Trailer Committee Report 5/1/14

Dennis Jamison

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Category: Member Articles

Created on Sunday, 11 May 2014 17:34

Summary of the open trailer committee meeting: May 1, 2014.

Jim Fahey proposed to buy a trailer.  Rationale: the club could use a trailer to store and transport our two large telescopes (20- and 24-inch) and other club equipment.

Pros and cons were presented. The final recommendation: the trailer may be a good idea for the future, but it is not presently needed. This recommendation was based on the members’ assessment of where the club is now and how we would like for it to grow.

Most of the members attending the meeting felt the primary motive for purchasing a trailer is transportation of our large telescopes to overnight, out-of-town star parties. At present, we don't have enough members who attend such star parties and are trained to operate the 20- and 24-inch scopes. The 24-inch scope needs some restoration work and, when it is ready to use, it will be limited to members-only star parties (due to risks with its tall ladder).  Therefore it should be stored at Robbin’s house where it can be used on-site with reduced time and effort for setup.  The 20” could be used the same way, but also it is practical for large public star parties with fairly dark skies.  At public venues we would require a two- or three-step ladder only.  The 20” can be easily transported without a trailer to nearby (one evening) events. 

To grow further we need to address the current shortage of members who are willing to be responsible for transporting, operating and maintaining the large scopes and a trailer. Until then the scopes can be stored at Robbin’s house (or Steve’s house) to allow more convenient and frequent use.  Perhaps we should upgrade the large telescopes to make them more attractive and user-friendly.  (Much has been done already to improve the 20”).  As the club begins to use the large scopes on a routine basis we will collectively develop the interest and skills for using them at near and far venues.  Then it may become practical to purchase a trailer.

In summary, a trailer would be convenient at present but it is not the only way to transport the two telescopes and other club equipment for same-day use.  Demand for a trailer may grow along with our capability to use and maintain the large scopes.

Jim Fahey, Dennis Jamison and Gigi Giles contributed to this report

Presidents' Perspective, April/May 2014

Dennis Jamison

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Category: President

Created on Wednesday, 14 May 2014 19:07

Our April 8 member’s meeting at KNPB featured an excellent presentation on "Extremely Large Telescopes" by Gigi Giles.  The following Monday, six members and one former member (Jack Parker, a former president) met at Mogul Park to view a spectacular lunar eclipse.  This was one of those rare times when the clouds opened up just before totality began and the view remained clear while most of the sky was cloudy (as predicted).  Spica lay just to the right of the Moon and seemed to throw a spot of light on it in the last few minutes before totality began.

On April 26 the ASN turned out to support KNPB’s Treasure Quest event at Rancho San Rafael Park, with 3 solar telescopes and six members.  Again the clouds parted for a couple hours, which was long enough for dozens of kids to see telescopic features of our Sun.
Our members-only dark-sky event that evening was clouded out and will be rescheduled for May.  Next up, we have a public star party on May 2nd at Excel Christian School in Sparks.  National Astronomy Day, celebrated by the ASN on Saturday May 10th at Sparks Marina, will be one of our biggest public events of the year. It is family-oriented and will include afternoon solar viewing, educational presentations and demonstrations on astronomical topics, and night-time telescope viewing.  We will end the month with a public star party at Reno HS on Saturday May 31, supporting the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event. 

Rounding out our slate of public star parties, are our repeating events at the Redfield/MacLean Observatory (every Friday), Sparks Marina (the third Friday of the month) and Galena Creek Park (variable).

Two member’s meetings will be held in May: first, the newly-formed Trailer Committee will meet at Jim Fahey’s home on May 1 (all ASN members are invited), and second, the May regular members meeting will occur as usual on the second Tuesday of the month (May 13).  Since May is an odd-numbered month, this members meeting will be held at an informal location.  Our March informal meeting was held at Round Table Pizza in west Reno and was very well attended.

This summer 3 overnight star parties at prime dark-sky locations are available near Reno:
- The Golden State Star Party, June 25 – 29, north of Susanville on Hwy 139 near Adin, CA
- The Lassen Dark Sky Festival, August 1 – 3, at Lassen Volcanic National Park, and
- The Girls Scouts of America camporee August 22 or 23, northwest of Truckee on Hwy 49 near Sierra City, CA.  This is an ASN event.
In addition the ASN will schedule dark sky viewing for members at some of our favorite locations near Reno, such as Palamino Valley, the Trapshoot, Wilson Commons and/or the Nature Conservancy. 

What's Up Feb-Mar 2014

AndyD

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Category: Whats Up Tonight

Created on Sunday, 02 February 2014 04:50

What’s Up February 2014

Planets

Sunrise

East Meridian

Venus

Saturn

West Meridian

Mars

Sunset

East Meridian

Jupiter

West Meridian

Uranus

Neptune

Moon Maddness

New no new moon in Feb

First Quarter Feb 6th

Full Feb 14th

Last Quarter Feb 22th

Flying Rocks

Non this month

Comets (Flying Ice Burgs)

154P/Brewington in Pisces

C2012 S1 (ison) in Camelopardalis

The objects listed below will be visible end of February

Messier Objects

M105 Ellip Galaxy Leo RA 10h 47m 49s Dec 12deg 34’ 51” Mag 9.5

M106 Spiral Galaxy Canes Venatici RA 12h 18m 57s Dec 47deg 18’ 25” Mag 8.3

M108 Spiral Galaxy Ursa Major RA 11h 11m 29s Dec 55deg 40’21” Mag 9.9

M109 Spiral Galaxy Ursa Major RA 11h 57m 35s Dec 53deg 22’ 25” Mag 9.8

M110 Ellip Galaxy Andromeda RA 0h 40m 22s Dec 41deg 41’ 6” Mag 7.9

Read more: What's Up Feb-Mar 2014

Honorary ASN Member John Dobson Passes Away at 98

TimBurns

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Category: Other Members

Created on Wednesday, 22 January 2014 22:05

John Dobson, an Inventive Itinerant Guide to Stargazing, Dies at 98