ASTRONOMY CLUB NEWSLETTER

CLUB EVENTS: Most amateurs shopping for their first telescopes don't give much thought to the type of mount that is included with the scope itself. The purpose of a telescope's mount is, of course, to allow the observer to point the instrument to areas of interest in the sky and, that done, to provide a steady platform so that the image does not appear to wiggle about in the eyepiece. Many "first telescopes" come with a German equatorial type mount. Assembly and proper orientation of a German equatorial mount often becomes a frustrating exercise for the first-time telescope owner. What is the advantage to such a contrivance? What other ways exist to mount an astronomical telescope? Does a "best" mount exist?

We will be discussing these and related questions at our next meeting at Explorit, Saturday June 21st at 8:00 p.m.

We will also view slides of some unusual telescopes built over the past 300 years. Each type of mount, including the German equatorial, has its distinct advantages and disadvantages. We will have on hand examples of various types of mounts available for amateur telescopes such as: ball and socket, Dobsonian, yoke, isostatic, and, of course, German equatorial. Feel free to bring your own scope. Afterward, weather permitting, we will view the full Moon in the summer sky.

NO JULY MEETING. Due to vacation schedules, no meeting will be held in July. The Club's next event - Tuesday, August 12 - will be our traditional Perseid Meteor Shower observance at Fairfield Elementary School, approximately 3 miles west of Davis,

MAY MEETING REPORT: The 'EYES' have it! Approximately 20 friendly skywatchers came to our meeting on May 31 at Explorit to discuss what the "eyes alone" can see in amateur astronomy. A variety of "training projects" (designed for all ages) were discussed and distributed. We discussed the origin of the constellations currently visible in the evening sky and the derivation of their names. One of the youngest members at the meeting recalled the myth of Hercules and the Nemean lion, and in this context, associated the constellation of Hercules with Leo, both of which we viewed that evening.

HAIL AND FAREWELL, HALE-BOPP! We received another beautiful image of Hale-Bopp from Bob Thompson. The image is large (126 K) so, if you have a slow connection, be patient - it will be worth the wait. Here is Bob's description: " I'm sending another image of HB which I like a lot, with this letter. It was taken on Apr. 3rd using 1600 film and a 150 mm lens then printed as a slide and scanned. The Field of View is 9.2 x 13.6 degrees. Notice that the ion tail is just starting to divide into several sections which became more evident several nights later ( Apr. 9). " Thank you, Bob, for the many images you have provided our viewers!

SECOND NOTICE ON CLUB BULLETIN FEE

Unfortunately, the large size of the club bulletin's mailing list has made it impossible to continue mailing them for free, so we are asking members who are NOT members of Explorit Science Center for an annual payment of $7.50. Schools will continue to receive free copies.

If you are not a member of Explorit but wish to continue receiving this bulletin after August, please send a check for $7.50 to Explorit Astronomy Club, P.O. Box 1288, Davis CA 95617-1288. Your $7.50 will help purchase the necessary mailing labels, paper, envelopes, and postage to cover the cost of mailing your bulletin. If you do not wish to receive bulletins, or if you are a member of Explorit, you need do nothing. We will continue to try to post meeting notices in advance in the Davis Enterprise, and at this internet site:

You may also direct your questions about the club or its meeting times to Explorit by phone at 756-0191 or to me at 756-7006. I regret any inconvenience this causes, and I hope you appreciate the need for this fee.

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.