Author Archives: ST Editors

From the Director

Posted on November 5, 2017 by ST Editors

      by Rex Parker, Director Dark Skies, Our Eyes, and Outdoor Lighting. Nearly three-fourths of all Americans reside under skies where the Milky Way is not visible. It’s natural as we age to lose some night sky acuity, … Continue reading →

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From the Program Chair

Posted on November 5, 2017 by ST Editors

By Ira Polans The November AAAP meeting will be held on the 14th at 7:30PM in Peyton Hall on the Princeton University campus. The talk is by James Chen on his book “Astronomy for Older Eyes”. This month we are … Continue reading →

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October 10, 2017 Meeting Minutes

Posted on November 5, 2017 by ST Editors

by Jim Poinsett, Secretary Minutes of the October 2017 Meeting of the AAAP • Rex called the meeting to order at 7:30 • Two speakers for the evening     –  Arshad Jiliani showed the video he compiled of the trip … Continue reading →

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Videos of Total Solar Eclipse taken by AAAP members.

Posted on November 5, 2017 by ST Editors

Total Eclipse Story 2017 – by Arshad Jilani The sky and horizon at totality – submitted by Joy Saxena, shot by Pallavi Narain Time lapse video of the sky before, during and after totality – submitted by Joy Saxena, shot … Continue reading →

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Gravity Waves and the Higgs Boson

Posted on November 5, 2017 by ST Editors

by Prasad Ganti Gravity waves have been in the news for the last two years or so. Firstly, when the hundred year old prediction of Albert Einstein came true. Gravity waves were discovered when two black holes collapsed into one, … Continue reading →

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Fortuna ipsa muta

Posted on November 5, 2017 by ST Editors

by Ted Frimet sheer dumb luck Not everything is as it seems. And sometimes, despite months or years of amateur training, a gain in insight can be chalked up to “sheer dumb luck”. As most of our AAAP club members … Continue reading →

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Snippets

Posted on November 5, 2017 by ST Editors

compiled by Arlene & David Kaplan Astronomers Strike Gravitational Gold In Colliding Neutron Stars For the first time, scientists have caught two neutron stars in the act of colliding, revealing that these strange smashups are the source of heavy elements … Continue reading →

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From the Director

Posted on October 3, 2017 by ST Editors

      by Rex Parker, Director A Perfect StarQuest Weekend in Hope NJ. The 23 AAAP members who convened at the Hope Conference and Renewal Center in northern NJ Sept 22-23 had a truly stellar weekend with warm weather … Continue reading →

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From the Program Chair

Posted on October 3, 2017 by ST Editors

By Ira Polans The October AAAP meeting is on the 10th at 7:30PM in Peyton Hall on the Princeton University campus. The presentation will be divided into two 30 minute parts. The first part is “The AAAP’s 2017 Total Solar … Continue reading →

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From the Treasurer

Posted on October 3, 2017 by ST Editors

By Michael Mitrano The income statements and balance sheet show the AAAP’s financial results for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2017, and the AAAP’s financial position at the beginning and the end of the year. You will … Continue reading →

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The Cycle of Eclipses

Posted on October 3, 2017 by ST Editors

by John Church Many of my fellow AAAP members will have heard of the “saros”: the 18 years, 11 and one-third day cycle when eclipses of the sun and moon recur with nearly the same circumstances. To be more precise, … Continue reading →

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Biosphere 2

Posted on October 3, 2017 by ST Editors

by Prasad Ganti On a recent vacation to Arizona, the Grand Canyon state, I had the opportunity to visit Biosphere 2, near Tucson. It is a futuristic looking structure containing a sample of ecosystems found on Earth. Used currently for … Continue reading →

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Trifinder Trouble

Posted on October 3, 2017 by ST Editors

by Ted Frimet It’s the end of the world as we know it. A brief recapitulation on the status of my cats endeavor to improve the sighting accuracy of my 12 inch dobsonian telescope by way of collapsing his cat … Continue reading →

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