Explorit Science Center

CLUB EVENTS

Come to our next meeting, at 7:30 p.m. on February 17 at Explorit. The evening's topic will be "Making and Using Starframes." This is the third in our series on constructing astronomical instruments. Beginners will find this session very useful in getting acquainted with the constellations and visualizing their shape in the sky. A starframe is a transparent map made using a coat hanger, plastic wrap, and white paint. Using constellation patterns that are produced at the same scale as our wire frames, these starframes make it easy to identify constellations and stars and show where to look with binoculars or telescopes to find faint objects such as nebulae and star clusters. Starframes were invented by Ben Bayer and popularized in his book Starwatch (1984). Bring as many wire coat hangers as you think you may need. I will also have extra hangers. We will try out our starframes if the sky is clear. We will also have a slide presentation on the Galileo probe to Jupiter, if we have time. See you there!

MAKING A PLANISPHERE

The club met on January 20 to discuss and make planispheres. Planispheres are maps of the stars that can be rotated to display the night sky's appearance for any date and hour. Our planispheres actually have two maps: one showing only the most basic constellations visible from an urban location, and a second map with more stars and patterns that can be used under the darker skies of the countryside. After making the planispheres we tested them indoors (because the sky was full of clouds--and rain). We were able to answer questions such as "For this day of the year, which constellations are visible at 9:00 p.m. but are not visible at 11:00 p.m.?" If skies are clear February 20, maybe we can give them a true sky test!

WHAT'S UP IN FEBRUARY?

Get out your planisphere and catch sight of these fabulous constellations in the evening sky around 8:00 p.m. in mid-February. (1) in the West: Pegasus (the Horse); (2) overhead: Perseus (the Hero); Auriga (the Charioteer); (3) in the South: Orion (Hunter); Canis Major (Big Dog) (4) in the East Gemini (the Twins); Leo (Lion) and in the Northeast: Ursa Major (Big Dipper). Weather permitting, we'll point them our at our meeting.

FEBRUARY PLANETS

SUNSETS (after 5:30) For the first few days of February watch bright Venus and Saturn above the western horizon. With each succeeding sunset, Venus moves higher in the sky and Saturn moves lower. Saturn is nearly "ringless" when viewed on the 11th--a condition that will not be repeated until 2038.

Mark the Monday the 19th to Wednesday the 21st on your calendar for a beautiful meeting of Venus, Saturn and the crescent Moon.

SUNRISE (around 7:00) Jupiter, where the space probe Galileo is now in orbit, is the brightest "morning star" at sunrise in the southeast; the crescent Moon pays a visit on the morning of Thursday the 15th. Best time to view Mercury is on the 11th when it appears to the lower left of Jupiter above the east southest horizon.

GALILEO SPACE PROBE MISSION A SUCCESS

On July 13, six years after launch, the Galileo Probe separated from the larger Galileo Orbiter spacecraft and on December 7 the probe entered Jupiter's atmosphere at 106,000 mph. For nearly an hour the probe's radio transmissions were beamed to the Orbiter, where they were recorded for transmission to Earth. It appears that all instruments on the probe operated properly and the data will be analyzed for months by scentists trying to determine how Jupiter was formed, how its atmosphere is composed and what energizes its weather. The Orbiter will continue to gather data from Jupiter and its moons until the end of 1997.

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.