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