[The background above is part of an image by the Hubble Space Telescope of the Crescent Nebula.]

WHERE: At Fairfield School, Road 32, Davis.

Friday, November 17 at 8:30 p.m. at Fairfield School (at the intersection of Road 32 and Road 96. See directions) Host: Dennis Smith 756-7006

Come to our Leonid meteor shower party on Friday November 17 at 8:30 at Fairfield School. Amateurs are hoping this year that the Leonid Meteor Shower will put on a grand show ! Fortunately, the Moon will not rise until around 11:00 p.m. and will be in its "last quarter" phase, so we should have good viewing until then. According to two experts who successfully predicted last year's Leonid storm (David Asher and Robert McNaught), we should not expect to see a larger-than-normal number of meteors. "Larger than normal" for our site would be approximately 3 large meteors every 15 minutes. However another forecaster, Ignacio Ferrin, disagrees and believes that North American viewers should see well over 100 meteors per hour (from very dark sites). Meteor storm or no, we will have some good views of Jupiter and Saturn as well as other celestial delights of the winter sky.

The 1996 Leonid storm occurred around midnight, November 17, 1966 in the western U.S. At that time, some observers estimated as many as150,000 meteors per hour were visible. That storm occurred after the Comet Temple-Tuttle, the source of the stream, traveled through the inner solar system on its 33.5 year orbit from the outer reaches of the solar system. The comet traveled through our „neighborhood‰ again three years ago, and we hope that the storm will appear again; if not this year, then perhaps in 2001 or 2002.

The party will be at Fairfield Elementary School at the intersection of Road 32 and Road 96. Take Russell Blvd (Road 32) west 4 miles beyond the Highway 113 overpass until you come to Road 96. Watch for the school-crossing sign; the school is on the right side corner. There is a big grassy area for chairs and blankets and an area of asphalt for telescopes, etc.

What to Do There? You don't need a computer or a telescope or a beeper or your cellular phone. You needn't make a sound. Maybe you will want to just lie on your blanket, soak up some starlight, leave without saving anything to anyone--it's OK!. Or maybe this occasion would be a great opportunity to invite a friend to watch for „shooting stars.‰ This is about the most low-key low-tech way imaginable to "learn" about the sky

What to Bring? There are some items you'll want to bring with you to observe regardless of where you decide to do your observing. Binoculars are optional; but please remember: warm clothes, something relaxing to sit or lie on that will protect you from the heavy dew; mosquito or gnat repellent; a flashlight in a paper bag or with a red filter (to keep lights dim). A warm non-alcoholic drink can be helpful (alcohol will cause drowsiness and reduce visual acuity) If you are joining us at Fairfield School please remember that the school's rest rooms are not available.

How to watch? Try to lay or sit so that you can see as much of the unobstructed sky as possible. The direction you are facing is irrelevant. The darker the sky, the more meteors you will see.

Whether or not you can make the party, set your alarm clock for the pre dawn hours of November 17th and 18th, if only to briefly „check out‰ the sky. You wouldn't want to miss a storm that has produced as many as 150,000 meteors per hour.

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November Skies in Davis

Begin the evening looking for Venus low in the southwest from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The bulk of the evening belongs to Jupiter and Saturn, in the constellation Taurus. In the telescope, Jupiter has dark belts and bright zones of clouds to observe, including the „red‰ spot (which often looks more pale brown than red). This, the largest planet in the solar system, has four bright moons, whose motions around the planet can be plotted and summarized over the month to show their orbital periods. On 10:00 p.m. Thursday the 30th, observe Jupiter through a telescope and you will see its moons Europa, Ganymede and Callisto in a tight group with the shadow of the moon Io crossing the face of the planet. Saturn, of course, is famous for its spectacular rings, and many amateurs claim that their first view of Saturn through a telescope was what „hooked‰ them on astronomy.

Early risers in November will discover that dim Mars rises around 3:00 a.m. and Mercury around 6:00 a.m.

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Due to the traditional chaos involving schedules (principally my own) during the holiday season, the Club will not have a meeting in December.