Category: Meeting Minutes

by Bill Engberg

—- All lock Combos have been changed !!! —-

Contact Andy Reed andy.reed72@gmail.com and if you’ve paid 2011 dues, you’ll be given the new gate/bathroom combo.

Ruby in the Sky

Like bears coming out of hibernation, the snows had melted and the meeting was perfectly timed. The grounds were clear & dry and the Feb meeting was a great time to share with a new visitor who also showed up.

It was a pleasure to meet Dr Eric Kaufmann who spoke about the upcoming Science Olympiad and gave out great info about the one day event coming up on  April 16, 2011.  “We need between 2 and 4 people to help write the tests and/or supervise these “astronomy” portions of the competition.” Carl Freyaldenhoven volunteered to help and we hope to get 1-2 more volunteers for the hour long test. Contact erkaufmann@ualr.edu for more info or to volunteer.

Rocky Togni was a hit with his excellent program “Constellation Hunter” regarding techniques and mnemonic aids to remembering the locations and names of the constellations. They are AWESOME and his work can be downloaded from the CAAS site http://tinyurl.com/4quqoes

Only a few wispy clouds in the sky and it was relatively warm (About 50 degrees) compared to the last 2 weeks of Arkansas deep freeze. Spring will be here for the next meeting! Quite a few folks set up their scopes. The telescope MVP of the evening was Paul Deeter who set up his brand new Astro-Tech refractor telescope.

Once again the theory was proven that “Every time you are star gazing, you’ll see something you’ve never seen before or learn something you never knew.” MVP Paul pointed out the most brilliant red, and I mean RED like a Ruby, “carbon star” just below Orion. Most of the folks there had never seen such deep red, in any previous star. I’ve seen the orange-colored “red giant stars,” but compared to this carbon star, I’m now referring to those wannabees as Orange Giants.

-Who else was at the Meeting?

Many people enjoyed the evening’s tales and observations of the heavens:

Dr Eric Kaufmann (visitor)

Susan Staffeld from Pinnacle Mountain State Park (visitor)

Jim Fisher

Rocky and Carol Togni

Coy Scott

Carl Freyaldenhoven

Jim Dixon

Paul Deeter

John Reed

Roger Gudith

Bill Sanders

and me…your humble scribe

-Upcoming Events (as always, see website for updates/directions)

Mar 12^th– 7pm CAAS Meeting

Mar 26^th – Star Party at Woolly Hollow State Park Sunset: 7:26  Highlights:  Saturn, spring Galaxies /Nebula (No evening moon) w/DARK Skies!

Apr 9th – 7pm CAAS Meeting

Apr 16th – Science Olympiad

Apr 29th (Friday) – Japanese students and guests (about 30 total) return for a Star Party at Pinnacle Mtn State Park (–West Field–) Contact billengberg@hotmail.com  if questions. Please come and bring your scope, it is a fantastic event!
Blue Skies
Bill
Club Scribe

by Bill Engberg

Clear Skies and a Medieval Murder Mystery!

Inside the Clubhouse it was warm and inviting, outside it was clear and beautiful with Orion high overhead.

The Jan meeting was great time and we had 4 new visitors show up! It was a pleasure to meet a former member who recently moved back, David Reynolds; also Brandon Alleman, Roger Gudith, Chad Everett and welcome them to the club.

Big Kudos to the members who are bringing their friends, schoolmates and co-workers. That is the ultimate outreach!

No clouds in the sky and it was clear. But the mystery over “How” did Tycho Brahe die…that was a clouded mystery! Jim Fisher hit a home run by starting the year with a 4 century old mystery, it was great!!! Was it the astronomical “frienemy” and competitor Kepler? Jaded common law wife? Self-induced victim of alchemy? A dark visitor to his castle or the plagiarist publisher who stole data from him…?  A HINT: 13 hours before his death he was given a lethal dose of mercury… The astronomer met is end with an element named after a planet…so poetic it should be a Shakespearean play!

Using mass-spectroscopy, the same technique to see what elements the stars are composed of; investigators could also see the high dose of mercury in the roots of his hair. If you were at the meeting, you learned of the complex web of intrigue and deceit, fortunes gained and lost, kings and courts, and the shifting winds of political favor and banishment!

Afterward was just as exciting: Wade Van Arsdale and others set up their scopes and capped the evening with fantastic stargazing. Wade was nice enough to have his Observatory open and lines quickly formed as his servo motors quietly and perfectly swung his massive Celestron EdgeHD from Jupiter, to Uranus to M42 Orion… as well as many others. What a delight to see through his fantastic and perfectly tuned equipment.

Special Thank You to Carolaina Ferren for her very kind gift of her beautiful handmade gloves and scarfs for all the last year’s Officers. No gift is as special as one that is custom made by someone, for someone…a true gift from the heart and a true treasure. The “astronomer gloves” were fingerless, perfect for setting eyepieces and focusing knobs when it is chilly. I’ll treasure mine forever!

-Who else was at the Meeting?

20 people enjoyed the evening’s tales and observations of the heavens:

4 visitors (see above)

Jim Fisher,

Wade Van Arsdale,

Rocky Togni,

Coy Scott,

Robert Brown,

Eric Walker,

Don and Carolaina Ferren,

Carl Freyaldenhoven,

Jim Fisher,

Jim Dixon and Samantha,

Pat and Sandy Morris,

Darrell Heath,

and me…your humble scribe

-Upcoming Events (as always, see website for updates)

Feb 12^th – CAAS Meeting

Mar 12th– CAAS Meeting

March 26^th – Star Party at Woolly Hollow State Park  Sunset: 7:26 p.m.  Observing Highlights:  Saturn, the spring constellations: Leo, Cancer, Gemini, Ursa Major and Hercules. (No evening moon)

Apr 28th (Thursday) – Japanese Students and guests (about 30 total) return for Star Party at Pinnacle Mtn State Park (West Field)
Blue Skies
Bill
Club Scribe, Bard of the Bolides, Galactic Secretary, Commentator of Comets  (now with warm hands + soft astronomer gloves!)

Fall Colors and Fall Constellations

A great meeting and great observing! In attendance were:

Carolaina and Don Ferren,

Andy Reed,

John and Carol Reed,

Eric Walker,

Pat and Sandy Morris,

Don Lewis,

Rocky and Carol Togni,

Dave Grimmer

Ernie Justice,

Tim Hogue,

Kevin Krug

and me… your club scribe.

Our excellent President, Carolaina, started the meeting and opened it up to some good updates from the floor:

• Club TShirts- We will reorder soon. The box with L and XL is locked up in the “cage” for people that have previously ordered –or– anyone wishing to buy some for Dec gifts!  (check or PayPal $18 to Treasurer Andy Reed  treasurer@caasastro.org )
• Security- Andy Reed is researching the best way to have different combo locks put on the classroom. Any member will have access to the “grounds”. After being a paid member in good standing for a few months, the board will grant un-escorted access privileges to new members to the classroom after they have demonstrated they can open/close the place.
• On that note: I serviced the doors and locks and all combo padlocks with silicone. They are spinning freely so there should be NO problem locking any doors/deadbolts on your way out. For the class room deadbolt, use the key with the ORANGE colored ring and the lock opens/closes easily.
• If someone has or can build an awning over our classroom doors or front deck entrance, you would be our HERO!!!
• The Nominating Committee announced its nominations for 2011:

o   President: Jim Fisher

o   VP: Eric Walker

o   Treasurer: Andy Reed

o   Secretary: Bill Engberg

o   Board members to be announced later.

• Jim Fisher provided us an IDA update:   New Ark legislator is an amateur astronomer! A good person to interface with when city lighting comes up in the future.  Jim is about to mail us a link to the Entergy website where we can suggest Full Cut Off lights rather than sky-killing current street lights. A 1 minute email from you can SAVE the city money and SAVE our night sky at the same time!

Jim was also kind enough to donate a mailbox and stand—thank you Jim! Therefore, once installed (install help please?!) the CAAS address is

C.A.A.S./Red River Observatory

45 West Southridge

Bigelow, AR

72016

• A Sony large screen TV was donated! Idea behind the TV was if kids and folks want to warm up with microwave popcorn or hot cider in the club house in the winter -or- get some AC in the summer, the kids/folks can watch DVDs while they wait. Also good for any astro presentation people may want to give or watch. If anyone has an end table or stand they could donate or buy to support a 30”-wide tV base, it would be greatly appreciated.
• Andy Reed is moving the Club bank account, so there is better ease of access. Some board members will have to go with him.
• Annual Meeting  and Holiday Pot Luck!   John and Carol Reed have been so kind as to donate their home in Cabot on Saturday, 11 Dec at 7pm. Officers and board members for 2011 will be voted on at this event. Jim Fisher is bringing a Turkey and if people can email Don and Carolaina Ferren dferren@aristotle.net as well as the Reeds ( jreed007@centurytel.net ), with an RSVP and what you are bringing, it would be greatly appreciated. Carolaina can then email the consolidated “side dish list” to the whole group so we don’t have 15 pots of baked beans 🙂

The Reeds will email their address/directions shortly…

The temperatures were cool but the jackets were warm…and about 10 scopes were set up as well as some binocular observing. Jim pointed out a beautiful meteor to the North. Dave Grimmer brought his Dobsonian and successfully adjusted his encoders. Tim Hogue set up his big SCT and we heard servo motors happily driving his scope to multiple nebulae and galaxies all night long. A great time was had by all. CAAS is our family. We stick together as a family should. If anyone ever has good news to share or needs help, we are always here for each other.

If I’ve missed anything, please email the group!

We can’t wait to see you all at the Reed’s in Dec, and at the Jan 2011 CAAS meeting. I wish you all a tremendous winter season and a blessed New Year!

Bill Engberg

Club Scribe