StarQuest

Posted on July 19, 2013 by ST Editors

by Michael Wright, Secretary

StarQuest, our annual star party, will be held the first weekend in September (Sept. 6 to 8) at the Hope Conference and Renewal Center, Hope, NJ. Of all the star parties in the region, StarQuest has the best location. The conference center is located under dark skies in the bucolic hills of Warren County not far from Jenny Jump State Park. In addition to a nice lodge for socializing and meals, the facilities include clean comfortable cabins with indoor showers. Camp sites are also available for those who prefer to rough it. Again this year, Chef Ludy D’Angelo will be catering sumptuous breakfast and dinner on Saturday. Please see the announcement and registration form on our website for more details.
StarQuest or email me.

I encourage everyone to attend. I have attended StarQuest twice before, and I am looking forward to another enjoyable weekend. There is something for everyone: observing under dark skies, communing with nature, learning about our hobby, making new friends, and noshing on good food. Your spouse might even like it. Even if the skies are cloudy, sharing time with fellow astronomers is rewarding.

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From the Outreach Coordinator

Posted on July 19, 2013 by ST Editors

David Letcher, Outreach Coordinator

Mr. Jay Watson of the D & R Greenway Land Trust has invited us to join them during the evening of August 12 to view the meteor shower. Last August about a half-dozen of us brought our scopes for early evening viewing before the meteor shower got underway.

Here is Jay’s recent email: “I write to remind you of our planned ‘Star Party’ on August 12 at St. Michaels Farm Preserve in Hopewell Township, Mercer County. It is so wonderful that the Princeton Amateur Astronomers Association are willing to lend expertise again at our Perseid Meteor Shower event on August 12 beginning at 10:00 PM.”

Directions will be sent to all members real soon. So, let me know if you plan to attend. Hope for clear skies and lots of shooting stars.

More outreach events:
With help from Larry Kane and Gene Ramsey, I will be presenting four classes at the Nature Center for pre-teens to adults:
 September 20 – Backyard Astronomy
 September 27 – Telescopes for Amateurs
 October 4 – The Solar System
 October 11 – Stars, Clusters and Galaxies
Classroom instruction will start at 7:30 p.m. and will be followed by observing at our observatory. More information and registration instructions are available on the Nature Center website.

Gene Ramsey and David & Jen Skitt will host solar observing at the Nature Center on August 31 (rain date September 1) 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

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Treasurer’s Report

Posted on July 19, 2013 by ST Editors

by Michael Mitrano, Treasurer

The income statement and balance sheet below show the AAAP’s financial results for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, and its financial position at the beginning and the end of the year.

The AAAP once again had a surplus for the year – this time $480 – and this increased its cumulative surplus to over $23 thousand. This leaves the association in a strong position to fund the proposed second Washington Crossing State Park observatory as described in the July 9, 2013 meeting minute below.

There was no StarQuest during FY 2013. Our 50th anniversary event, however, was a big financial success, and represented over 70% of the AAAP’s revenue and expense for the fiscal year. Due to strong support from sponsors and donors, it had a surplus of about $500 – roughly equaling the AAAP’s overall surplus for the year.

Expenses for the existing Washington Crossing observatory were higher than usual this year, reflecting costs to repaint the rails, refurbish the masonry pillars, and replace the adapter panel circuit board on the Paramount. Hopefully these repairs will leave the Simpson Observatory in good shape for a while.

Please let me know if you have any questions about the report.

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Minutes of July 9, 2013 Board Meeting

Posted on July 19, 2013 by ST Editors

Attendees:
Jeff Bernardis, Director
Larry Kane, Assistant Director
Michael Mitrano, Treasurer
Kate Otto, Program Chair
Michael Wright, Secretary
James Poinsett
David Letcher
Gene Ramsey
John Church
Bill Murray
Jennifer Skitt
David Skitt
John Giles
Arshad Jilani

1. StarQuest
Director Jeff Bernardis reported that Ludy D’Angelo polled the members regarding their interest in attending StarQuest at Hope Conference Center, September 6, 7 and 8. Eleven members replied affirmatively. Jeff thought twelve was the minimum number. The group agreed that we should go ahead with StarQuest; however, no one was willing to lead the effort. Jeff said he would discuss the decision further with Ludy.

2. Picnic
Jeff asked for a volunteer to organize the picnic. No one volunteered.

3. Simpson Observatory
Observatory Chair Gene Ramsey thanked Rex Parker, Dave Zahler, David Skitt and Michael Mitrano for quickly replacing the burned out circuit board in the Paramount. He reported on recent improvements at the observatory by himself and David and Jennifer Skitt such as fixing the roof flap, restocking the first aid kit, replacing the defective switch in the Telrad, and creating a guest log.

Gene reviewed the access and parking procedures on public nights, which have not changed since they were reported at the last AAAP meeting. Gene suggested that members and visitors could leave via the soccer fields if there are no campers in the park. Gene has bought a new water resistant lock for the Brick Yard Road gate, which he is going to offer to the park administration to share with the antique farm equipment group.

The alarm needs a new backup battery. David Skitt volunteered to look into it.

John Giles reported that the Gemini mount has been repaired and is ready for installation. A work party will be scheduled to install it under the refractor in November after the public observing season is over.

The merits of surge protection and lightning protection for the observatory were discussed. It was agreed that installation of inexpensive surge suppressors, preferably inside the outlet boxes, would be prudent to protect the computer, mounts and other electronics from transient spikes while they are being used. We should continue our current practice of unplugging all electronics when closing down the observatory.

4. Treasurer’s Report
Michael Mitrano hahttps://princetonastronomy.wordpress.com/wp-admin/users.phpnded out copies AAAP’s Balance Sheet as of June 30, 2013 and Profit and Loss Statement for FY2013. He requested that anyone holding receipts for reimbursable club expenses should submit them to him right away. The club is in sound financial condition to undertake the new observatory construction.

5. New Observatory
Michael Mitrano reported:

  • The donation is still available. The owner is anxious for AAAP to take possession. The storage fees have used up the cash reserve.
  • NJDEP is ready to approve the observatory, but they would like AAAP to obtain building permits first.
  • Two quotes have been obtained from masons for an octagonal block structure. Michael distributed sketches, a scope of work and the quotes. The preferred quote from H. Kurt Seiferth Contracting, Inc. for option A is $9,700. It does not include electrical work, topsoil and seeding, the ring for mounting the dome on the structure and painting. Members could do this work; however, an electrician will probably be required to run two circuits from the panel board in the existing observatory.
    The group had a long discussion about the details of the plan, potential construction issues, and transportation and storage of the dome and equipment. Michael made a motion, seconded by Secretary Michael Wright, that the Board approve and recommend to the membership that $12,000 of AAAP’s reserves be appropriated for construction of the structure including electrical work and permit fees. The Board passed the motion unanimously. It will be published in Sidereal Times and voted on by the membership at the September meeting.

6. UACNJ
Delegate Bill Murray reported on the last UACNJ meeting that he attended as follows:

  • The annual symposium is scheduled for October 5.
  • UACNJ asked for more AAAP brochures. Arshad Jilani and Jennifer Skitt volunteered to update the existing brochure, which Jeff will obtain from Ludy.
  • UACNJ would like AAAP to repair the observatory at Jenny Jump. If AAAP no longer wants it, we can remove the scope, and UACNJ will take over the observatory. AAAP can remain a member even if we decide to abandon the observatory. Bill will try to organize a work party when the summer is over.
  • A question came up about AAAP’s insurance coverage at Jenny Jump. Treasurer Michael Mitrano reported that the policy would cover AAAP if anyone is injured at either of our observatories. Michael will research further.

7. Outreach
David Letcher announced that AAAP has been invited to participate in the Perseid meteor watch sponsored by the D&R Greenway Trust on the evening of Monday, August 12 at St. Michaels Farm Preserve in Hopewell Township. The event will begin at 10:00 p.m. David is looking for volunteers to bring telescopes to the event for public viewing.

David will be conducting his backyard astronomy seminar for pre-teens to adults at the W-C Nature Center beginning on September 20, 7:30-8:30 p.m. After each lecture, participants will visit the observatory for viewing. Those who complete the four sessions will receive a certificate. Anyone interested should register with the Nature Center.

8. Publicity
Gene Ramsey congratulated Jeff on the recent article in the US 1 paper about the club. This was great publicity for the club. Jeff said the reported paraphrased his quotes, but overall her writing was accurate.

Michael Wright said he would like to open a free Mail Chimp account to use for emailing the membership. He said that the existing mail server would still be used for press releases and other internal communications. Jeff asked whether “princetonastronomy.org” would appear in the “From” address. Mike will verify. There was no objection. Also, Michael has updated the observatory information on the Washington-Crossing Park Wikipedia page. He will create a Wikipedia page for the AAAP.

9. Dues Policy for Couples and Families
Michael Wright asked about the dues policy for couples and families. Michael Mitrano explained that there is no written policy; however, in practice if both members of a couple are active members (i.e. officers, keyholders), both should pay dues. If only one is a member, the spouse can attend lectures and public observing nights because they are open to the public anyway. Also, children do not have to become members; however, a parent must join if a minor is going to be an active member.

10. Sidereal Times
July 15 is the deadline for mid-summer edition.

Submitted by Michael Wright, Secretary

Posted in Mid-Summer 2013, Sidereal Times | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Appropriation for New Observatory

Posted on July 19, 2013 by ST Editors

by Michael Wright, Secretary

At the July 9, 2013 Board meeting, the Board unanimously approved the following motion:

The Board of Trustees recommends that $12,000 of AAAP’s reserves be appropriated for construction of the new observatory structure at Washington-Crossing State Park including electrical work and permit fees.

For more information on the plans for the new observatory, see the July 9, 2013 Board meeting minutes above. A vote on this motion will be taken at the September 10, 2013 business meeting following the monthly lecture. According to AAAP’s by-laws, this expenditure must be approved by a majority of the votes cast and not less than 30% of the paid membership. The Board urges all members to attend and vote affirmatively on the recommendation.

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Messier M15

Posted on July 19, 2013 by ST Editors

by Robert Vanderbei

I find it amazing how accurate the Clear Sky website is at predicting in advance the quality of an observing session. I am signed up for their email alerts. A few days ago, I started getting alerts that last night would be a good night. In fact, the seeing was predicted to be “excellent” (5/5). In my experience, nights of excellent seeing only come a few times a year usually in the hot months of July, August, or September, and they are not to be missed. Excellent seeing is especially critical for viewing/imaging planets and star clusters. Since no planets were in good viewing position late last night, I decided to do globular
cluster M15, which culminated about 3:00 a.m. The seeing was indeed excellent. I took 20 second unguided images.

M15 - A Globular Cluster in Pegasus

M15 – A Globular Cluster in Pegasus


In the best 60 out of 90 luminance frames, the FWHM varied from 1.06 arc seconds to 1.41 arc seconds. That’s pretty amazing given that the diffraction-limited resolution (defined as 1.28 Lambda/D) for my 10″ RC is 0.51 arc seconds (in green light). Here’s the best picture that I took…

More are on my website. The stars are amazingly sharp. But, my new image doesn’t go as deep as some of my earlier images of M15. This is consistent with the fact that the transparency wasn’t that great. There was a thin layer of fog/haze. Of course, transparency is often inversely correlated with seeing.

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Spectacular Night Launch from NASA Wallops Studies Early Universe

Posted on July 19, 2013 by ST Editors

by Dr. Ken Kremer

Night launch of NASA Black Brant XII and CIBER. Credit: Ken Kremer

Night launch of NASA Black Brant XII and CIBER. Credit: Ken Kremer

The spectacular night time launch of a powerful Black Brant XII suborbital rocket from NASA’s launch range at the Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore at 11:05 p.m. June 5 turned darkness into day as the rocket swiftly streaked skyward with the Cosmic Infrared Background ExpeRiment (CIBER) on a NASA mission to shine a bright beacon on star and galaxy formation in the early Universe.

A very loud explosive boom that shook the local launch area at ignition was heard by local residents and tourists over 10 miles away. The four stage Black Brant XII is the most powerful sounding rocket in America’s arsenal for scientific research.

“The data looks good so far,” Jamie Bock, CIBER principal investigator from the California Institute of Technology, told me in an exclusive post-launch interview inside Mission Control at NASA Wallops. “I’m very happy.”

The first massive stars to form in the universe produced copious ultraviolet light that ionized gas from neutral hydrogen. CIBER observes in the near infrared because the expansion of the universe stretched the original short ultraviolet wavelengths to long near-infrared wavelengths. It investigates two tell tale signatures of first star formation — the total brightness of the sky after subtracting all foregrounds, and a distinctive pattern of spatial variations, says Bock.

Read more about science launches from NASA Wallops here: CIBER and Daytime Dynamo Ken’s panoramic mosaic of NASA’s Curiosity rover conducting the first rock drilling on another planet was featured in the July issue of Popular Mechanics magazine, see p. 89.

Astronomy Outreach by Dr. Ken Kremer
Rittenhouse Astronomical Society: Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA:
Oct. 9, 8 PM, “Curiosity and the Search for Life on Mars (3-D).

Dr. Ken Kremer: Universe Today & AAAP
Please contact Ken for more info, science outreach presentations and his space photos.
Email: kremerken@yahoo.com website: www.kenkremer.com
http://www.universetoday.com/author/ken-kremer/

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From the Director

Posted on June 12, 2013 by ST Editors

Jeff Bernardis, Director

So here I am with my first newsletter article as Director.  I have to start by thanking Ludy for his past 3 years serving as director, and for the several years of other board positions prior to that.  His is going to be a tough act to follow.

I also want to thank everyone for all the support I received during the nomination/election process.  The votes of confidence were well received.  Of course I can’t do this alone, and the make-up of the rest of the board was instrumental in my final decision to accept the nomination; I look forward to leading the club into its second half century.

And finally I cannot go any further without recognizing the hard work put in by Kate, Surabhi, Bob, John, and the many others planning the 50th anniversary celebration.  The only blemish on the whole evening was the fact that the weather did not cooperate, but even that had a silver lining as it allowed more time for other items.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself, as I’m sure everyone did.

Now to the business of the club.

If nothing else happens during my tenure, I am hopeful that we can increase participation in our outreach efforts.  This is a very important part of the club’s identity.  You can only get out of any relationship what you put into it, and I think too many members are not seeing fully what the club can give to them.

When I first joined the AAAP back in 2006, I thought I was just joining a group of people who shared my enthusiasm for this hobby.  While all of that is true, it has become more and more apparent to me the prestige associated with this club.  We are in the midst of some of the world’s greatest minds in the field, and they do not just co-exist with us.   They are very involved with the club and several of them are even members.  I think we have a great symbiosis.  We definitely benefit from the proximity to the University and the IAS; conversely, the University, the IAS, and the community at large, benefit from our many outreach programs.

This is all why I want to encourage members to get involved with outreach.  Respond to Dave’s requests for help; Come out to the super science weekend, or to communiversity; become a keyholder.

The evening events at local schools – what we have come to call “star parties” – is perhaps the easiest way to get involved.  Even without a telescope there are things that can be pointed out, constellations can be identified, planets, etc.  When I first joined the club, I did not immediately participate in these programs.  I’m not sure what made be decide to go to my first one, but I’m glad I did.  I volunteer for many of them today, and – I won’t lie, there are evenings I hope it rains so I don’t have to go out, but – I never fail to be rewarded.  And it’s not just the kids; the parents we see are just as much stunned by some of the things we show them.

As we enter into the summer season, this is normally the time when things slow down a bit.  But even during this “off season” there are things to which anyone can contribute.

  • The new observatory committee is still moving forward with their agenda.  If anything, this should speed up during the summer as this is the season when things can actually get done.  Hands are always welcome here.
  • The observatory is in full swing during the summer and there are several issues to be taken care of.  I’m sure Gene would welcome a volunteer or two.
  • Outreach efforts continue.  Let’s not forget Dave Letcher still has requests coming in.  In my experience, summer was always a tough time to find volunteers, but although the needs are less, they are still there.
  • The item I am most concerned about is Starquest.  Our  “planned” date for Starquest is in early September – before our first meeting of the new year.  I need someone to step forward to take responsibility for seeing the planning through and making sure the event happens.
  • And of course, Kate Otto will be working to line up our speakers for next year.  Kate does a fantastic job at what everyone considers to be the toughest position on the board.   Despite having talent for doing this, she is happy to accept help.  If you have anybody who you think would be a good speaker, let her (or me – or any board member) know, and we will see what can be done.

The list goes on.  I’m sure there are things I am not thinking of right now, but if there is something you’re interested in that I’ve not thought of, contact me, or bring it up at a meeting.

Posted in June 2013, Sidereal Times | Tagged , | Leave a comment

From the Program Chair

Posted on June 12, 2013 by ST Editors

Kate Otto, Program Chair

AAAP member Bill Murray will once again host the Club’s last program the second Tuesday, June 11th at the New Jersey State Museum Planetarium. The Club will gather at 7:30 for a brief business meeting followed by a live Star Talk by Bill and the new Planetarium Exhibit “To Space and Back” at 8:00pm. Free parking and easy access to the Planetarium is available. Please check the AAAP website for details.

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