SKYWATCHERS NEWSLETTER OF THE CHINA LAKE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY Volume 41 No. 3 March 1, 2004 NEXT MEETING 7:30 p.m., Monday, March 1, 2004 Maturango Museum, 100 East Las Flores Avenue, Ridgecrest, California MARCH 1 MEETING What is March good for? Many would say flying kites, but for astronomers March is the time for Messier Marathons. Messier Objects are among the most popular at our public star parties any time of the year, but being able to observe them all in a single night is something special. Let's have an interactive discussion of your experiences with Messier Objects. Pictures are always of greatest interest. Observing tips and pitfalls are also helpful to those of us with less experience. DATES TO KEEP IN MIND Monday, March 1, 2004: Regular CLAS Meeting at the Maturango Museum in Ridgecrest, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 24. 2004: Deadline for next Skywatchers Newsletter Friday, March 19, 2004: Regular star party, see below. Monday, April 5, 2004: Regular CLAS Meeting at the Maturango Museum in Ridgecrest, 7:30 p.m. STAR PARTY SCHEDULE FOR THE 2004 SEASON: Star Parties will be held on the dates listed below. Star Parties are an activity where members and guests join together to share views of the skies. If you have a telescope, bring it. If not, come and look through someone else's. Star parties are held at a site in the open desert south of Ridgecrest. To reach the star party site from Ridgecrest, go south on China Lake Boulevard 6.5 miles from its intersection with Ridgecrest Boulevard. Continue straight across Highway 395 and you will be on Brown Road (Old Highway 395). Follow Brown Road as it curves to the right and goes west. After 2.3 miles there will be a 30-inch orange cone on the left. Turn left and follow the dirt road marked by 12-inch cones. The CLAS Star party is 0.5 miles along this road. Watch for signs and cones, which will be put out about a half-hour before viewing starts. Call Carroll Evans 760-375-5681, or Bruce Churchill 760-375-7247, for more information. Friday, March 19--Signs out at 7:30 p.m., Star viewing at 8:00 p.m. Friday, April 16--Signs out at 8:00 p.m., Star viewing at 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 21--Signs out at 8:30 p.m., Star viewing at 9:00 p.m. Friday, June 18--Signs out at 8:30 p.m., Star viewing at 9:00 p.m. Friday, July 16--Signs out at 8:30 p.m., Star viewing at 9:00 p.m. Friday, August 13--Signs out at 8:00 p.m., Star viewing at 8:30 p.m. Friday, September 10--Signs out at 7:00 p.m., Star viewing at 8:00 p.m. Friday, October 15--Signs out at 6:30 p.m., Star viewing at 7:00 p.m. Friday, November 12--Signs out at 6:30 p.m., Star viewing at 7:00 p.m. THE SKY IN MARCH (Roger Brower) 1. Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation on March 29th. Look for it high in the Southwest just after sundown. 2. Saturn is still a fine evening object this month. Look for it high in the east-northeast as night falls. 3. Jupiter reaches opposition the night of March 3/4. This means it will rise at sunset and be visible all night long. 4. Mars still shines faintly in the southwest in the early evening. 5. Toward the end of the month, Mercury joins the other naked-eye planets in the night sky. Look for it in the west below Venus. HANDBOOKS AND CALENDARS FOR 2004 ARE STILL AVAILABLE. The Royal Canadian Astronomical Society of Canada publishes both the Observer's Handbook and the Observer's Calendar. They have been received, and we will hold the price at $15.00 and $10.00. They will be available at the January meeting, or by arrangement with Roger Brower at 760-375-1181 or email brower@iwvisp.com. GREEN LASER POINTERS Green laser pointers are available at the low price of $70.00 each, if purchased by CLAS in quantities of ten. CLAS ordered, received, and distributed an initial order of fifteen. A second group of ten is on hand. Contact Roger Brower at 760-375-1181 if you want one or more. STOLEN FROM THE INTERNET (In the absence of anything worthwhile to print) Bumper Stickers for Astronomers Original Source Unknown...Some Additions By Andy Blackburn ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. My Other Car is a Saturn 6. My (husband / wife) asked me to give up stargazing. I will miss (him/her.) 5. Telescope in Trunk 4. Honk if you're from Draco! 3. I'm an Astronomer, Not an Astrologer Dang It! 2. So Many Parallel Universes, So Little Time... 1. Size does matter! And some more! With the advent of CCDs and the new computer-controlled telescope drives, this may be your first brush with the arcane world of really high-tech. For anyone who may be considering some of the advanced products now on the market, this page will provide an interpretation of a few terms that you've no doubt seen widely used in advertisements. ALL NEW - The power supply, connectors, and software are not compatible with previous versions. Even the screw threads are different. ADVANCED DESIGN - Salespeople don't understand it. BREAKTHROUGH - It nearly worked on the first try. DESIGN SIMPLICITY - It was developed on a shoestring budget. EXCLUSIVE - We're the only ones who have the directions telling how to use it. FIELD TESTED - The manufacturer has no way to test it. FUTURISTIC - It only runs with the help of a next-generation computer, which isn't available yet. HIGH ACCURACY - The screw threads match the threads of the holes they're supposed to mate with. IT'S HERE AT LAST - We've released a 26-week project in 48 weeks. MAINTENANCE FREE - see Foolproof Operation. MEETS OR EXCEEDS OPTICAL STANDARDS - We haven't the foggiest idea about the total wavefront accuracy. NEW - It comes in a different color than the first version. PERFORMANCE PROVEN - It worked through beta test. QUALITY STANDARDS - It works most of the time. REVOLUTIONARY - Everything that's supposed to go round and round actually goes round and round. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED - We'll send you another manual if this one fails to work. STOCK ITEM - We shipped it once before and we can do it again, probably. UNMATCHED - No one else wants to copy our design. UNPRECEDENTED PERFORMANCE - May mean two different things: 1. Actually worked the first time right out of the box. 2. Nothing before ever ran so erratically. YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT - We finally got one to work. MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION Basic CLAS dues are $20.00 per year, which includes the Skywatchers Newsletter. As a benefit of membership you may also receive Astronomy Magazine and/or Sky and Telescope Magazine. The fee schedule is as follows: Basic membership $20.00 per year Membership with Astronomy magazine $49.00 per year Membership with Sky and Telescope magazine $53.00 per year Membership with both S & T and Astronomy $82.00 per year Send your check to: Roger Brower, Treasurer, China Lake Astronomical Society, P.O. Box 1783, Ridgecrest, CA 93556. PRESIDENT - Earl Wilson - (email zearlw@hotmail.com) VICE-PRESIDENT - Bruce Churchill - 760-375-7247 (email bchurchill@atsecure.net) SECRETARY - Ted Hodgkinson - 661- 824-2738 (email longeyes@antelecom.net) TREASURER - 760-375-1181 (email brower@iwvisp.com) NEWSLETTER EDITOR - Carroll Evans Jr. - 760-375-5681 (email clevans@ridgenet.net) WESTERN AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS WEB SITE Meetings of the China Lake Astronomical Society are held at the Maturango Museum at 7:30 p.m. on the first Monday evening of each month, except when the first Monday is a holiday. SKYWATCHERS Newsletter of the CHINA LAKE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY POST OFFICE BOX 1783 RIDGECREST, CA 93556-1783 NEXT MEETING: 7:30 p.m., MONDAY, March 1, 2004 -"March is Messier Month" AT THE MATURANGO MUSEUM, 100 EAST LAS FLORES AVE. CLAS WEB PAGE INDEX OF CLAS NEWSLETTERS