ASTRONOMY CLUB NEWSLETTER

CLUB EVENTS:

Come to our Leonid meteor shower party on Tuesday November 17 at 8:30 at Fairfield School. Amateurs are hoping this is the year that the Leonid Meteor Shower will put on a grand show ! The Moon will be "out of the picture" and, if the weather cooperates, we will have a dark sky. Some are billing this year's encounter with the Leonid swarm as the greatest since the 1996 Leonid storm that occurred around midnight, November 17, 1966 in the western U.S. Some observers estimated as many as 150,000 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 early last year, so astronomers hope that the storm will appear again-if not this year, then next November. Whether or not an actual "storm" occurs, the Leonids are the most anticipated meteor shower in 1998!

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 warm clothes, something relaxing to sit or lie on that will protect you from the heavy dew, mosquito or gnat repellant, a flashlight in a paper bag or with a red filter (to keep lights dim) are more important. 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 restrooms are not available.

How to watch? Try to lie 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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A Dark Sky Ordinance is nearing reality for Davis. Several members of our club attended the Davis City Council Meeting on October 21, where City staff presented a draft "Dark Sky" ordinance to the Council. The Council directed the Staff to include several changes. The council will consider a revised draft again in November. Mr. Jack Sales of the International Dark Sky Association helped the drafting committee in its efforts. I told the Council that we are a "sidewalk astronomy" club, and we do our observing here in Davis and though we have no "official" position on the ordinance, the membership generally support efforts that could return dark skies to our city. I invited them to our meeting on the 24th when the topic would be: What You Can Do to Reduce Light Pollution." Thanks to club member stalwarts Tim Feldman and Nora Mealy for their support at the council meeting.

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The Club's October meeting on Light Pollution. We concluded our two-part series on light pollution at the Club meeting on October 24. The day began with heavy showers and as is usual on such rainy days, we had a small turnout , with a select group of 4 in attendance. The sky began clearing by meeting time, which allowed us to view Jupiter, Saturn and several other celestial attractions such as Albireo and the Dumbbell Nebula. This was our first meeting in the new classroom building and Explorit and we were favorably impressed. We reviewed a slide set by the International Dark Sky Association, and discussed a handout: "Good Neighbor Outdoor Lighting" from the New England Light Pollution Advisory Group (NELPAG) and Sky Publishing Corp. The handout summarizes why light pollution is important to everyone, not only to astronomers. It also has examples of good and bad lighting. We concluded the meeting with a demonstration of motion-detector based lighting. The most recent models cost approximately $10 for residential applications and are preferable to leaving an outdoor security light turned on 12 hours a day.

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Sites of interest for November: Jupiter and Saturn dominate the evening sky.

3rd Tuesday: - Largest (closest) full Moon of 1998.

5th Thursday: - Red star Aldebaran near the Moon.

8th Sunday: - Mercury near red star Antares soon after sunset in the West.

16th-18th: - Leonid Meteor Shower

27th Friday: - Jupiter near the Moon in the early evening.

29th Sunday: - Saturn is near the Moon.

Note: To Receive These Bulletins via E-mail (text only) Contact Dennis Smith at: densmith@dcn.davis.ca.us

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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.