CLUB EVENTS:
May 22 is our Club's "Big Spring Scope Round-Up"

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Howdy, this is Old Sourdough! Partner, have you got a lonesome telescope gathering dust in your garage? Well, it's spring round up time! Hog-tie that ornery maverick spyglass of yours and truck it to our astronomy rodeo where we'll help you cipher how to align it, how to aim it, and how to make distant objects seem closer than they really are. Say you can't figure out what a "10mm" eyepiece is, or why you can't get your "dogie" (scope) to work at its advertised "1,000 power" setting? Bulldog that rascal and bring it in for a check-up! Corral all the astronomy tack you've been hankering to use but just could never reckon how to use. We're here to help. I hear tell that renowned, authentic, New Age, mysterious "scope whisperer" may make an unscheduled stop at our meeting. So, in those cases where a scope is too just uncontrollable, and seems downright untamable, he will be on hand to "gentle" it down for you. And, partner, remember what the "Scope Whisperer" says "There's no such thing as a 'bad' scope, just a scope that's being misused." Yahoo! Hope I'll see all you buckaroos there on May 22!

Perhaps I can more plainly describe what "Old Sourdough" was trying to convey so colorfully in the foregoing paragraph. Our meeting topic on May 22 will be "Telescopes and How to Use and Care for Them." Many amateur astronomers purchase their telescope with great expectations but soon become frustrated with its operation. At this meeting we'll look at various kinds of telescopes: refractors, reflectors and catadioptrics. We'll discuss which is "best." The benefit of a large objective (lens or mirror) will be demonstrated. Next, we'll look at types of eyepieces, why some cost more than others, and demonstrate the effects of "apparent field" and "magnification." Various mounts and drives will also be shown including altazimuth, equatorial and fork mounts. The advantages of each type will be explained.

Weather permitting, we will spend most of the time using the telescopes, showing how to use a finder, how to properly orient an equatorial mount to the Earth's poles, and how to choose the best eyepiece for the object being viewed. Mars should be well placed for viewing, so perhaps you will discover a happier relationship with your old scope!

Note: This meeting will be much more fun if you bring your telescope, and share your problems and solutions with us! [Note also: Old Sourdough will not be present at the meeting.]

Signs of Spring" meeting on April 17.
Approximately 15 members attended. We made planispheres and viewed slides on two prominent spring constellations: Ursa Major and Leo. The slide show was drawn from the excellent book: The New Patterns in the Sky (1988) by Julius D.W. Staal. We saw that other cultures interpreted the star patterns of these two constellations quite differently from our Bear and Lion. (Incidentally, astronomy's worldwide governing body, the International Astronomical Union formally adopted the current 88 constellations at its first meeting in 1922.)

After making planispheres and slide viewing, we adjourned to a partially cloudy sky for some observing. This was our first opportunity in 1999. After delineating those constellations we could glimpse between the wisps of clouds, we viewed the crescent Moon, Venus, Mars, the Great Nebula in Orion, and several double stars: white Castor (alpha Geminorum), golden Algeiba (gamma Leonis) and lilac colored Cor Caroli (alpha Canem Venaticorum). It was a colorful and enjoyable evening.

Astronomical Sights worth seeing in May.
Venus dazzles in the West just after sunset, measuring almost 40 degrees above the setting sun on May 11. Ruddy Mars is at its biggest and brightest on the 1st,appearing in the south east in the early evening and beginning to grow dimmer this month. Jupiter rises approximately 1 hour before the sun. Saturn is in the same area at dawn, but too close to the sun for good observation until the end of the month.

BIG EVENT: The Moon will cover (occult) the bright star Regulus on Friday, May 21st, beginning approximately 8:50 p.m. The star will reappear around 9:40 p.m. Relative to the stars, the Moon appears to move toward our left. So Regulus will appear to go behind the "left" side of the Moon and will reappear on its "right" side.

Clear Skies to you!

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.