8
J U N E S K I E S 2 0 0 3 Inside The Observer President’s Corner .................... 2 Schedule of Events ................... 2 Officers ................................... 2 NASA’s Space Place .................. 3 AstroTrivia .............................. 3 Quasars Feature ................... 4,5 DSS Information ..................... 6 For Sale ................................... 7 Meeting Change/Picnic updates ... 7 Membership Info. ............... back The Denver Newsletter of the Denver Astronomical Society One Mile Nearer the Stars JUNE 2003 OBSERVER T he summer’s main event is, of course, Mars. In late August it will be closer to us than it’s been in thousands of years. Rising around 1 A. M. at the beginning of June, by the end of the month it will be about as bright as Sirius. Also shining brightly is Venus which will pair up with much dimmer Mercury near Image copyright 2003 Joe Gafford Soar Like an Eagle A favorite target of many astrophotog- raphers, including those that operate the Hubble Space Telescope, the Eagle Nebula (M16) in Serpens soars high in the summer skies. (See Page 5 for technical information.) Aim For Warm Nights and Clear Skies 7 ................................ First quarter moon 14 ........................................... Full moon 21 ............................. Last quarter moon, ............ Summer solstice 1:10 p.m. MDT 22 .................. Uranus is 3° north of Mars 29 ......................................... New moon the east-northeast horizon about 30 min- utes before sunrise for most of the month. Soon we’ll say good-bye to Saturn as it slips into the sun’s glow, but for a few days it lies low above the west-northwest horizon 30- 45 minutes after sunset. Jupiter is still spar- kling in Cancer but will reach the Cancer- Leo border by June’s end—it’s nice and bright in the west during twilight and get- ting lower by the week. A beautiful sight in a telescope, use your scopes on it during the first few weeks before it gets too low. Enjoy your summer and have a happy sol- stice! —Patti Kurtz

The Denver OBSERVERPage 2 The Denver Observer June 2003 DAS Officers DAS Information Line: (303) 281-9052 DAS Correspondence: Denver Astronomical Society c/o Carla Swartz 2930 East

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Page 1: The Denver OBSERVERPage 2 The Denver Observer June 2003 DAS Officers DAS Information Line: (303) 281-9052 DAS Correspondence: Denver Astronomical Society c/o Carla Swartz 2930 East

June 2003 One Mile Nearer the Stars Page 1

J U N E S K I E S 2 0 0 3

Insi

de T

he O

bser

ver President’s Corner .................... 2

Schedule of Events ................... 2

Officers ................................... 2

NASA’s Space Place.................. 3

AstroTrivia .............................. 3

Quasars Feature ................... 4,5

DSS Information ..................... 6

For Sale ................................... 7

Meeting Change/Picnic updates ... 7

Membership Info. ............... back

The Denver

Newsletter of the Denver Astronomical SocietyOne Mile Nearer the Stars

JUNE 2003

O B S E R V E R

T he summer’s main event is, ofcourse, Mars. In late August itwill be closer to us than it’s been

in thousands of years. Rising around 1A.M. at the beginning of June, by the end ofthe month it will be about as bright as Sirius.Also shining brightly is Venus which willpair up with much dimmer Mercury near

Imag

e co

pyrig

ht 2

003

Joe

Gaffo

rd

Soar Like an EagleA favorite target of many astrophotog-

raphers, including those that operate theHubble Space Telescope, the EagleNebula (M16) in Serpens soars high in thesummer skies. (See Page 5 for technicalinformation.)

Aim For Warm Nights and Clear Skies

7 ................................ First quarter moon14 ........................................... Full moon21 ............................. Last quarter moon,............ Summer solstice 1:10 p.m. MDT22 .................. Uranus is 3° north of Mars29 ......................................... New moon

the east-northeast horizon about 30 min-utes before sunrise for most of the month.Soon we’ll say good-bye to Saturn as it slipsinto the sun’s glow, but for a few days it lieslow above the west-northwest horizon 30-45 minutes after sunset. Jupiter is still spar-kling in Cancer but will reach the Cancer-Leo border by June’s end—it’s nice andbright in the west during twilight and get-ting lower by the week. A beautiful sightin a telescope, use your scopes on it duringthe first few weeks before it gets too low.Enjoy your summer and have a happy sol-stice!—Patti Kurtz

Page 2: The Denver OBSERVERPage 2 The Denver Observer June 2003 DAS Officers DAS Information Line: (303) 281-9052 DAS Correspondence: Denver Astronomical Society c/o Carla Swartz 2930 East

Page 2 The Denver Observer June 2003

DAS Officers

DAS Information Line:(303) 281-9052

DAS Correspondence:Denver Astronomical Societyc/o Carla Swartz2930 East Warren AvenueDenver, CO 80208

Van Nattan Scholarship FundP.O. Box 150743Lakewood, Colorado 80215-0743

Webmistress:Patti KurtzEmail: [email protected]:Denver Observer editor, Patti KurtzStarFire Creations Unlimited(303) 948-5825The Observer is available in color PDF for-mat from the DAS website.

The Executive Board conducts thebusiness of the DAS at 8 P.M. at

Chamberlin Observatory. Please see theSchedule of Events for meeting dates. All

members are welcome.

www.denverastrosociety.org

PRESIDENT’SCORNER President:

Carla Swartz (303) 246-6926Email: [email protected] Emeritus:Larry BrooksVice President:Frank Mancini (303) 414--0300Email: [email protected]:Ron Pearson (303) 670-1299Email: [email protected]:Chuck Carlson (303) 744-7331Email: [email protected]:Jerry Sherlin (303) 680-6894Email: [email protected] Observer:Jack Eastman

Executive Board MembersJack EastmanJoe GaffordIvan GeislerRon Mickle

Bill OrmsbySandy Shaw

David ShouldiceSteve Solon

George Jones, Past President

JUNEMay 31-June 1

Dark Sky Site Weekend6 E-Board meeting, 8 P.M.7 Open House (the Open House begins

at dusk.)Chamberlin Clean-Up Day beginsat 5:00 P.M.)

13 General Meeting at Olin Hall, DU,7:30 P.M.—Speaker: Patti Kurtz(DAS member), “Adventuresunder Southern Skies.”

26-29 Star Stare28-29 Dark Sky Site Weekend

Public nights are held every Tuesday and Thursday evenings beginning at thefollowing times: October 1 - March 31 at 7:00 P.M.

April 1 - September 30 at 8:30 P.M. at Chamberlin ObservatoryCosts to non-members are: $3.00 adults, $2.00 children.

Please call (303) 281-9052 for reservations.DA

S S

ch

ed

ul e

Uncork your bottled-up enthusiasm for astronomy and help ustake the show on the road.

During the last few months we have heldstar parties for numerous elementary andmiddle schools. Often, this is the first op-portunity some of the parents and kids havehad to look through a telescope and see thewonders of the universe firsthand. Not onlydo we bring telescopes, but we are often askedto do a short presentation. Steve Solon hasbeen very gracious in facilitating these pre-sentations over the past few months, but weare always on the lookout for new volunteers.If you are interested in giving a short presen-tation, let us know and we can help you withyour preparation and delivery.

Watch for invitations to upcoming schoolparties on the DAS Yahoo! group list. If youdon’t belong to the Yahoo! group list, but

would like information on up-coming school star parties,

send me your email ad-dress and I can notify youdirectly. Also, if you have

children in school andwould like us to put on a star

party for your child’s class, please emailme at [email protected].

For those who don’t have a scope, but wouldstill like to participate, the DAS has a Celestron8-inch dobsonian (equipped with two eye-pieces and a Telrad) available for these typesof activities. The scope is also available for upto two weeks at a time for members whowould like to use it for their own observing.We ask for a $200.00 cash deposit, which isfully refunded upon return of the scope ingood condition.

Thanks to everyone who has participatedin the recent star parties and a warm welcometo those who will be joining us in the future.—Carla Swartz

JULY11 E-Board meeting, 8 P.M.12 Chamberlin Clean-Up Day begins at

5 P.M., andOpen House (the Open House beginsat 7:30 P.M.)

18 General Meeting and Picnic atPine Valley Ranch, 6:00 P.M.(Details on Page 7)

24-26 WUTS: Foxpark26-27 Dark Sky Site Weekend

Jefferson County Open Space coordinatorTabbi Kinnion lines up the telescope at PineValley Observatory in the Pine Valley OpenSpace near Pine, Colorado. The DAS picnicpreviously scheduled for July 12, has beenchanged to Friday, July 18th and combinedwith the DAS Regular Meeting—all to beheld at the Pine Valley Open Space. SeePage 7 for details.

Image copyright 2003 Dan Wray

Page 3: The Denver OBSERVERPage 2 The Denver Observer June 2003 DAS Officers DAS Information Line: (303) 281-9052 DAS Correspondence: Denver Astronomical Society c/o Carla Swartz 2930 East

June 2003 One Mile Nearer the Stars Page 3

u p d a t e s

Eggs in the Airby Patrick L. Barry

Note from the editor:Thanks to Craig Anderson who wrote this

month’s feature and to Sandy Shaw for thismonth’s “AstroTrivia.”

Newsletter contributions (ccd and filmastrophotos, members with telescopes, starparty candids, short observing anecdotes,observing and imaging tips, etc.) are welcomeand encouraged. This is your chance to strutyour stuff! Please call me for submissioninstructions.

**Patti Kurtz(303) 948-5825

All articles and images are © the author orphotographer, and may not be reproduced

without their written permission—Ed.

Sky & Telescope sends only one notice beforesubscriptions end. The DAS sends only one issueof The Denver Observer after dues expire. Thecost of magazines (Astronomy and Sky &Telescope) is in addition to the annual dues.For questions concerning memberships, pleasecontact DAS Treasurer, Chuck Carlson([email protected]). See the back page of thisnewsletter for more information.

Charts Courtesy: NASA

A Boeing Delta II (7326) rocket launchedthe New Millennium Program Deep Space1 spacecraft on October 24, 1998.

The sky will be filled with flying eggson May 10, 2003, when a thousand stu-dents converge on The Plains, Virginia, forthe first-ever national high school rocketrycompetition.

Called the Team America RocketryChallenge (http://www.rocketcontest.org),the competition sets the goal of flying acustom-built, two-stage rocket carryingtwo raw eggs to a height of exactly 1,500feet, and then returning the eggs to theground unbroken. The team that comesclosest to 1,500 feet without breaking theireggs will win the national title.

The competition is being organized bythe Aerospace Industries Association andthe National Association of Rocketry(NAR). NASA administrator SeanO’Keefe will attend the final event.

“The idea is to get kids interested in theworld of aerospace,” says Trip Barber, di-rector of the competition and vice-presi-

dent of the NAR. “And they will learn someimportant lessons about the power of mathand science-and cooperation and team-work-along the way.”

To develop their designs, the studentsfirst used computer simulator software pro-vided by NAR. Then they had to apply old-fashioned ingenuity and craftsmanship tobring the design to life and flight testing torefine it.

Students constructed rocket bodies us-ing a combination of hobby-store rocketkit parts and custom materials. A typicalrocket might consist of cardboard tubesfrom paper-towel or wrapping-paper rolls,a pre-made nose cone, rocket-kit body seg-ments cut to size, and light-weight, balsawood fins. But the greatest challenge formany was designing the compartment forthe eggs.

Some used plastic Easter eggs as casings,padding the inside with bubble wrap, foampeanuts, or even gelatin. Others decidednot to “reinvent the wheel,” making a cradlefrom the egg-crate material used for ship-ping eggs. Some chose to make larger, morepowerful rockets big enough to carry theeggs inside, while others made smaller,more efficient rockets that have a bulgingegg compartment mounted on top.

A hundred unique designs will be put tothe test in Virginia. Only one will win.But for the students, the real prize has al-ready been won: Learning an approach toproblem-solving that works, whether you’relaunching eggs over a field or sending as-tronauts to Mars.

In the end, it’s all about the future: Fu-ture technologies and the kids who willgrow up to create them. Many advancedtechnologies are being developed now byNASA’s New Millenium Program (http://nmp.nasa.gov). Who will do that work inthe future? Perhaps some kids who spenttheir weekends launching eggs in the air.

Are you a kid? Would you like to buildyour own rocket? Visit NASA’s Space Placeand learn how to make a bubble-poweredrocket! (http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov/rocket.htm.) It won’t take you to Mars, butit’s a good way to get started.

This article was provided by the Jet Pro-pulsion Laboratory, California Institute ofTechnology, under a contract with the Na-tional Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Astr oTr i v i aAs t r oTr i v i aAs t r oTr i v i aAs t r oTr i v i aAs t r oTr i v i a(Look for the answer in this issue.)

Q. What is the nearest (and possibly thelargest) star cluster?AstroTrivia is contributed by Sandy Shaw.

Welcome NewMembers!

The following folks joined the DenverAstronomical Society during the lastfew months. Welcome new members!

•Gar A. Bergstedt• Keith Estes• Stephan L. Grove• Ed Ladner• David Litoff

• Mike Otero• Ian Rawlings•Karleen Schofield• Darlene Stapleton• Christian Toohey

Page 4: The Denver OBSERVERPage 2 The Denver Observer June 2003 DAS Officers DAS Information Line: (303) 281-9052 DAS Correspondence: Denver Astronomical Society c/o Carla Swartz 2930 East

Page 4 The Denver Observer June 2003

o b s e r v e r s d e c k

Quasars: We Shouldn’t Even beSeeing Them!by Craig Anderson

Quasars are compact but brilliant ob-jects common in the small, early uni-verse a few billion years after the bigbang. Compressed into a volume aboutthe diameter of our solar system, thequasar pushes out an unsettling amountof energy.

Estimates reach as high as ten thou-sand times the total energy producedby the entire Milky Way. All that punchcoming from a “thing” no bigger thanour own solar neighborhood. Still notimpressed? A quasar’s energy produc-tion is analogous to an object the sizeof a basketball producing as much en-ergy as our friend, the Sun. Whew!

Not only are they compact and bril-liant -they are weird, really, really weird.Current thinking is that quasars arepowered by central black holes wheretime and space are folded and light cannever escape. They are hyperactive gal-axy “seeds” that contain no baryonicmatter -that is, no atoms.

Quasars are also very old, and becauseof this very, very distant. In fact, thereis no known subatomic particle thatcould even travel that distance. Somehave come up with a new theoreticalparticle called the S0 to fill the need.Yes, scientists have a very difficult timeexplaining just how we can even seequasars.

But see them we can. In fact earlysummer is a very good time to see arelatively bright one, about magnitude12 or so. Discovered in 1963, 3C273was called a quasar since it looked kind

User this finder chart to locate Quasar 3C273 in Virgo.

Copyright 2003 Craig Anderson

Page 5: The Denver OBSERVERPage 2 The Denver Observer June 2003 DAS Officers DAS Information Line: (303) 281-9052 DAS Correspondence: Denver Astronomical Society c/o Carla Swartz 2930 East

June 2003 One Mile Nearer the Stars Page 5

o b s e r v e r s d e c k

Patrick Ryan will take over the news-letter editor duties for the July and Au-gust issues of the Denver Observer. Patwas newsletter editor for several years

Temporary Changeto Newsletter

Editor

3C273 is a strong radio source in the constellation Virgo: this image from the KPNO4-meter Mayall telescope shows the visible part of the object. The quasar (quasi-stellar object) may radiate a hundred times more light than the brightest ordinarygalaxy, and its jet may measure some 150000 light-years in length.

Image copyright NOAO/AURA/NSF

of like a star and it was a radio frequencysource (Quasi Stellar Radio source).

Image copyright 2003 Alan and Lynn Gingrich/Adam Block/NOAO/AURA/NSF

Look closely to see the jet bursting fromQuasar 3C273. Amateur astronomersmade this image during an session at theKitt Peak Visitor’s Center AdvancedObserving Program on March 24, 2001.

Ironically, very few quasars are radiosources. The following maps shouldhelp out. If you don’t already know,use a generic star map to find the con-stellation Virgo and its alpha star Spicain the southern. Head for a clear, darksite and get your scope ready to trackdown this item that was well pastmiddle age when the dinosaurs roamedColorado.

and graciously offered to produce theclub’s newsletter while the current edi-tor, Patti Kurtz, takes a two-montj“leave of absence.”

If you have updates and/or articlesyou’d like to share please contact Pat [email protected].

Thank you, Pat, for taking on thisresponsibility.—Patti Kurtz

At this year’s Texas Star Party, JoeGafford captured this image of the EagleNebula (M16) in Serpens. It is acomposite of two 2-minute filteredexposures each of red, green, and blue.He used an 18-inch f/4.5 telescopethrough a field flattener with an SBIG2000XM ccd camera binned 1x1. TheEagle Nebula is a gigantic stellar nurserythat has led many professionalastronomers to new discoveries aboutthe birth of stars.

CoverShot:

Page 6: The Denver OBSERVERPage 2 The Denver Observer June 2003 DAS Officers DAS Information Line: (303) 281-9052 DAS Correspondence: Denver Astronomical Society c/o Carla Swartz 2930 East

Page 6 The Denver Observer June 2003

The DAS Edmund G. Kline Dark Site isabout 60 miles east of the “mousetrap”in downtown Denver.

Take I-70 east to the Deer Trail exit(exit 328), turn left at the end of the exitramp, and turn left again on CR 217 (af-ter the Texaco station). Take CR 217 justover 1/2 mile, and turn right (east) ontoCR 34. Stay on CR 34 about 6 miles untilyou get to CR 241. Turn left (north) ontoCR 241 and continue about 1.5 miles –you’ll see a culvert with a wide gate onthe right (east) side of the road.

Directions to the site from Denver, arrivalfrom the North (for after-dark arrivals):

Take I-70 eastbound to exit 316(Byers). Turn left at end of ramp whichputs you on eastbound US-36. Take US-36 east 17.2 miles to CR 241. Turn right(south) onto CR 241 and continue for 6.2miles. The DSS entrance is on the left be-tween two tall posts.

Note: Travel distance from Denverusing the North route is actually 3.9 milesshorter than the traditional route. Thefirst 5 miles of CR 241 going south fromUS-36 is narrow and somewhat rough.Be careful.

• The last people on the site must turnoff the lights and the heat.

• A microwave will be provided forwarming food. Please clean up afteryourself.

• No pots and pans, appliances, or othersupplies are to be left in the shed.

• No personal supplies are to be left inthe shed overnight.

• Do not donate furniture or other thingsunless you clear it with the D.S.S.committee first.

• No food left overnight in the shed.• No sleeping overnight in the shed.• Quick naps are permitted if you feel

you might fall asleep on the way home.We would prefer you get your naprather than falling asleep on the road.However, we don’t want it to becomea tent for camping.

• Clean up after yourself before you leavethe site.

• Please clean up all food that drops oris spilled, otherwise it will attract miceand insects.

Warming Hut Rules

Directions to theE.G. Kline Dark Site

Dark Sky Site CourtesyPlease remember that white light disrupts the eye’s dark adaptation and can ruin

astrophotography. Following these simple guidelines will improve the experience for all:

★ Prospective members, out of townastronomers, and others may be guestsone time.

★ Members can bring family any time andpersonal friends on a limited basis, butshould not abuse the privilege.

★ Groups of five or more guests must becleared through the President or VicePresident prior to visiting the Dark Sky Site.

★ There is no sleeping in the warming shedovernight. However if you need to nap for ashort period, you can use the shed. We wouldrather you fall asleep there rather than at thewheel on the way home.

★ You may warm drinks in the microwave—it is not there for warming food and cookingsince we have no water to clean up. If youspill, please clean up after yourself

OTHER SUGGESTIONS:★ Wear warm clothing. The nights can be

extremely cold in the winter andsurprisingly cold in the summer.

★ Bring your own power such as a batteryand/or an inverter since the power sitesare limited. Also bring extension chords.

★ Hot drinks can help you survive the night!★ When approaching the telescope of

someone who does not know you, introduceyourself and ask before looking through thescope. Most members (with the exceptionof astrophotographers when they are takingpictures) will be happy to share their scopes.

★ Bring your own toilet paper in case that in theporta-potty runs out.

★ Upon arrival at the site, check to see if sign inhas been instituted at the warming hut. Wehope this will help alleviate problems membersmay be experiencing in trying to find a place toset up.

★ Drive carefully on the road, there are blindspots in the low area and you will find cattleon the road at times.

★ Try to arrive before dark.★ If you have to arrive after dark, turn off

headlights when turning into site.★ Turn off all dome and trunk lights. If a light

can’t be turned off, pull the fuse, use layeredred brake light tape or just duct tape overit.

★ When you drive in, position your car so youcan drive out directly instead of using yourback up lights.

★ Use only dim red flashlights. Never shine aflashlight in someone’s face or on theirscope.

★ Please wipe your feet carefully beforeusing the warming hut.

★ Please chip in and do some cleaning up in thehut or at the observing sites. It is theresponsibility of all users to keep the place nice.

★ Serious astrophotographers may wish to usethe South field since it is somewhat isolatedfrom the rest of the area.

★ If you are the last person to leave the site,turn off the lights and the heaters in thewarming hut. Then, lock the warming hutand close the gate to the site.

★ Members are responsible for educating theirguests as to the rules.

edmund g. kline dark site

A nice globular cluster in Scorpius, NGC 6144 lies just northwest of Antares. JoeGafford imaged this jewel at the Texas Star Party this year. Image copyright 2003 Joe Gafford

Page 7: The Denver OBSERVERPage 2 The Denver Observer June 2003 DAS Officers DAS Information Line: (303) 281-9052 DAS Correspondence: Denver Astronomical Society c/o Carla Swartz 2930 East

June 2003 One Mile Nearer the Stars Page 7

u p d a t e s

C C D C L A S S“How do they do it?”—Come find outon Saturday, June 7, when the DASwill present, “CCD Imaging—Justfor Starters,” an introduction to thebasics of CCD photography hostedby the DAS’s Steve Solon.The class will be held at DU’s historicChamberlin Observatory from noon to3 P.M. with a break for refreshments.Class size is limited to 30 persons andpreregistration is required. The cost forthe class is $5.00 for DAS membersand $10.00 for non-members.Checks may be made payable to: “TheDSSF” and mailed to:Steve Solon, 9774 West Elmhurst Place,Littleton, Colorado 80128.

Come join us for an informative ses-sion on the basic tools and workingsof the art of CCD imaging. See youthere. Image (M42) by Steve Solon.

Western Amateur Astronomers presented the 2003 G. Bruce Blair Award to our veryown Jack Eastman at the Riverside Telescope Makers Conference in Big Bear, CA. onMay 24, 2003.

Image copyright 2003 Joe Gafford

Annual Picnic andMeeting Change for June

Astro-Trivia AnswerA. The five central stars of the Big Dip-per (Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon andZeta Ursae Majoris) are among thebrightest members of the Ursa MajorMoving Cluster, also known as Collinder285. More than 100 years ago astrono-mers discovered that these five starshave about the same radial velocity andproper motion, indicating that they aremoving through space together. Cen-tered about 75 light years away, thegroup is our nearest star cluster. Withan apparent diameter of more than 20degrees, it is also probably the largest.The cluster includes stars from the con-stellations Corona Borealis (Alpha andEta), Bootes (Zeta and Kappa), Leo(Delta and Zeta) and Leo Minor (21), allof which can be seen with the unaidedeye or with binoculars.—Sandy Shaw

The DAS Picnic previously scheduled forJuly 12, has been changed to Friday, July18th and combined with the DAS Regu-lar Meeting. Both the picnic and meetingwill be at Pine Valley Open Space Park,near Pine, CO., where we will have anevening picnic and then go up to the PineValley Observatory at dusk.

The picnic starts at 5 p.m. with the grill-ing of meat and other delicacies. Membersshould bring lawn chairs and a covered dishto share. The DAS will provide hamburg-ers, veggie patties, hot dogs (and the trim-mings), cold drinks, plates, utensils, andnapkins. You can bring your own scope ifyou wish, however, observing and parkingspace next to the observatory is limited.Following the picnic, we will car-pool orshuttle up to the observatory. If you wantto work off that extra burger, you can walkup, but it is a fairly steep climb. Charcoalgrill fires are allowed assuming there is nofire ban in effect by then.

Getting There: From U.S. Highway 285 at Pine Junc-

tion, turn southeast onto Pine Valley Road(County Road 126). Continue 5.8 milestoward the town of Pine, then follow thesigns to the park.

About the Observatory:Pine Valley Observatory was built in the

late 1930s by the Pine Valley Ranch owner

Conrad Johnson. The observatory housesa 6 inch Fecker Refractor. The dome turnson track that was originally narrow gaugerail for an ice-train that ran in the ranch.The ranch was acquired by JeffersonCounty Open Space in the 1980’s. Theobservatory and telescope has been beauti-fully restored by JeffCo Open Space whereit now serves to show the public the starsand planets from high above this beautifulvalley under dark skies.

The telescope has a weight driven clockdrive, and looks very much like a minia-ture of the Clark 20 inch in Chamberlin.Late in 2002, the cable for the weightsbroke and dropped to the bottom of thepier. JeffCo. Open Space coordinator TabbiKinnion called on Dave Trott for help inrepairing the drive. Subsequent calls gotDAS members, Ron Pearson, Neil Pearson,and Dan Wray all involved in the disas-sembly and repair of the drive. Dan suc-cessfully completed the repair in Feb. ofthis year. JeffCo Open Space and DAS in-

vite you to come up and enjoy this beauti-ful observatory and park.

More information about the park can befound at http://206.247.49.21/ext/dpt/comm_res/openspac/pvr.htm.—Ron Pearson

For Sale�12.5-inch f/4.8 solid-tube

Dobsonian Discovery prototype$795.00 OBO�

Contact Dennis Cochran,Home phone: (720) 870-0465,Work phone: (303) 677-4721

INCLUDED:

• 12.5-inch f/4.6solid tube

• Crayford focuser

• 34mm occular• Telrad

Page 8: The Denver OBSERVERPage 2 The Denver Observer June 2003 DAS Officers DAS Information Line: (303) 281-9052 DAS Correspondence: Denver Astronomical Society c/o Carla Swartz 2930 East

Page 8 The Denver Observer June 2003

j o i n u s

Denver Astronomical Societyc/o Chamberlin Observatory2930 East Warren AvenueDenver, Colorado 80208

About the Denver Astronomical SocietyThe DAS is a group of amateur and professional astronomers

that share a mutual interest in the heavens. The DAS operates theUniversity of Denver’s Chamberlin Observatory, along with itsprized 1894 Alvan Clark 20-inch refracting telescope. Ourmembers have been involved with the first public planetarium atthe Denver Museum of Science and Nature and the SmithsonianAstrophysics Observatory’s “Moon Watch” program. The DASsuccessfully petitioned to have the Chamberlin Observatory listedon the National Register of Historic Places.

Our Credo is to provide members a forum for increasing andsharing their knowledge, to promote and educate the publicabout astronomy, and to preserve the historic telescope andobservatory in cooperation with the University of Denver. Tothese ends we have established three tax deductible funds: theVan Nattan Scholarship Fund, the Chamberlin RestorationFund, and the DAS Dark Sky Site Fund. This last fund wasestablished in order to construct and maintain observing facilitiesnear Deer Trail in eastern Colorado.

Please call our Info Line at (303) 871-5172 and drop by theGeneral Membership meetings. Become a member and enjoyspeakers, facilities, events, and our monthly newsletter, The DenverObserver.

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP TO THE

DENVER ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

New RenewalName:Address:City, State, Zip:Phone numbers: Home ( ) Work ( )E-mail Address:Occupation:Other Interests:(Associates Only) School: Grade:Do you want to download the newsletter in PDF format from ourwebsite instead of by postal mail?

Yes NoDo you want the above information excluded from the yearly roster?

Yes NoPlease Circle All That Apply:

Regular Membership: $30 Associate: $10 (Age 22 and younger).................................................................................................. $

Astronomy Magazine/$29Sky & Telescope Magazine/$29.95.................................................................................................. $

Van Nattan Scholarship Fund .................................................... $Chamberlin Restoration Fund ................................................... $Total Amount Paid .................................................................... $Please mail Dark Sky Site donations to: DAS Treasurer, Chuck Carlson, at theaddress below. (Make checks payable to the Dark Sky Site Fund).Please complete this form, or a copy, and mail it with your check or money orderpayable to The Denver Astronomical Society:DAS Treasurer, Chuck Carlson; 1521 So. Vine St.; Denver, CO 80210

S & S OPTIKAColorado’s Premier Astronomical Supply Store

(303) 789-1089www.sandsoptika.com

JUNE’S MEETING

JUNE 13:General Meeting at Olin Hall,DU, 7:30 P.M.—Speaker: PattiKurtz (DAS member),“Adventures under SouthernSkies.”