ASTRONOMY CLUB NEWSLETTER

CLUB EVENTS:
Come to our first meeting of 1999 on Saturday, January 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Explorit. {Due to scheduling problems, there will be no December meeting in 1998.} Saturn is situated for observing in the early evening and we'll hope for clear skies so that we can observe this planet, the most astonishing of all telescopic objects in the night sky.

A planetary probe, Cassini, is speeding toward the "lord of the rings" for a rendezvous in July of 2004. As part of that mission, a device, called the Huygens probe, will "touch down" on Saturn's moon, Titan. Perhaps "splash down" is a better term, since Titan may have oceans of ethane or methane; and we will be able to hear the "splash down" if it occurs because the lander is probably the first robotic probe equipped with a microphone. The NASA internet site for the mission is at: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/

At our meeting we'll also consider how the planet may have formed and how its properties and composition compare to those of other planets in our solar system.

If you are just beginning to develop an interest in astronomy, you may be interested in our continuing "Where's that Star" series. Discover why we see Orion in the winter, but not in the summer. We will use slides to help "observe" the various astronomical features of the constellation Orion. Discover the relative magnitudes of the stars, and their colors. Design "alternative" constellations using the pattern of stars in Orion.

We will examine a Stellarscope (a telescope-like device that displays a map of the heavens), as well as several planispheres and typical maps of the night sky that are usually found in books and magazines and we will discuss how to use them. Begin your study of the sky with Orion at our meeting!

-- Leonid Meteor Shower meeting. We did not see many meteors at our Club meeting at Fairfield School, Tuesday night, November 17. Apparently, the maximum meteor shower activity occurred near the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean early on the morning of November 17-approximately 26 hours before our meeting.

Though we missed the most spectacular show of the Leonids this year (we'll try again in 1999), we had lots of "action" at our site. News crews from channels 3, 10, and 40 were on the scene making "stars" of several attendees. ("Film at 11!") The sky was superbly clear and quite dark, once we covered a few of the outdoor lighting fixtures. We were at last clouded out around midnight. Much of the success of the evening was due to amateur astronomers Tim Daleiden and Martin Lagunas. They shared their enthusiasm for astronomy with the crowd. Tim had some especially fine views of Jupiter through his 8" dobsonian telescope.

-- Davis Dark Sky Ordinance progresses. Thanks to the leadership of Julie Partansky, mayor of Davis, and the expertise of Jack Sales, president of the California chapter of the International Dark-Sky Association, a new lighting ordinance affecting commercial establishments, seems destined for passage by the City Council in December 1998. The ordinance is intended to reduce light pollution, protect the environment and conserve energy without adversely affecting safety.

A darker night sky will also bring the beauty of the stars and planets closer to the average citizen. Similar ordinances are already on the books in several California cities: San Diego, Riverside, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano and Yucca Valley. The ordinance will effect the gradual replacement of street, park, green belt and parking lot lighting, putting more light on the ground where it's needed and less into the sky where it is merely pollution.

These ordinances are being adopted worldwide. For example Melbourne, Australia, a city of 3 million, recently passed dark sky ordinances retrofitting streetlights and mandating that lights outside public buildings will be directed downward and be turned off at a curfew time.

-- On November 7, several other astronomy enthusiasts and I visited the Hume Observatory at the California Academy of Sciences' Pepperwood Ranch Natural Preserve outside Calistoga. The visit was part of an Adult Education Class organized by the Academy. Our host was Daryl Stanford, who has an encyclopedic grasp of astronomy and whose commentary took our minds off the almost completely clouded sky. The pride of the observatory's instruments was a Clark refractor. The Clark's views of Saturn during all-too-infrequent breaks in the clouds were stunning. Information on memberships and other events organized by the Academy can be obtained by phoning (415) 750-7100.

-- What will you be doing Thursday night, January 7? Approximately 100 Cub Scouts will be expecting a presentation on astronomy at their Pack Meeting in Davis. If you are interested in participating with me in this opportunity to show these kids a little more of their universe, please contact me at (530) 756-7006.

ASTRONOMICAL SIGHTS

In December

- Jupiter and Saturn are prominent in the evening sky.

- 13th-14th: Sunday night after 10:00) p.m. and Monday before dawn watch for the Geminid meteor shower. This is a "good" shower if viewed from a dark site and worth the effort if you can keep warm!

- 20th: Sunday around 7:00 a.m. about 20 degrees above the southeast horizonMercury makes its best appearance of the year.

- 21st Monday Winter solstice: shortest daylight of the year.

In January

- Venus dazzles in the west all month and appears to approach Jupiter.

- 3rd: Sunday, Quadrantid meteors around 2:00 a.m. and later. Should be fairly scant for viewers in our area, and best for Europe.

- 13th-14th: Wednesday evening to Thursday morning. For telescope owners, watch the star Orionis Theta1 an eclipsing variable star (the westernmost) in the Trapezium of the Great Nebula in Orion. Fading from magnitude 6.5 begins around 2:15 p.m. and minimum (mag. 8.0) will be at 10:32 p.m., when it will begin brightening again, reaching its usual magnitude by 5:30 a.m.

- 21st: Thursday early evening, catch the crescent Moon near Jupiter

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To Receive These Bulletins via E-mail Contact Dennis Smith at: densmith@dcn.davis.ca.us

The Astronomy Club is hosted by Dennis Smith with the assistance of Tim Feldman and other eager astronomy buffs. The club is for everyone - adults, children, knowledgeable or ignorant. Come to listen, look and learn, or to share your expertise or experience.