IAS News and Views

Page 1 October 2012

The IAS News & Views

Volume 79, Issue 10 www.iasindy.org

IAS General Meeting October 13, 2012 8:00 PM

Goethe Link Observatory

The infrared Sky As Seen by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (Wise)

Tommy Grav, Research Scientist, Planetary Science Institute

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) is a NASA Explorer class mission that launched in December 2009. It scanned the entire sky in infrared light, observing hundreds of millions of objects and producing millions of images. The mission ended in January 2011, and provides a treasure trove of interesting objects: the coolest stars, the universe's more luminous galaxies, and some of the solar systems darkest asteroids. We will take a ride from the most distant galaxies, through nebulae and star clusters, to our own solar system, and experience the universe as seen through the eyes of the WISE mission. Bio: Tommy Grav was born in Norway and got his Ph.D. from the University in Norway. In 2000 he was awarded a Smithsonian Pre-Doctoral fellowship, allowing him to perform the research part of his Ph.D. thesis at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astro-physics in Cambridge, MA. After receiving his doctorate, he has worked for the University of Hawaii’s Pan-STARRS project and at the Johns Hopkins University. He is currently a Research Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute (PSI; www.psi.edu) based in Tucson, but works out of Bloomington, Indiana.

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Nominations Committee

The Board has appointed Jeff Patterson (KB9SRB@Comcast.net), John Molt (Johnmolt99@gmail.com), and Doug Brown (ddbrown4565@comcast.net) to act as the nominations committee for this year's elections. Please contact them if you are interested in running for office this year or if you know someone who would be a good candidate.

I urge you to consider running for office. Several of the officers have served for many years and would also like to see a change. I personally have told the Board that I will not run for president this year. Due to health reasons, I have to step down. We need some people to step forward. The only requirement is that you are 18 years old and a member in good standing in the Society.

If you would like to be a part of the governing body of the Society and help steer the direction of the Society, please see one of the members of the Nominations committee.

The Pres

Elections are Coming

It is time to begin thinking about elections again in earnest. Our elections will be held in December. There will be two Board members up for election as well as the four officers. In addition the coordinator’s positions will be open for appointment after the new year. If you would like to act as one of the appointed coordinators please let us know as well. Nominations committee John Molt Jeff Patterson Doug Brown Duties of the Officers: (1) Except as provided by these bylaws or required by law, the entire control of the Society and its affairs shall be vested in the Board of Directors. (2) The Board of Directors shall consist of seven (7) members elected from and by the membership at large. In addition, each Executive Officer shall be a voting member of the Board during their terms of office. In the event of a tie vote upon any matter, the President of the Society shall cast a second vote to break the tie. (3) The age requirement for members of the Board of Directors and Executive Officers shall be 18 years or older. (4) A member of the Board of Directors or an Executive Officer may be re-elected after their term of office expires. (5) If a vacancy occurs in any office for any reason, including failure to attend meetings, the Board of Directors shall elect a member of the Society to fill the unexpired term of the vacant office. Failure by a Director to attend six (6) meetings of the Board of Directors during any twelve (12) month period may constitute a vacancy at the discretion of the Board.

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(6) At each December meeting, here designated as the "Annual Meeting," the Directors shall be elected by the membership to succeed those whose terms expire. (7) The Executive Officers of the Society shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, all of whom shall be elected by written ballot or voice vote at the Annual Meeting. The term of office for the executive officers will be for one year starting January 1st of the next year. (8) No person shall hold more than one Executive Office at a time. (9) Members of the Board of Directors shall hold office for three years. Their terms shall be staggered so that two directors are elected at each annual meeting, with the exception of a year in which a third director is to be elected. (10) The President shall preside at all meetings of the members and ensure that the purposes of the meeting are accomplished. The President shall annually nominate the Editor of the monthly newsletter (The IAS News and Views), the Web Supervisor of the official website, the Associate Web Supervisor, the Observatory Manager, the Equipment Loan Program Coordinator, the Public Events Coordinator, the Librarian, the Membership Coordinator, and the Astronomical League Correspondent. The nominations will be ratified by the Board of Directors. The President will be responsible for communication with Indiana University. The President is responsible for filing all corporation and tax returns as required by the State of Indiana. (11) The Vice President shall preside in the absence of the President and shall act as Program Coordinator. The Vice president’s principal responsibility is to obtain speakers or to develop a specific program for each of the general meetings. (12) The Board of Directors shall compile and approve an annual inventory report showing the whole amount of real and personal property owned by the Society. The report shall be presented to the President at the January Board meeting. The Secretary shall file the report with the Society’s records. (13) The Secretary shall keep minutes of all Business/Board meetings, initiate such Society correspondence as shall be directed to the Secretary, and ensure that records of the Society's business are maintained in permanent form. (14) The Treasurer shall be responsible for all monies belonging to the Society. The Treasurer shall keep accurate records of all transactions and hold Society funds ready for disbursement at the order of the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall also maintain insurance documents and prepare and submit all required state and federal tax returns. (15) The Board of Directors and Executive Officers shall establish official Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS) for operation of the Link Observatory, to clarify the requirements of these bylaws, detail agreements between the Society and other parties and to comply with any city, state, or federal rules or regulations. These procedures may be altered by the Board of Directors without a general members’ vote. Such operating procedures shall be filed with the Society’s records and shall be posted where deemed appropriate. Coordinators Appointed by the President each January

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(16) The Observatory Manager shall be responsible for routine management of the Link Observatory. The Observatory Manager shall maintain an inventory of the IAS property at the observatory and schedule the use of the Link Observatory facilities. It is the Observatory Manager’s responsibility to notify the President of any situation at the Link Observatory that requires the attention of Indiana University. The Observatory Manager is responsible for the security of the keys he holds for the Society, accounting for all keys issued to the Society, reporting of the status of the keys to the Board and issuance of keys in accordance with the directions of the Board. (17) The Editor of The IAS News and Views shall be responsible for publishing the monthly newsletter. The electronic copy is to be transferred to the Web Supervisor for placement on the website. The Editor of The Bulletin shall be responsible for printing and mailing copies of The Bulletin to members who have designated that they prefer “hard copies” and to Friends of the Society. It is the Editor’s responsibility to maintain a high level of excellence in The Bulletin. (18) The Web Supervisor shall be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the IAS website at the highest level of excellence. The Associate Web Supervisor shall assist the Web-Supervisor in their duties and know the system well enough to act as Web-Supervisor if needed. (19) The Web Content manager is the liaison between the Society and the Web Supervisor. His duties include maintaining information on the website that is NOT design contingent. Maintain the scrolling news bar using FireZilla. Maintain the two calendars on the Website. Owner and Coordinator of the two (2) IAS Yahoo Groups A. IAS-INDY - Yahoo Group for all IAS Members. Maintain active/new/deleted membership status. Monitor for inappropriate use of the Group (Spam, etc). Maintain separate Excel DB containing Group status of all IAS members. (This is necessary because email address and Yahoo ID are insufficient to identify members of the Group) Contents include Name Email Address Yahoo Group Member – Yes/No Date invited to join Group (non members only) Yahoo ID B. IAS_BOD – Yahoo Group for IAS Board of Directors and selected committee chairpersons. Maintain the list of BOD members and chairpersons. Monitor for inappropriate use of the Group (Spam, etc). (20) The Librarian shall be responsible for the Society’s library including the maintenance of an inventory of all media, and check in/out records for the Society. The Librarian shall be responsible for recommendations to the Board for additional media. (21) The Equipment Loan Program Coordinator shall be responsible for maintaining the loaner equipment and overseeing loan activities. (22) The Public Events Coordinator is responsible for evaluating, scheduling and coordinating events requested by public and private institutions and individuals.

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(23) The Astronomical League Correspondent (ALCor) shall serve as the Society’s contact person for Astronomical League matters. The ALCor will coordinate with the Membership Coordinator to ensure that membership rosters are sent to the League in accordance with Astronomical League procedures. The ALCor is also responsible for communicating League benefits and programs to the Society’s members. As a collateral duty, the ALCor shall serve as the Society’s Awards Coordinator (AC) for the League. The Awards Coordinator will carry out these duties in accordance with directives from the Astronomical League National Observation Program Coordinator. (24) The Membership Coordinator shall collect dues from the members, keep accurate records of all transactions and transfer these funds to the Treasurer. The Membership Coordinator shall update and maintain Membership, Inactive membership and IAS Astronomical League databases. Each month the Membership Coordinator will send Notices of Pending Membership Expiration and Notices of Membership Expiration. In addition, the Membership Coordinator will send letters of welcome and introduction to all new members upon receipt of the application and dues. (25) The New Astronomer's Group (NAG) coordinator is responsible for coordinating the development of NAG programs at the general meetings. His primary duty is to develop an archive of NAG presentations that can be used in our NAG events and find people to present and lead the activities. (25) The McCloud Star Gaze coordinator is responsible for developing public programs at McCloud Nature Park. Primarily he is to liaison with the parks department and co develop the programs with them. IAS NEWS

A New Mission for the Link Observatory (www.linkobservatory.org)

by IAS members Greg McCauley, John Shepherd and Danny Kirby

About a year ago, it was announced at an IAS general meeting that serious efforts to better utilize the Link Observatory as a public outreach facility were under consideration. For many years, conversations about the Link Observatory were about its colorful past with very little discussion about its future. Today, we are pleased to announce that a highly detailed strategic plan has been developed and those efforts are underway. The future of the Link Observatory is an exciting one indeed! A New Organization is Formed After many discussions with Indiana University Astronomy Department and IAS leadership, it was determined that in order to successfully accomplish the goal of developing a first-class Space Science Center at the Link Observatory, a professional and comprehensive fund-raising effort must be initiated. The original charter of the Indiana Astronomical Society does not allow for

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such fund-raising efforts beyond membership dues, so a new non-profit organization, Link Observatory and Space Science Center (LOSSC) was born as a strategic partnership with the IAS. The LOSSC was incorporated in March 2012 and a Development Prospectus was drawn up and presented to the IAS Board of Directors and the IU Astronomy Department leadership. Many of the legal requirements from IU are still being determined, but the executive staff at IU Astronomy is completely supportive and enthusiastic about our future success.

Indiana University Helps Develop the Plan Many of the details in our LOSSC Development Prospectus were the result of discussions with various individuals in the IU Astronomy Department leadership. Items such as upgrades to the facility, extensive landscaping, air conditioning the conference room, a 3D multimedia cinema projector, giant screen and other high-tech improvements are now on the list. Other items such as upgrades to the scope mount and the addition of scientific instrumentation for future citizen science programs have made their way into the project plan. The next three to five years will be exciting times at the Link.

Our Mission (http://www.linkobservatory.org/about.htm) The mission of the Link Observatory and Space Science Center is to provide the state of Indiana with a world-class public education and outreach facility utilizing the observatory telescope, the public auditorium and observatory grounds to promote astronomy and space science to Indiana middle school and high school students, public and private organizations, underserved communities and the general public.

Our Current Activities (http://www.linkobservatory.org/events.htm) Each month will focus on a different topic for our informal education and outreach programs. Each of these programs will utilize the latest in computer technology and multimedia graphics and incorporate the auditorium for multimedia lectures, video presentations and live NASA video events as well as integrated programs with the Link 36” Telescope and Observation Deck. Organized Citizen Science projects utilizing the Link 36” Telescope for amateur and student level research will soon be offered in the form of Advanced Studies Programs in collaboration with government, educational and private research institutions.

Our Current Affiliations (http://www.linkobservatory.org/affiliations.htm) The LOSSC has developed a permanent partnership with the IAS. All our activities tie directly into the IAS mission of public outreach. Other formal affiliations have recently been developed such as the NASA Museum Alliance, JPL/NASA Solar System Ambassadors, The Planetary Society as well as of course Indiana University. Talks are currently underway to incorporate joint-venture programs with the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, Indiana State Museum, several central Indiana planetariums and other space-related organizations around Indiana. Our Marketing Program A major emphasis has been placed on reaching out to central Indiana through aggressive marketing programs aimed at informing Indiana middle schools and high schools, public and private organizations, underserved communities and the general public about our programs. We currently email our monthly program to over 500 individuals across central Indiana with the goal

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of reaching over 1000 each month by the end of September 2012. Our web traffic exceeded 1000 page views in the month of August 2012 and grows at a rate of over 25% each month. Additional media exposure has been through WTIU/WFIU – an NPR organization. They recently filmed one of their popular “Friday Zone” episodes at the Link that aired on PBS in June of this year. An excellent article about the new LOSSC also appeared on their web. Go to http://www.linkobservatory.org/newsroom.htm for more info. Watch the video and read the article posted there. Also Greg McCauley, IAS member and Executive Director of the LOSSC will appear on local PBS channels in October detailing recent developments in the Mars Curiosity Rover mission as a representative of the IAS and LOSSC. Watch for those dates on the LOSSC website.

The Benefit to the IAS and Its Members Of course, all this is great, but what does it mean to you – the IAS membership? Every single improvement at the Link Observatory directly impacts you for the good. One of our first goals is to add central air conditioning and heating to the conference room. What a relief! Extensive exterior landscaping and modern upgrades to the telescope directly benefits all of you as well, and will make you proud to bring your friends to this awesome place. We have heard many times that there is a concern that access to the Link by the IAS membership will somehow be impeded because of the planned activities of the new LOSSC. Access to the Link is only impeded when the gates are locked, and in the past, that was all too common. Our program schedule is always considered as an addition to the scheduled activities of the IAS and you, your family and friends are invited to attend each and every one of our programs. There will come a time when the Link has something going on constantly that you can tie into, bring your friends to and enjoy – a time when the gates are seldom locked. The benefits to you and the IAS are enormous!

We Need Your Help! Come and attend our multimedia presentations. Please understand though, our programs are designed for the general public and are not as in-depth as the IAS monthly lectures. If you have someone new to astronomy, this is the place for them. We promote membership to the IAS at each of our programs and provide an overview of the IAS organization in each of our presentations. Not only do we provide multimedia presentations at the Link, but we lecture in local libraries around the state as well. So exposure to the IAS organization has grown over the last year. All of you know people around the state who could benefit from this type of programming. Pass the word on to them and send them to our website at www.linkobservatory.org The LOSSC Executive Team (all are IAS members): John Shepherd: Managing Director and Senior Astronomer Danny Kirby: Director of Engineering and Technology Greg McCauley: Executive Director Last Event Our October 22 program went well. We did an hour long multimedia program on the Moon - A History of Exploration. We had 23 in attendance and all had a really good time at the big scope. Shep did a great job traversing the Lunar surface and zeroing in on several unique surface features. We had large Lunar maps laid out and showed the folks the places on the Lunar surface

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we were looking at. It really worked out well. We had quite a few middle school kids there with their parents, the program producer from WITU PBS station out of Bloomington, a person from the Indianapolis Star, people from the Mooresville Public Library, Keith Turner from Carmel High School, etc. It was a decent turnout. Next LOSSC Event -

Exploring the Sun Daniel Cervantes

Saturday October 20, 2012 @ 8:00 pm

The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is a NASA mission which will observe the Sun for over five years. Come join us as Daniel Cervantes, a JPL/NASA Solar System Ambassador, presents a multimedia program about this fascinating mission. Experience the Link Observatory Telescope Following the program, you will view Deep Space thru our giant 36" Observatory Telescope and let our Senior Astronomer take you on a spectacular journey through the cosmos.

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We will be observing fascinating deep space objects that are sure to amaze. Join Us! Admission is Free. General public is welcome. The program starts promptly at 8:00 pm. Daniel became interested in astronomy while in the second grade. Within a few years, he had read everything about astronomy that was available at the nearest three public libraries. In the third grade, he received a 2.5 inch refractor telescope which he used to follow (at least he tried too!) Apollo 8 and Apollo 11 to the moon. As a teenager, he called the big city newspaper to see if I could get a copy of the Viking image that was published on the front page. Upon being told by the editor that the photo had been thrown away, he convinced him to search his waste basket to retrieve it. That evening, his family drove him eight miles to pick it up. He now enjoys sharing the planets, the Moon, and the Sun with others. Daniel is currently a physicist with Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana. He has a Masters Degree in Physics from Purdue University and previously taught Physics and Astronomy at IUPUI. Daniel is a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, Director of Feynman Observatory and a member of the Stonebelt Stargazers. Recent Events for the IAS

Hog Roast The hog roast was excellent. It must have been a really special pig! Thanks to all for coming and to the Kirsch clan for all their work. We had a fantastic day. If you missed it, you missed a good one. The weather was super. Thank you for the food and the work. We moved the old folding chairs to the machine shop so we can start working in the roll off observatory. We had a great time meeting old and new friends. Afterwards the

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scopes set up and training and observing was the order of the night. An special thanks to the Kirsch family (the cooks), and John Shepherd who organized the event. Nice job guys.

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With the skies looking good Eric hauled out the 18" Starsplitter, set it up and collimated it. Eric and Berta completed the September observing list. I guess the guys had some success using the Starsplitter. Remarkably, no one camped overnight. Some clouds came through at around 10:30 which prompted a lot of folks to pack up. Those of us still in the Link at around 11:30 (Kramer, McSpadden, Birch and I) tried to view the Cocoon Nebula with the 36". We had no real success, even with an H-beta filter and turning out all the lights. You could kinda see some "stuff" around the brighter stars but none of us could find any "edges" and it was generally just too indistinct to make an impression. I guess I need to make

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my challenge objects a little easier! Bruce

September Link Campout Friday night was a bust with clouds coming in all day and the threat of thunderstorms. However, Saturday night was really good. It was cool and clear until about 10:30 when clouds came in. They were gone before 11:30 but all but a few had packed up and gone home. I think you missed a good one.

Looks like hard work

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Okie -Tex Star Party Had a great first night here at the Okie-Tex Star Party last night. Skies were absolutely fantastic. It seems like a poor night here beats just about anything we have in Indiana. The horizon here looks much like the zenith at home. Okie Tex is over 4000 feet above sea level, so it gets your above a lot of the 'soup' in the atmosphere. No light pollution. One of the guys took an SQM reading at about 21.40. It is a long trip, just about 1,000 miles from the Indy area, but definitely worth it. Milky Way is visible from horizon to horizon. M13, Double Cluster (NGC 884 and 869) and M31 were all visible naked eye last night. If it not been for the moon, M36, M37 and M38 (open clusters) in Auriga would have also been visible naked eye. The biggest thing that I notice (in addition to the number of stars in the sky) is the extremely sharp contrast between the

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objects viewed in the telescope and the sky background. Turned out that this was the best night and things went downhill with lots of wind. John Switzer

September McCloud Monthly Star Gaze September 22 was designated International Observe the Moon Night by scientists, educators, and Moon enthusiasts from government, non-profit organizations and businesses throughout the United States and across the globe and happened to be the same evening as the Public Stargaze at McCloud Nature Park. Mike Newberg, Steve McSpadden and John Molt met for dinner beforehand at Perillo’s Pizza in nearby North Salem then picked up snacks at the local convenience store as it looked as though the evening was going to be good but cold. We ate outside chatting about what would be most interesting for the attendees and how to deal with the wind and first fairly cold evening of autumn. Once at McCloud were joined by Trey Roob and friend Dan who helped attendees enjoy the moon and some of the brighter deep sky objects. We were pleased to have many new people and quite a few who’d been with us in the past. This year's observe the moon event came just weeks after the death of Neil Armstrong, the first person ever to walk on the moon. Armstrong, who commanded NASA's Apollo 11 moon landing mission, died on Aug. 25 at age 82 due to complications from recent heart surgery. He was buried at sea on Sept. 14. To honor Armstrong's memory, his family asked that the public take time to think of the pioneering astronaut when gazing at the moon so those in attendance at the stargaze gave him a wink which Mike photographed and forwarded to a Flickr webpage for acknowledgement.

Thanks to Steve McSpadden, Mike Newberg and Trey Roob for their help making the Stargaze and International Observe the Moon Night a great success. Once again the attendees were in awe of what we were able to show them and talk about. The crowd grows each month!

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Greenwood Library Observe the Moon Night Saturday, September 22nd turned out to be a great night for the Observe the Moon Night at Greenwood Public Library. There were approximately 85 attendees for the Libraries' scavenger hunt, NASA exhibit, meteorite crater demonstration, rocket building, a moon-themed exhibit by the IAS and, the highlight of the evening; moon viewing through telescopes provided by IAS members. The scavenger hunt featured questions about the moon and other astronomical objects and facts with the prize of a Moon Pie treat. The NASA exhibit featured facts about the moon and the manned moon landings. The meteorite crater demonstration used balls dropped in flour and a basketball dropped on graham crackers to demonstrate crater formation and regolith (lunar dust) creation. Rocket building using a couple of straws and a balloon provided more hands-on fun and the IAS moon exhibit helped explain moon features, phases and eclipses. Many thanks to volunteers Eric and Roberta Allen, Bill Conner, Marion Hakes, Steve Hines, Ken Magar and Jim "Zobe" Zdobylak for providing their equipment and expertise to show earth's awesome moon to this group of children and adults. I was told that most were part of a home-school group that had recently been learning about the moon, so this had the extra attraction of familiarity to add to the enthusiasm. Gerald Venne IAS Public Events Coordinator Johnson County Park Scouts Event Our call for scopes for the Friday, September 14th Cub Scout camp out at Johnson County Park brought out volunteers Ron Burgess and Thad Hatchett with their telescopes and knowledge of the night sky to provide a wonderful stargazing experience for approximately 75 scouts plus their leaders and parents. With only an hour scheduled for viewing, we had two groups view for a half

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hour each. There was much interest in the objects we found, including the double stars, Albireo (the "Scout Double"), Mizar and Alcor (the" Horse and Rider"); open cluster M11 (the "Wild Duck"), globular cluster, M13 (it was dim), and their associated constellations. Despite the murky conditions, the excitement of the youngsters and the appreciation of the adults made this a wonderful event. Thanks for the help, guys! Gerald Venne IAS Public Events Coordinator Upcoming Events

McCloud Monthly Stargaze October 20

McCloud Nature Park Meet the Guests 6:30

Observing 7:00

This month, we will be looking at the Moon, and deep sky objects around the constellations Lyra, Cygnus, and Hercules. Cygnus will be directly overhead so we should be able to see deep sky objects near the summer triangle.. We need lots of IAS members there to talk to the public about our hobby. Those of you working on your October observing list will have a great opportunity This event is dependent on the weather. Please come prepared for cold weather. We will call it due to inclement weather about 4PM on the yahoo group. We need as many scopes as we can supply for the event. The park has four telescopes that can be manned by IAS members. So if you do not have a telescope, you still can come and share the universe.

Link Campout for Members and Guests October 12-14 Our last organized campout for the year at Link will be October 12=14 for those who would like a couple of days The gates will open at 5 on Friday and the observatory will be open until Sunday. Come out and enjoy the sky. Please note if the weather is bad or the ground wet the event may be called. The 36" will be in operation.

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NEW ASTRONOMERS GROUP October 13

Link Observatory" Eyepiece Filters for Contrast Enhancement"

Bruce Bowman

"The New Astronomers Group meetings are held May through October at the Goethe Link Observatory. This group is designed for the beginning amateur astronomer and is open to members and non-members of the Society. Emphasis is on actual observing to help beginners find their way around the night sky and, in particular, how to find those faint but interesting objects. Other topics may include discussions of types of equipment used and the advantages and disadvantages of each. The sessions are taught by experienced IAS members. The topics for each session are announced on the website and in the newsletter, IAS News and Views, along with times. Meetings start right after the General Meeting. In addition to discussing the night sky for the current month, a selected topic of interest to the beginning astronomer will be covered. After the meeting, weather permitting, the meeting is moved outdoors where scopes are set up to demonstrate the topics discussed in the meeting. Observing continues as long as the participants desire." This month Bruce Bowman will provide an overview of which eyepiece filters work best for visual contrast enhancement on various types of objects. Color (Wratten) filters, light-pollution filters and neutral density filters will all be discussed. A summary hand-out will be available. Filters used for solar observing and CCD photography will be covered in a future NAG topic.

IAS October Observing Challenge Below please find a list of ten (10) showpiece objects to view this month. Those who complete the list will receive a certificate at the following general meeting. We're also providing a challenge object to help push the limits of your observing skills. It's not necessary to successfully view the challenge object to receive the certificate; we only ask that you try. Based on the feedback we've received the IAS board has decided to drop the previous requirement that these observations be made at IAS-sponsored events. View them whenever you can during this month. At this time, only IAS members are eligible. The following list of items should be viewed to receive the October certificate: delta Cephei (Double/variable star) Neptune (the Planet) NGC7331 (Spiral galaxy in Pegasus) NGC7332 (Lenticular galaxy in Pegasus) NGC7507 (Elliptical galaxy in Sculptor) NGC7510 (Open cluster in Cepheus, squat isosceles triangle) M52 (Open cluster in Cassiopeia) NGC7662 (Blue Snowball, round planetary nebula) NGC7686 (Bright open cluster in Andromeda) NGC7789 (Very large open cluster in Cassiopeia, many stars)

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Challenge object for October 2012: NGC7293 (Helix Nebula -- an OIII filter is recommended!) The above objects are all located between 22 and 0 hours of right ascension and so are well-placed for evening viewing this month. However, there aren't very many bright objects in this region. So find a dark site, especially when chasing the galaxies. As for Neptune, it is bright, but only 2" in size, and is thus easily mistaken for a star. Daily coordinates are available from http://astropixels.com/ephemeris/planets/neptune2012.html. Weather permitting, we will also attempt to view Neptune in the 36" telescope after the general meeting on 10/13. If you complete this list prior to the end of October, notify the NAG coordinator (Bruce Bowman) to ensure you receive recognition. Winners are asked to pick up their certificates at the following general meeting. Q&A ABOUT THE IAS MONTHLY OBSERVING AWARD Q1: Do I have to use my own equipment? A: No...although bringing and using your own telescope is strongly encouraged. Also keep in mind that the IAS has an equipment loaner program. Q2: Do I need to find the objects myself? A: No. You need only make the observations. Conceptually, if we had 10 telescopes set up -- each trained on a different object -- you could just go from one to the other and become eligible. Q3: What do I need to submit to you to receive the award? A: Just contact me and let me know that you completed the requirements for that month.

Membership Status The following changes in membership took place in September: Total Membership: 151 Renewals: 7 New student members: New Members: Pete Castelluccio – Indianapolis Donald Pfettscher - Brownsburg Tommy Grav - Bloomington Inactive Status: Ron Bustle - Indianapolis Onions and Orchids Thanks to Berta for taking minutes at the Board meeting. You did a fantastic job. Thanks to everyone who helped at the various observing events this month. We had great turnouts at all of them. Thanks to Mike Newburg for taking pictures at the events for the newsletter. Thanks to Mike Kirsch and family and John Shepherd for a fantastic Hog Roast

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IAS History

IAS Calendar of Events for September October 9 Board Meeting October 13 General Meeting and NAG October 12-14 Link Campout October 20 McCloud Star Gaze October 20 LOSSC Meeting at Link We really need scopes at public events, please contact Gerald Venne at events-coordinator@iasindy.org

Observing Activities

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Activities for October: Link Observatory - October 13 General Meeting October 12-14 Link Campout October 20 LOSSC Event Prairie Grass Observatory Activities–

We are able to go to the Link, Prairie Grass Observatories, and McCloud Nature Park at non scheduled times if they do not conflict with reserved activities: For those interested in going to The Link Observatories for observing call John Shepherd at 1 317-862-3442. For those interested in going to McCloud to observe, please call the park office 765 676 5437 before 4PM on the day you want to go out. They will give you permission to be there at night and make arrangements to cut off the lights. For those interested in going to Prairie Grass Observatory for observing call Hoppe at 1-765-296-2753.

Al/Cor Observations by Wm. Conner THE URBAN OBSERVING CLUB The Urban Observing Club is the Astronomical League’s answer to the city dweller’s light polluted sky. The observations required for this award include bright objects that can be seen in spite of city lights. The intent is to get “backyard” back into amateur astronomy and make it more convenient and fun for those of us who live in major metropolitan areas like Indianapolis. This is also a handy list to work on during the colder months since you can be close to a warm room and food at home. To qualify for the AL’s Urban Observing Club Certificate you need only to be a member of the Astronomical League, a given if you are a member of the Indiana Astronomical Society, and observe 100 objects on the Urban Observing Club’s Deep Sky Objects and Double & Variable Stars lists. This is a real twist, in that you have to do it from your city location. Dark sky observations cannot be included, but I won’t quibble if your home is in a rural setting since Indiana is not known for its dark skies. This is a great opportunity to stay at home, invite friends over and enjoy observing together. The rules and lists may be downloaded from the Astronomical League site at www.astroleague.org. Log on and point to the “Observe “tab at the top of the page. Pull down and click on “Clubs by Experience Level.” Under “Observing Experience: Intermediate,” click on “Urban Observing Program.” At this site you will find the requirements and links to the Observing Lists and Tips for Observing in Light Polluted Areas. I will be happy to provide copies to those Society members who do not have computer access to the web. Please give me a call at: 812-828-0499. Leave your name, number, address and request on my recorder, if I am away from the phone.

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Send your completed list to me, Bill Conner, so that I may verify your observations and apply to the AL Urban Program Chair for your certificate and pin. IU Kirkwood Observatory Bloomington

The Kirkwood Observatory Solar Telescope is open on the "First Saturday" of each month from 1-3 PM. Viewers may even be able to see a solar prominence or two weather permitting. Updated weather conditions and closings will be posted at the Kirkwood Observatory Hotline at (812) 855-7736, and at the Observatory webpage, http://www.astro.indiana.edu/kirkwood.shtml. Monthly openings of the solar telescope are planned for the first Saturday of each monthly during our 2011 and 2012 observing seasons. And if you want to follow the Sun in between our monthly Solar Telescope openings, the website www.spaceweather.com provides daily updates. Kirkwood Observatory on the IU campus is open each Wednesday evening from spring break until mid-November, weather permitting! Join us for a night of observing the night sky with the Kirkwood 12" refractor. Please visit our schedule at http://www.astro.indiana.edu/kirkwood.shtml, for a list of dates and times. For updated weather conditions and closings, please call the Kirkwood Observatory Hotline at (812) 855-7736.

NASA Space Place Doing Science with a Spacecraft’s Signal

By David Doody Mariner 2 to Venus, the first interplanetary flight, was launched August 27 fifty years ago. This was a time when scientists were first learning that Venus might not harbor jungles under its thick atmosphere after all. A Russian scientist had discovered that atmosphere during the rare Venus transit of 1761, because of the effects of sunlight from behind. Mariner 2 proved interplanetary flight was possible, and our ability to take close-up images of other planets would be richly rewarding in scientific return. But it also meant we could use the spacecraft itself as a “light” source, planting it behind an object of our choosing and making direct measurements. Mariner 4 did the first occultation experiment of this sort when it passed behind Mars as seen from Earth in July 1965. But, instead of visible light from the Sun, this occultation experiment used the spacecraft’s approximately 2-GHz radio signal. The Mariner 4 experiment revealed Mars’ thin atmosphere. Since then, successful radio science occultation experiments have been conducted at every planet and many large moons. And another one is on schedule to investigate Pluto and its companion Charon, when the New Horizons spacecraft flies by in July 2015. Also, during that flyby, a different kind of radio science experiment will investigate the gravitational field.

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The most recent radio science occultation experiment took place September 2, 2012, when the Cassini spacecraft carried its three transmitters behind Saturn. These three different frequencies are all kept precisely “in tune” with one another, based on a reference frequency sent from Earth. Compared to observations of the free space for calibration just before ingress to occultation, the experiment makes it possible to tease out a wide variety of components in Saturn's ionosphere and atmosphere. Occultation experiments comprise only one of many categories of radio science experiments. Others include tests of General Relativity, studying the solar corona, mapping gravity fields, determining mass, and more. They all rely on NASA’s Deep Space Network to capture the signals, which are then archived and studied. Find out more about spacecraft science experiments in “Basics of Space Flight,” a website and book by this author, http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/basics. Kids can learn all about NASA’s Deep Space Network by playing the “Uplink-Downlink” game at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/dsn-game.

In this poster art of Mariner 4, you can see the parabolic reflector atop the spacecraft bus. Like the reflector inside a flashlight, it sends a beam of electromagnetic energy in a particular direction. Credit: NASA/JPL/Corby Waste.

Do you have a question or need? We have established a list of members who would be willing to receive calls for help on specific objects. If you have a specific skill and would be willing to help others please contact Jeff Patterson KB9SRB@hotmail.com. Based upon the responses we received to your intro question recently, perhaps we should add a section to the bulletin naming those members who would be willing to receive calls for help on specific subjects. William Conner (wmtconner@att.net) - for CCD imaging and film photography. Jeff Patterson (Contact Jeff via the webpage iasindy.org under the contact us section) – Observatory design and construction

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Eric Allen (ericandroberta@sbcglobal.net) - Telescope making and mirror grinding Brian Murphy (bmurphy@monumentcompanies.com) - "telescope construction and collimation".

Public Outreach Programs – If you want to schedule a program at the Link Observatory or at your site, please contact the following people: Gerald Venne is our Public Events Coordinator. He will be responsible for coordinating Public Events for the IAS. To schedule a public event contact Gerald Venne (Contact Gerald via the webpage iasindy.org under the contact us section). He needs your help. Let Gerald know if you would like to show the public our sky. We need people to help at Link and elsewhere. It is actually a lot of fun. If you would like to schedule the Goethe Link Observatory, please contact John Shepherd. Contact John via the webpage iasindy.org under the contact us section)

Astro Ads Are you changing or upgrading your equipment? Do you have or are you looking for astronomical materials and equipment? The Indiana Astronomical Society as a service to its members, will publish non-commercial ads at no charge. The ad will stay in the Bulletin for 4 months and may be renewed at the owner’s request. To place an ad, contact: Bulletin Editor Jeff Patterson 1780 S. Morgantown Rd. Greenwood, IN 46143 (317) 300-0449 E-Mail: KB9SRB@Hotmail.com For Sale: Kenneth Novak 4-vane spider assembly for telescope tubes of 15.5-16" O.D.. The hub is 1.75" in length and sized for a 3/8" stud. Asking $20 or will trade for other Dobsonian construction materials. Contact Bruce Bowman 317-539-2753 For Sale: Books for Sale Three Volume Millennium Star Atlas, first edition, hard bound; virtually brand new. $49. (original cost ~ $200) Observational Astronomy for Amateurs by J.B. Sidgwick $1. Amateur Astronomer's Handbook by JB Sidgwick $1. Physics of the Planet Mars by Gerard de Vaucoulerus (late 50's $1 Photographic Atlas for Supernova Search, Vol II by Manuel Lopez Alvarez $1 Vol III $1

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Atlas of the Andromeda Galaxy by Paul Hodge (new) $5 The Cambridge Double Star Atlas by Mullaney and Tirion (new) $4 Fundamental Astronomy, Second Ed, Karttunem, Kroger, Oja, et al $1 The Magnificent Universe by Ken Croswell $1; free to a good home (or bad) Splendors of the Universe; A Practical Guide to Photographing the Night Sky by Dickinson and Newton (1997) $1 ; fee to a good home (or bad) contact Fritz Kleinhans 317-290-1689 starman@iupui.edu For Sale: MEADE 8” F/4.5 NEWTONIAN Includes German Equatorial Mount with three counterweights, felt-lined mounting rings, RA and Dec slow motion controls, accessory tray and 6x30 finder scope. Eyepieces include 25mm MA and 9mm Ortho. All instruction manuals are included. Additional Accessories: * Quartz RA motor drive incl battery pack * Polar alignment viewfinder * 12.5mm illuminated reticle eyepiece * Meade 60mm guidescope with mounting rings and 1.25” diagonal * 1.25” camera adapter * Piggyback camera bracket Aluminized mirror has been cleaned and collimated. Optics are excellent, like new. Telescope is in very good condition. A complete package for wide-field astrophotography and deep sky observation. Asking $400.00 – Call Bill at 892-2036 or e-mail at bwilhite@tds.net.

Equipment Loan Program The Loan Program has been helpful to those new to the hobby and others in need of observing equipment. We consider offers of equipment you may not have need for any longer. Did you know you could borrow a scope or piece of astronomy equipment from the Society and take it for a test drive? The Society has a program where members who are trying to determine what kind of equipment to buy can borrow one of the Society’s scopes for a month or two and see how they like it. Philip Dimpelfeld is the chairman of the program and can arrange for your pickup and training on the use of the particular instrument. This is a great way to see what telescope you want to purchase. We have several scopes, eyepieces and binoculars to loan. Philip Dimpelfeld at equipment@iasindy.org

Board Meeting –October 9, 2012 The IAS Board Meeting is being held at 430 Massachusetts Avenue in downtown Indianapolis. The building is at the point of convergence of Mass. Ave., Vermont and Alabama Streets. There is a Starbucks located in the frontage of the building. The coffee shop stays open late into the evening. Try to park as close to Starbucks as possible, preferably in a metered space. On-street parking is free after 9pm. Some meter sites are still free after 6PM but are hard to find. . Handicapped parking is directly in front of Starbucks entrance. The entrance to the building is to

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the left of Starbucks around on the side. We meet in the basement. Ride the elevator (around the corner to your left) to the basement. Turn right as you exit the elevator and go through the first door on your right. This is the conference/meeting room. If you need further assistance, please contact Jeff Patterson via the webpage iasindy.org under the contact us section

2012 Calendar of Meetings General Board NAG McCloud

Stargaze January 14 17 February 11 14 March 10 6 April 14 10 28 May 12 8 12 26 June 9 12 9 none July 14 10 14 28 August 11 7 11 25 September 8 4 8 22 October 13 9 13 20 November 10 6 December 15 15

Goethe Link Observatory Observatory Address Goethe Link Observatory 8403 N. Observatory Lane Martinsville, IN 46151 Latitude: 39 degrees, 33 minutes north Longitude: 86 degrees, 24 minutes west Phone: (317) 831-0668 This schedule is being published to assure proper access to the Link Observatory for programs that are designed as observational, general education, astronomy conferences, or amateur research projects. Training programs are tentatively scheduled for Saturday evenings only. Although other requests can over-ride these sessions. It is the purpose of this listing to prevent activity conflicts. If you need to acquire use of the 36-inch telescope: remember two important IAS guidelines: 1) There has to be two or more IAS members present........2) contact the Observatory Manager: John Shepherd Contact via the webpage iasindy.org under the contact us section. DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO MAKE YOUR REQUEST OR YOU MAY NOT GET ACCESS. IAS News & Views Monthly Newsletter for the IAS

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Accessing the IAS News &Views The current bulletin can be found on the website www.iasindy.org The monthly newsletter welcomes articles of local astronomical interest information and want ads: Please submit to The Indiana Astronomical Society, Inc Jeff Patterson, editor 1780 S. Morgantown Rd Greenwood, IN 46143 Phone: (317) 300-0449 KB9SRB@hotmail.com Membership information Contact via the webpage iasindy.org under the contact us section Contact any IAS officer or the Treasurer John Shepherd or Vicki Switzer

Pay Your Dues by PayPal We can now pay dues on our website using paypal. There is a cart system where you can pay dues, order magazines, or donate to the Society. Thanks to John Shepherd and Doug Sangunetti for getting it done. It was not as easy as it seemed. The cart is found in the Join the Society section of the website. You will have to establish a PayPal account for yourself to make the transactions.

Observatory Manager John Shepherd Contact via the webpage iasindy.org under the contact us section Public Event Coordinator Gerald Venne Contact via the webpage iasindy.org under the contact us section Equipment Loan Program Coordinator Philip Dimpelfeld Contact Phil at equipment@iasindy.org Membership Coordinator Vicki Switzer Contact Vicki via the webpage iasindy.org under the contact us section

Logo Clothing The Board has developed a new supply of logo ware with our new logo using Mid Central Trophy in Kokomo, IN. Typically T shirts, sweatshirts, polo shirts, and caps are available. Now we are even making it easier for you. We have changed our method of order so that you can have better service. Call Linda, tell her this is an order for the IAS logo ware, discuss what you want and give her the size. She can determine the cost and shipping and mail the order to your home. directly. Linda Mid-Central Trophy 422 Arnold Ct Kokomo, IN 46902 765-453-5494 All Major credit cards are accepted. Hours 9-5 EST

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October Calendar, 2012

For a more detailed Calendar of Events see the webpage www.iasindy.org

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2

3 Full Moon

4

5

6

7

8 3rd QTR

9 Board Meeting 7PM

10

11

12 Link Campout

13 General meeting 8 PM Link Campout

14 Link Campout

15 New Moon

16

17

18

19

20 McCloud Star Gaze

21 1st Qtr

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29 Full Moon

30

31