sun Mon Wed Fri amp Sat 3pm

A minimum of $300 each

Prepare yourself for the Partial Solar Eclipse on May 20th and the last Transit of Venus of our lifetime on June 5th

These handy glasses will allow you to safely view both events Buy a pair for yourself friends family and co-workers All proceeds go toward the Robotic Telescope Project

Send your orders to kaskasonlineorg

Public Observing SessionsPublic Observing Sessions

Kalamazoo Nature Center Kalamazoo Nature Center 7000 N Westnedge Ave7000 N Westnedge Ave

Saturday April 14th Features Great Nebula in Orion Saturday April 21st Features Venus Saturn amp Mars

Gates Open 800pm Observing Begins 900 pm

copy April 2012 Stargazer Productions

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society co KAMSC 600 West Vine Suite 400 Kalamazoo MI 49008

STAMP