November 2010 Newsletter - St. Louis Astronomical Society

THE EVENT HORIZON
ST. LOUIS ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
Devoted to the Interest and Advancement
of the Science of Astronomy
Volume 20, Issue 11
November, 2010
TWO for the Price of ONE This Month!!
The Exploration of the Moon
Dr. Pamela Gay of Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville, will be featured as one of
the two speakers at the November meeting of the St. Louis Astronomical Society. The separate meetings will be held concurrently beginning at 7:30 pm in McDonnell Hall.
Humans have always been fascinated by the Moon. Ancient civilizations noted its changing
shape and tracked its position in the sky with great accuracy. Four hundred years ago, Galileo
used the recently invented telescope to discover previously unknown surface features. Since
then astronomers and planetary scientists have studied the Moon closely, using ground-based
telescopes, orbiting spacecraft, and lunar landers. Twelve NASA astronauts have walked the
surface of the Moon – the only world other than Earth to bear human footprints. Dr. Gay will
talk about the exploration of the Moon – what was done in the past, what research is being
conducted now, and what might happen in the future when humans return to the Moon. She
will also explain how members of the public can conduct their own lunar research on home
computers, using free software and images provided by the Moon Zoo web site.
Dr. Gay is an astronomer, writer, and podcaster focused on using new media to engage people in science and technology. Her best-known project may be Astronomy Cast, a podcast cohosed with Fraser Cain, Producer of Universe Today. She is currently a Lecturer at SIUEdwardsville
How To Buy A Telescope
Inside This Issue
President’s Corner
2
Star Party Volunteer 3
Procedures
Danville report
4
Lunt Solar Systems 6
Tour
Dark, Dark, Dark
Sky Party
7
Events
10
The second meeting, held at the same time as Dr. Gay’s talk, will be an introduction
intended primarily for first-time telescope purchasers. Richard Heuermann of
Washington University will be the speaker and the meeting will be held in the upstairs
classroom at McDonnell Hall.
Astronomy is a science that is not limited to professional scientists. Many interesting
objects are visible to the unaided eye. Many more can be seen with ordinary binoculars,
but even a small telescope greatly expands the possibilities for viewing the Moon, planets,
star clusters, and other celestial sights. Today there is a bewildering variety of sizes, types,
and prices for telescopes, including computer-guided instruments. Not all of these telescopes are well made; not all perform as advertised. Few sales staff, at department stores
or even specialty stores, know enough about telescopes and astronomy to provide the information necessary to select the best telescope for the buyer’s interest and budget. In this
introduction, Mr. Heuermann will explain what to look for - and what to avoid - when buying a telescope, especially a first-time instrument.
Rich Heuermann is the Outreach Program Coordinator of the NASA Missouri Space
Grant Consortium at Washington University. A Webster Groves resident, he is also an
amateur astronomer and long-time member of the Saint Louis Astronomical Society.
THE EVENT HORIZON
Page 2
President’s Corner by Jim Small
“the budget
will be
submitted for
member
approval at the
December
meeting”
Volunteers are
needed to help
SLAS fulfill its
mission
It’s November, it’s clear and Orion is high in the sky about to cross the meridian. That was the
view I had as I came home last night. I can’t wait until my class at Meramec gets a good chance
to have that view as well in a couple of weeks. The last month has been a terrific run of clear
nights and sunny days. For observers, it’s been a great chance to observe the heavens. There are
a couple of good reports of observing sessions elsewhere in this newsletter.
A lot is happening for SLAS in the coming months. We will begin working on training volunteers to use the various toolkits we have earned from the Night Sky Network. The latest of these
involves space rocks! (it’s heavy!) When the public star parties resume at the St. Louis Science
Center in January, we will be using these kits and activities inside the planetarium to supplement
the telescope viewing outside. If you are interested in helping with this kind of activity, see myself, Don Ficken, or Cook Feldman about it.
Next year is the 75th anniversary for SLAS (founded 1936) and plans are in the works for a
year of activities and recognitions. A banquet to celebrate the event is being looked at for May to
possibly be held in the planetarium. Grant Martin is working hard on putting together information about the history of SLAS and its members for these events. If you would like to help plan
any of this, Grant will be a good person to contact.
The SLAS/YMCA-Trout Lodge collaboration is moving along nicely. Steve Sands performed
yeoman's work to repair and sell a monster 12” Meade telescope that the Y had in their possession and Don Ficken, Jim and Ann Trull, and Cook Feldman have been working hard to replace a
dysfunctional telescope with useable dobsonian telescopes the staff at Trout Lodge can use for
their programs.
The budget has been worked on and submitted for membership perusal. It is available elsewhere in this issue. See any board member if you have questions. Brent Buch will be the most
knowledgeable about details of each line item. The budget will be submitted for member approval at the December meeting. It will take effect on January 1st.
The Gateway Under the Stars events at the Gateway Arch have concluded for the winter and
will resume next Spring. Thanks to Rich Fefferman for being an excellent coordinator for these
events. There will be a volunteer banquet in the spring for those who worked at two or more of
these events this year. Volunteers also received pins for their efforts. This looks to be a promising relationship for the future, especially as the Gateway Arch grounds are remodeled.
A meeting was held to discuss the organization for star party volunteers. A few procedures
were mapped out and it would be terrific if they could be followed by all volunteers to make coordination easier. These procedures are in an article elsewhere in the newsletter. More SLAS
members are needed to make sure the current active volunteers don’t get burned out handling all
of our events. See Don Ficken or others on the membership committee if you are interested in
helping out. Training will be made available.
Again, thanks to all the people who help keep this organization running smoothly. It has been
going for 75 years and it’s all thanks to the people who have been involved in running it since
1936!
Clear Skies,
Jim Small
Thank you to those who submitted articles to use in this month’s Event Horizon.
Please send articles and/or photographs to:
newsletter at slasonline.org
The deadline for articles is 5 pm, Friday , one week before the Regular monthly meet-
VOLUME 20, ISSUE 11
NOVEMBER, 2010
Page 3
Star Party Volunteer Procedures
by Jim Small
At a meeting earlier this month, several of us who are involved in most of the star party organization gathered and discussed clarification of procedures for handling star party requests and assigning volunteers and making sure we have requested events properly
covered. The meeting was precipitated when we had two events that almost weren’t covered at all or were undermanned.
The following procedure was set up for requesting and setting up events for organizations making a request.
1. Star party requests should be directed to the link on the website. It directs people to the Night Sky Network where a form for all
the needed information about the event can be filled out. This form is available upon submission to all of the coordinators for the
NSN.
2. Mike Malolepszy will handle all incoming requests for star parties and will make intitial contact. This is to prevent duplicating
contacts from the other 9-10 coordinators.
3. A lead volunteer is then assigned to someone who has plenty of experience and can make the event. We are working on a system to rotate lead personnel so one person is not always responsible for making decisions about events. Mike will forward the
contact information for the host of the event and provide information about what to do should the weather not cooperate.
4. A notice will be sent out via the Night Sky Network in the form of an email. In this email, there will be three links you may use
to RSVP for the event. You can say YES, PROBABLY AND NO when you send in your notice. You may also indicate what
equipment or duties you are willing to perform. IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO OWN/OPERATE A TELESCOPE TO PARTICIPATE IN STAR PARTIES! We always can use people to work the audience talking with the group, or running a table with
an activity or two on a particular theme. IT IS ALSO USEFUL to say NO to an event if you know you can’t make it. That way,
the lead person knows not to count on you as a possible volunteer.
5. When an event is set up by Mike, the number of telescopes required for the event will be listed. When you RSVP, you can have
an idea if enough volunteers are going to be present for the event. Make SURE you are going to be there if you are listed as a
YES in the RSVP. If you can’t make it, log into NSN and change your RSVP so others will know your status.
6. When you set your profile in NSN, you set preferences for how you would like to be notified if an event is canceled. Options
include email, text via cell phone and a phone call from the coordinator who cancels the event if you don’t have access to the
other two. I can personally testify that the system works VERY well, for example, when the Kirkwood event was canceled last
Friday. Several of us were wondering what the status was and when Mike canceled it, I received a text message instantly. It’s
nice to get instant notification.
7. After an event has taken place, ALL VOLUNTEERS HAVE A DUTY. That duty is to log their hours in the Night Sky Network
system. Cook Feldman has graciously done this for ALL OF US through the current year. It is NOW EACH INDIVIDUAL’s
RESPOSIBILITY to log in and record the hours themselves. The number of hours is NOT arbitrary, but will be assigned by the
Lead Volunteer. Ask the Lead how many hours to record to the system. It is the responsibility of the Lead to remind all the
volunteers to log their hours and how many hours to record.
8. At the end of the event, the Lead will make contact with the host person responsible for the event. At this time, the survey with
a self-addressed envelope for return should be presented. This form is the system by which donations are accepted for our services. The lack of this step is probably responsible for the fact that our donations are down a bit this year compared to past
years . Lead volunteers need to make sure the contact person has the form and knows what it’s importance is to our group, both
in feedback about the event and donations.
9. The Lead will also be responsible for filling out the report form on NSN after the event. It will be up to the coordinators of NSN
to make sure the Lead for the event knows the kind of demographics and other information needed by the form
10. NSN maintains a log of all events recorded in the system and volunteer recognition for both SLAS and individuals will be
awarded at the end of each calendar year.
I hope this clarifies some of the procedures used to make sure we have events properly manned. It is vital that the system be used so that we don’t accidentally leave a group hanging after an event is confirmed. If you have any questions
about logging into NSN or setting up your profile for notification of canceled events, etc. please let any of the ten coordinators know and we can help you. Mike M, myself, Cook F. and Don F. are probably the most familiar at this point with
the workings of the system.
Watch for training to be offered for those who are interested in volunteering at star parties. If you are interested in
helping with this training, volunteering for star parties or working with the toolkits from NSN, talk to Don Ficken and he
will help get you started.
THE EVENT HORIZON
Page 4
Danville Stargazing Report: Saturday, October 9, 2010
by Bill Breeden
Amateur astronomy is a hobby dependent upon many variables. At the very least we need clear skies and our own two eyes. Even
better, perhaps clear skies on a Saturday night along with a new moon and a few like-minded friends. To make the night really great,
add in mild temperatures and low humidity to keep dew away. And to make the night unforgettable, make it a night in October so
that the wonders of the summer sky (Sagittarius and Cygnus) are out early, and the winter sky (Taurus and Orion) rises into view
after midnight. Add in a new eyepiece to try out and you have a truly unforgettable night.
No fewer than fifteen amateur astronomers descended upon Danville Conservation Area near Hermann, Missouri on the night of
October 9, 2010. And what a night it was! I had been anticipating first (Danville) light for my new TeleVue 24mm Panoptic eyepiece
for a week now, especially after getting a look through it at Brommelsiek the last two Friday nights. The St. Louis area had been
experiencing an amazing string of clear nights going back nearly two weeks and tonight would turn out to be one of the best yet.
The temperature was pleasant in the 70s, and it would not drop below the 60s all night. Seeing was above average, and transparency was average to above average. Surprisingly, dew was not an issue either, even though the previous night had been really humid.
With no moon in the sky, it just doesn’t get this good every day!
There were so many astronomers present that I didn’t get a chance to talk to everyone, but here are the people I did see: Cook
Feldman, John Beaury, Tom Keutzer, Jim Small, Don Ficken, Will Day, Marc & Kathy Arnold, John DeHart, Jim Twellman, Joe
Pastor, Steve House, Michael Hartman, and Doug Kniffen. My profound apologies if you were there and not listed here!
Usually when I make the trip to Danville I have an observing goal in mind, and on a few lucky occasions I have new equipment to
try out. I have wanted a 24mm Panoptic eyepiece for a couple of years now, and I finally dove in and bought one at the beginning of
October. My initial views through it at Brommelsiek were nothing short of spectacular, so I was understandably anxious to try it under the dark skies of Danville. I also had quite an extensive observing list ready for tonight.
Once darkness fell I pointed my Meade 8 inch LX-90 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (SCT) at Jupiter. Only three moons were visible, with two of them stacked vertically on one side. This was an illusion caused by our viewing geometry from Earth, but it was still
rather strange. The 24mm Panoptic has an apparent field of view of 68 with a true field of view of 0.82 at 83x. Although this is a
low power eyepiece, Jupiter appeared amazingly sharp, with detail visible in the cloud bands. The Great Red Spot was around the
other side, but would be visible later tonight.
Next I pointed my telescope at 31 Cygni, a very pretty double star surrounded by a visually striking field of moderately bright stars
in the Milky Way. I sat down and prepared myself for the view through my new 24mm Panoptic.
W. O. W. Golly-mo-nay-jee-mo. Woa. (editors note: Bill, you have to say this for us at the meeting!) I was not prepared for this
stunning view. Fantastic! If you have never observed this double star, you are missing one of the most beautiful objects in the sky!
Imagine a bright gold double star with the components separated nicely, and another really deep blue star next to one of the yellow
stars. Surrounding these are countless bright background Milky Way stars. This star rivals the famous Albireo, and in some ways is
more dramatic. The Panoptic’s 68 apparent field of view frames this object really nicely. Don’t miss it! For goto scopes, its catalog
number is SAO 49337.
Next up was the Double Cluster in Perseus (NGC869 and NGC884). Comet 103P/Hartley was too far from the cluster now to fit in
the same field, but nonetheless I just had to see the Double Cluster through the 24mm. AWESOME. Both clusters fit in the same
field and fill the eyepiece field completely with stars. This was truly like looking out of a spaceship window. Glorious!
Sagittarius was still up, so it was time to take a look around before it set. Several Messier objects beckoned to fill my new eyepiece: The Lagoon Nebula (M8), the Trifid Nebula (M20), and the Sagittarius Star Cloud (M24) were all simply AMAZING in this
eyepiece. All of these are large objects and filled the eyepiece well. I had been missing this view all these years? I should have
bought this eyepiece years ago!
One of my favorite objects is the Wild Duck Cluster (M11) in Scutum. It has always amazed me in my 13mm Nagler, but what
about the large low power view of the Panoptic? It was wonderful! At this low power M11 shows its density well compared to the
surrounding space, and a long trail of stars comes into view. It is also spectacular in the 13mm Nagler (154x), and responds well to
both low and medium power. The great Hercules Cluster (M13) was absolutely breathtaking in this eyepiece. Its nearly 1 true field
on the sky framed M13 beautifully, and stars were absolute pinpoints. This was a sight to behold!
So how would small objects appear through it? I next selected the Ring Nebula (M57) in Lyra. At this low power, the little Ring
appeared suspended in space surrounded by lots of space and stars. This view was so nice that I didn’t get tempted to switch eyepieces. Then I observed the Dumbbell Nebula (M27) in Vulpecula. M27 was quite large in the field even at this low power. Had I
been missing all this before? There was no way I could have seen this object in full perspective without the true field of the Panoptic.
Amazing!
Another small object, the Saturn Nebula (NGC7009) responded well to low power. This is the type of object we normally observe
at medium to high power, but the clarity and sharpness of the 24mm Panoptic really shines here. Again, I had no reason to switch
(Continued on page 5)
VOLUME 20, ISSUE 11
NOVEMBER, 2010
Page 5
eyepieces. There’s not much around this area of Aquarius, so it was nice to see some sky and few stars around this planetary nebula.
The western Veil Nebula (NGC6960) has always been a difficult target for my 8 inch telescope. Aperture is king, but I thought I
would give it a look with this low power eyepiece. And I am glad I did! Even without my O-III filter, the Veil was clearly visible
stretching across the field of the 24mm Panoptic. With the O-III, the Veil stood out more with the background darkened. I actually
preferred the view without the filter.
I next spent some quality time observing several objects with the 24mm, including these:
61 Cygni, double star in Cygnus
M2, globular cluster in Aquarius
M15, globular cluster in Pegasus
M29, open cluster in Cygnus
M30, globular cluster in Capricorus
M39, open cluster in Cygnus
M72, globular cluster in Aquarius
M73, globular cluster in Aquarius
M75, globular cluster in Sagittarius
NGC6992, eastern Veil Nebula in Cygnus NGC6885, open cluster in Vulpecula
M52, open cluster in Cassiopiea
NGC7293, planetary nebula in Aquarius
NGC7789, open cluster in Cassiopeia
NGC7662, Blue Snowball planetary nebula in Andromeda
Once in Andromeda, I had to get a look at the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) with my new eyepiece here at Danville. WOW. It
stretched across the field, with M32 and M110 clearly visible in the field as well. This eyepiece is simply amazing!
Midnight had arrived, and this is usually pack-up time. Cold fingers, dew, or simply contemplating the daunting drive home normally compels most of us to quit about now, but not tonight. I shined my red light at my SCT’s corrector plate – and not a drop of
dew in sight. It was still pleasantly warm, and I was wide awake and ready for more. I flipped my observing list to November and
observed these gems:
M33, galaxy in Triangulum
M74, galaxy in Pisces
M76, the Little Dumbbell Nebula in Perseus
M103, open cluster in Cassiopeia
NGC188, open cluster in Cepheus
NGC40, planetary nebula in Cepheus
NGC559, open cluster in Cassiopeia
NGC663, open cluster in Cassiopeia
NGC457 (ET Cluster or Owl Cluster),
open cluster in Cassiopeia
The Owl Cluster (NGC457) was spectacular in the low power field of the Panoptic. Stars were pinpoints of light all the way to the
very edge of the field. It just doesn’t get any better than this!
Auriga had risen by now and allowed all of us a view of open clusters M36, M37, and M38. Jim Small pointed his Williams Optics
refractor at M37 for a really low power view. Spectacular! I observed these three clusters with 24mm and shared the views with Jim
S. and Tom K. It was only a matter of time before Orion would rise and I could observe the Orion Nebula (M42) through this new
eyepiece.
M35, a nice wide open cluster in Gemini, and appeared rich with stars spread out across the Panoptic’s entire field of view. Very
pretty.
The Sculptor Galaxy (NGC253) is a not-to-often observed seventh magnitude galaxy in the constellation it gets its name from. The
24mm eyepiece allowed a wonderful view of this galaxy across the entire field. The Crab Nebula in Taurus (M1) is notoriously difficult to observe because of its large size and low surface brightness. But in this eyepiece, M1 stood out surrounded by a pleasing
amount of black sky. Wonderful!
While in Taurus I put the Pleiades (M45) in my new eyepiece. No, this very large object didn’t fit in the field of view. However, I
did see more of it at once than ever before in my telescope. The stars were a striking bright blue color surrounded by the faintest hint
of nebulosity. Tack sharp and spectacular!
The Orion Nebula (M42) was now high enough to observe. This eyepiece was certainly getting a great night of first-light! I
pointed the telescope at M42 and took a look. AWESOME!!!! The nebula spread out across the entire field – it’s amazing how big
and spread out it is. Even at this low power the Trapezium (a tight cluster of 4 stars within M42) was easily visible inside the nebula.
It was truly amazing to observe summer and winter objects on the same night!
Finally, at about 2AM and after about seven hours of observing, it was time to call it a night. There was no real reason to do so:
there was no dew forming, the temperature was still pleasant, and the seeing and transparency was still good. In fact, the only reason
I was packing up was because I had to go to work the day after tomorrow! I have to consider my sleep cycle two days out on a late
night like this!
The TeleVue 24mm Panoptic eyepiece outdid all my expectations tonight. It is very comfortable to look into, provides a wonderful
true field of view of nearly 1degree, frames objects beautifully with a 68 degree apparent field of view, and provides a crisp, sharp
view of each object. I spent the whole night observing with this and my TeleVue 13mm Nagler, and what a perfect night it was.
John B., Don F., and I left Danville together about 2AM and stopped at a gas station in New Florence for some much-needed soda
(caffeine), coffee (caffeine), and chocolate (caffeine). We hung around for a while and discussed some of the objects we had seen,
telescopes, and mirrors. We left there about 2:45AM and I arrived home at 4:15AM. By the time I unloaded my telescope and all of
the accompanying gear it was nearly 5AM. This was certainly a night to remember! Stargazing rocks!
Clear Skies,
Bill Breeden
Page 6
THE EVENT HORIZON
Lunt Solar Systems: The New Kid on the Block
by Steve Sands
Andy Lunt, Alan Traino and Markus Ludes have embarked on a new manufacturing venture that has the world of solar astronomy
buzzing. Andy is the son of Coronado Instrument’s founder, the late David Lunt. Alan is the man behind the Northeast Astronomy
Forum (a.k.a. NEAF). Markus Ludes is the principal of APM Germany, a very successful European telescope manufacturer. This
three man dynamo has introduced new solar telescopes and filter sets in a way that has never before been possible. It is a very good
time to be a solar enthusiast, indeed.
Lunt currently offers 35mm, 60mm,
100mm and 152mm (SIX INCH!!)
solar telescopes as well as 50mm,
75mm, 100mm and 160mm filter sets
with various sized blocking filters.
Additionally, they manufacture Calcium (CaK) telescopes and filters for
the amateur community. For those of
you who have won the PowerBall lottery, they are offering a limited number of 230mm dedicated solar telescopes in 2011!! Aside from being
super performers, all Lunt telescopes
are exquisitely machined and finished.
The 152mm telescope is a first-andonly-of-its-kind “modular” telescope.
By modular it means that it can be
outfitted with either a hydrogen alpha
or calcium filter module, as well as a
white light module. It can also simply
be used as a nighttime achromatic refractor. In 2011 they will be offering a
Andy Lunt with the 150 mm Solar Telescope
double stack filter for this scope, further narrowing the
bandwidth. This allows for enhanced views of details
on the solar disk.
Another “first” introduced by Lunt is pressure tuning. Many solar telescopes tune to the hydrogen alpha
band by tilting the Fabry-Perot etalon. Lunt has invented a means for tuning that involves a piston that
varies the pressure within the etalon, affording a much
broader range of tuning without the concern of taking
the system off band. I can tell you from first-hand experience that this system rocks! The viewer can sit at
the eyepiece and slowly turn the tuning piston until
solar features literally pop into view.
Lunt Solar Systems held their annual Arizona Solar
Conference in Tucson, Arizona this past June in conjunction with the ALCON. They demonstrated their
products on the back patio area of the Hilton Hotel and
invited participants to a rare inside glimpse of their
manufacturing facility on the Sunday after the
Parts used in the Lunt Solar Systems telescopes
(Continued on page 9)
VOLUME 20, ISSUE 11
NOVEMBER, 2010
Page 7
A Dark,
Dark, Dark,
Sky Party
by
Bill Biermann
A group of six SLAS astronomers braved the first
chill of the season on 11/611/7 and were rewarded
with some of the darkest
skies in Missouri. The
little town of Bunker, MO
sits in the middle of Mark
Twain National forest in
south central Missouri If
you see it on a dark sky
map, you will recognize it
instantly. Jim Small, Don
Ficken, Mark Jones and
Jerry Loethen joined up
Bill Bierman catching some overhead views at his Night Sky 18” f 4.4 Truss Mount telescope!
with member Bill BierCygnus is in the background if you can find it!
mann and his son for a
great night of viewing.
Bill has some wooded and cleared land in the middle of the forest,(which could function as possible future sight for Star Parties).
Right now, the facilities can only handle up to 8, but possible more in the future. All were able to capture a glimpse of those elusive
objects that are difficult in hometown skies. Objects like Stephan’s Quintet were among the highlights of the viewing in the clear,
crisp air, especially through Bill’s Night Sky 18” F-4.4 Truss Mount telescope. A trailer provided accommodations for the evening.
Too bad we ran out of propane for heating after cooking fajitas for dinner! A small space heater helped with the cold for an otherwise
very comfortable setting. The skies measured 21.5 with a Sky Quality Meter which translates to Mag 6.4 skies, very good for Missouri. In the Great Worldwide Star Count, maps are used to compare skies of various magnitudes and the Mag 7 map matched best
with our view of Cygnus! It was a fantastic weekend of viewing for all!
Announcement
Wired Coffee is not open past 6 pm
for the winter, so the board meeting
location will be changed for the December Board Meeting. Watch the
calendar for an announcement when
the location is solidified. It will also
be posted in Dialogs and an email
blast will be sent out from Night Sky
Network when the new location is
WANTED
I'm looking for 16-inch New-tonian Reflector with a clock-driven German
Equatorial Mount. Would prefer the
scope be f/6 or faster. Please contact me at
jtmelka@yahoo.com or phone me, I am in
the phone book. Thanks. James Melka
Page 8
THE EVENT HORIZON
Here is the proposed budget for 2011. If you have any questions, feel free to ask any board member
about details for any line item. Brent Buch, Don Ficken and Cook Feldman can also answer any accounting type questions you might have about systems in place.
VOLUME 20, ISSUE 11
NOVEMBER, 2010
Page 9
(Continued from page 6)
Lunt
conference. Andy Lunt, Alan Traino and Rikki Hocking were gracious hosts for our tour. After a light
continental breakfast we were taken on a step-by-step
tour of the plant. A CNC machine shop in the same
industrial complex where Lunt resides manufactures
many of the aluminum components while Lunt employees are busy preparing the optical components.
We were allowed to watch as four machines slowly
polished glass disks to be later coated and used as the
blocking filter. Each component is individually tested
in a specially made interferometry booth.
The amazing part of the process is what is required
to prepare the etalon. Each etalon interference filter
(the heart of the Fabry-Perot etalon system) must be
manually assembled by contacting two parallel glass
disks together using silicon wafers mere microns in
thickness. There is no way to perform this task in an
automated process and only two Lunt employees
have the skills required to successfully complete the
process. Prior to any solar telescope or filter set shipping out, Andy Lunt personally examines every piece
for quality assurance purposes. This means that your
telescope is actually catching second light when you
receive it because Andy has already had it outside
and taken a peek first!
For more information, please go to the Lunt web
site at www.luntsolarsystems.com. They have an
excellent gallery of images! This site changes frequently and has many product images & descriptions.
For a better technical understanding of the FabryPerot etalon filter, please navigate to http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabry%E2%80%93P%
C3%A9rot_interferometer.
I always welcome company during my solar observing sessions and would be happy to accommodate
anyone wishing to see the sun in amazing detail and
clarity of hydrogen alpha. Feel free to contact me at
swsands@charter.net.
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Lunt Solar Systems in any manner. I am simply a satisfied customer
who owns and uses Lunt products in pursuit of excellent solar observation and study.
Blocking filters are polished
before inclusion in Lunt Solar Systems telescopes
Interested in helping with star parties and other outreach?
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/event-calendar.cfm?
Club_ID=718
Need to login to the Night Sky Network to RSVP for a star
party?
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/login.cfm
Interested in getting training for working outreach events?
http://www.astrosociety.org/SharingTheUniverse/index.html
Interested in resources for activities for outreach events?
Login to NSN and try this link
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/club/download-search.cfm
THE EVENT HORIZON
Page 10
Upcoming Star Parties
and Other Events
SLAS Regular Meeting
Date: Friday, 10/15/2010 Time: 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Location: Room 162 McDonnell Hall, Washington
University, Saint Louis, MO
November 19 - Dr. Pamela GAY, SIU-E
Lunar Exploration
Concurrent session: Rich Heuermann: How
to Buy a Telescope
December 18 - SLAS Holiday Party!
For details on this and other upcoming events,
check out the Night Sky Network Calendar linked
on the Home Page for SLAS at
http://www.slasonline.org
Future Francis Park Events: These events are
on Wednesdays the week nearest the first quarter Moon
12/15/10
Future SLSC Public Telescope Viewing Events:
These events are held the first Friday of the
month
January 7, 2011
February 4, 2011
March 4, 2011
April 2, 2011
May 6, 2011
SLAS Executive Board Meetings Location will
NOT be Wired Coffee for these events. Watch
for notification of new location via the website
or dialogs
Observing 2010
December 9, 2010
Dark Sky Observing Dates (MOST are Saturdays)
January 6, 2011
March 5, 2011
February 10, 2011
April 4, 2011
March 10, 2011
May 7, 2011
April 7, 2011
2010 is a fairly bland year for astronomical
events. Besides the usual planetary oppositions and meteor showers, only a few rare
events occur. Of particular note will be the Partial Lunar eclipse on June 26 and the Total Lunar eclipse on Dec 21.
May 5, 2011
December 21 - Total Lunar Eclipse.
start=12:34AM Alt=72deg
Totality Start=1:41AM Alt=63deg
Totality end=2:52AM Alt=50deg
Eclipse End=3:59AM Alt=37deg
SLAS Regular Meetings
November 19, 2010
Future ‘Outreach’ Events
Jan. 7, 2011 (Fri) Moon Madness
Feb. 10, 2011(Fri) Barretts Elementary
LET US KNOW YOU ARE COMING!
To RSVP for any of these events log in to the Night Sky Network and submit your RSVP. If the event is canceled, you will be notified immediately
according to the preferences you have selected. For more information
about events, such as Moon phase, clear sky clock, weather report or a
map of what’s up, see the calendar online.
VOLUME 20, ISSUE 11
NOVEMBER, 2010
Page 11
SLAS MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Name: Last
__________________________________________________________
First, Middle Initial _______________________________________________________
Address _______________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip Code
___________________________________________________
email address
___________________________________________________
Youth @ $10.00 / 1 year (18 yrs or younger)
$________________
Individual @ $25.00 / 1 year
$________________
Family @ $40.00/1 year
$________________
Publications with discount available with your SLAS membership:
Sky and Telescope @ $32.95 / 1 year
Please send completed form with check (no
cash please) made payable to
St Louis Astronomical Society
Brent Buch, Treasurer
1610 B Forest Springs Lane
Ballwin, MO 63021-7794
$________________
(S&T may also be renewed at their website:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com)
Astronomy @ $34.00 / 1 year
TOTAL ENCLOSED
Check all that apply:
___ Renewal
$________________ ___ Address Change Only
___ Please send my newsletter by regular mail
$_________________
___ New Member!
SLAS OFFICERS
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Don Ficken
636-225-0269
Membership
membership at slasonline.org
Publicity
Rich Heuermann 314-962-9231
publicity at slasonline.org
President
Jim Small
president at slasonline.org
314-307-0692
Vice President Rich Heuermann
vicepresident at slasonline.org
314-962-9231
Secretary
Joe McHugh
secretary at slasonline.org
314-363-8169
‘SLASdialogs’ Moderator John Beaury
dialogsmoderator at yahoo.com
314-965-9094
Brent Buch
Treasurer
treasurer at slasonline.org
636-225-0269
Webmaster
Jim Small
webmaster at slasonline.org
314-909-7211
Hospitality
Grant Martin
hospitality at slasonline.org
636-634-6607
Newsletter Editor
Jerry Kelley
newsletter at slasonline.org
636-433-5608
Loaner Equip. Linda & John Follis
loaner at slasonine.org
636-583-3485
314-984-0868
Merchandise
Grant Martin
merchandise at slasonline.org
636-634-6607
314-276-3613
Librarian
Jim Small
librarian at slasonline.org
314-909-7211
314-842-6165
Star Party Coord
Mike Malolepszy 314-781-4701
starparty at slasonline.org
Board Members at Large:
Cook Feldman
board11 at slasonline.org
Bill Breeden
board12 at slasonline.org
Jim Trull
board13 at slasonline.org
ALCOR
Brent Buch
(Astronomical League Correspondent )
636 225 7666
MSRAL Rep.
Jerry Kelley
msral_rep at astroleague.org
636 433 5608
Dark Site Coord.
Mark Jones
636-394-2342
darksite at slasonline.org
Observing Programs
Mark Jones
636-394-2342
observing at slasonline.org
Telescope Making Bill Davis, Jim Melka 314-469-3061
telescope at slasonline.org
Devoted to the Interest and Advancement of the Science of Astronomy
ST. LOUIS ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
We’re on the Web!
http://www.slasonline.org
Who We Are and What We Do
St. Louis Astronomical Society is a not-for-profit organization established in
1936. SLAS is devoted to the interest and advancement of the science of
astronomy. Our mission is to promote an understanding of the science of
astronomy to our members and to the public. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in astronomy.
For more information contact any SLAS officer or visit our website listed
above. SLAS is affiliated with the Astronomical League, Night Sky Network
and the Mid-States Region of the Astronomical League.
Meetings are held the 3rd Friday of each month at McDonnell Hall at
Washington University. See the map to the right for directions.
St. Louis Astronomical Society
Jim Small
13128 Cozyhill Drive
St. Louis, MO 63122
Chaplain