People's Astronomy

Quick Lunar Eclipse, December 10, 2011

2011-12-14T14:39:00.003-06:00

December 10, 2011

Conway Observatory, Lowell, Indiana

I’ve seen lunar eclipses before, in October 2004 (the night the Red Sox won the World Series), and was watching a few minutes March 3, 2007. I had never seen one through astronomer’s eyes, though. In January 2008, my interest in astronomy was fully reborn when I took an introductory astronomy course at Purdue University North Central. Conveniently, while I was in that class, there was another total lunar eclipse favorable for Northwest Indiana. I had every intention of catching it.

Instead, on the night of February 20, part of the Valparaiso area was hammered with over 6” of lake effect snow. Weather reports around the region gave me reason to think the snow wouldn’t last, and that I might see something before going to bed. I constantly shoveled the quickly falling snow so that I would have someplace to observe from if and when the skies finally cleared. One of my ex-girlfriends even text messaged me that she could see the eclipse clearly through her window outside of Lowell. All of my work went for nothing, though, as the snow fell late into the night, after the eclipse was over.

Last year’s solstice total eclipse would have been one for the ages, with the Moon nearly as high as it ever gets, on the longest night of the year. Again, it was not to be. All of Northwest Indiana and Chicago were under snowfall. It wasn’t much snow, but the roads were treacherous. Driving to a more favorable location was out of the question.

Finally, for the last total lunar eclipse until April 2014, I was treated to clear skies. The catch for this eclipse was that in Northwest Indiana, the eclipse didn’t really begin until just before moonset and sunrise.

I went outside around 2 AM CST for some lunar and planetary observing before the eclipse. I planned to observe from home, but Jupiter was already low in the sky. Jupiter was going to be disappearing behind neighboring houses, and I was almost certain the Moon would be setting in an even worse area to the northwest. I packed my gear and drove to Conway Observatory to take advantage of it’s low horizon in mostly open fields.

I arrived at 3:20 AM, and took my time getting ready. With the Moon setting so far to the northwest, I wouldn’t be able to use the 16” observatory scope, since the building would be blocking the view. I set up two of my telescopes in the basement, leaving the heat off so that they would be acclimatized when it was time to observe. I checked out Mars and Saturn with the 16”, but not for long. Accuweather said Lowell’s temperature was 12F, with a “real feel” of only 7F. It was too cold to stay out observing for long periods.

Twelve degrees Fahrenheit. Brrr…

I sat in the relatively warm control room browsing the internet, and gathering details of the eclipse to assist my observations. After 5 AM, I took my 6” Dob outside to document the Moon before the eclipse began. After getting my initial lunar images, Mars and Saturn were briefly targeted before retreating into the observatory to warm up again. (I can’t stress enough that I was bundled in many layers, and I was still freezing).

Control pictures of the Moon, before the eclipse started.

The Chicago area was just far enough west to expect to see anything at all. The Moon would enter the penumbra at 5:31 AM CDST, but of course, that is an unobservable event. Most predictions for the region said no noticeable darkening of the lunar surface would occur until around 6:45 AM. Moonset in Lowell was at 7:03 AM, and sunrise at 7:04 AM. Even as the Moon entered the umbra, daylight would be brightening the background sky, lending some uncertainty that much of anything would be observed. Nonetheless, at 6:19 I thought I could tell that the Moon was darkening slightly. I almost thought I was imagining the effect, but some of the pictures I captured had a “ghost” image of the Moon. Those images seem to confirm that the northeast lunar limb was indeed darker than the rest of the satellite.

Moonset: 7:03AM CST.

Sunrise: 7:04 AM CST.

Sky & Telescope

http://www.curtrenz.com/astronomical.html

The southeastern sky beginning to brighten.

Can’t tell here, but I swore the Moon had started to darken slightly.

Moon over the NIRO observatory. The “ghost” image seems to show a darkening of the northeastern lunar limb.

Still brightening.

The partially eclipsed Moon over the 16” telescope, and the Hunter Astrophoto Lab.

Again, notice the ghost image of the Moon.

Finally, a tiny bite seems to taken out of the Moon.

By 6:38 AM it was clear that a small bite had been taken out of the Moon. It was also clear that the Sun was racing up to the southeast horizon as quickly as the Moon was sinking to the northwest horizon. It’s amazing just how fast the Moon drops out of sight when you’re intently observing. With the Purdue University Calumet research observatory just to the northwest of Conway, I had a photogenic conjunction to capture. I also roamed to various points around the observatory to capture the disappearing Moon from interesting vantages. How many opportunities would I have to catch a partially eclipsed Moon setting over these wonderful astronomical facilities?

Strong evidence of Earth’s shadow now, but the Moon wouldn’t be up much longer.

The combined effects of daylight and Earth’s shadow are starting to wash out the lunar surface.

Just about to lose the Moon to the horizon.

The Moon was now gone from ground level.

I caught a few fleeting seconds of The Moon from the pedestrian ramp.

How fitting that I saw Earth’s shadow, the Belt of Venus?

Sunrise.

Frosty telescope.

Of course I also observed the eclipse while I could through my telescope. I have to admit, the view was disappointing, yet I couldn't tear myself away from the eyepiece until the Moon sank behind the trees in the distance. Even then I didn't want to let the moment end, quickly heading up the pedestrian ramp for a higher position, gaining another minute or so before our planet finally rotated too far east to see our companion. I waited for the Sun to peak over the opposite horizon, then went inside to look through my observations. I posted a few of my better images for the world to see, then browsed the internet for pictures coming in from around the world. While waiting for the Sun to melt frost off the telescopes, I did a short solar observation, then closed the roof and called it a session.

Cold astronomer checking out the eclipse online.

Checking out the Sun before heading home.

I finally got to see part of an eclipse through astronomer’s eyes. Being so cold, I’m almost glad it was short, and just before sunrise. A totally visible eclipse would have either turned me into popsicle, or filled my 8GB SD card on my camera. It’s going to be a long wait until the next total lunar eclipse in April 2014. This was just enough to tide me over until then. Of course, we do have a partial eclipse early morning June 4, 2012. With the Venus transit June 5, those will be a busy couple of days.

Solar Filter Project, November 15, 2011

2011-11-17T08:28:00.000-06:00

Never Look at the Sun Through a Telescope Without a Proper Solar Filter

When my Astrozap solar filter film arrived last week, it was very tempting to go grab a pair of scissors and glue the film right across the opening of the closest available scope, especially since Active Region 1339 was crossing the face of the Sun. Obviously, it would have been stupid of me to rush right in. I missed direct viewing of AR1339, but I think waiting to make a correct filter was wiser.

The Astrozap film comes with instructions on making a filter cell, and I followed their advice. To make the cell, they recommended making two masks two fit over the aperture opening, with the filter being glued between them. For the front mask of the cell, I used the lid of a coffee can. The lid was slightly larger than the front of my 4.5” go-to scope, which meant that when the cell was completed, it would be a perfect fit. Since the lid was translucent, I needed the back mask of the cell to block sunlight. I used one of the sheets of cardboard I used for solar projection.

Since a full aperture filter is unnecessary and wasting filter film, I needed to make an offset hole to place the filter. (It seems obvious, but for anybody new to reflecting telescopes, you want to let the light through to the side of the secondary mirror. Put it right smack in the middle, and the secondary mirror blocks the light path, rendering your new solar filter useless). Now I had to figure out how big I needed the aperture of the filter should be. I held several household items to the front of the telescope. Vegetable and soup cans were too big; from the inside of the tube, they extended past the secondary mirror. Finally I found a bottle of baby powder that was almost the right size. The secondary mirror would be blocking the light path, but just barely.

I placed the piece of cardboard to the front of the telescope, and traced the outer perimeter of the optical tube. I cut the cardboard along that outline. It fit perfectly over the front of the telescope, and was slightly smaller than the inside of the coffee lid. Good. Now I used the baby powder bottle as a template on the cardboard aperture mask. I figured out where the hole should be located, and again traced out where to cut. This cut was trickier, but my small pocket knife did the job.

Astrozap recommends using strips of poster board glued together to attach the filter cell to the OTA. I happened to have an old sheet of poster board on hand. Three strips between the filter and cardboard made a snug fit, not too tight. I glued the strips inside the lid. Placing the cardboard into what was now the front of the cell, I traced the aperture hole onto the lid, and again cut it out with scissors.

At this point, I still hadn’t cut the film. I wasn’t committed to anything. I could wait and find something better, or I could cut, and live with it. I cut. I should have measured and marked the film, but I didn’t. I was reluctant to handle it any more than absolutely necessary. Instead I made incisions slightly larger than my aperture hole, and slowly extended them in straight lines until the two intersected. Now I had to complete the project.

I glued the filter to the cardboard, and when that dried, I glued the cardboard inside the front of the cell, the coffee lid. Done. I waited for the glue to dry, then tested it. Works great. Counted a whopping ten sunspots, the larger ones showing nice dark cores. The large sunspots even took magnification pretty well. Also, a yellow filter on the eyepieces spruces up the plain white image. Imaging seems to be tricky, but I haven’t played around enough to know if I’ll be able to get good images of the Venus transit, but I still have 200 days to figure that out.

Note: I did have to re-glue everything Wednesday. I don't know if I didn't use enough glue the first time, if it was the cold weather, or something else that caused the glue failure. If it doesn't hold this time, I'll have to try better glue.

The middle of the filter cell.

Both halves of the filter cell.

Double checking the fit over the OTA before gluing the cell together.

The secondary mirror just barely blocks the light path.

The completed filter cell.

Enjoying the view.

Io Transit, Ganymede Occultation, October 27-28, 2011

2011-10-31T13:08:00.006-05:00

One of the reasons I love observing the Jovian system and our own Moon is that they give us some of the best chances to see the universe in motion, in real time. When I have the time, I love watching those four little dots dance around Jupiter, or watching the terminator creep along the lunar surface. Stellar occultations by the Moon are nice when you can get them, but one of the easiest ways to see our solar system in motion is through the Galilean Satellites. When Chicago Astronomer Curt informed us of not only an Io transit, but an occultation of Ganymede, and an occultation of Io’s shadow by Io itself, I was really hoping for clear skies. Mostly, the sky cooperated with me.

To get the best images I could, I used the 16” LX200 at Conway Observatory. I used my own 25mm 1.25” eyepiece with a 2x Barlow lens, because that particular eyepiece is easiest to use with my point and shoot camera. For most of the images I used a yellow filter (I think #12?) to reduce the glare from Jupiter, without dimming Io and Ganymede too much.

All timings are based on direct visual observations.

Io’s first contact was at 10:19 PM CDST.

Io’s second contact was at 10:23 PMCDST.

Ganymede was noticed dimming, entering Jupiter’s shadow at 10:43 PM CDST.

Ganymede was fully eclipsed at 10:45 PM CDST.

Io’s third contact was at 12:27 AM CDST

Ganymede was observed at 12:29 AM CDST (I was watching intently as Io was crossing Jupiter’s limb, and didn’t observe the exact moment Ganymede reappeared).

Io’s fourth contact was at 12:32 AM CDST.

Curt's predicted events times.

http://www.curtrenz.com/astronomical.html

Visual timings are hard, and the seeing conditions left a lot to be desired. Throw in freezing temps later in the night, and I spent a lot of time down in the heated control room.

I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the events.

Chicago Astronomers Wrap Up Season with Chicago Park District

2011-10-31T11:50:00.001-05:00

As always with a Chicago Astronomer session, do yourself a favor, and read the full account here.

When we do astronomy sessions for the Chicago Park District, I try to arrive early when traveling to a park I’ve never been to, in case I get lost. With the last Chicago Park District-Chicago Astronomer session of the year at Palmisano Park at 29^th & Halstead, near the White Sox ballpark, there was little chance of me getting lost. I arrived early anyway, because I like to set up in daylight, and scout the surroundings.

Our set up site at 29th & Halsted.

I wandered around, and climbed the hill. The top of the hill would have put us above the pesky streetlights that hinder sidewalk observing, but it was agreed that it was too far too haul heavy equipment, and would cut down on foot traffic. And, it was kind of muddy. The top of the hill, though, provides a nice view of the city skyline, and the power plant smoke stack that we see so often in Joe’s alley observation pictures. I even caught a sundog just before sunset.

The downtown sky line from the top of the hill.

Not the best sundog, but still cool.

After the Sun set, I caught faint rays of sunlight glowing above the horizon. They're still hard to see in these pictures, but I've manipulated the color and contrast to try to show the rays better.

I started getting ready just before Rich arrived, with Joe following shortly after. Joe brought out the “sewer pipe” Dob for me to use. I had seen it in pictures, but never in action. I wasn’t sure what to expect from it. I’ll come back to it’s performance later. Even before full darkness fell, and before telescopes were ready for viewing, we started drawing a crowd. For the first time at a Park District observation, there were even visitors seeking us out.

The "sewer pipe" Dob makes a rare appearance.

Joe prepping the C11 mount.

Rich's 10" Dob is almost ready to go.

The sewer pipe Dob was heavy, and a bit awkward to carry, so it took both Joe and I to carry and set up. There was no sort of finder scope for the Dob, so Rich lent his Telrad to make finding things a little easier for me. Under so many streetlights, it’s difficult enough to find celestial delights; with no way to scout the sky, it’s almost impossible. We wrapped the Telrad with duct tape to attach it to the OTA, which worked for awhile. At some point though, it was bumped into, and never held just right after that, even when wrapping it with more tape. At that point, I gave up on the scope until Jupiter was up, which wasn't long after. The sewer pipe gave nice Jovian views, at both low and high magnifications. At the end of the night I recommended to Joe that the scope was worth trying to modify for more regular service.

I showed Albireo with the sewer pipe Dob until the problem with the Telrad. At that point, I capped it, and set up my own Dob. Within a few minutes, however, Jupiter had risen above the neighboring buildings, and I kept both scopes targeting the Jovian system the rest of the night. It was quite a bit of work to keep up with both scopes, but it cut down the waiting time. Also, being nearest the intersection, I think it fell to me to make first contact with many of our visitors, keeping me even busier. I felt up to the task.

The C11 always draws a crowd.

Bill made a brief visit, checking out Jupiter.

Think we had enough scopes showing Jupiter?

Patrick was able to snag some tougher targets with his go-to scope.

It's always good to make friends with Chicago Police.

Rich handled the last of the crowd while the rest of us packed our gear.

When Jupiter first rose, only three satellites were visible. When a fourth Moon emerged, it was correctly assumed to be Io. However, shortly after, I noticed a shadow on one of the cloud bands, and assumed that Io must have transited, and now it’s shadow was crossing the planet. After checking Redshift, I now know that Io was occulted behind Jupiter, and the shadow most likely belonged to Europa, or possibly Ganymede. It could not have been Io’s though. It was still fun to show the solar system in motion.

Patrick was the last of our astronomers to show up, and I didn’t have a chance to talk to him before we set up. Despite an almost non-stop stream of visitors, I snuck off at one point to check out what he was viewing. From a distance I figured it was either Andromeda Galaxy or the Double Cluster. I was treated to a quick peek at our neighbor galaxy. Ah, the benefit of a go-to scope under bright streetlights.

It was a cold session, but with the constant action, I hardly felt it. I did notice dew nearly everywhere, though. The time zipped by, and before I knew, Heather from the park district advised that we should call it a night and pack up. We were still drawing a crowd though, and Rich handled the late comers while the rest of us got ready to leave. We took a parting group picture, but for Patrick, his friend Jason, and me, our night of observing was about to begin in earnest. They followed me to back to Indiana for more viewing at Conway Observatory until the wee hours. The session at Palmisano Park, wrapping up the observing season for the Chicago Park District, felt like an overwhelming success, and I’m already looking forward to helping out again next year, if they wish to continue the program.

Columbia College, Chicago, 4 OCT 2011

2011-10-29T16:01:00.003-05:00

Do yourself a favor: read the full story and see all the pictures at Chicago Astronomer.

You're still here? Thanks, but you're missing out.

Sometime this past summer, the Museum of Contemporary Photography of Chicago's Columbia College contacted Chicago Astronomer Joe Guzman about a joint observation. Joe then asked me to participate, and I was honored to be asked. Originally scheduled for September 8 to coincide with the opening of the exhibit "Our Origins," it was pushed back to October 4 due to weather. The October session was tied into a talk by Kathryn Schaffer, PhD, entitled, "Beyond Visibility: Photography and our Connection to the Cosmos." After the lecture, guests would be invited to cross Michigan Avenue to Grant Park, where Joe and I would be showcasing the 8 day old Moon, and later Jupiter.

The plan was for me to meet Joe at his house, load my equipment into his van, and carpool to the downtown college. I arrived in the city way too early, so I drove downtown to try to get a glimpse of the observation site. When I finally turned onto Michigan Ave., it was from Harrison St. I didn't know it, but we later set up right across the street. As I was sitting at the light waiting to turn, I saw Chicago Astronomer Steve come around the corner. I honked and waved, but he didn't see me. What are the odds?

I showed up at Joe's house just in time to transfer my equipment and get to the college. Chicago Astronomer Support Crew Barbara and our Columbia College liaison Corrine were waiting for us on the southeast corner of Michigan & Harrison. Joe double parked on the street long enough for us to unload the gear, then left to park his van at the school parking lot. When he returned, he hurried to set up his scope, as my Dobsonian was ready to go in just the few minutes Joe was gone.

What a backdrop! Michigan Ave, the Magnificent Mile! Grant Park!

Two Chicago Astronomers, ready to show other worlds to the city. Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Right away there was a small crowd eager to see the Moon. We always get good crowds when we set up near Adler Planetarium, but this was different. The college students were full of energy, and were especially eager to soak up any insight we could provide, and gather plenty of lunar photons to their eyes. The enthusiasm was contagious, as passersby on Michigan Ave. stopped to get in on the action. Even they were more attentive than the more relaxed and casual visitors we encounter near Adler.

Right away I had an audience ready to see the Moon. Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

The night before, I noticed that libration had rotated the visual western limb towards us, allowing a small peek onto the "far side" of the Moon. I pointed this out at every chance, and used my 3' laminated lunar map to show what to look for.

A favorable libration let us see the "far" side of the Moon.

Since early in the observing season, Barbara has been at many Chicago Astronomer sessions, making first contact with many visitors, allowing those of us with telecopes to attend directly to those looking through our scopes at the moment. I know she's done a great job facilitating viewing, but I finally had a chance to really notice it. Despite the almost non-stop viewing at my telescope, I was able to see Barbara pulling in the crowd, engaging them, and directing people to our telescopes. She allowed Joe and I to stay focused on the individual observing experience, instead of being pulled in many different directions at one time. Big thanks to Barbara for her effort.

Having Barbara on site to assist is a tremendous help.

Chicago Astronomer Tom dropped by for awhile, and helped document the event.

Tom got his camera ready while I changed eyepieces. Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Tom Lee.

Photo credit: Tom Lee.

Photo credit: Tom Lee.

Photo credit: Tom Lee.

Photo credit: Tom Lee.

Photo credit: Tom Lee.

Photo credit: Tom Lee.

Photo credit: Tom Lee.

Photo credit: Tom Lee.

And of course, Chicago Police always come see what's going on. We're glad they do.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Since most of our early visitors were aware that Jupiter would rise to visibility around 8:15, many waited around to see it. When it finally cleared a distant tree, I re-positioned my Dob a few feet south to get a clear view. We lost the Moon to the skyscrapers across the street soon after Jupiter rose, but for a few minutes I was able to go back and forth between them with ease. Joe wasn't so lucky. He had an obstructed view to the east, and we had to drag the C11 Beast a few feet so that he could capture the Jovian system.

Jupiter has always been my favorite planet to observe. Saturn and it's glorious rings are the obvious crowd pleasers, but with our especially attentive audience, the Jovian system was a joy to show off. It's low position in the sky didn't allow for good high magnification viewing, but at low power Jupiter was looking darn impressive. And those four little dots accompanying the gas giant got plenty of attention too, especially when I stated that their sizes roughly compare to our own Moon.

Just before we lost the Moon behind the skyscrapers across Michigan Ave. For a few minutes I was able to go back and forth between Jupiter and Luna, but not for long.

After the Moon dropped behind the skyline.

We had to move the C11 a few feet so Joe could show Jupiter through the obstruction.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

By 9 PM, Corrine had told us that our obligation to the college was met, and that we could stay as long as we wished, or until the park closed. By that time, foot traffic was thinning out, and we decided to break down the site not long after 9:00. Joe and I parted ways with Barbara when her bus came, then we left too. To celebrate a successful observation with 78 visitors, Joe treated me to my first Maxwell St. hot dog. (If you have a Chicago style hot dog, chances are it's copying the famous Maxwell St. dogs). We sat there discussing how we got involved in public astronomy, and the future of the Chicago Astronomer organization. We both see big things ahead, but it will take a lot of work. The payoff, though, could be well worth it.

Joe with Corrine, the organizer from Columbia College. Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Photo credit: Tom Lee.

L-R: Joe, me, Barbara. The crew getting ready to wrap up a fun night. Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

Just before I dig in to my first Maxwell St. dog. Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

As Joe drove back to his house, he took me past a few locations that might be promising observation sites someday. After loading my equipment into my car, we hung around in the alley for a few minutes. Joe showed me the marks on the ground where he set up the C11 (to aid in polar aligning), and the view through the trees and power lines where he saw the M101 supernova last month. I also saw the Chevelle in his garage for the first time since it's involvement in a hit-and-run crash in June 2010. Running on little sleep though, I soon had to head home and get to bed. It was a high energy session, and one of the most fun times I've had sharing the sky with the public.

Photo credit: Chicago Astronomer.

"Success!"

Equinox Sunrise, September 23, 2011

2011-10-13T08:45:00.002-05:00

Well, I think I'm finally ready to write my blog again after taking most of the summer off. I'm going to post some older stories, starting with this one to start autumn.

I’ve wanted to do an equinox sunrise observation for a long time now, but it’s never worked out. Last Friday morning, however, I was free, and a quick check of the weather satellite looked promising. The plan was to get to Adler before sunrise. With the wide open horizon over Lake Michigan, all I needed was a clear sky to catch the Sun’s first rays of autumn. The rocks at the center of the spiral stones are supposed be aligned perfectly east-west, and I wanted to get pictures of the Sun rising right between the stones.

When I left home, I looked up and saw the waning crescent Moon, Mars, Jupiter, and the bright stars of the winter constellations. There were a few scattered clouds to the west, but not enough to consider staying home.

I got to Adler just after 6 AM. Sunrise was at 6:40, about 2 ½ hours after the equinox. The sky was already starting to brighten, revealing clouds in nearly every direction, with the worst over the eastern horizon. I walked down to the Lake, then came back to my car to get my table, computer, and solar scope. Just as I had everything ready to carry to the observation site, rain came pouring down. Not cool!

I sat in my car Facebooking while the rain came down hard. By 6:25 the rain had let up, but hadn’t stopped. Around 6:35 the rain finally moved on. With no real hope of catching the Sun peaking across the Lake, I only took my “new” camera down the spiral stones, dodging puddles along the way. There was a channel 7 news crew parked on the other side of Solidarity Drive, and a group of women with Adler umbrellas briefly gathered as the rain fizzled out. I got the impression the women were there to see the sunrise too, but I wondered if the news crew was there for the equinox or news about the UARS satellite that was expected to fall out of orbit later that night.

I took plenty of pictures documenting the sky conditions, but never saw even a hint of the Sun. Rain could be seen falling in the distance over the Lake, but the clouds over the horizon never seemed to move. I waited almost an hour to see the Sun, but it was in vain.

(Ignore the date and times on the pictures. I was using a camera for the first time, and didn't realize the date and time were not set).

I'm not sure why Channel 7 was at Adler.

These four stones are supposed to be aligned N-S, E-W.

Looking due east at 6:40 AM (sunrise time).

It looked like it was raining over Lake Michigan.

I watched a ship travel north, most likely leaving one of our Northwest Indiana steel mills, or the Port of Indiana.

Still under a dark cloud, but it didn't rain again.

A little pink on the southeast horizon, but no Sun.

Trying to make the best of a clouded out observation.

And, of course, the obligatory skyline pics.

It was a dreary morning. Other than a few joggers, these two birds were the only signs of life.

I saw this duck on the Lake, and snapped some shots as it flew away.

I finally found a clear sky driving home on the Dan Ryan Expressway. Only a few miles south I could have seen the equinox sunrise, and almost certainly would have seen it from home. Driving to the place that I thought would have the best sight line turned out to be a mistake. I drove right under the edge of a rain system that had developed after I checked the weather from home. Oh well. It happens, I guess. I’m not waiting until March for another sunrise observation, though. There are gaps in the spiral stones that are supposed to align with the solstice sunrises and sunsets. I hadn’t really noticed them before, but if the weather is looking good for the winter solstice, I’ll be back to document it.

On the winter solstice, the Sun should rise between these stones...

...and set between these stones.

Summer solstice sunrise position...

... and summer solstice sunset position.

I will have to go back and verify these. :)

InOMN Valpo, Oct. 8, 2011

2011-10-12T07:53:00.006-05:00

Astronomers were in high demand everywhere last Saturday, October 8th. I was asked to work at three different sites for International Observe the Moon Night, including with Chicago Astronomers, but had to turn them all down. I wanted to do a hometown session. Calumet Astronomical Society had a Girl Scout event in Country Club Hills, and in the west or near-northwest suburbs (I've forgotten exactly where). Indeed, people like us were in high demand all over the planet for InOMN 2011.

Since the date of InOMN 2011 was announced a few months ago, I'd planned to do a session at Valpo's new Central Park Plaza, sometimes referred to as Valpo's Millennium Park. The lighting in the area make it hostile for astronomy, but it's central location in the city makes for decent foot traffic. I spent four nights there from October 1st through the 6th, getting familiar with both the location and our Moon.

I invited my friends through Facebook, my atheist Meet-up group, and asked for any interested astronomers to join me on the private CASX boards, but otherwise didn't promote it. I had a few people interested, and Calumet Astronomical Society member Jeff offered to bring out an extra scope. Hillary came along as photographer and astronomer, giving us a total of three crew members, and four telescopes.

Hillary and I had pizza at Greek's Pizza, just on the other side of the park, then walked over at 6 PM to set up. Jeff arrived as we were hauling out our gear. I took my time setting up, walking around the park taking pictures of the park before sunset.

Hillary & Jeff.

Hillary with her 60mm shorty refractor.

Me with my 4.5" go-to Newtonian.

Jeff with his 8" LX90.

Already starting to attract attention.

I had to move my Dob for the early visitors while we waited for the Moon to clear the bank next to the park.

Jeff brought an 8” Meade LX90, Hillary her 60mm shorty refractor, and I had my 4.5” go-to and 6”Dobsonian. Hillary and I offered low powered lunar views all night, while Jeff opted for higher magnification, and a neutral density filter for more comfortable viewing. I had a small lunar map clipped to the side of my go-to Newt, and Jeff and I both sported 3 ft. wide laminated maps. I used mine often, as the large basin Shickard was placed right on the terminator. It’s western rim was illuminated, but the crater was in deep shadow, and drew a lot of attention. I also had to frequently explain the formation of maria, and that they are much younger than the heavily cratered highlands.

Hillary and Jeff stayed with the Moon all night, but once Jupiter appeared over the rooftops on Lincolnway, I positioned my Dob to show it as well. And to tie the Jovian experience to InOMN, I pointed out that those little points of light to either side of Jupiter, the wonderful and varied Galilean Moons, were roughly the same size as our Moon. Really, compared to the gas giant, they’re not much smaller than Earth. That help give a scale of distance, as well as pointing out that the light they’re seeing from the Jovian system took about 40 minutes to reach their eye.

I used my Dob, which was big enough to show the Jovian system well, yet easy to move, for views of Jupiter and the Galilean Moons.

The large crater Shickard, lying along the southern terminator, was frequently asked about.

Nobody counted, but the three of us easily attended to over one hundred visitors before calling it quits just before 10 PM. Between all the telescopes, red lights blinking everywhere, and me flashing my green laser around the park, we drew in a crowd larger than I think I could handle on my own. Thanks to Hillary and Jeff for helping out, and making it a fantastic night for all.

A parting crew shot. Many thanks to Jeff and Hillary for coming out, and making this a fun, informative event.

Read about the Chicago Astronomer InOMN event near Adler Planetarium.

Indiana Family Star Party 2011

2011-08-24T07:50:00.000-05:00

I have a LOT of work to do on this post (copying and pasting mostly, but the sources are scattered), but I would like to post it in it's entirety here on my blog. This was a fun time though, and the full story and photos can be found on the Chicago Astronomer forum.

I should have never let myself fall so far behind in my posting, so bear with me while I get some old stories finished and posted. Many can be found at Chicago Astronomer, but I would like to post some exclusive content here when I get caught up. Thanks for reading.

Occultation of Pi Sagittarii, August 10, 2011

2011-08-19T14:55:00.004-05:00

Wednesday, August 10, was a work night, so I couldn’t make it to the Chicago Astronomer session. Besides, I wanted to observe the Pi Sagittarii occultation uninterrupted. Hillary wanted to see the occultation too, but the Moon was low, and she has tall trees behind her house. We went to Gilbert Park in Portage for an unobstructed, uninterrupted observation.

My plan was to document the immersion and emersion times through multiple telescopes and cameras. Without practice, though, nothing went according to plan. My 4.5” Newtonian is too badly out of collimation for useful observation at high magnification, but I wanted to use it. I figured I could run my Mead camera to my computer to help keep an eye on Pi Sagittarii while I was away from the eyepiece of my 6” Dob. That probably would have worked, but the batteries were almost dead, and the scope wasn’t tracking properly.

The plan for my Dob was to get pictures with one of my Logitech webcams, since the webcam images have a timestamp. I had forgotten that my testing of the webcam for lunar images hadn’t been good, and wasn’t getting quality images. As a last resort, I was forced to use my Vivitar point and shoot camera, without a timestamp for each image. Something is better than nothing.

As soon as I had the Dob ready to go around 8:30 PM CDST, I could see Pi Sagittarii already near the northeast lunar limb. Hillary could also see it with her 60mm shorty refractor. I didn’t have much time before Curt’s predicted immersio, and was spending more time trying to eliminate problems than observing. As Luna drew ever closer to Pi Sagittarii, I had to focus on getting whatever I could, and be ready to check the time as soon as the star disappeared behind the lunar limb. I had a small window open with a Cartes du Ciel time displayed in CDST, and UTC for my timings.

Webcam images. Not as good as I was hoping they would be.

I was expecting immersion ahead of Curt’s predicted time, and really wanted to get a video of when the star disappeared. When the predicted time rolled around, the star was still visible. I was getting my camera ready for video, but wasn’t shooting yet when I couldn’t see Pi Sagittarii on the video screen anymore. I double checked at the eyepiece, and it was gone. The time was 8:53:50 PM CDST. I took a few pictures of the Moon while the star was occulted, then shut down my computer to save battery, and enjoyed the last of my Dairy Queen chocolate shake.

Pi Sagittarii nearing the dark, leading lunar limb.

I had another set of batteries for my go-to Newt in my astronomy case, but they too were dead, and that scope was rendered useless the rest of the observation. I didn’t do much observing throughout the occultation, and just kind of hung out with Hillary until the emersion time approached. The emersion was behind schedule, and I was diligently watching through my 25mm eyepiece, waiting. I picked it out immediately, and noted the time (on the back of my hand) as 9:51:04 PM CDST. My first sets of images after emersion weren’t very successful, but as the Moon moved further from it, Pi Sagitarii became increasingly easier to capture out of the lunar glare. After only a few minutes of watching the two separate, it was time to pack up, take Hillary home, and go to work.

I thought I was well prepared for a great observation.

Hillary waiting for Pi Sagittarii to emerge from behind the Moon.

Luna during the occultation.

Pi Sagittarii just after emersion.

This was the third time I’ve caught at least part of a lunar occultation. I’ve also timed transits and shadow transits of the Galilean Moons in the Jovian system. I haven’t documented any of them as well as I would like to, but they are all learning experiences. I use these events to help train myself for the BIG ONE, next year’s transit of Venus across the face of the Sun. I’d like to gather scientifically useful data that can be used to measure solar parallax during that event, according to the method of French astronomer Delisle. I think I can do it, and every time I document a lunar occultation or Galilean transit, I hone my skills and methods for that last chance at the Venus transit.

Chicago Astronomers Enjoy a Dark Sky at Conway Observatory

2011-07-04T20:50:00.002-05:00

So many times I have to leave Adler star parties early to go to work, but last Tuesday I left to spend the rest of the night observing at Conway Observatory. New Chicago Astronomer Tom Lee has been taking an astrophotography class there at my suggestion on a Chicago Astronomer discussion board. Tom has had an interest in photography for some time, and was looking for something new to try. While he doesn't yet have a telescope, he's been coming out to Chicago Astronomer star parties, and learning astronomy and astrophotography through the CAS class.

I told Tom when he started his astrophotography class that I would try to join him after the class ended for extended observing. Tuesday was my first chance to get out there when the class was over, so I felt I owed it to Tom to be back as early as possible. (And, of course, I wanted to get under a dark sky with a big aperture scope). I parted ways with Joe and the guys, and Bill followed us back to the Hoosier state for a few hours of great observing.

One of my biggest hopes for the Conway session was to be part of a Chicago Astronomer team imaging the M51 supernova using the 6” refractor at the new Hunter Astrophoto Lab. When we arrived, however, Calumet Astronomical Society President Chris Brownewell and another Tom were working to adjust the polar alignment on that telescope. Hillary, Tom, and I showed Bill around the observatory before getting down to some deep sky viewing.

I opened the roof for the 16” observing deck while Bill and Tom staked out spots on the concrete pad below. I admit I went with some easy targets, but the point was to be viewing for as long as possible, not tracking down especially faint fuzzies and star hopping. Here is what I remember targeting in the 16” telescope:

M57- Low and high power views, and with a light pollution filter. This ain’t no faint smoke ring out here.

M8- The M42 of summer, looking great from binoculars to high power eyepieces. I regret not trying to filter it.

M70- One of three easy globular clusters along the bottom of the Teapot.

M69- Between M70 and M54.

M54- The easternmost of these 3 globs. Nice and compact; my favorite of the three.

M4- The Antares glob. Just by being so close to my favorite star, it should be my favorite globular. It’s a very loose cluster, though, and I’m fond of tight, spherical globs.

M31- First time I’ve seen it in the 16”. Felt like I could reach right across those 2.5 million light years.

Jupiter- Best look yet at the Jovian system this summer. SEB was definitely back in full force.

I was also observing from the ground with my 6” Dob, and my 16x50 binoculars were passed around more than a few times. Three and a half hours flew by like mere minutes. At 3:30 AM it was time to start shutting down for the night. By the time we were ready to leave 20 minutes later, Luna surprised us over the northeastern treeline. Twilight was already washing out eastern stars, so I think we exploited the night almost to the fullest.

Thanks to Bill, Tom, and Hillary for hanging out well past their normal bedtimes. For a session that sprung up kind of at the last minute, it was a good one. Both at Adler and at Conway Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, I had rather short observing lists. That’s okay, because spending time with friends was the most enjoyable part.

M8, Lagoon Nebula. Photo credit: Bill Chiu.

Trifid Nebula. Photo credit: Bill Chiu.

M22. Photo credit: Bill Chiu.

M27, Dumbell Nebula. Photo credit: Bill Chiu.

Double Cluster in Perseus. Photo credit: Tom Lee.

Left to right: Tom, me, Hillary, Bill. All group picture credits: Tom Lee.

Chicago Astronomers Star Party at Adler, June 28, 2011

2011-07-04T20:48:00.003-05:00

It’s been awhile since I was excited about a night of observing as I was all day Tuesday, but I just knew it was going to be a great night. I was anticipating a great session with Joe and the crew at Adler before heading back to Conway Observatory to observe with Chicago Astronomer Tom. Just before leaving for Adler I saw a message from Bill saying he was going to follow me back to Indiana for some deep sky imaging. Even better.

As with others, I was unsure how the parking situation on Solidarity Drive would be, and arrived early to find Rich and Joe already there. We had plenty of time to set up our telescopes and equipment at a leisurely pace, discussing the arrangement of the various finders on Joe’s recently modified C11, webcam astronomy, International Space Station flyover details, and other things. I even brought out my 60mm refractor to check out a blank solar disk. Soon Chicago Astronomers Steve and Bill arrived, and my friend Jerry rode the Blue Line down to join us. Anticipation was building among astronomers and passersby wondering why so many of us were out with telescopes.

Telescope row.

Joe prepping the recently modified C11.

Hillary and Jerry.

Steve and Joe.

Photo credit: Rich Wagner.

Before sunset, we had a couple of interesting fly-bys, one a biplane coming up the southern lakefront, and a Coast Guard chopper that swooped down over North Lakeshore Drive. Our first ISS flyover was at 8:32, but the twilight was too bright to pick it up as it crossed 21 degrees over the northern horizon. Still we had quite a crowd looking for it. Even though I didn’t see Station, I waved anyway. There would be a good flyover after 10 PM.

An interesting fly-by from a biplane.

U.S. Coast Guard chopper. Photo credit: Joe Guzman.

Watching for International Space Station.

Steve looking for ISS. Photo credit: Joe Guzman.

Tommy (behind C11 counterweight), unknown, Joe, me, Hillary, Jerry, Rich. Photo credit: Joe Guzman.

Rich and his monster Zhumell 10" Dob. Photo credit: Joe Guzman.

A look down telescope row. Photo credit: Joe Guzman.

We had a nice Belt of Venus out over Lake Michigan.

Joe pointed out the Belt of Venus to me, but I was already getting pictures.

Waiting for Saturn to pop out of the twilight.

There has been some discussion on the C.A. boards lately about webcam astronomy, with Joe and Rich experimenting with it recently. I have a couple of webcams that I’d like to try, but for now I have a cheap Meade CCD camera that can record either still planetary and lunar images or video. I wasn’t going to record anything, but I knew that with a large crowd on site, showing Saturn live on my laptop screen would go over well while visitors waited to see it in other telescopes. When things were slower, though, I popped in an eyepiece for viewing, because nothing compares the photons reflected by those glorious, icy rings hitting directly to your retina.

Bill has a look at Saturn in the C11. Photo credit: Joe Guzman.

I was running a live view of Saturn through a CCD webcam to my computer, while also running Cartes du Ciel to determine the position of the moons. Photo credit: Joe Guzman.

Joe catches Hillary...

...dancing??? Photo credits: Joe Guzman.

Jerry and Hillary. Photo creit: Joe Guzman.

Of course I was also giving looks at the ringed planet through the eyepiece. Photo credit: Joe Guzman.

Viewing Saturn via webcam is cool, but nothing compares to seeing it through the eyepiece. Photo credit: Joe Guzman.

Saturn, of course, was a hit, but many people wanted more. When I heard Joe talking about Mizar and Alcor, I was quick to slew over to the double star. I really wanted to show M57, but there was so much light pouring down the tube of my Dob that I don’t think anybody but Bill and I saw it.

Bill targets M57 through the glare in Rich's Dob. Photo credit: Joe Guzman.

Viewing M57 in Rich's Dob, while Steve scans the sky near his refractor. Photo credit: Joe Guzman.

Everybody has a good time at Chicago Astronomer star parties. Photo credit: Joe Guzman.

Photo credit: Joe Guzman.

Joe prepares to catch ISS when it passed at 10:08 PM. Photo credit: Joe Guzman.

International Space Station. Photo credit: Joe Guzman.

Time to go. Photo credit: Joe Guzman.

As the second ISS pass approached, I started packing away my equipment. So many times I have to leave Adler star parties early to go to work, but this time I was leaving to spend the rest of the night observing. I told Tom when he started his astrophotography class that I would try to join him after the class ended for extended observing. Tuesday was my first chance to get out there when the class was over, so I felt I owed it to Tom to be back as early as possible. (And, of course, I wanted to get under a dark sky with a big aperture scope). I parted ways with Joe and the guys, and Bill followed us back to the Hoosier state for a few hours of great observing. That story is be posted here.

Full Chicago Astronomer coverage can be found on the links below.

http://astronomer.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=StarParty&thread=3264&page=1

http://elenin.paranomalo.us/2011/06/chicago-astronomer-star-party-at-the-adler-june-28-2011/

Summer Solstice Observation

2011-06-22T16:58:00.000-05:00

If I was independently wealthy, I could spend my days observing the motion of the Sun through the sky every clear day. Then, using a gnomon and marking the Sun’s shadow throughout the days and weeks of the year, I would have known the summer solstice was yesterday at 12:16 PM CDST. Since I don’t have the time to devote to those observations, I have to trust that every astronomical source listed that time as the point when the Sun shined directly over the Tropic of Cancer.

With a partly sunny day, I decided I would observe the Sun as it reached the solstice. The main point of the observation was to see how high the Sun appeared, both at the moment of solstice, and local high noon. Fortunately, here in Northwest Indiana, those two times were close together.

This was supposed to be a picture of date and time on my computer desktop gadgets, but all I got was my own reflection due to the strong sunlight.

The telescope was pointed very high, looking at the Sun just after the solstice, but before local high noon.

One large sunspot was near the center of the solar disk.

Looking high at the Sun.

Using one of the tripod legs of the solar telescope as a gnomon, I found that the Sun transited my central meridian at 12:48 PM CDST, only 32 minutes past the solstice. I wonder how rare it is for the summer solstice to fall so close to local high noon?

I used the front leg of the tripod as a gnomon. The crack in the patio runs north-south. The shadow is not yet covering the crack.

Approaching high noon.

Clouds rolling in threatened to ruin my high noon observation. Shadows faded, but didn't disappear.

The Sun reached the central meridian, it's highest point, at 12:48 CDST, thirty-two minutes after solstice.

The Sun was now past the meridian, and I ended the observation.

Today’s sunset will be a little earlier than yesterday, and a little further south, until we reach the winter solstice in December. As an astronomer, I welcome the longer nights, and will appreciate that the summer Sun won’t be quite as high when I’m observing sunspots (or other solar features).

The 2012 Venus Transit

2011-06-17T18:18:00.007-05:00

For those who are unaware, roughly twice each century, Venus passes directly between the Sun and Earth, and are called transits. In 1677, after observing a transit of Mercury across the face of the Sun, Edmund Halley concluded that future transits could be used to determine solar parallax, and thus the distance to the sun, but that the rare Venus transits would be more useful. Halley then devised a system in which observers at multiple locations of widely separated latitudes would merely need to precisely time the transit from the moment the planet appears entirely on the disk of the sun until the moment the planet appears to make contact with the limb of the sun upon exiting. Obviously, this required that observation posts be located in zones where the entire transit was visible.

Jean-Nicolas Delisle, overseeing French preparations for the 1761 Transit of Venus, recognized that cloud cover at either point of contact would negate the entire operation. Instead, Delisle posited that parallax could be determined by timing either the beginning of transit (ingress), or the end (egress), and would reduce the chance of the interference of weather. Observing just one stage of transit, however, meant that it must be recorded in universal time, which would require knowing the exact longitude of the observation sites.

With precise timings, both the Halleyan and Delislean methods could be used to determine solar parallax. However, in 1761 precise timings proved to be difficult because of unanticipated visual phenomena. The first was that as Venus neared the limb of the sun, a bright ring seemed to encircle the planet. At the time, it was not known that Venus had an atmosphere, and that the ring was caused by refraction of sunlight as it passed through the Venusian atmosphere. Another unexpected problem was that the dark shape of Venus appeared to blur, as if it were a black drop, as it passed near the edge of the sun, the critical part of the observation. While observations of the 1761 Venus transit produced a range of solar parallax, the difficulties of dealing with these optical effects did not produce a consistent value. Taken by surprise, astronomers immediately began thinking about ways to reduce the effects for observations of the 1769 transit.

When the 1769 transit failed to considerably improve upon the values of the previous observations, astronomers would have to wait more than 105 years to try again. A new generation, with a century’s worth of technological advances, anticipated the December 1874 Venus transit. With the invention of photography, French astronomer Herve Faye hoped that by capturing the defining moments on plates, the margin of error could be reduced, or possibly eliminated. Still, the same problems persisted, and though the transit was widely observed, reducing the observations to usable data also continued to be a long, tedious process.

In 1882, many nations once again sponsored parties to observe the Venus transit, despite evidence that other methods were returning better results for determining the scale of the solar system. This was partly because the various transit commissions were still in place from 1874, and also because after 1882 there would likely be no other chance to prove either the Halleyan or Delislean methods. While the nineteenth century transits of Venus helped to narrow the range of the AU, they were never as accurate as Halley had once hoped.

After 1882, Venus did not cross in front of the solar disk until 2004. I woke up very early June 8, 2004, and drove to the Adler planetarium, on Chicago’s lakefront museum campus. At sunrise, Venus would again be passing directly between Earth and the Sun. My memory of the details of is fuzzy (like my eyesight), but I saw the shape of Venus in front of the disk of the sun that morning. I had known that transits of Venus were rare events, and that many astronomers had traveled great distances to observe transits, but I did not know at the time why they were important to astronomers.

I’d always had an interest in space and astronomy as a kid, but as a teenager and young adult, I lost most of my love for the starry night. During the 2004 transit, I had seen people along the Chicago lakefront observing with telescopes, but it never occurred to me to ask one of them if I could see for myself. I find it ironic now that my friend Chicago Astronomer Joe Guzman was at Adler, sharing the view with friends and the public. My transit observation, however, was limited to the cheap “eclipse glasses” sold at Adler for a few dollars. That look at Venus in front of the Sun was one of the reasons I came back to astronomy a few years ago. I wanted to see Venus in front of the Sun again, and knew that there would be only one more chance.

I have been waiting for next Venus transit for over seven years now. The transit of June 5-6, 2012 is less than a year away, and I have been spent much time thinking about how I will observe it. I’m formulating a plan, and although I only have modest equipment, I think I can gather data that can be used for the Delislean method of determining solar parallax. I would also like to share this event with the public, but my science observations will be my first priority. I have also been thinking about ways to reduce the possibility of being clouded by traveling on transit day. I will post my observation method soon, so that readers can start planning their own observations. Chicago Astronomer Curt Renz has created a graphic of the transit for observers at Adler Planetarium, and can be found at his website.

Start making your transit plans now, because this is our last chance to see this rare event, and I wish everybody clear skies on transit day!

Much of the information in this post I learned in the book "The Transits of Venus" by William Sheehan and John Westfall. I highly recommend reading it if you’re interested in viewing next year’s transit.

For information about Chicago area Transit of Venus plans, check this Chicago Astronomer forum.

To see a transit diagram for a city near you, check out Curt Renz's Venus Transit page.

For great overall transit information, check out the websites below.

Transit of Venus.org

http://transitofvenus.nl/wp/

And lastly, the authors of the websites above are frequent contributors in the Facebook group Transit of Venus.

Girl Scout Outing at Conway Observatory

2011-05-26T22:00:00.001-05:00

On May 21, Calumet Astronomical Society hosted a group of Girl Scouts and their families at Conway Observatory in Lowell. I got to the observatory about 5:45, 15 minutes before the cookout was supposed to start. CAS members Maureen and Kim were our liaisons for the Girl Scouts. They are both deeply involved with them, and Maureen is a Girl Scout representative to NASA.

The forecast called for scattered storms throughout the afternoon and evening, but from 4 PM on, the general trend was a clearing sky. There was concern that we might not be able to observe after dark, but we were glad to have dodged the afternoon storms, and nothing looked to be approaching. When I arrived at Conway, Chris, Mike, Larry, Maureen, and Kim were getting ready for the visitors. Mike was setting up the grill for the cookout. The solar scope was set up, and the roof was open in the Hunter Astrophoto Lab. I’d seen the night before that the telescope and cameras were installed. The Girl Scouts (and families) hadn’t started arriving yet, so I opened my car, and staked out my piece of the concrete observing circle.

I put my scopes out, but left the dust caps on. Chris was working the solar telescope, and asked me if I wanted to view the Sun. Of course I did! I had borrowed the society’s Coronado personal solar telescope without realizing it rides piggyback on a 6” refractor with a white light filter. He pointed out that there was a prominence off the limb, and also I noticed a filament near the opposite limb.

The Sun with a white light filter...

...and with the Coronado hydrogen alpha filter.

When the visiting families started showing up, Chris asked if I wanted to operate the solar scope for the guests. I jumped at the chance. He showed me how to work the right ascension and declination controls, and I was off. I also used my solar set up, explaining how Galileo first observed sunspots.

CAS members with their telescopes and binoculars set up around the observing pad.

By 6:30 Mike had hamburgers and hot dogs off the grill. Waiting for the kids and visitors to eat, I sat and talked with Jim and Larry. Hillary was going to come, but was offered Railcats baseball tickets at the last minute, so she went to the game with her dad.

Mike cooking on the grill.

After getting a plate of food for myself, I wandered around the observatory and grounds, talking solar astronomy and explaining how the 16” telescope works with families who asked questions.

When the cookout was over, Maureen and Kim had activities planned for the girls, so I had time to get my telescopes ready. I walked over to the Hunter Astrophoto Lab to check out the new telescope. The telescope will be controlled by a netbook computer, or even remotely through a laptop with the proper software installed. The computer had not been installed yet, so I was a little surprised when the telescope started slewing while I was looking at it. I hadn’t touched anything, so I had a feeling Chris was messing with my head. I looked over to the observing pad and saw Chris with his laptop looking back at me. He was testing the system, and I heard later even tried imaging Saturn before dark.

Kim goes over a crater making experiment with a group.

Girls dropping rocks into different powders, creating craters and ejecta.

Of course I showed off the 16" LX200 to visitors checking it out.

My first real look at the Hunter telescope. Little did I know Chris was controlling it with his laptop from below.

With no Moon, everybody was getting anxious waiting for the first stars (and Saturn) to appear after sunset. Finally Arcturus and Saturn shined through the twilight, and there was a buzz around every telescope. There was too much twilight for deep sky objects, so Saturn and double stars such as Alcor/Mizar, and the Double Double in Lyra were the prime targets. The crowd was already thinning out before full darkness set, and even the Calumet astronomers were packing up by 10:30 PM. We did see a few meteors and a bright, high Iridium flare, the Beehive open star cluster, and globular star cluster M5. I tried the galaxies M65 & 66, and M104 to little fanfare.

It seemed like forever before the Sun dropped out of sight and twilight faded so we could observe the night sky!

It was a fun time, even though conditions were not the best. We knew we were lucky to see anything at all given the evening’s forecast. As the last CAS members were getting ready to leave, I knew I was going to stay out until the clouds came in, however late that might be, and I would have the observatory to myself. Just a few hours before I had never seen so many people and telescopes on the grounds, but now I was going to be able to explore the universe alone. Either way is fine with me.

Cold, Fun Star Party at Chicago's Union Park

2011-05-17T18:01:00.000-05:00

I will submit a proper posting when I can, but for now, pleas read the Chicago Astronomer thread about this star party.

Clouds Slightly Hamper Public Observing at Conway Observatory

2011-05-11T16:47:00.000-05:00

Last Friday, May 6, Calumet Astronomical Society was hosting it's monthly public open house at Conway Observatory. The forecast all week had been decent, but of course when showtime came around, it started getting iffy. The sky was clouding up as Hillary and I were on our way to the observatory. We got there very early, let ourselves in, and I called for advice as to how I should update the CAS hotline that night. After updating the hotline, I planned to work on picture editing and writing without the distraction of the internet, but the sky was calling out to me. We went outside.

Conditions were good for sundogs, and we'd seen one while I was driving. I was expecting more, and wasn't let down.

Hillary shot this sundog while I was driving. Better ones awaited us once we arrived at Conway Observatory.

Sundogs are caused by ice crystals in the atmosphere refracting sunlight. The ice crystals are arranged so that the light is refracted by 22 degrees, so sundogs are always found 22 degrees from the Sun. With the Sun about an hour before setting, I had no real good reason to be looking almost straight up, but I looked there anyway, and saw another sort of refraction, something I'd never seen before.

This might have been the coolest thing I have ever seen in the sky!

Once that weird refraction dissipated, I saw a cloud moving in the direction the refraction had appeared. I told Hillary to keep an eye on that spot, because we might see it again. I was right!

With the Sun setting, the clouds were thickening, and the session started looking doubtful. Other members started arriving, opening the roof and setting up telescopes despite the conditions.

Hillary and CAS member Jim, who we sat talking to while watching the clouds roll in at sunset.

Our only look at the Moon early, getting swallowed by clouds almost as soon as it became visible.

Hillary, CAS member Craig, and a reporter from the Post-Tribune in the observatory control room just after opening the roof.

Craig removing the dust cover from the 16" Meade LX200 observatory telescope. We joked with Craig to roll back the clouds when he opened the roofed, but he failed.

Looking down from the observing deck at my car and telescopes on the observing pad.

Jim setting up his telescope. We were planning on handling the observing down on the pad while Craig worked the 16" LX200.

A view of the new Hunter Astrophoto Lab, the newest addition at what is now called the Calumet Astronomy Center, which includes CAS facilities Conway and Hunter, and the nearby Purdue University Calumet NiRO rsearch observatory. The Hunter Astrophoto Lab building is now completed, and the telescope and operating system should be installed this week.

Hillary.

Me.

It was slow at first, but we had a few families show up for the open house on this mostly cloudy night. A few weeks ago I had bought the DVD of "Hubble IMAX," and was watching it in the basement media center to kill time. When visitors arrived to cloudy skies, I told them they could stay and watch the movie, and we would monitor sky conditions for any possible viewing. The Hubble movie was a hit, but when two of the younger girls started dozing off, their parents decided it was time to go. Walking out of the media center, I immediately noticed a sucker hole over the Moon! I was at my Dob in a flash, inviting everybody over for a quick look. As we were showing the Moon, another sucker hole opened up over Saturn, and Jim slewed to it as fast as he could. Just like that the skies were opening up for us, rewarding those who stayed to watch the Hubble movie with celestial delights.

Our targets were few, but Luna, Saturn, and a few bright Messier galaxies were worth the wait for those who stayed. As the visitors left, the rest of the CAS members were closing the observatory. I wasn't going to give up on a clearing sky so quickly, however, and asked them to leave the roof open. I wanted to stay as long as it was clear.

The clear skies didn't last long, however. As I was looking through a star atlas for possible targets, the clouds began marching in again. I had to settle for a quick view of Saturn with the big scope before closing the observatory for the night.

Although we were mostly clouded out, the public open house was deemed a success since our March and April events were totally clouded out. The brief viewing pleased our few guests, and I think they are all eager to return with better weather. Due to other commitments, I won't be able to work another CAS public open house until October, but I hope they have great sessions the rest of the summer, and can't wait for some of our private society observing nights.

Just Checking In

2011-05-06T11:59:00.000-05:00

Well, Global Astronomy Month 2011 has come and gone, but with so many cloudy nights, I really didn't get to do much public outreach. The one pretty good night we had was April 16, after Hillary and I saw astronaut Wendy Lawrence at Star Plaza Theater. After that we went to Conway Observatory for private viewing. Our one good night of sidewalk astronomy was April 9th for the Global Star Party. I haven't written about that yet, but I will as soon as I get a chance.

I have some other things to write about, including a star party last Wednesday night at Adler Planetarium with Joe Guzman and the Chicago Astronomer crew. Last Friday night some Calumet Astronomical Society members tried to have a star party for a group of boyscouts camping out, but of course clouds rolled in just as we were arriving at the aprk to set up. Hillary and I will be teaming up with Chicago Astronomical Society board member Audrey Ficsher and Michigan City, IN resident Larry Silestri to bring a monthly astronomical program to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore from June through September. W are calling it Duneland Astronomy, and have created a Facebook page to help promote it (which you already know if you clicke dthe link). For the moment though, I don't have much time for blogging. That should be changing soon, but bear with me. I'll try to post more, especially as we move into the public observing season.

Former Astronaut Wendy Lawrence Speaks in Northwest Indiana

2011-04-16T15:28:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, April 12, Discoveries Unlimited of Valparaiso and the Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana brought former astronaut Capt. Wendy Lawrence to Star Plaza Theater to speak to kids about the importance of a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. Capt. Lawrence was a naval aviator before joining the astronaut corps, and holds a Masters degree in ocean engineering.

Hillary really wanted to hear Capt. Lawrence speak (I did too). Even better, Hillary’s mom’s employer was a sponsor of the event, so she got us complimentary tickets. There was an exhibition area in the lobby of vendors, geared towards colleges and space themes. Calumet Astronomical Society had considered sponsoring a booth, but decided against it. (Dr. Sally Ride was originally scheduled to be the speaker, but when she had to cancel, CAS lost interest in the event). Attendance was rather low, so maybe they made the right decision, but I couldn’t help thinking that we should have had a presence.

Capt. Lawrence spoke about being inspired to become an astronaut by watching the Apollo 11 Moon landing as a ten year old girl. Entering college, she still had that dream, but was almost talked out of pursuing an engineering degree when upper classmen told her how hard the courses were. She admitted to being talked out of aeronautical engineering, but still pursued an ocean engineering degree. In response to a girl’s question, Lawrence stated that it was not intimidating graduating from the Naval Academy as a women. It was not her gender that limited her opportunities at NASA, but her small stature; she was too small to fit in an EVA spacesuit.

After several years of astronaut training, on March 2, 1995, Lawrence finally lifted off on a space shuttle mission. As flight engineer, she had to work closely with the commander and pilot, but upon reaching orbit, her commander told Lawrence to take a break and look out the window. In that moment, looking down on Earth, she realized that after 25 years of hard work, her dream of flying in space had come true.

During a question and answer session, Lawrence was asked by two school kids questions that I would have liked to ask. Earlier that day, it was announced where the remaining space shuttles would be displayed after retirement. Asked about American astronauts needing to rely on Russian Soyuz capsules for transport to and from International Space Station, Lawrence said she was comfortable with our Russian partners and their reliable vehicle. She went on to say that with private enterprises now developing space vehicles, she thinks there will be far more opportunities for space flight for future generations of astronauts. She ended by saying that she was happy to retire from spaceflight, and looked forward to the day when a new generation of astronauts lands on Mars.

Hillary outside Star Plaza Theater.

Thanks to Hillary's mom, and the Center for Workforce Innovations for providing our tickets.

Introducing Capt. Lawrence.

Capt. Lawrence talking about her space missions.

Hillary and Capt. Lawrence as she signs an autograph for me.

April's New Moon Sighting

2011-04-06T18:28:00.001-05:00

As we do every month, Chicago Astronomers were vying to be the first to spot our satellite in it's new cycle. Last night's forecast of increasing clouds meant little hope for astronomy and seeing April's new Moon, so I was watching the Blackhawks game with Hillary instead. I looked out the window out of habit, and saw the Moon over her neighbor's house. I also saw the clouds creeping in, and hurried outside to capture April's new Moon lunar boat. I took a couple of bad pictures, and checked the time: 8:00 PM CDST.

First shot of April's new Moon.

By 8:20 the clouds were closing in, reflecting the sickly orange lights of the lakefront steel mills nearby. A few minutes later, the Moon was lost for the evening, and after captain Jonathan Toews's bad penalty in overtime, the Blackhawks lost too.

Oh well, they got a point out of the game for forcing overtime, and I won April's New Moon Spotting.

Or so I thought at the time...

Patrick definitely beat me in sighting Luna by fifteen minutes, but didn't get any pictures to document it. Robb saw Luna around the same time as me, but was driving and couldn't take pictures. By default, I win the New Moon Spotting only on account that I documented the event. Whew... I'll take a win any way I can get one!

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