April 2, 2008
Attendance: ~25
Speaker: Dr.
Robert Rood
Topic: The Age of the
Universe
Club Business:
• 66 paid active members – New members Keith and Kim Brown in attendance
• Checking account: $2,910.68
• Dues were due In December:
$30 individual / $35 family / $20 senior, student, military
• See Larry Saunders for information on discounted subscriptions to Astronomy and Sky and Telescope!
Astronomy: $ 34 Checks to CAS (Larry Saunders)
Sky & Telescope: $ 32.95 Include renewal form
• 5 Club Scopes available for use by members:
- 10” dob, currently with Larry Saunders
- Orion refractor w/Ha filter option, with Leslie Sheets
- Dynamax 8” SC, with John Lynch
- PST CaK currewntly with Rich
- Meade ETX 90 (a hateful thing, really!), with Rich.
See Vice President John Dedecker for more information about borrowing a scope
Coming Attractions
April 8, 10PM: Lunar occultation of the Pleiades, M45:
April 12, 2nd International Sidewalk Astronomy Day.
April 16-22-25, Lyrid meteor shower. “Very unfavorable year.”
April 19, Earth Day, CHS track. 10AM-3PM, CAS display/solar scopes.
April 20, International Astronomy Day. Created in 1973 by AANC’s Doug Berger, now coordinated by the AL.
April 25, Fan Mountain Open House! 7PM-11PM. CC
April 27, NRAO Community Open House, 11AM - 4PM.
May 14, Mercury at greatest elongation. Sunset at 8:10PM.
May 16/17, Rockfish event! - site was detailed in photographs
Club Observing
Saturday, April 5th, 7:30PM
Messier Marathon Round #2 !
At Susan Bender’s farm.
Occasional John Dedecker observing sessions with the Clark 26”.
Watch the Yahoo email group.
Club Outreach
- April 11, 40 homeschoolers, Megan Casey (540) 347-1565. John Dedecker presents, Mike Gorman operates Clark, Steve Layman operates stellacam.
- April 16 (Wednesday) 50 Fluvanna Middle School students & parents. Ed Murphy presents. Jeri Griffin, teacher.
- April 25 group night cancelled for Fan Mtn. event.
- May 9, 23 Greer Elementary kids & 4 adults. Rich or Chris Boortz presents & John Dedecker operates Clark.
- May 23, Girl Scout Troop 3055, 13 girls, 13 adults. Jenny Fabrizio, 978-3149 Rich presents. Operator?
Special Awards
NASA Night Sky
Network 2006 / 2007
- Mike Gorman
- Steve Layman
- Bill Phillips
- Richard Drumm
- Wes Epperly
- John Dedecker
Astronomical League
Outreach Awards
･ A minimum of five-2 hour min. events.
･ Document each event with:
- Date, time (started and ended), location
- What you did for the outreach
- Estimate of the number of people attending
Club Projects
Bill Phillips – Fan Astrograph – main bearing is now working smoothly – work sessions to follow
Susan Bender – Light Pollution – meeting this weekend
Show and Tell – WEB LINK TO PHYSIC PICTURES
Up-Coming Speakers
- May -
Dr. Shiv Kumar:
"Star Formation Processes versus
Planet Formation Processes”
- June -
Dr. Greg Black:
Radar Astronomy
- July -
(tentative) Dr. Laurence Fredrick
On Gliese 710, which is headed here!
Club Retreat:
Sept
26, 27 & 28 2008
At
Mark
your calendars!
Website of the Month
http://www.astroshorts.com/
Door Prize Winners
Snowden Hall
Paul Quinville
Bill O’Neil
Respectfully Submitted
Steve Layman, CAS Secretary