ASTRONOMY CLUB NEWSLETTER

CLUB EVENTS
Come to our meeting at Explorit Science Center on Saturday March 21, at 7:30 p.m., when we hope to have slides or photos of the total Solar Eclipse that occurred February 26 over parts of Central America and the southern Caribbean. If you witnessed this event, please share your impressions (and photos if any) at our meeting. Did the total eclipse appear as a "Hole in the Sky?" Our meeting will also feature a tour the constellation Gemini. In ancient times, Gemini was associated with war and the sea. Images of the heavenly twins, Castor and Pollux, were venerated by sailors on the Mediterranean as charms to protect their ships from storms. Many sailor's prayers probably included the oath "By Gemini". Is where the our expression "By Jimini" comes from? The Twins were honored by Babylonian astrologers, and in ancient India were called the Acvini or "horsemen." To the ancient Romans, they were the epitome of youthful fighting spirit. In 414 BC Castor and Pollux were honored with a large temple near the Roman Forum for their "assistance" in an important battle.

The constellation Gemini has much to interest stargazers also. Many unusual types of stars may be found here. The star Castor, for example, is actually 6 stars revolving together in a web of gravity. Zeta Geminorum is a regularly pulsating "Cepheid variable," completing its cycle every 10.15 days. The white dwarf star, U Geminorum is the namesake of a class of stars sometimes called "dwarf novae," which flare in brightness when matter is transferred from an orbiting companion star to a ring of hot gas encircling the dwarf star.

One star cluster in Gemini, known as M35 is highly regarded by amateur astronomers for its beauty when viewed through a low-poower telescope. Its 120 stars almost seem to imitate the curving rows of sparks that one sees when a skyrocket explodes against a dark night sky. For a graphic of M35 see: http://ethel.as.arizona.edu/~rbarnes/image/ocl/m35.html

To see the "Clown Face Nebula" (NGC 2392), a very large telescope is needed, but even a small telescope reveals a "fuzzy star" which is actually an envelope of glowing gas surrounding a dying star.

This program continues our series "Where Is That Star?" This series is designed to introduce you to the night sky one constellation at a time.

Incidentally, the Moon will pass south of Castor and Pollux on Sunday, March 8.

REPORT:
FEBRUARY MEETING ON TAURUS AND COMPUTERIZING YOUR TELESCOPE.
Despite overcast skies, 15 intrepid members attended our meeting at Explorit on February 21 to continue our "Where's that Star" series. We "reviewed" the constellation Orion, which we discussed in January. This time we saw slides on what various cultures saw in the area of Orion. Images included: a caman, a turtle, a thief under arrest, an animal trap, and an ocean canoe. Then we moved on to Taurus the Bull and 2 star clusters in that constellation. The first cluster is the Hyades, which forms the "face" of the bull. The second is the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters, which look like a very little dipper, and mark the Bull's back. Everyone received maps of the major "attractions"in Taurus and a map of the night sky showing the constellations that appear in evenings of late February and early March. Unfortunately, it was too overcast to do any serious viewing, so the demonstration of the computerized setting circles (JMI micro-MAX) was conducted indoors.

WHAT'S UP FOR MARCH? Will the rain ever cease? Usually, a little over half of the evenings in March are clear. Perhaps the worst is behind us!

We should note that just after sundown (6:00 p.m.) on Friday, February 27 a very young Moon will be close to Mars, approximately 15 degrees above the horizon. You will need binoculars to see dim Mars, which will be below and to the right of the Moon.

Saturn, Mars and Mercury will keep amateur astronomers' eyes westward after sundown in March. Mercury will be moving out of the sun's glare in the western sky during the first part of this month, making it easier to observe.

Monday, March 9, the innermost planet will be next to Mars soon after sunset above the western horizon.

Thursday, March 21, Mercury will be higher, and very close to Saturn in the west.

Wednesday, April 1 the three planets (Mercury, Mars and Saturn) will be in a horizontal line above the setting sun. Unfortunately, they may be then too close to the sunset point on the western horizon (10 degrees) to be observable, but you might have some luck using binoculars.

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.