January 2015

Financials:

Beginning balance Dec. 1 1371.33

12 renewals and 1 new membership 251.67

Ending balance 1623.00

So far, 22 memberships have paid for 2015 dues out of 30 memberships.

Tonight’s meeting had 23 people!

Next board meeting: Feb. 2, 5:30 pm-6:30 pm

Presentation at Kane Elementary: Feb . 26

Presentation at Civitan: Feb. 5 at lunch (Denise and Daryl)

Current skies:

Orion is nice now in the evenings

Lovejoy comet 10 degrees west of the sun

Jan. 23 9 pm see 3 of Jupiter’s moons in front of Jupiter

Virgil’s astronomy report:

Most galaxies may be uninhabitable

Getting more pictures now from Rosetta

Mars: Organic molecules have been discovered. Mount Sharp: meteor>>wind erosion w/stratification. “Rivers” may be sliding CO2 ice, not water

New Horizons spacecraft nearing Pluto; will get better pictures

NASA’s Orion successful test launch and unmanned mission Dec. 5

New 30 meter telescope TMT being built in Hawaii, although the European Extremely Large Telescope in northern Chile is bigger than the one being built in Hawaii

SKA telescope coming in 2025?

Program:

Bob Young led an informal interview process to gauge members’ backgrounds and interests in astronomy and what they would like out of our monthly programs. Here is a summary of the members’ interests and what they would like to see the club do. Not everyone was “interviewed” but this will give us an idea of the club’s interests going forward. In the background section are activities/interests that people mentioned as they were beginning to get interested in astronomy.

Backgrounds:

Getting a moonscope/telescope/astronomy kit in early years (or parents getting them)

General reading

Eyepiece projectors

Sunspots and solar prominences

Watching stars at night

Learn where stars/constellations are; Scouting activities in these areas

High school elective courses in astronomy/geology; college courses in astronomy

Comets: Halley’s comet in 1986, Ikea-Sato comet

Echo satellite in 1960

Plot coordinates of satellites

Apollo 11 launch

Astrology>>Astronomy

Grinding own telescope mirrors

Learning to tell time by the sun (don’t have a watch)

Current Interests:

Astrophotography

Astronomical calculations

Astronomical software

Observations

Being a citizen scientist, such as Observing asteroids blocking stars and collecting data scientists can use

Star Walk

Stellarium XFM

Making instruments

Elementary and high school education in astronomy

Science fiction

Astronomy basics, such as starting to learn basic stars, such as the 25 brightest, and go from there. See patterns and relationships

Big picture/cutting edges of astronomy/cosmology

Astrobiology

What would you like to see the club discuss/work on:

Astrophotography

Things an IPad can do with astronomical observations

Things a PC can do with astronomical observations

Review a different star topic every month

Having a progression of programs on astronomical topics

Climate change

Orbital dynamics of earth

Global climate

Information about telescopes in general/basics about telescopes; how to use a telescope

SLOOH programs live

Most recent astronomical discoveries

Book reviews

Planosphere

Life generation/organic molecules/life on other planets

Issues with space medicine such as osteoporosis

Research, such as Orion telescope

New publicity ideas:

RSU/OWU