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The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical SocietyPO Box 50581 Albuquerque New Mexico 87181-0581 wwwTAASorg
S i n c e 1959
I N S I D E2 Presidentrsquos Message3 Under the Dome
4 Astrophoto The California Nebula5 Observing Venus in Daylight Telescope Loan Program 6Astrophoto Thorrsquos Helmet
7TAAS Reports amp Notices8 TAAS Directors amp Staff
continued on page 2 continued on page 2
May 2020 ObservemdashEducatemdashHave Fun
The Sidereal Times
TAAS FABULOUS FIFTY SERIESBy Lynne Olson
The Fabulous Fifty or Fab 50 as itrsquos known is another of the excellent TAAS programs for members and the public as an introduction ndash or refresher ndash to fifty of the major naked-eye targets broken down into the four seasonsThis long-running series started by Dee Friesen years ago and ran at his home in the Heights for some time be-fore being passed on to several other generous members all of whom have carried on the tradition in fine fashionAt present the Fab 50 coordinator is Phil Fleming who holds the gatherings at the All Saints Orthodox Church facility 10440 4th Street NW in Albuquerque At times this program is presented at star parties or even as an As-tronomy 101
Adult Night at the Explora Science Center
By Lynne OlsonAlthough the Adult Night is not a TAAS event per se our members have been participating in support of this Explora program for many years Our members take their telescopes to the observing deck of the build-ing and give guests views of the night sky wonders as well as regaling them with information about what they are seeing both of which are well appreciated
In return Explora provides them with refreshments assists in transporting the scopes and gives TAAS excel-lent exposure to the public by featuring our cards and information sheets to visitors
This has been a beneficial relationship for all con-
Editors Note Due to the ongoing coronavirus emergency the TAAS General Meeting for May and all other regular TAAS events and gatherings are cancelled for the next several weeks through at least May 15 and possibly longer Our GNTO observatory remains available for TAAS members with a limit of no more than five individuals at each session See TAAS_talk email postings for further information
Page 2
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Observe ndash Educate ndash Have Fun
P r e s i d e n t rsquo s M e s s a g e Jim Fordice
Join Us for the Virtual Observing SessionsWhen we were forced to cancel all of our events due to the COV-ID-19 Pandemic we started a se-ries of Virtual Observing Events with the idea of staying engaged in amateur astronomy as a clubWe began with the Messier Mar-athon and followed that with the Day 11 and 12 Lunar Observing event As I write this message we are in the middle of the Globe at Night event If you have par-ticipated in one or more of these events thanks If you have not participated please join usIn the midst of the Virtual Events I have been working on the Astronomical Leaguersquos Urban
Observing Program (httpsww-wlastroleagueorgalobsclubsurbanurbanhtml) It is a great list for what you can observe in an urban area The program is based on using a 6rdquo telescope and allows the use of Go-To The program includes an excel-lent list of tips for observing in light polluted areas It would be great to have Becky Ramatowski handing out some certificates and pins from this program in a few monthsCan GNTO Be UsedWhile we are not opening GNTO for regular observing events it is still open to all TAAS members The procedure for using the site on your own is available at httpwwwtaasorgGNTODocu- Each session features a lecture time
to acquaint all with the objects to be discussed and later observed a viewing aided by telescopes brought by our members and a social period for talking over the experience and for meeting fellow enthusiasts (To read about the program in depth click on the item ldquoFabulous 50rdquo on the left column of our webpage)Our spring session was canceled due to the COVID-19 health crisis and the summer event may be as well But as things open up you will be able to find the information on our webpage and calendar at wwwtaasorg on our Facebook page and pub-licized with various organizations We look forward to offering this to you again very soonContact Phil by email at wp-flem2010gmailcom
T A A S F a b u l o u s F i f t y c o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 1
mentshtml Look for the GNTO Observing Field Access Proce-dure and ChecklistWhether you use GNTO or not is a personal decision Please keep in mind that the governorrsquos Stay-at-Home order places a limit of no more than five people participating in a group activitySo if you plan to use GNTO you need to comply with that limit The best way to accomplish that is to determine via TAAS_Talk in advance who will attendKeep safe out there and keep Observing Educating (your-self) and Having Fun
A d u l t N i g h t a t E x p l o r a c o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 1
cerned ndash Explora enjoys having the telescopes there and our friendly and knowledgeable members are truly exhibiting our motto ndash ldquoOb-serve Educate Have Funrdquo
At present Bob Hufnagel orga-nizes this activity between the sci-ence center and TAAS every other month on a Friday and encourages all who enjoy interacting with the public to bring their scopes for a great evening
The next Explora Adult Night which had been scheduled for May 15 has been postponed When our
current health crisis has passed TAAS will be back on the job so stay tuned for further information
Page 3
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Under the DomeNotes from and about GNTO Jim Fordice
April 16 - Special Observing Session
I was the Opener I was joined by Vance Ley Bridget de Saint Phalle Boris Venet and Susan Evans We enjoyed good observing conditions once the wind settled down after sunset
Vance imaged M64 He battled some equipment issues but pre-vailed in the end Bridget was re-learning how to use her Losmandy mount Boris was doing nightscapes of Virgo Susan was using the tried and true method of laying on her back and looking at interesting ob-jects both naked eye and with bin-oculars I was using an 8rdquo SCT with a ZWO camera to learn how to do live imaging of interesting objects I made some progress in that direc-tion
Vance Susan and I slept at the site and departed in the morning All-in-all a pretty good night at our Dark Sky site One picture attached showing well-spaced telescopes No coronavirus sharing here
Possible Upcoming Events
Some or all of these events may be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic Watch the website for additional information See my Presidentrsquos Message concerning how GNTO can be used while we
are under the Stay-at-Home order bull May 16 3rd Quarter Moon Ob-
serving (I am the Opener)bull May 23 New Moon Observing
(Vance Ley is Opener)bull June 13 3rd Quarter Moon
Observing (Mike Fuge is the Opener)
bull June 20 New Moon Observing (Mark Goodman is Opener)
Donrsquot forget that the GNTO Observ-ing Field is available for use by TAAS members anytime Check the TAAS website for the procedure to follow Contact me if you have any questions
ldquoProper distancingrdquo at GNTO Photo by Jim Fordice
As always check TAAS_Talk and the TAAS website for last-minute changes and updates GNTO events are open to all TAAS members and their guests Contact GNTO Director GNTOTAASorg or 505-803-3640
Page 4
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
The California Nebula NGC 1499 without stars It is sometimes easier to see the intricacies of neb-ulosity without the distraction of a dense star field I have attempted to remove the stars surrounding the California Nebula ndash except one which is believed primarily respon-sible for lighting up this enormous nebula covering more than 25 degrees in the sky in Perseus and resembling the shape of the state of California It is only 12 degrees from the Pleiades but it is very difficult to see visually since the surface brightness is so low Note the beautiful deli-cate structure in the nebularsquos surface another example of Fine Art created by Mother Naturersquos physics
Discovered by E E Barnard in 1884 this nebula is a cloud of hydrogen atoms that is emitting mostly deep red light from excitation by the neighboring blue giant star Menkib (aka Xi Persei) estimated to be 300 light years behind the nebula This is one of the hottest and most massive stars visible to the naked eye (magnitude 41) Its surface tem-perature is 37000 K and its visual luminosity is 13000 times greater than our sun (330000 times greater count-ing the UV spectrum) The powerful UV from Menkib
excites the hydrogen in the nebula which appears to be just hanging out in the cosmos about 1600 ly from Earth
I made this image from 34 eight-minute exposures (4 hours 32 minutes) on February 1 2019 from my back-yard in northeast Albuquerque using the auto-guided Takahashi Epsilon 180ED telescope and Nikon D850 camera at ISO 800
I also used a special narrowband filter by Cyclops Op-tics loaned to me by my friend and fellow TAAS member Eric Toops from Magdalena The filterrsquos two bands pass only light in the blue green (501 nm) near the hydrogen beta emission and the Oxygen III emission and in the deep red at the hydrogen alpha emission (656 nm) It is difficult to color balance the file made through this filter but it essentially eliminates light pollution while maintaining some star color and is ideal to use with a one-shot color camera The image files were processed in PixInsight I used the awesome neural net trained Starnet script to remove the stars mdashBob Fugate
Page 5
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Observing Venusin Daylight
For the Astronomical Leaguersquos Solar System
Observing AwardBy Alan Scott
One of the lists one needs to complete to acquire an Astro-nomical League Observer Award is the Solar System Observing Award You must complete 25 dif-ferent observations one of which is to observe Venus in the day-time This is generally done with a computerized telescope so there is no chance of looking into the sun
To quote the Astronomical League ldquoCHOOSE THIS PROJECT ONLY IF YOU HAVE A TELESCOPE PROPER-LY POLAR ALIGNED AND CAPABLE OF LOCATING THE PLANET WITH-OUT ENDANGERING EITHER THE
INSTRUMENT OR YOURSELF ndash USE EXTREME CAUTION ndash EYE DAM-AGE COULD RESULTrdquo
Turns out it can also be done safely naked eye - but only when Venus is in the west
On April 15th at about 6 PM I tried it Sunset was about 747 PM so the sun was about 20 degrees above the western horizon Skies were crystal blue without a cloud in sight transparency was spectacular seeing was unknown (it was still daytime) and light pollution was insane
Venus was in the west about 63 degrees above the horizon in Tau-rus There are three tricks needed to see Venus naked eye in daylight 1) You have to make sure you are observing safely 2) Venus has to be bright enough 3) and you have to find it
Venus was magnitude -45 so was possibly visible in daylight I went to the east side of my garage deep enough in shadow that there was no possibility the sun could ac-cidentally be seen Using an iPad and SkySafari and using Compass mode I found where Venus should be I then used a pair of Cannon IS 10x30 binoculars to locate it
The planet was surprisingly big bright and beautiful I then moved towards the garage placing Ve-nus just above the ridge of the roof Lowering the binoculars and knowing exactly where to look I saw nothing But after a few minutes of effort Venus blinked into view for a second disap-peared and blinked back into view for a second I then verified I had seen Venus with the binoculars once again
You can see Venus in the daytime Give it a try ndash safely
Telescope Loan Program UpdateBy Rick Vergas Telescope Loan Program Coordinator
The Loan Program remains suspended for now no other news this month
Loan Program Statistics
of Scopes on Loan Available
on Loan
35 28 7 80 Type Reflectors Refractors Catadioptrics
23 7 12
Size Large (gt8rdquo) Medium (5rdquo-8rdquo) Small (lt5rdquo) 12 17 13
Tracking Manual Push-To Go-To Tracking 26 5 7 11 As of 32120
Page 6
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Thorrsquos Helmet NGC 2359 A Wolf-Rayet star in the center excites a large molecular cloud creating an emission nebula The Wolf-Rayet star is believed to be in a ldquopre-supernovardquo stageThis object is approximately 12000 light-years away in the constellation Canis Major and is about 30 light-years across It is difficult to image because itrsquos pretty dim and never gets very high in the skyThe data was obtained on 2-15-2020 using the imaging dome equipment at GNTO The C-14 hyperstar instrument operating at f19 together with the SBIG ST8300 C camera enabled me to capture this image in only one hourThe objectrsquos small size ndash only 12rsquox 12rsquomdashrequired substantial cropping of the 91rsquo x 69rsquo field of view 60 x 60rdquo subframes were acquired calibrated and stacked in PixInsight mdashVance Ley
Page 7
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
M e m b e r s h i p S e r v i c e s
forbullMembership InquiriesbullEvents InformationbullVolunteer Opportunities
Contact Bob Anderson at membershipTAASorg
forbullMembership DuesbullAddresse-mail changes
Contact Doug LeGrand at treasurerTAASorg
TAASPO Box 50581
Albuquerque NM 87181
Courtesy Pete Eschman
E x p l a n a t i o n o f D u e s a n d M e m b e r s h i p R e n e w a l D a t e
New memberships are registered immediately if you pay online If you pay by check your membership is registered when your check is re-ceived by the treasurer
Renewal notices will be sent out via e-mail beginning 60 days before your membership expires If your membership is renewed before it expires or with in 90 days after it ex-pires your new expiration date will be advanced one year from the previous expiration date and your membership will be continuous
If dues payment is received more than 90 days after the expiration date you will be reinstated as a mem-ber with an expiration date set as one year from the receipt of payment
D o n a t i o n s t o T A A S
The Albuquerque Astronomical Society is a 501(c)(3) organization Donations are deduct-ible as charitable contributions on the donorrsquos federal income tax return
Ricky AdamsPeter Eschman
Jim FordiceJohn Hatton
Chet amp Amara McLeesAngie RichmanThe United Way
T A A S R e p o r t s amp N o t i c e s
E d i t o r rsquo s N o t e The deadline for the next issue of The Sidereal Times is Monday May 25 The newsletter editorsrsquo e-mail address is editorTAASorg
W e l c o m e t o N e wo r R e t u r n i n g
T A A S M e m b e r s
Anthony Bonanno
Robert Fesen
Albert Franco
Alberto Franco
Dante Franco
Pamela Franco
Sofia Franco
Ronald Mori
L o c a t i o n L o c a t i o n L o c a t i o nbull Chaco Canyonbull
6185rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 36˚ 01rsquo 50rdquoN 107˚ 54rsquo 36rdquoW
3603˚ -10791˚ 36˚ 183rsquo -107˚ 5460rsquo
bull Oak Flatbull 7680rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 34˚ 59rsquo 48rdquoN 106˚ 19rsquo 17rdquoW
3499˚ -10632˚ 34˚ 5980rsquo -106˚ 1928rsquo
bull UNM Campus Observatorybull 5180rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 35˚ 5rsquo 29rdquoN 106˚ 37rsquo 17rdquoW
3509˚ -10662˚ 35˚ 548rsquo -106˚ 3729rsquo
For security reasons GNTO location is available by request only so please contact
Jim Fordice GNTO Director for GNTO information e-mail GNTOTAASorg
M o n t h l y M e m b e r s h i p R e p o r tA p r i l 2 0 2 0
Membership Current Past Change Month Month
Regular 242 247 -5Family 140 143 -3Educator 16 16 0Student 10 10 0Military 2 3 -1Honorary 5 5 0Total Members 415 425 -10
Page 8
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Jim Fordice PresidentpresidentTAASorg505-803-3640
steve sNider Vice PresidentvpTAASorg505-249-4066
doug LegraNd TreasurertreasurerTAASorg505-559-0252
carL LarsoN Secretary secretaryTAASorg408-623-4717
robert aNdersoN DirectorMembership CoordinatormembershipTAASorg505-275-1916
Jim Fordice DirectorGNTO Director gntoTAASorg505-803-3640
mark goodmaN DirectorEducation Outreach Directoreducation_coordTAASorg505-328-6157
bob havLeN Directorrhavlenearthlinknet505-856-3306
boris veNet DirectorChaco Events Coordinator UNM Observatory Coordinator venetbsprintmailcom505-507-7838
rick vergas DirectorTelescope Loan Coordinatortelescope_loansTAASorg505-620-2832
Astronomical League Coordinator Becky Ramotowski 505-286-8334 AL_coordinatorTAASorg ATM Coordinator Ray Collins 505-344-9686 atmTAASorg Chaco Events Coordinator Boris Venet 505-507-7838 venetbsprintmailcom Education Outreach Mark Goodman 505-328-6157 education_coordTAASorg Explora Adult Night Coordinator Bob Hufnagel 505-890-8122 rhufnagel2comcastnet Fabulous Fifty Coordinator Phil Fleming 505-870-5604 fab50TAASorg GNTO Director Jim Fordice 505-803-3640 gntoTAASorg Membership Chair Bob Anderson 505-275-1916 membershipTAASorg Nametag Coordinator Billie Sue Patrick 575-937-1659 nametagTAASorg Newsletter Co-Editor Content Bruce Meyer 917-449-0700 editorTAASorg Newsletter Co-Editor Design Gary Cooper 505-227-3974 editorTAASorg Public Events Coordinator Steve Snider 505-249-4066 events_coordinatorTAASorg Publicity Coordinator Lynne Olson 505-856-2537 prTAASorg Scout Coordinator Chaz Jetty 505-350-7949 scout_coordinatorTAASorg Telescope Loan Coordinator Rick Vergas 505-620-2832 telescope_loansTAASorg UNM Observatory Coordinator Boris Venet 505-507-7838 UNM_coordTAASorg Webmaster John Purnell 209-355-5166 webmasterTAASorg
2 0 2 0 T A A S B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s S t a f f
TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoEditorrsquos Pick 2013 Best of the Cityrdquo award from Albuquerque Magazine
BEST PLACE TO STARGAZECELESTIAL EDITION
TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoOUT-OF-THIS-WORLDrdquo AWARD 2011
from Astronomy Magazine for Outstanding Public Programming
MEMBERSHIP
You can join TAAS or renew your membership online Just go to wwwtaasorg and select ldquoJoin Usrdquo or ldquoRenew Your Membershiprdquo from the main menu on the left side Annual dues are $30 for a regular membership $15 for educators and active military and $5 for students Only regular members are eligible to vote in society matters Our new member information packet can be viewed or downloaded from the same location on the website You can pay your dues on line through PayPal by Visa MasterCard or American Express To pay by check mail your check to TAAS PO Box 50581 Albuquerque NM 87181-0581 or give it to the treasurer at one of our meetings
MAGAZINES
TAAS no longer offers magazine subscriptions
ARTICLESADVERTISEMENTS
Articles personal astronomical clas-sified advertisements and advertise-ments for businesses related to as-tronomy must be submitted by the deadline shown on the Society calen-dar (generally the Friday near the new Moon) Rates for commercial ads (per issue) are $120 per page $60 per half page $30 per quarter page $7 for business card size The newsletter edi-tor reserves the right to include andor edit any article or advertisement E-mail attachments in Microsoft Word or compatible word processor format ASCII and RTF are acceptable One space between paragraphs is pre-ferred One column is approximately 350 words Contact the Newsletter Editor at editorTAASorg for more in-formation
Note that the Sidereal Times is no longer mailed It is posted on the TAAS website wwwTAASorg
Send submissions or correspondence to editorTAASorg
The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
PO Box 50581Albuquerque NM 87181-0581
taas ONLINE
TAAS website httpwwwTAASorg
The TAAS website includes
bull Programs bull taas 200 bull TAAS Fabulous Fiftybull Educational Outreach School Star
Parties Solar Astronomy Outreachbull Equipment Trader bull Telescope Loaner Programbull Telescope Making and Maintenance And more
bull Online Sidereal Timesbull Calendar of TAAS Eventsbull Membersrsquo Guidebull Links to Astronomy Resources and
Membersrsquo Blogs
E-mail TAASTAASorg
Membersrsquo Google GroupTAAS_talkgooglegroupscom
Page 2
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Observe ndash Educate ndash Have Fun
P r e s i d e n t rsquo s M e s s a g e Jim Fordice
Join Us for the Virtual Observing SessionsWhen we were forced to cancel all of our events due to the COV-ID-19 Pandemic we started a se-ries of Virtual Observing Events with the idea of staying engaged in amateur astronomy as a clubWe began with the Messier Mar-athon and followed that with the Day 11 and 12 Lunar Observing event As I write this message we are in the middle of the Globe at Night event If you have par-ticipated in one or more of these events thanks If you have not participated please join usIn the midst of the Virtual Events I have been working on the Astronomical Leaguersquos Urban
Observing Program (httpsww-wlastroleagueorgalobsclubsurbanurbanhtml) It is a great list for what you can observe in an urban area The program is based on using a 6rdquo telescope and allows the use of Go-To The program includes an excel-lent list of tips for observing in light polluted areas It would be great to have Becky Ramatowski handing out some certificates and pins from this program in a few monthsCan GNTO Be UsedWhile we are not opening GNTO for regular observing events it is still open to all TAAS members The procedure for using the site on your own is available at httpwwwtaasorgGNTODocu- Each session features a lecture time
to acquaint all with the objects to be discussed and later observed a viewing aided by telescopes brought by our members and a social period for talking over the experience and for meeting fellow enthusiasts (To read about the program in depth click on the item ldquoFabulous 50rdquo on the left column of our webpage)Our spring session was canceled due to the COVID-19 health crisis and the summer event may be as well But as things open up you will be able to find the information on our webpage and calendar at wwwtaasorg on our Facebook page and pub-licized with various organizations We look forward to offering this to you again very soonContact Phil by email at wp-flem2010gmailcom
T A A S F a b u l o u s F i f t y c o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 1
mentshtml Look for the GNTO Observing Field Access Proce-dure and ChecklistWhether you use GNTO or not is a personal decision Please keep in mind that the governorrsquos Stay-at-Home order places a limit of no more than five people participating in a group activitySo if you plan to use GNTO you need to comply with that limit The best way to accomplish that is to determine via TAAS_Talk in advance who will attendKeep safe out there and keep Observing Educating (your-self) and Having Fun
A d u l t N i g h t a t E x p l o r a c o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 1
cerned ndash Explora enjoys having the telescopes there and our friendly and knowledgeable members are truly exhibiting our motto ndash ldquoOb-serve Educate Have Funrdquo
At present Bob Hufnagel orga-nizes this activity between the sci-ence center and TAAS every other month on a Friday and encourages all who enjoy interacting with the public to bring their scopes for a great evening
The next Explora Adult Night which had been scheduled for May 15 has been postponed When our
current health crisis has passed TAAS will be back on the job so stay tuned for further information
Page 3
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Under the DomeNotes from and about GNTO Jim Fordice
April 16 - Special Observing Session
I was the Opener I was joined by Vance Ley Bridget de Saint Phalle Boris Venet and Susan Evans We enjoyed good observing conditions once the wind settled down after sunset
Vance imaged M64 He battled some equipment issues but pre-vailed in the end Bridget was re-learning how to use her Losmandy mount Boris was doing nightscapes of Virgo Susan was using the tried and true method of laying on her back and looking at interesting ob-jects both naked eye and with bin-oculars I was using an 8rdquo SCT with a ZWO camera to learn how to do live imaging of interesting objects I made some progress in that direc-tion
Vance Susan and I slept at the site and departed in the morning All-in-all a pretty good night at our Dark Sky site One picture attached showing well-spaced telescopes No coronavirus sharing here
Possible Upcoming Events
Some or all of these events may be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic Watch the website for additional information See my Presidentrsquos Message concerning how GNTO can be used while we
are under the Stay-at-Home order bull May 16 3rd Quarter Moon Ob-
serving (I am the Opener)bull May 23 New Moon Observing
(Vance Ley is Opener)bull June 13 3rd Quarter Moon
Observing (Mike Fuge is the Opener)
bull June 20 New Moon Observing (Mark Goodman is Opener)
Donrsquot forget that the GNTO Observ-ing Field is available for use by TAAS members anytime Check the TAAS website for the procedure to follow Contact me if you have any questions
ldquoProper distancingrdquo at GNTO Photo by Jim Fordice
As always check TAAS_Talk and the TAAS website for last-minute changes and updates GNTO events are open to all TAAS members and their guests Contact GNTO Director GNTOTAASorg or 505-803-3640
Page 4
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
The California Nebula NGC 1499 without stars It is sometimes easier to see the intricacies of neb-ulosity without the distraction of a dense star field I have attempted to remove the stars surrounding the California Nebula ndash except one which is believed primarily respon-sible for lighting up this enormous nebula covering more than 25 degrees in the sky in Perseus and resembling the shape of the state of California It is only 12 degrees from the Pleiades but it is very difficult to see visually since the surface brightness is so low Note the beautiful deli-cate structure in the nebularsquos surface another example of Fine Art created by Mother Naturersquos physics
Discovered by E E Barnard in 1884 this nebula is a cloud of hydrogen atoms that is emitting mostly deep red light from excitation by the neighboring blue giant star Menkib (aka Xi Persei) estimated to be 300 light years behind the nebula This is one of the hottest and most massive stars visible to the naked eye (magnitude 41) Its surface tem-perature is 37000 K and its visual luminosity is 13000 times greater than our sun (330000 times greater count-ing the UV spectrum) The powerful UV from Menkib
excites the hydrogen in the nebula which appears to be just hanging out in the cosmos about 1600 ly from Earth
I made this image from 34 eight-minute exposures (4 hours 32 minutes) on February 1 2019 from my back-yard in northeast Albuquerque using the auto-guided Takahashi Epsilon 180ED telescope and Nikon D850 camera at ISO 800
I also used a special narrowband filter by Cyclops Op-tics loaned to me by my friend and fellow TAAS member Eric Toops from Magdalena The filterrsquos two bands pass only light in the blue green (501 nm) near the hydrogen beta emission and the Oxygen III emission and in the deep red at the hydrogen alpha emission (656 nm) It is difficult to color balance the file made through this filter but it essentially eliminates light pollution while maintaining some star color and is ideal to use with a one-shot color camera The image files were processed in PixInsight I used the awesome neural net trained Starnet script to remove the stars mdashBob Fugate
Page 5
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Observing Venusin Daylight
For the Astronomical Leaguersquos Solar System
Observing AwardBy Alan Scott
One of the lists one needs to complete to acquire an Astro-nomical League Observer Award is the Solar System Observing Award You must complete 25 dif-ferent observations one of which is to observe Venus in the day-time This is generally done with a computerized telescope so there is no chance of looking into the sun
To quote the Astronomical League ldquoCHOOSE THIS PROJECT ONLY IF YOU HAVE A TELESCOPE PROPER-LY POLAR ALIGNED AND CAPABLE OF LOCATING THE PLANET WITH-OUT ENDANGERING EITHER THE
INSTRUMENT OR YOURSELF ndash USE EXTREME CAUTION ndash EYE DAM-AGE COULD RESULTrdquo
Turns out it can also be done safely naked eye - but only when Venus is in the west
On April 15th at about 6 PM I tried it Sunset was about 747 PM so the sun was about 20 degrees above the western horizon Skies were crystal blue without a cloud in sight transparency was spectacular seeing was unknown (it was still daytime) and light pollution was insane
Venus was in the west about 63 degrees above the horizon in Tau-rus There are three tricks needed to see Venus naked eye in daylight 1) You have to make sure you are observing safely 2) Venus has to be bright enough 3) and you have to find it
Venus was magnitude -45 so was possibly visible in daylight I went to the east side of my garage deep enough in shadow that there was no possibility the sun could ac-cidentally be seen Using an iPad and SkySafari and using Compass mode I found where Venus should be I then used a pair of Cannon IS 10x30 binoculars to locate it
The planet was surprisingly big bright and beautiful I then moved towards the garage placing Ve-nus just above the ridge of the roof Lowering the binoculars and knowing exactly where to look I saw nothing But after a few minutes of effort Venus blinked into view for a second disap-peared and blinked back into view for a second I then verified I had seen Venus with the binoculars once again
You can see Venus in the daytime Give it a try ndash safely
Telescope Loan Program UpdateBy Rick Vergas Telescope Loan Program Coordinator
The Loan Program remains suspended for now no other news this month
Loan Program Statistics
of Scopes on Loan Available
on Loan
35 28 7 80 Type Reflectors Refractors Catadioptrics
23 7 12
Size Large (gt8rdquo) Medium (5rdquo-8rdquo) Small (lt5rdquo) 12 17 13
Tracking Manual Push-To Go-To Tracking 26 5 7 11 As of 32120
Page 6
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Thorrsquos Helmet NGC 2359 A Wolf-Rayet star in the center excites a large molecular cloud creating an emission nebula The Wolf-Rayet star is believed to be in a ldquopre-supernovardquo stageThis object is approximately 12000 light-years away in the constellation Canis Major and is about 30 light-years across It is difficult to image because itrsquos pretty dim and never gets very high in the skyThe data was obtained on 2-15-2020 using the imaging dome equipment at GNTO The C-14 hyperstar instrument operating at f19 together with the SBIG ST8300 C camera enabled me to capture this image in only one hourThe objectrsquos small size ndash only 12rsquox 12rsquomdashrequired substantial cropping of the 91rsquo x 69rsquo field of view 60 x 60rdquo subframes were acquired calibrated and stacked in PixInsight mdashVance Ley
Page 7
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
M e m b e r s h i p S e r v i c e s
forbullMembership InquiriesbullEvents InformationbullVolunteer Opportunities
Contact Bob Anderson at membershipTAASorg
forbullMembership DuesbullAddresse-mail changes
Contact Doug LeGrand at treasurerTAASorg
TAASPO Box 50581
Albuquerque NM 87181
Courtesy Pete Eschman
E x p l a n a t i o n o f D u e s a n d M e m b e r s h i p R e n e w a l D a t e
New memberships are registered immediately if you pay online If you pay by check your membership is registered when your check is re-ceived by the treasurer
Renewal notices will be sent out via e-mail beginning 60 days before your membership expires If your membership is renewed before it expires or with in 90 days after it ex-pires your new expiration date will be advanced one year from the previous expiration date and your membership will be continuous
If dues payment is received more than 90 days after the expiration date you will be reinstated as a mem-ber with an expiration date set as one year from the receipt of payment
D o n a t i o n s t o T A A S
The Albuquerque Astronomical Society is a 501(c)(3) organization Donations are deduct-ible as charitable contributions on the donorrsquos federal income tax return
Ricky AdamsPeter Eschman
Jim FordiceJohn Hatton
Chet amp Amara McLeesAngie RichmanThe United Way
T A A S R e p o r t s amp N o t i c e s
E d i t o r rsquo s N o t e The deadline for the next issue of The Sidereal Times is Monday May 25 The newsletter editorsrsquo e-mail address is editorTAASorg
W e l c o m e t o N e wo r R e t u r n i n g
T A A S M e m b e r s
Anthony Bonanno
Robert Fesen
Albert Franco
Alberto Franco
Dante Franco
Pamela Franco
Sofia Franco
Ronald Mori
L o c a t i o n L o c a t i o n L o c a t i o nbull Chaco Canyonbull
6185rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 36˚ 01rsquo 50rdquoN 107˚ 54rsquo 36rdquoW
3603˚ -10791˚ 36˚ 183rsquo -107˚ 5460rsquo
bull Oak Flatbull 7680rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 34˚ 59rsquo 48rdquoN 106˚ 19rsquo 17rdquoW
3499˚ -10632˚ 34˚ 5980rsquo -106˚ 1928rsquo
bull UNM Campus Observatorybull 5180rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 35˚ 5rsquo 29rdquoN 106˚ 37rsquo 17rdquoW
3509˚ -10662˚ 35˚ 548rsquo -106˚ 3729rsquo
For security reasons GNTO location is available by request only so please contact
Jim Fordice GNTO Director for GNTO information e-mail GNTOTAASorg
M o n t h l y M e m b e r s h i p R e p o r tA p r i l 2 0 2 0
Membership Current Past Change Month Month
Regular 242 247 -5Family 140 143 -3Educator 16 16 0Student 10 10 0Military 2 3 -1Honorary 5 5 0Total Members 415 425 -10
Page 8
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Jim Fordice PresidentpresidentTAASorg505-803-3640
steve sNider Vice PresidentvpTAASorg505-249-4066
doug LegraNd TreasurertreasurerTAASorg505-559-0252
carL LarsoN Secretary secretaryTAASorg408-623-4717
robert aNdersoN DirectorMembership CoordinatormembershipTAASorg505-275-1916
Jim Fordice DirectorGNTO Director gntoTAASorg505-803-3640
mark goodmaN DirectorEducation Outreach Directoreducation_coordTAASorg505-328-6157
bob havLeN Directorrhavlenearthlinknet505-856-3306
boris veNet DirectorChaco Events Coordinator UNM Observatory Coordinator venetbsprintmailcom505-507-7838
rick vergas DirectorTelescope Loan Coordinatortelescope_loansTAASorg505-620-2832
Astronomical League Coordinator Becky Ramotowski 505-286-8334 AL_coordinatorTAASorg ATM Coordinator Ray Collins 505-344-9686 atmTAASorg Chaco Events Coordinator Boris Venet 505-507-7838 venetbsprintmailcom Education Outreach Mark Goodman 505-328-6157 education_coordTAASorg Explora Adult Night Coordinator Bob Hufnagel 505-890-8122 rhufnagel2comcastnet Fabulous Fifty Coordinator Phil Fleming 505-870-5604 fab50TAASorg GNTO Director Jim Fordice 505-803-3640 gntoTAASorg Membership Chair Bob Anderson 505-275-1916 membershipTAASorg Nametag Coordinator Billie Sue Patrick 575-937-1659 nametagTAASorg Newsletter Co-Editor Content Bruce Meyer 917-449-0700 editorTAASorg Newsletter Co-Editor Design Gary Cooper 505-227-3974 editorTAASorg Public Events Coordinator Steve Snider 505-249-4066 events_coordinatorTAASorg Publicity Coordinator Lynne Olson 505-856-2537 prTAASorg Scout Coordinator Chaz Jetty 505-350-7949 scout_coordinatorTAASorg Telescope Loan Coordinator Rick Vergas 505-620-2832 telescope_loansTAASorg UNM Observatory Coordinator Boris Venet 505-507-7838 UNM_coordTAASorg Webmaster John Purnell 209-355-5166 webmasterTAASorg
2 0 2 0 T A A S B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s S t a f f
TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoEditorrsquos Pick 2013 Best of the Cityrdquo award from Albuquerque Magazine
BEST PLACE TO STARGAZECELESTIAL EDITION
TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoOUT-OF-THIS-WORLDrdquo AWARD 2011
from Astronomy Magazine for Outstanding Public Programming
MEMBERSHIP
You can join TAAS or renew your membership online Just go to wwwtaasorg and select ldquoJoin Usrdquo or ldquoRenew Your Membershiprdquo from the main menu on the left side Annual dues are $30 for a regular membership $15 for educators and active military and $5 for students Only regular members are eligible to vote in society matters Our new member information packet can be viewed or downloaded from the same location on the website You can pay your dues on line through PayPal by Visa MasterCard or American Express To pay by check mail your check to TAAS PO Box 50581 Albuquerque NM 87181-0581 or give it to the treasurer at one of our meetings
MAGAZINES
TAAS no longer offers magazine subscriptions
ARTICLESADVERTISEMENTS
Articles personal astronomical clas-sified advertisements and advertise-ments for businesses related to as-tronomy must be submitted by the deadline shown on the Society calen-dar (generally the Friday near the new Moon) Rates for commercial ads (per issue) are $120 per page $60 per half page $30 per quarter page $7 for business card size The newsletter edi-tor reserves the right to include andor edit any article or advertisement E-mail attachments in Microsoft Word or compatible word processor format ASCII and RTF are acceptable One space between paragraphs is pre-ferred One column is approximately 350 words Contact the Newsletter Editor at editorTAASorg for more in-formation
Note that the Sidereal Times is no longer mailed It is posted on the TAAS website wwwTAASorg
Send submissions or correspondence to editorTAASorg
The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
PO Box 50581Albuquerque NM 87181-0581
taas ONLINE
TAAS website httpwwwTAASorg
The TAAS website includes
bull Programs bull taas 200 bull TAAS Fabulous Fiftybull Educational Outreach School Star
Parties Solar Astronomy Outreachbull Equipment Trader bull Telescope Loaner Programbull Telescope Making and Maintenance And more
bull Online Sidereal Timesbull Calendar of TAAS Eventsbull Membersrsquo Guidebull Links to Astronomy Resources and
Membersrsquo Blogs
E-mail TAASTAASorg
Membersrsquo Google GroupTAAS_talkgooglegroupscom
Page 3
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Under the DomeNotes from and about GNTO Jim Fordice
April 16 - Special Observing Session
I was the Opener I was joined by Vance Ley Bridget de Saint Phalle Boris Venet and Susan Evans We enjoyed good observing conditions once the wind settled down after sunset
Vance imaged M64 He battled some equipment issues but pre-vailed in the end Bridget was re-learning how to use her Losmandy mount Boris was doing nightscapes of Virgo Susan was using the tried and true method of laying on her back and looking at interesting ob-jects both naked eye and with bin-oculars I was using an 8rdquo SCT with a ZWO camera to learn how to do live imaging of interesting objects I made some progress in that direc-tion
Vance Susan and I slept at the site and departed in the morning All-in-all a pretty good night at our Dark Sky site One picture attached showing well-spaced telescopes No coronavirus sharing here
Possible Upcoming Events
Some or all of these events may be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic Watch the website for additional information See my Presidentrsquos Message concerning how GNTO can be used while we
are under the Stay-at-Home order bull May 16 3rd Quarter Moon Ob-
serving (I am the Opener)bull May 23 New Moon Observing
(Vance Ley is Opener)bull June 13 3rd Quarter Moon
Observing (Mike Fuge is the Opener)
bull June 20 New Moon Observing (Mark Goodman is Opener)
Donrsquot forget that the GNTO Observ-ing Field is available for use by TAAS members anytime Check the TAAS website for the procedure to follow Contact me if you have any questions
ldquoProper distancingrdquo at GNTO Photo by Jim Fordice
As always check TAAS_Talk and the TAAS website for last-minute changes and updates GNTO events are open to all TAAS members and their guests Contact GNTO Director GNTOTAASorg or 505-803-3640
Page 4
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
The California Nebula NGC 1499 without stars It is sometimes easier to see the intricacies of neb-ulosity without the distraction of a dense star field I have attempted to remove the stars surrounding the California Nebula ndash except one which is believed primarily respon-sible for lighting up this enormous nebula covering more than 25 degrees in the sky in Perseus and resembling the shape of the state of California It is only 12 degrees from the Pleiades but it is very difficult to see visually since the surface brightness is so low Note the beautiful deli-cate structure in the nebularsquos surface another example of Fine Art created by Mother Naturersquos physics
Discovered by E E Barnard in 1884 this nebula is a cloud of hydrogen atoms that is emitting mostly deep red light from excitation by the neighboring blue giant star Menkib (aka Xi Persei) estimated to be 300 light years behind the nebula This is one of the hottest and most massive stars visible to the naked eye (magnitude 41) Its surface tem-perature is 37000 K and its visual luminosity is 13000 times greater than our sun (330000 times greater count-ing the UV spectrum) The powerful UV from Menkib
excites the hydrogen in the nebula which appears to be just hanging out in the cosmos about 1600 ly from Earth
I made this image from 34 eight-minute exposures (4 hours 32 minutes) on February 1 2019 from my back-yard in northeast Albuquerque using the auto-guided Takahashi Epsilon 180ED telescope and Nikon D850 camera at ISO 800
I also used a special narrowband filter by Cyclops Op-tics loaned to me by my friend and fellow TAAS member Eric Toops from Magdalena The filterrsquos two bands pass only light in the blue green (501 nm) near the hydrogen beta emission and the Oxygen III emission and in the deep red at the hydrogen alpha emission (656 nm) It is difficult to color balance the file made through this filter but it essentially eliminates light pollution while maintaining some star color and is ideal to use with a one-shot color camera The image files were processed in PixInsight I used the awesome neural net trained Starnet script to remove the stars mdashBob Fugate
Page 5
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Observing Venusin Daylight
For the Astronomical Leaguersquos Solar System
Observing AwardBy Alan Scott
One of the lists one needs to complete to acquire an Astro-nomical League Observer Award is the Solar System Observing Award You must complete 25 dif-ferent observations one of which is to observe Venus in the day-time This is generally done with a computerized telescope so there is no chance of looking into the sun
To quote the Astronomical League ldquoCHOOSE THIS PROJECT ONLY IF YOU HAVE A TELESCOPE PROPER-LY POLAR ALIGNED AND CAPABLE OF LOCATING THE PLANET WITH-OUT ENDANGERING EITHER THE
INSTRUMENT OR YOURSELF ndash USE EXTREME CAUTION ndash EYE DAM-AGE COULD RESULTrdquo
Turns out it can also be done safely naked eye - but only when Venus is in the west
On April 15th at about 6 PM I tried it Sunset was about 747 PM so the sun was about 20 degrees above the western horizon Skies were crystal blue without a cloud in sight transparency was spectacular seeing was unknown (it was still daytime) and light pollution was insane
Venus was in the west about 63 degrees above the horizon in Tau-rus There are three tricks needed to see Venus naked eye in daylight 1) You have to make sure you are observing safely 2) Venus has to be bright enough 3) and you have to find it
Venus was magnitude -45 so was possibly visible in daylight I went to the east side of my garage deep enough in shadow that there was no possibility the sun could ac-cidentally be seen Using an iPad and SkySafari and using Compass mode I found where Venus should be I then used a pair of Cannon IS 10x30 binoculars to locate it
The planet was surprisingly big bright and beautiful I then moved towards the garage placing Ve-nus just above the ridge of the roof Lowering the binoculars and knowing exactly where to look I saw nothing But after a few minutes of effort Venus blinked into view for a second disap-peared and blinked back into view for a second I then verified I had seen Venus with the binoculars once again
You can see Venus in the daytime Give it a try ndash safely
Telescope Loan Program UpdateBy Rick Vergas Telescope Loan Program Coordinator
The Loan Program remains suspended for now no other news this month
Loan Program Statistics
of Scopes on Loan Available
on Loan
35 28 7 80 Type Reflectors Refractors Catadioptrics
23 7 12
Size Large (gt8rdquo) Medium (5rdquo-8rdquo) Small (lt5rdquo) 12 17 13
Tracking Manual Push-To Go-To Tracking 26 5 7 11 As of 32120
Page 6
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Thorrsquos Helmet NGC 2359 A Wolf-Rayet star in the center excites a large molecular cloud creating an emission nebula The Wolf-Rayet star is believed to be in a ldquopre-supernovardquo stageThis object is approximately 12000 light-years away in the constellation Canis Major and is about 30 light-years across It is difficult to image because itrsquos pretty dim and never gets very high in the skyThe data was obtained on 2-15-2020 using the imaging dome equipment at GNTO The C-14 hyperstar instrument operating at f19 together with the SBIG ST8300 C camera enabled me to capture this image in only one hourThe objectrsquos small size ndash only 12rsquox 12rsquomdashrequired substantial cropping of the 91rsquo x 69rsquo field of view 60 x 60rdquo subframes were acquired calibrated and stacked in PixInsight mdashVance Ley
Page 7
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
M e m b e r s h i p S e r v i c e s
forbullMembership InquiriesbullEvents InformationbullVolunteer Opportunities
Contact Bob Anderson at membershipTAASorg
forbullMembership DuesbullAddresse-mail changes
Contact Doug LeGrand at treasurerTAASorg
TAASPO Box 50581
Albuquerque NM 87181
Courtesy Pete Eschman
E x p l a n a t i o n o f D u e s a n d M e m b e r s h i p R e n e w a l D a t e
New memberships are registered immediately if you pay online If you pay by check your membership is registered when your check is re-ceived by the treasurer
Renewal notices will be sent out via e-mail beginning 60 days before your membership expires If your membership is renewed before it expires or with in 90 days after it ex-pires your new expiration date will be advanced one year from the previous expiration date and your membership will be continuous
If dues payment is received more than 90 days after the expiration date you will be reinstated as a mem-ber with an expiration date set as one year from the receipt of payment
D o n a t i o n s t o T A A S
The Albuquerque Astronomical Society is a 501(c)(3) organization Donations are deduct-ible as charitable contributions on the donorrsquos federal income tax return
Ricky AdamsPeter Eschman
Jim FordiceJohn Hatton
Chet amp Amara McLeesAngie RichmanThe United Way
T A A S R e p o r t s amp N o t i c e s
E d i t o r rsquo s N o t e The deadline for the next issue of The Sidereal Times is Monday May 25 The newsletter editorsrsquo e-mail address is editorTAASorg
W e l c o m e t o N e wo r R e t u r n i n g
T A A S M e m b e r s
Anthony Bonanno
Robert Fesen
Albert Franco
Alberto Franco
Dante Franco
Pamela Franco
Sofia Franco
Ronald Mori
L o c a t i o n L o c a t i o n L o c a t i o nbull Chaco Canyonbull
6185rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 36˚ 01rsquo 50rdquoN 107˚ 54rsquo 36rdquoW
3603˚ -10791˚ 36˚ 183rsquo -107˚ 5460rsquo
bull Oak Flatbull 7680rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 34˚ 59rsquo 48rdquoN 106˚ 19rsquo 17rdquoW
3499˚ -10632˚ 34˚ 5980rsquo -106˚ 1928rsquo
bull UNM Campus Observatorybull 5180rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 35˚ 5rsquo 29rdquoN 106˚ 37rsquo 17rdquoW
3509˚ -10662˚ 35˚ 548rsquo -106˚ 3729rsquo
For security reasons GNTO location is available by request only so please contact
Jim Fordice GNTO Director for GNTO information e-mail GNTOTAASorg
M o n t h l y M e m b e r s h i p R e p o r tA p r i l 2 0 2 0
Membership Current Past Change Month Month
Regular 242 247 -5Family 140 143 -3Educator 16 16 0Student 10 10 0Military 2 3 -1Honorary 5 5 0Total Members 415 425 -10
Page 8
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Jim Fordice PresidentpresidentTAASorg505-803-3640
steve sNider Vice PresidentvpTAASorg505-249-4066
doug LegraNd TreasurertreasurerTAASorg505-559-0252
carL LarsoN Secretary secretaryTAASorg408-623-4717
robert aNdersoN DirectorMembership CoordinatormembershipTAASorg505-275-1916
Jim Fordice DirectorGNTO Director gntoTAASorg505-803-3640
mark goodmaN DirectorEducation Outreach Directoreducation_coordTAASorg505-328-6157
bob havLeN Directorrhavlenearthlinknet505-856-3306
boris veNet DirectorChaco Events Coordinator UNM Observatory Coordinator venetbsprintmailcom505-507-7838
rick vergas DirectorTelescope Loan Coordinatortelescope_loansTAASorg505-620-2832
Astronomical League Coordinator Becky Ramotowski 505-286-8334 AL_coordinatorTAASorg ATM Coordinator Ray Collins 505-344-9686 atmTAASorg Chaco Events Coordinator Boris Venet 505-507-7838 venetbsprintmailcom Education Outreach Mark Goodman 505-328-6157 education_coordTAASorg Explora Adult Night Coordinator Bob Hufnagel 505-890-8122 rhufnagel2comcastnet Fabulous Fifty Coordinator Phil Fleming 505-870-5604 fab50TAASorg GNTO Director Jim Fordice 505-803-3640 gntoTAASorg Membership Chair Bob Anderson 505-275-1916 membershipTAASorg Nametag Coordinator Billie Sue Patrick 575-937-1659 nametagTAASorg Newsletter Co-Editor Content Bruce Meyer 917-449-0700 editorTAASorg Newsletter Co-Editor Design Gary Cooper 505-227-3974 editorTAASorg Public Events Coordinator Steve Snider 505-249-4066 events_coordinatorTAASorg Publicity Coordinator Lynne Olson 505-856-2537 prTAASorg Scout Coordinator Chaz Jetty 505-350-7949 scout_coordinatorTAASorg Telescope Loan Coordinator Rick Vergas 505-620-2832 telescope_loansTAASorg UNM Observatory Coordinator Boris Venet 505-507-7838 UNM_coordTAASorg Webmaster John Purnell 209-355-5166 webmasterTAASorg
2 0 2 0 T A A S B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s S t a f f
TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoEditorrsquos Pick 2013 Best of the Cityrdquo award from Albuquerque Magazine
BEST PLACE TO STARGAZECELESTIAL EDITION
TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoOUT-OF-THIS-WORLDrdquo AWARD 2011
from Astronomy Magazine for Outstanding Public Programming
MEMBERSHIP
You can join TAAS or renew your membership online Just go to wwwtaasorg and select ldquoJoin Usrdquo or ldquoRenew Your Membershiprdquo from the main menu on the left side Annual dues are $30 for a regular membership $15 for educators and active military and $5 for students Only regular members are eligible to vote in society matters Our new member information packet can be viewed or downloaded from the same location on the website You can pay your dues on line through PayPal by Visa MasterCard or American Express To pay by check mail your check to TAAS PO Box 50581 Albuquerque NM 87181-0581 or give it to the treasurer at one of our meetings
MAGAZINES
TAAS no longer offers magazine subscriptions
ARTICLESADVERTISEMENTS
Articles personal astronomical clas-sified advertisements and advertise-ments for businesses related to as-tronomy must be submitted by the deadline shown on the Society calen-dar (generally the Friday near the new Moon) Rates for commercial ads (per issue) are $120 per page $60 per half page $30 per quarter page $7 for business card size The newsletter edi-tor reserves the right to include andor edit any article or advertisement E-mail attachments in Microsoft Word or compatible word processor format ASCII and RTF are acceptable One space between paragraphs is pre-ferred One column is approximately 350 words Contact the Newsletter Editor at editorTAASorg for more in-formation
Note that the Sidereal Times is no longer mailed It is posted on the TAAS website wwwTAASorg
Send submissions or correspondence to editorTAASorg
The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
PO Box 50581Albuquerque NM 87181-0581
taas ONLINE
TAAS website httpwwwTAASorg
The TAAS website includes
bull Programs bull taas 200 bull TAAS Fabulous Fiftybull Educational Outreach School Star
Parties Solar Astronomy Outreachbull Equipment Trader bull Telescope Loaner Programbull Telescope Making and Maintenance And more
bull Online Sidereal Timesbull Calendar of TAAS Eventsbull Membersrsquo Guidebull Links to Astronomy Resources and
Membersrsquo Blogs
E-mail TAASTAASorg
Membersrsquo Google GroupTAAS_talkgooglegroupscom
Page 4
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
The California Nebula NGC 1499 without stars It is sometimes easier to see the intricacies of neb-ulosity without the distraction of a dense star field I have attempted to remove the stars surrounding the California Nebula ndash except one which is believed primarily respon-sible for lighting up this enormous nebula covering more than 25 degrees in the sky in Perseus and resembling the shape of the state of California It is only 12 degrees from the Pleiades but it is very difficult to see visually since the surface brightness is so low Note the beautiful deli-cate structure in the nebularsquos surface another example of Fine Art created by Mother Naturersquos physics
Discovered by E E Barnard in 1884 this nebula is a cloud of hydrogen atoms that is emitting mostly deep red light from excitation by the neighboring blue giant star Menkib (aka Xi Persei) estimated to be 300 light years behind the nebula This is one of the hottest and most massive stars visible to the naked eye (magnitude 41) Its surface tem-perature is 37000 K and its visual luminosity is 13000 times greater than our sun (330000 times greater count-ing the UV spectrum) The powerful UV from Menkib
excites the hydrogen in the nebula which appears to be just hanging out in the cosmos about 1600 ly from Earth
I made this image from 34 eight-minute exposures (4 hours 32 minutes) on February 1 2019 from my back-yard in northeast Albuquerque using the auto-guided Takahashi Epsilon 180ED telescope and Nikon D850 camera at ISO 800
I also used a special narrowband filter by Cyclops Op-tics loaned to me by my friend and fellow TAAS member Eric Toops from Magdalena The filterrsquos two bands pass only light in the blue green (501 nm) near the hydrogen beta emission and the Oxygen III emission and in the deep red at the hydrogen alpha emission (656 nm) It is difficult to color balance the file made through this filter but it essentially eliminates light pollution while maintaining some star color and is ideal to use with a one-shot color camera The image files were processed in PixInsight I used the awesome neural net trained Starnet script to remove the stars mdashBob Fugate
Page 5
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Observing Venusin Daylight
For the Astronomical Leaguersquos Solar System
Observing AwardBy Alan Scott
One of the lists one needs to complete to acquire an Astro-nomical League Observer Award is the Solar System Observing Award You must complete 25 dif-ferent observations one of which is to observe Venus in the day-time This is generally done with a computerized telescope so there is no chance of looking into the sun
To quote the Astronomical League ldquoCHOOSE THIS PROJECT ONLY IF YOU HAVE A TELESCOPE PROPER-LY POLAR ALIGNED AND CAPABLE OF LOCATING THE PLANET WITH-OUT ENDANGERING EITHER THE
INSTRUMENT OR YOURSELF ndash USE EXTREME CAUTION ndash EYE DAM-AGE COULD RESULTrdquo
Turns out it can also be done safely naked eye - but only when Venus is in the west
On April 15th at about 6 PM I tried it Sunset was about 747 PM so the sun was about 20 degrees above the western horizon Skies were crystal blue without a cloud in sight transparency was spectacular seeing was unknown (it was still daytime) and light pollution was insane
Venus was in the west about 63 degrees above the horizon in Tau-rus There are three tricks needed to see Venus naked eye in daylight 1) You have to make sure you are observing safely 2) Venus has to be bright enough 3) and you have to find it
Venus was magnitude -45 so was possibly visible in daylight I went to the east side of my garage deep enough in shadow that there was no possibility the sun could ac-cidentally be seen Using an iPad and SkySafari and using Compass mode I found where Venus should be I then used a pair of Cannon IS 10x30 binoculars to locate it
The planet was surprisingly big bright and beautiful I then moved towards the garage placing Ve-nus just above the ridge of the roof Lowering the binoculars and knowing exactly where to look I saw nothing But after a few minutes of effort Venus blinked into view for a second disap-peared and blinked back into view for a second I then verified I had seen Venus with the binoculars once again
You can see Venus in the daytime Give it a try ndash safely
Telescope Loan Program UpdateBy Rick Vergas Telescope Loan Program Coordinator
The Loan Program remains suspended for now no other news this month
Loan Program Statistics
of Scopes on Loan Available
on Loan
35 28 7 80 Type Reflectors Refractors Catadioptrics
23 7 12
Size Large (gt8rdquo) Medium (5rdquo-8rdquo) Small (lt5rdquo) 12 17 13
Tracking Manual Push-To Go-To Tracking 26 5 7 11 As of 32120
Page 6
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Thorrsquos Helmet NGC 2359 A Wolf-Rayet star in the center excites a large molecular cloud creating an emission nebula The Wolf-Rayet star is believed to be in a ldquopre-supernovardquo stageThis object is approximately 12000 light-years away in the constellation Canis Major and is about 30 light-years across It is difficult to image because itrsquos pretty dim and never gets very high in the skyThe data was obtained on 2-15-2020 using the imaging dome equipment at GNTO The C-14 hyperstar instrument operating at f19 together with the SBIG ST8300 C camera enabled me to capture this image in only one hourThe objectrsquos small size ndash only 12rsquox 12rsquomdashrequired substantial cropping of the 91rsquo x 69rsquo field of view 60 x 60rdquo subframes were acquired calibrated and stacked in PixInsight mdashVance Ley
Page 7
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
M e m b e r s h i p S e r v i c e s
forbullMembership InquiriesbullEvents InformationbullVolunteer Opportunities
Contact Bob Anderson at membershipTAASorg
forbullMembership DuesbullAddresse-mail changes
Contact Doug LeGrand at treasurerTAASorg
TAASPO Box 50581
Albuquerque NM 87181
Courtesy Pete Eschman
E x p l a n a t i o n o f D u e s a n d M e m b e r s h i p R e n e w a l D a t e
New memberships are registered immediately if you pay online If you pay by check your membership is registered when your check is re-ceived by the treasurer
Renewal notices will be sent out via e-mail beginning 60 days before your membership expires If your membership is renewed before it expires or with in 90 days after it ex-pires your new expiration date will be advanced one year from the previous expiration date and your membership will be continuous
If dues payment is received more than 90 days after the expiration date you will be reinstated as a mem-ber with an expiration date set as one year from the receipt of payment
D o n a t i o n s t o T A A S
The Albuquerque Astronomical Society is a 501(c)(3) organization Donations are deduct-ible as charitable contributions on the donorrsquos federal income tax return
Ricky AdamsPeter Eschman
Jim FordiceJohn Hatton
Chet amp Amara McLeesAngie RichmanThe United Way
T A A S R e p o r t s amp N o t i c e s
E d i t o r rsquo s N o t e The deadline for the next issue of The Sidereal Times is Monday May 25 The newsletter editorsrsquo e-mail address is editorTAASorg
W e l c o m e t o N e wo r R e t u r n i n g
T A A S M e m b e r s
Anthony Bonanno
Robert Fesen
Albert Franco
Alberto Franco
Dante Franco
Pamela Franco
Sofia Franco
Ronald Mori
L o c a t i o n L o c a t i o n L o c a t i o nbull Chaco Canyonbull
6185rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 36˚ 01rsquo 50rdquoN 107˚ 54rsquo 36rdquoW
3603˚ -10791˚ 36˚ 183rsquo -107˚ 5460rsquo
bull Oak Flatbull 7680rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 34˚ 59rsquo 48rdquoN 106˚ 19rsquo 17rdquoW
3499˚ -10632˚ 34˚ 5980rsquo -106˚ 1928rsquo
bull UNM Campus Observatorybull 5180rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 35˚ 5rsquo 29rdquoN 106˚ 37rsquo 17rdquoW
3509˚ -10662˚ 35˚ 548rsquo -106˚ 3729rsquo
For security reasons GNTO location is available by request only so please contact
Jim Fordice GNTO Director for GNTO information e-mail GNTOTAASorg
M o n t h l y M e m b e r s h i p R e p o r tA p r i l 2 0 2 0
Membership Current Past Change Month Month
Regular 242 247 -5Family 140 143 -3Educator 16 16 0Student 10 10 0Military 2 3 -1Honorary 5 5 0Total Members 415 425 -10
Page 8
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Jim Fordice PresidentpresidentTAASorg505-803-3640
steve sNider Vice PresidentvpTAASorg505-249-4066
doug LegraNd TreasurertreasurerTAASorg505-559-0252
carL LarsoN Secretary secretaryTAASorg408-623-4717
robert aNdersoN DirectorMembership CoordinatormembershipTAASorg505-275-1916
Jim Fordice DirectorGNTO Director gntoTAASorg505-803-3640
mark goodmaN DirectorEducation Outreach Directoreducation_coordTAASorg505-328-6157
bob havLeN Directorrhavlenearthlinknet505-856-3306
boris veNet DirectorChaco Events Coordinator UNM Observatory Coordinator venetbsprintmailcom505-507-7838
rick vergas DirectorTelescope Loan Coordinatortelescope_loansTAASorg505-620-2832
Astronomical League Coordinator Becky Ramotowski 505-286-8334 AL_coordinatorTAASorg ATM Coordinator Ray Collins 505-344-9686 atmTAASorg Chaco Events Coordinator Boris Venet 505-507-7838 venetbsprintmailcom Education Outreach Mark Goodman 505-328-6157 education_coordTAASorg Explora Adult Night Coordinator Bob Hufnagel 505-890-8122 rhufnagel2comcastnet Fabulous Fifty Coordinator Phil Fleming 505-870-5604 fab50TAASorg GNTO Director Jim Fordice 505-803-3640 gntoTAASorg Membership Chair Bob Anderson 505-275-1916 membershipTAASorg Nametag Coordinator Billie Sue Patrick 575-937-1659 nametagTAASorg Newsletter Co-Editor Content Bruce Meyer 917-449-0700 editorTAASorg Newsletter Co-Editor Design Gary Cooper 505-227-3974 editorTAASorg Public Events Coordinator Steve Snider 505-249-4066 events_coordinatorTAASorg Publicity Coordinator Lynne Olson 505-856-2537 prTAASorg Scout Coordinator Chaz Jetty 505-350-7949 scout_coordinatorTAASorg Telescope Loan Coordinator Rick Vergas 505-620-2832 telescope_loansTAASorg UNM Observatory Coordinator Boris Venet 505-507-7838 UNM_coordTAASorg Webmaster John Purnell 209-355-5166 webmasterTAASorg
2 0 2 0 T A A S B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s S t a f f
TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoEditorrsquos Pick 2013 Best of the Cityrdquo award from Albuquerque Magazine
BEST PLACE TO STARGAZECELESTIAL EDITION
TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoOUT-OF-THIS-WORLDrdquo AWARD 2011
from Astronomy Magazine for Outstanding Public Programming
MEMBERSHIP
You can join TAAS or renew your membership online Just go to wwwtaasorg and select ldquoJoin Usrdquo or ldquoRenew Your Membershiprdquo from the main menu on the left side Annual dues are $30 for a regular membership $15 for educators and active military and $5 for students Only regular members are eligible to vote in society matters Our new member information packet can be viewed or downloaded from the same location on the website You can pay your dues on line through PayPal by Visa MasterCard or American Express To pay by check mail your check to TAAS PO Box 50581 Albuquerque NM 87181-0581 or give it to the treasurer at one of our meetings
MAGAZINES
TAAS no longer offers magazine subscriptions
ARTICLESADVERTISEMENTS
Articles personal astronomical clas-sified advertisements and advertise-ments for businesses related to as-tronomy must be submitted by the deadline shown on the Society calen-dar (generally the Friday near the new Moon) Rates for commercial ads (per issue) are $120 per page $60 per half page $30 per quarter page $7 for business card size The newsletter edi-tor reserves the right to include andor edit any article or advertisement E-mail attachments in Microsoft Word or compatible word processor format ASCII and RTF are acceptable One space between paragraphs is pre-ferred One column is approximately 350 words Contact the Newsletter Editor at editorTAASorg for more in-formation
Note that the Sidereal Times is no longer mailed It is posted on the TAAS website wwwTAASorg
Send submissions or correspondence to editorTAASorg
The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
PO Box 50581Albuquerque NM 87181-0581
taas ONLINE
TAAS website httpwwwTAASorg
The TAAS website includes
bull Programs bull taas 200 bull TAAS Fabulous Fiftybull Educational Outreach School Star
Parties Solar Astronomy Outreachbull Equipment Trader bull Telescope Loaner Programbull Telescope Making and Maintenance And more
bull Online Sidereal Timesbull Calendar of TAAS Eventsbull Membersrsquo Guidebull Links to Astronomy Resources and
Membersrsquo Blogs
E-mail TAASTAASorg
Membersrsquo Google GroupTAAS_talkgooglegroupscom
Page 5
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Observing Venusin Daylight
For the Astronomical Leaguersquos Solar System
Observing AwardBy Alan Scott
One of the lists one needs to complete to acquire an Astro-nomical League Observer Award is the Solar System Observing Award You must complete 25 dif-ferent observations one of which is to observe Venus in the day-time This is generally done with a computerized telescope so there is no chance of looking into the sun
To quote the Astronomical League ldquoCHOOSE THIS PROJECT ONLY IF YOU HAVE A TELESCOPE PROPER-LY POLAR ALIGNED AND CAPABLE OF LOCATING THE PLANET WITH-OUT ENDANGERING EITHER THE
INSTRUMENT OR YOURSELF ndash USE EXTREME CAUTION ndash EYE DAM-AGE COULD RESULTrdquo
Turns out it can also be done safely naked eye - but only when Venus is in the west
On April 15th at about 6 PM I tried it Sunset was about 747 PM so the sun was about 20 degrees above the western horizon Skies were crystal blue without a cloud in sight transparency was spectacular seeing was unknown (it was still daytime) and light pollution was insane
Venus was in the west about 63 degrees above the horizon in Tau-rus There are three tricks needed to see Venus naked eye in daylight 1) You have to make sure you are observing safely 2) Venus has to be bright enough 3) and you have to find it
Venus was magnitude -45 so was possibly visible in daylight I went to the east side of my garage deep enough in shadow that there was no possibility the sun could ac-cidentally be seen Using an iPad and SkySafari and using Compass mode I found where Venus should be I then used a pair of Cannon IS 10x30 binoculars to locate it
The planet was surprisingly big bright and beautiful I then moved towards the garage placing Ve-nus just above the ridge of the roof Lowering the binoculars and knowing exactly where to look I saw nothing But after a few minutes of effort Venus blinked into view for a second disap-peared and blinked back into view for a second I then verified I had seen Venus with the binoculars once again
You can see Venus in the daytime Give it a try ndash safely
Telescope Loan Program UpdateBy Rick Vergas Telescope Loan Program Coordinator
The Loan Program remains suspended for now no other news this month
Loan Program Statistics
of Scopes on Loan Available
on Loan
35 28 7 80 Type Reflectors Refractors Catadioptrics
23 7 12
Size Large (gt8rdquo) Medium (5rdquo-8rdquo) Small (lt5rdquo) 12 17 13
Tracking Manual Push-To Go-To Tracking 26 5 7 11 As of 32120
Page 6
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Thorrsquos Helmet NGC 2359 A Wolf-Rayet star in the center excites a large molecular cloud creating an emission nebula The Wolf-Rayet star is believed to be in a ldquopre-supernovardquo stageThis object is approximately 12000 light-years away in the constellation Canis Major and is about 30 light-years across It is difficult to image because itrsquos pretty dim and never gets very high in the skyThe data was obtained on 2-15-2020 using the imaging dome equipment at GNTO The C-14 hyperstar instrument operating at f19 together with the SBIG ST8300 C camera enabled me to capture this image in only one hourThe objectrsquos small size ndash only 12rsquox 12rsquomdashrequired substantial cropping of the 91rsquo x 69rsquo field of view 60 x 60rdquo subframes were acquired calibrated and stacked in PixInsight mdashVance Ley
Page 7
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
M e m b e r s h i p S e r v i c e s
forbullMembership InquiriesbullEvents InformationbullVolunteer Opportunities
Contact Bob Anderson at membershipTAASorg
forbullMembership DuesbullAddresse-mail changes
Contact Doug LeGrand at treasurerTAASorg
TAASPO Box 50581
Albuquerque NM 87181
Courtesy Pete Eschman
E x p l a n a t i o n o f D u e s a n d M e m b e r s h i p R e n e w a l D a t e
New memberships are registered immediately if you pay online If you pay by check your membership is registered when your check is re-ceived by the treasurer
Renewal notices will be sent out via e-mail beginning 60 days before your membership expires If your membership is renewed before it expires or with in 90 days after it ex-pires your new expiration date will be advanced one year from the previous expiration date and your membership will be continuous
If dues payment is received more than 90 days after the expiration date you will be reinstated as a mem-ber with an expiration date set as one year from the receipt of payment
D o n a t i o n s t o T A A S
The Albuquerque Astronomical Society is a 501(c)(3) organization Donations are deduct-ible as charitable contributions on the donorrsquos federal income tax return
Ricky AdamsPeter Eschman
Jim FordiceJohn Hatton
Chet amp Amara McLeesAngie RichmanThe United Way
T A A S R e p o r t s amp N o t i c e s
E d i t o r rsquo s N o t e The deadline for the next issue of The Sidereal Times is Monday May 25 The newsletter editorsrsquo e-mail address is editorTAASorg
W e l c o m e t o N e wo r R e t u r n i n g
T A A S M e m b e r s
Anthony Bonanno
Robert Fesen
Albert Franco
Alberto Franco
Dante Franco
Pamela Franco
Sofia Franco
Ronald Mori
L o c a t i o n L o c a t i o n L o c a t i o nbull Chaco Canyonbull
6185rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 36˚ 01rsquo 50rdquoN 107˚ 54rsquo 36rdquoW
3603˚ -10791˚ 36˚ 183rsquo -107˚ 5460rsquo
bull Oak Flatbull 7680rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 34˚ 59rsquo 48rdquoN 106˚ 19rsquo 17rdquoW
3499˚ -10632˚ 34˚ 5980rsquo -106˚ 1928rsquo
bull UNM Campus Observatorybull 5180rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 35˚ 5rsquo 29rdquoN 106˚ 37rsquo 17rdquoW
3509˚ -10662˚ 35˚ 548rsquo -106˚ 3729rsquo
For security reasons GNTO location is available by request only so please contact
Jim Fordice GNTO Director for GNTO information e-mail GNTOTAASorg
M o n t h l y M e m b e r s h i p R e p o r tA p r i l 2 0 2 0
Membership Current Past Change Month Month
Regular 242 247 -5Family 140 143 -3Educator 16 16 0Student 10 10 0Military 2 3 -1Honorary 5 5 0Total Members 415 425 -10
Page 8
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Jim Fordice PresidentpresidentTAASorg505-803-3640
steve sNider Vice PresidentvpTAASorg505-249-4066
doug LegraNd TreasurertreasurerTAASorg505-559-0252
carL LarsoN Secretary secretaryTAASorg408-623-4717
robert aNdersoN DirectorMembership CoordinatormembershipTAASorg505-275-1916
Jim Fordice DirectorGNTO Director gntoTAASorg505-803-3640
mark goodmaN DirectorEducation Outreach Directoreducation_coordTAASorg505-328-6157
bob havLeN Directorrhavlenearthlinknet505-856-3306
boris veNet DirectorChaco Events Coordinator UNM Observatory Coordinator venetbsprintmailcom505-507-7838
rick vergas DirectorTelescope Loan Coordinatortelescope_loansTAASorg505-620-2832
Astronomical League Coordinator Becky Ramotowski 505-286-8334 AL_coordinatorTAASorg ATM Coordinator Ray Collins 505-344-9686 atmTAASorg Chaco Events Coordinator Boris Venet 505-507-7838 venetbsprintmailcom Education Outreach Mark Goodman 505-328-6157 education_coordTAASorg Explora Adult Night Coordinator Bob Hufnagel 505-890-8122 rhufnagel2comcastnet Fabulous Fifty Coordinator Phil Fleming 505-870-5604 fab50TAASorg GNTO Director Jim Fordice 505-803-3640 gntoTAASorg Membership Chair Bob Anderson 505-275-1916 membershipTAASorg Nametag Coordinator Billie Sue Patrick 575-937-1659 nametagTAASorg Newsletter Co-Editor Content Bruce Meyer 917-449-0700 editorTAASorg Newsletter Co-Editor Design Gary Cooper 505-227-3974 editorTAASorg Public Events Coordinator Steve Snider 505-249-4066 events_coordinatorTAASorg Publicity Coordinator Lynne Olson 505-856-2537 prTAASorg Scout Coordinator Chaz Jetty 505-350-7949 scout_coordinatorTAASorg Telescope Loan Coordinator Rick Vergas 505-620-2832 telescope_loansTAASorg UNM Observatory Coordinator Boris Venet 505-507-7838 UNM_coordTAASorg Webmaster John Purnell 209-355-5166 webmasterTAASorg
2 0 2 0 T A A S B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s S t a f f
TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoEditorrsquos Pick 2013 Best of the Cityrdquo award from Albuquerque Magazine
BEST PLACE TO STARGAZECELESTIAL EDITION
TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoOUT-OF-THIS-WORLDrdquo AWARD 2011
from Astronomy Magazine for Outstanding Public Programming
MEMBERSHIP
You can join TAAS or renew your membership online Just go to wwwtaasorg and select ldquoJoin Usrdquo or ldquoRenew Your Membershiprdquo from the main menu on the left side Annual dues are $30 for a regular membership $15 for educators and active military and $5 for students Only regular members are eligible to vote in society matters Our new member information packet can be viewed or downloaded from the same location on the website You can pay your dues on line through PayPal by Visa MasterCard or American Express To pay by check mail your check to TAAS PO Box 50581 Albuquerque NM 87181-0581 or give it to the treasurer at one of our meetings
MAGAZINES
TAAS no longer offers magazine subscriptions
ARTICLESADVERTISEMENTS
Articles personal astronomical clas-sified advertisements and advertise-ments for businesses related to as-tronomy must be submitted by the deadline shown on the Society calen-dar (generally the Friday near the new Moon) Rates for commercial ads (per issue) are $120 per page $60 per half page $30 per quarter page $7 for business card size The newsletter edi-tor reserves the right to include andor edit any article or advertisement E-mail attachments in Microsoft Word or compatible word processor format ASCII and RTF are acceptable One space between paragraphs is pre-ferred One column is approximately 350 words Contact the Newsletter Editor at editorTAASorg for more in-formation
Note that the Sidereal Times is no longer mailed It is posted on the TAAS website wwwTAASorg
Send submissions or correspondence to editorTAASorg
The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
PO Box 50581Albuquerque NM 87181-0581
taas ONLINE
TAAS website httpwwwTAASorg
The TAAS website includes
bull Programs bull taas 200 bull TAAS Fabulous Fiftybull Educational Outreach School Star
Parties Solar Astronomy Outreachbull Equipment Trader bull Telescope Loaner Programbull Telescope Making and Maintenance And more
bull Online Sidereal Timesbull Calendar of TAAS Eventsbull Membersrsquo Guidebull Links to Astronomy Resources and
Membersrsquo Blogs
E-mail TAASTAASorg
Membersrsquo Google GroupTAAS_talkgooglegroupscom
Page 6
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Thorrsquos Helmet NGC 2359 A Wolf-Rayet star in the center excites a large molecular cloud creating an emission nebula The Wolf-Rayet star is believed to be in a ldquopre-supernovardquo stageThis object is approximately 12000 light-years away in the constellation Canis Major and is about 30 light-years across It is difficult to image because itrsquos pretty dim and never gets very high in the skyThe data was obtained on 2-15-2020 using the imaging dome equipment at GNTO The C-14 hyperstar instrument operating at f19 together with the SBIG ST8300 C camera enabled me to capture this image in only one hourThe objectrsquos small size ndash only 12rsquox 12rsquomdashrequired substantial cropping of the 91rsquo x 69rsquo field of view 60 x 60rdquo subframes were acquired calibrated and stacked in PixInsight mdashVance Ley
Page 7
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
M e m b e r s h i p S e r v i c e s
forbullMembership InquiriesbullEvents InformationbullVolunteer Opportunities
Contact Bob Anderson at membershipTAASorg
forbullMembership DuesbullAddresse-mail changes
Contact Doug LeGrand at treasurerTAASorg
TAASPO Box 50581
Albuquerque NM 87181
Courtesy Pete Eschman
E x p l a n a t i o n o f D u e s a n d M e m b e r s h i p R e n e w a l D a t e
New memberships are registered immediately if you pay online If you pay by check your membership is registered when your check is re-ceived by the treasurer
Renewal notices will be sent out via e-mail beginning 60 days before your membership expires If your membership is renewed before it expires or with in 90 days after it ex-pires your new expiration date will be advanced one year from the previous expiration date and your membership will be continuous
If dues payment is received more than 90 days after the expiration date you will be reinstated as a mem-ber with an expiration date set as one year from the receipt of payment
D o n a t i o n s t o T A A S
The Albuquerque Astronomical Society is a 501(c)(3) organization Donations are deduct-ible as charitable contributions on the donorrsquos federal income tax return
Ricky AdamsPeter Eschman
Jim FordiceJohn Hatton
Chet amp Amara McLeesAngie RichmanThe United Way
T A A S R e p o r t s amp N o t i c e s
E d i t o r rsquo s N o t e The deadline for the next issue of The Sidereal Times is Monday May 25 The newsletter editorsrsquo e-mail address is editorTAASorg
W e l c o m e t o N e wo r R e t u r n i n g
T A A S M e m b e r s
Anthony Bonanno
Robert Fesen
Albert Franco
Alberto Franco
Dante Franco
Pamela Franco
Sofia Franco
Ronald Mori
L o c a t i o n L o c a t i o n L o c a t i o nbull Chaco Canyonbull
6185rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 36˚ 01rsquo 50rdquoN 107˚ 54rsquo 36rdquoW
3603˚ -10791˚ 36˚ 183rsquo -107˚ 5460rsquo
bull Oak Flatbull 7680rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 34˚ 59rsquo 48rdquoN 106˚ 19rsquo 17rdquoW
3499˚ -10632˚ 34˚ 5980rsquo -106˚ 1928rsquo
bull UNM Campus Observatorybull 5180rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 35˚ 5rsquo 29rdquoN 106˚ 37rsquo 17rdquoW
3509˚ -10662˚ 35˚ 548rsquo -106˚ 3729rsquo
For security reasons GNTO location is available by request only so please contact
Jim Fordice GNTO Director for GNTO information e-mail GNTOTAASorg
M o n t h l y M e m b e r s h i p R e p o r tA p r i l 2 0 2 0
Membership Current Past Change Month Month
Regular 242 247 -5Family 140 143 -3Educator 16 16 0Student 10 10 0Military 2 3 -1Honorary 5 5 0Total Members 415 425 -10
Page 8
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Jim Fordice PresidentpresidentTAASorg505-803-3640
steve sNider Vice PresidentvpTAASorg505-249-4066
doug LegraNd TreasurertreasurerTAASorg505-559-0252
carL LarsoN Secretary secretaryTAASorg408-623-4717
robert aNdersoN DirectorMembership CoordinatormembershipTAASorg505-275-1916
Jim Fordice DirectorGNTO Director gntoTAASorg505-803-3640
mark goodmaN DirectorEducation Outreach Directoreducation_coordTAASorg505-328-6157
bob havLeN Directorrhavlenearthlinknet505-856-3306
boris veNet DirectorChaco Events Coordinator UNM Observatory Coordinator venetbsprintmailcom505-507-7838
rick vergas DirectorTelescope Loan Coordinatortelescope_loansTAASorg505-620-2832
Astronomical League Coordinator Becky Ramotowski 505-286-8334 AL_coordinatorTAASorg ATM Coordinator Ray Collins 505-344-9686 atmTAASorg Chaco Events Coordinator Boris Venet 505-507-7838 venetbsprintmailcom Education Outreach Mark Goodman 505-328-6157 education_coordTAASorg Explora Adult Night Coordinator Bob Hufnagel 505-890-8122 rhufnagel2comcastnet Fabulous Fifty Coordinator Phil Fleming 505-870-5604 fab50TAASorg GNTO Director Jim Fordice 505-803-3640 gntoTAASorg Membership Chair Bob Anderson 505-275-1916 membershipTAASorg Nametag Coordinator Billie Sue Patrick 575-937-1659 nametagTAASorg Newsletter Co-Editor Content Bruce Meyer 917-449-0700 editorTAASorg Newsletter Co-Editor Design Gary Cooper 505-227-3974 editorTAASorg Public Events Coordinator Steve Snider 505-249-4066 events_coordinatorTAASorg Publicity Coordinator Lynne Olson 505-856-2537 prTAASorg Scout Coordinator Chaz Jetty 505-350-7949 scout_coordinatorTAASorg Telescope Loan Coordinator Rick Vergas 505-620-2832 telescope_loansTAASorg UNM Observatory Coordinator Boris Venet 505-507-7838 UNM_coordTAASorg Webmaster John Purnell 209-355-5166 webmasterTAASorg
2 0 2 0 T A A S B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s S t a f f
TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoEditorrsquos Pick 2013 Best of the Cityrdquo award from Albuquerque Magazine
BEST PLACE TO STARGAZECELESTIAL EDITION
TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoOUT-OF-THIS-WORLDrdquo AWARD 2011
from Astronomy Magazine for Outstanding Public Programming
MEMBERSHIP
You can join TAAS or renew your membership online Just go to wwwtaasorg and select ldquoJoin Usrdquo or ldquoRenew Your Membershiprdquo from the main menu on the left side Annual dues are $30 for a regular membership $15 for educators and active military and $5 for students Only regular members are eligible to vote in society matters Our new member information packet can be viewed or downloaded from the same location on the website You can pay your dues on line through PayPal by Visa MasterCard or American Express To pay by check mail your check to TAAS PO Box 50581 Albuquerque NM 87181-0581 or give it to the treasurer at one of our meetings
MAGAZINES
TAAS no longer offers magazine subscriptions
ARTICLESADVERTISEMENTS
Articles personal astronomical clas-sified advertisements and advertise-ments for businesses related to as-tronomy must be submitted by the deadline shown on the Society calen-dar (generally the Friday near the new Moon) Rates for commercial ads (per issue) are $120 per page $60 per half page $30 per quarter page $7 for business card size The newsletter edi-tor reserves the right to include andor edit any article or advertisement E-mail attachments in Microsoft Word or compatible word processor format ASCII and RTF are acceptable One space between paragraphs is pre-ferred One column is approximately 350 words Contact the Newsletter Editor at editorTAASorg for more in-formation
Note that the Sidereal Times is no longer mailed It is posted on the TAAS website wwwTAASorg
Send submissions or correspondence to editorTAASorg
The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
PO Box 50581Albuquerque NM 87181-0581
taas ONLINE
TAAS website httpwwwTAASorg
The TAAS website includes
bull Programs bull taas 200 bull TAAS Fabulous Fiftybull Educational Outreach School Star
Parties Solar Astronomy Outreachbull Equipment Trader bull Telescope Loaner Programbull Telescope Making and Maintenance And more
bull Online Sidereal Timesbull Calendar of TAAS Eventsbull Membersrsquo Guidebull Links to Astronomy Resources and
Membersrsquo Blogs
E-mail TAASTAASorg
Membersrsquo Google GroupTAAS_talkgooglegroupscom
Page 7
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
M e m b e r s h i p S e r v i c e s
forbullMembership InquiriesbullEvents InformationbullVolunteer Opportunities
Contact Bob Anderson at membershipTAASorg
forbullMembership DuesbullAddresse-mail changes
Contact Doug LeGrand at treasurerTAASorg
TAASPO Box 50581
Albuquerque NM 87181
Courtesy Pete Eschman
E x p l a n a t i o n o f D u e s a n d M e m b e r s h i p R e n e w a l D a t e
New memberships are registered immediately if you pay online If you pay by check your membership is registered when your check is re-ceived by the treasurer
Renewal notices will be sent out via e-mail beginning 60 days before your membership expires If your membership is renewed before it expires or with in 90 days after it ex-pires your new expiration date will be advanced one year from the previous expiration date and your membership will be continuous
If dues payment is received more than 90 days after the expiration date you will be reinstated as a mem-ber with an expiration date set as one year from the receipt of payment
D o n a t i o n s t o T A A S
The Albuquerque Astronomical Society is a 501(c)(3) organization Donations are deduct-ible as charitable contributions on the donorrsquos federal income tax return
Ricky AdamsPeter Eschman
Jim FordiceJohn Hatton
Chet amp Amara McLeesAngie RichmanThe United Way
T A A S R e p o r t s amp N o t i c e s
E d i t o r rsquo s N o t e The deadline for the next issue of The Sidereal Times is Monday May 25 The newsletter editorsrsquo e-mail address is editorTAASorg
W e l c o m e t o N e wo r R e t u r n i n g
T A A S M e m b e r s
Anthony Bonanno
Robert Fesen
Albert Franco
Alberto Franco
Dante Franco
Pamela Franco
Sofia Franco
Ronald Mori
L o c a t i o n L o c a t i o n L o c a t i o nbull Chaco Canyonbull
6185rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 36˚ 01rsquo 50rdquoN 107˚ 54rsquo 36rdquoW
3603˚ -10791˚ 36˚ 183rsquo -107˚ 5460rsquo
bull Oak Flatbull 7680rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 34˚ 59rsquo 48rdquoN 106˚ 19rsquo 17rdquoW
3499˚ -10632˚ 34˚ 5980rsquo -106˚ 1928rsquo
bull UNM Campus Observatorybull 5180rsquo elevation Latitude Longitude 35˚ 5rsquo 29rdquoN 106˚ 37rsquo 17rdquoW
3509˚ -10662˚ 35˚ 548rsquo -106˚ 3729rsquo
For security reasons GNTO location is available by request only so please contact
Jim Fordice GNTO Director for GNTO information e-mail GNTOTAASorg
M o n t h l y M e m b e r s h i p R e p o r tA p r i l 2 0 2 0
Membership Current Past Change Month Month
Regular 242 247 -5Family 140 143 -3Educator 16 16 0Student 10 10 0Military 2 3 -1Honorary 5 5 0Total Members 415 425 -10
Page 8
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Jim Fordice PresidentpresidentTAASorg505-803-3640
steve sNider Vice PresidentvpTAASorg505-249-4066
doug LegraNd TreasurertreasurerTAASorg505-559-0252
carL LarsoN Secretary secretaryTAASorg408-623-4717
robert aNdersoN DirectorMembership CoordinatormembershipTAASorg505-275-1916
Jim Fordice DirectorGNTO Director gntoTAASorg505-803-3640
mark goodmaN DirectorEducation Outreach Directoreducation_coordTAASorg505-328-6157
bob havLeN Directorrhavlenearthlinknet505-856-3306
boris veNet DirectorChaco Events Coordinator UNM Observatory Coordinator venetbsprintmailcom505-507-7838
rick vergas DirectorTelescope Loan Coordinatortelescope_loansTAASorg505-620-2832
Astronomical League Coordinator Becky Ramotowski 505-286-8334 AL_coordinatorTAASorg ATM Coordinator Ray Collins 505-344-9686 atmTAASorg Chaco Events Coordinator Boris Venet 505-507-7838 venetbsprintmailcom Education Outreach Mark Goodman 505-328-6157 education_coordTAASorg Explora Adult Night Coordinator Bob Hufnagel 505-890-8122 rhufnagel2comcastnet Fabulous Fifty Coordinator Phil Fleming 505-870-5604 fab50TAASorg GNTO Director Jim Fordice 505-803-3640 gntoTAASorg Membership Chair Bob Anderson 505-275-1916 membershipTAASorg Nametag Coordinator Billie Sue Patrick 575-937-1659 nametagTAASorg Newsletter Co-Editor Content Bruce Meyer 917-449-0700 editorTAASorg Newsletter Co-Editor Design Gary Cooper 505-227-3974 editorTAASorg Public Events Coordinator Steve Snider 505-249-4066 events_coordinatorTAASorg Publicity Coordinator Lynne Olson 505-856-2537 prTAASorg Scout Coordinator Chaz Jetty 505-350-7949 scout_coordinatorTAASorg Telescope Loan Coordinator Rick Vergas 505-620-2832 telescope_loansTAASorg UNM Observatory Coordinator Boris Venet 505-507-7838 UNM_coordTAASorg Webmaster John Purnell 209-355-5166 webmasterTAASorg
2 0 2 0 T A A S B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s S t a f f
TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoEditorrsquos Pick 2013 Best of the Cityrdquo award from Albuquerque Magazine
BEST PLACE TO STARGAZECELESTIAL EDITION
TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoOUT-OF-THIS-WORLDrdquo AWARD 2011
from Astronomy Magazine for Outstanding Public Programming
MEMBERSHIP
You can join TAAS or renew your membership online Just go to wwwtaasorg and select ldquoJoin Usrdquo or ldquoRenew Your Membershiprdquo from the main menu on the left side Annual dues are $30 for a regular membership $15 for educators and active military and $5 for students Only regular members are eligible to vote in society matters Our new member information packet can be viewed or downloaded from the same location on the website You can pay your dues on line through PayPal by Visa MasterCard or American Express To pay by check mail your check to TAAS PO Box 50581 Albuquerque NM 87181-0581 or give it to the treasurer at one of our meetings
MAGAZINES
TAAS no longer offers magazine subscriptions
ARTICLESADVERTISEMENTS
Articles personal astronomical clas-sified advertisements and advertise-ments for businesses related to as-tronomy must be submitted by the deadline shown on the Society calen-dar (generally the Friday near the new Moon) Rates for commercial ads (per issue) are $120 per page $60 per half page $30 per quarter page $7 for business card size The newsletter edi-tor reserves the right to include andor edit any article or advertisement E-mail attachments in Microsoft Word or compatible word processor format ASCII and RTF are acceptable One space between paragraphs is pre-ferred One column is approximately 350 words Contact the Newsletter Editor at editorTAASorg for more in-formation
Note that the Sidereal Times is no longer mailed It is posted on the TAAS website wwwTAASorg
Send submissions or correspondence to editorTAASorg
The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
PO Box 50581Albuquerque NM 87181-0581
taas ONLINE
TAAS website httpwwwTAASorg
The TAAS website includes
bull Programs bull taas 200 bull TAAS Fabulous Fiftybull Educational Outreach School Star
Parties Solar Astronomy Outreachbull Equipment Trader bull Telescope Loaner Programbull Telescope Making and Maintenance And more
bull Online Sidereal Timesbull Calendar of TAAS Eventsbull Membersrsquo Guidebull Links to Astronomy Resources and
Membersrsquo Blogs
E-mail TAASTAASorg
Membersrsquo Google GroupTAAS_talkgooglegroupscom
Page 8
The Sidereal Times May 2020
The Official Newsletter of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
Jim Fordice PresidentpresidentTAASorg505-803-3640
steve sNider Vice PresidentvpTAASorg505-249-4066
doug LegraNd TreasurertreasurerTAASorg505-559-0252
carL LarsoN Secretary secretaryTAASorg408-623-4717
robert aNdersoN DirectorMembership CoordinatormembershipTAASorg505-275-1916
Jim Fordice DirectorGNTO Director gntoTAASorg505-803-3640
mark goodmaN DirectorEducation Outreach Directoreducation_coordTAASorg505-328-6157
bob havLeN Directorrhavlenearthlinknet505-856-3306
boris veNet DirectorChaco Events Coordinator UNM Observatory Coordinator venetbsprintmailcom505-507-7838
rick vergas DirectorTelescope Loan Coordinatortelescope_loansTAASorg505-620-2832
Astronomical League Coordinator Becky Ramotowski 505-286-8334 AL_coordinatorTAASorg ATM Coordinator Ray Collins 505-344-9686 atmTAASorg Chaco Events Coordinator Boris Venet 505-507-7838 venetbsprintmailcom Education Outreach Mark Goodman 505-328-6157 education_coordTAASorg Explora Adult Night Coordinator Bob Hufnagel 505-890-8122 rhufnagel2comcastnet Fabulous Fifty Coordinator Phil Fleming 505-870-5604 fab50TAASorg GNTO Director Jim Fordice 505-803-3640 gntoTAASorg Membership Chair Bob Anderson 505-275-1916 membershipTAASorg Nametag Coordinator Billie Sue Patrick 575-937-1659 nametagTAASorg Newsletter Co-Editor Content Bruce Meyer 917-449-0700 editorTAASorg Newsletter Co-Editor Design Gary Cooper 505-227-3974 editorTAASorg Public Events Coordinator Steve Snider 505-249-4066 events_coordinatorTAASorg Publicity Coordinator Lynne Olson 505-856-2537 prTAASorg Scout Coordinator Chaz Jetty 505-350-7949 scout_coordinatorTAASorg Telescope Loan Coordinator Rick Vergas 505-620-2832 telescope_loansTAASorg UNM Observatory Coordinator Boris Venet 505-507-7838 UNM_coordTAASorg Webmaster John Purnell 209-355-5166 webmasterTAASorg
2 0 2 0 T A A S B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s S t a f f
TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoEditorrsquos Pick 2013 Best of the Cityrdquo award from Albuquerque Magazine
BEST PLACE TO STARGAZECELESTIAL EDITION
TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoOUT-OF-THIS-WORLDrdquo AWARD 2011
from Astronomy Magazine for Outstanding Public Programming
MEMBERSHIP
You can join TAAS or renew your membership online Just go to wwwtaasorg and select ldquoJoin Usrdquo or ldquoRenew Your Membershiprdquo from the main menu on the left side Annual dues are $30 for a regular membership $15 for educators and active military and $5 for students Only regular members are eligible to vote in society matters Our new member information packet can be viewed or downloaded from the same location on the website You can pay your dues on line through PayPal by Visa MasterCard or American Express To pay by check mail your check to TAAS PO Box 50581 Albuquerque NM 87181-0581 or give it to the treasurer at one of our meetings
MAGAZINES
TAAS no longer offers magazine subscriptions
ARTICLESADVERTISEMENTS
Articles personal astronomical clas-sified advertisements and advertise-ments for businesses related to as-tronomy must be submitted by the deadline shown on the Society calen-dar (generally the Friday near the new Moon) Rates for commercial ads (per issue) are $120 per page $60 per half page $30 per quarter page $7 for business card size The newsletter edi-tor reserves the right to include andor edit any article or advertisement E-mail attachments in Microsoft Word or compatible word processor format ASCII and RTF are acceptable One space between paragraphs is pre-ferred One column is approximately 350 words Contact the Newsletter Editor at editorTAASorg for more in-formation
Note that the Sidereal Times is no longer mailed It is posted on the TAAS website wwwTAASorg
Send submissions or correspondence to editorTAASorg
The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
PO Box 50581Albuquerque NM 87181-0581
taas ONLINE
TAAS website httpwwwTAASorg
The TAAS website includes
bull Programs bull taas 200 bull TAAS Fabulous Fiftybull Educational Outreach School Star
Parties Solar Astronomy Outreachbull Equipment Trader bull Telescope Loaner Programbull Telescope Making and Maintenance And more
bull Online Sidereal Timesbull Calendar of TAAS Eventsbull Membersrsquo Guidebull Links to Astronomy Resources and
Membersrsquo Blogs
E-mail TAASTAASorg
Membersrsquo Google GroupTAAS_talkgooglegroupscom
TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoEditorrsquos Pick 2013 Best of the Cityrdquo award from Albuquerque Magazine
BEST PLACE TO STARGAZECELESTIAL EDITION
TAAS was honored to receive an ldquoOUT-OF-THIS-WORLDrdquo AWARD 2011
from Astronomy Magazine for Outstanding Public Programming
MEMBERSHIP
You can join TAAS or renew your membership online Just go to wwwtaasorg and select ldquoJoin Usrdquo or ldquoRenew Your Membershiprdquo from the main menu on the left side Annual dues are $30 for a regular membership $15 for educators and active military and $5 for students Only regular members are eligible to vote in society matters Our new member information packet can be viewed or downloaded from the same location on the website You can pay your dues on line through PayPal by Visa MasterCard or American Express To pay by check mail your check to TAAS PO Box 50581 Albuquerque NM 87181-0581 or give it to the treasurer at one of our meetings
MAGAZINES
TAAS no longer offers magazine subscriptions
ARTICLESADVERTISEMENTS
Articles personal astronomical clas-sified advertisements and advertise-ments for businesses related to as-tronomy must be submitted by the deadline shown on the Society calen-dar (generally the Friday near the new Moon) Rates for commercial ads (per issue) are $120 per page $60 per half page $30 per quarter page $7 for business card size The newsletter edi-tor reserves the right to include andor edit any article or advertisement E-mail attachments in Microsoft Word or compatible word processor format ASCII and RTF are acceptable One space between paragraphs is pre-ferred One column is approximately 350 words Contact the Newsletter Editor at editorTAASorg for more in-formation
Note that the Sidereal Times is no longer mailed It is posted on the TAAS website wwwTAASorg
Send submissions or correspondence to editorTAASorg
The Albuquerque Astronomical Society
PO Box 50581Albuquerque NM 87181-0581
taas ONLINE
TAAS website httpwwwTAASorg
The TAAS website includes
bull Programs bull taas 200 bull TAAS Fabulous Fiftybull Educational Outreach School Star
Parties Solar Astronomy Outreachbull Equipment Trader bull Telescope Loaner Programbull Telescope Making and Maintenance And more
bull Online Sidereal Timesbull Calendar of TAAS Eventsbull Membersrsquo Guidebull Links to Astronomy Resources and
Membersrsquo Blogs
E-mail TAASTAASorg
Membersrsquo Google GroupTAAS_talkgooglegroupscom