Our website has been updated with links to the presentations from yesterday and the dates and details of the next meeting. Go to our Home page for information on the next meeting and click on the following link which will bring you to the Past Events Page for links to the presentations and pictures.
http://ceastronomy.org/blog/events
Clear Skies
Theo

This is a reminder for our Chapter meeting for this coming Saturday February 5th.  Theo will present: Imaging the Unusual”.  Observing after the meeting at the Jon Wood Field weather permitting.  So come out and have a good time with your friends.

Frank and Theo returned to Ficquett Elementary this year with presentations for the entire 4th grade. (5 classes, over 100 students) We presented three days and let the students build a telescope, flew through the Solarsystem and looked at planets and their moons, and discussed the issues with sending and landing a spacecraft on Mars, as well as how the scientific anaysis by the spacecraft is done. Great Students and teachers!! Click the dates for pictures of the respective sessions: 2011-02-01, 2011-02-02, 2011-02-03

Yesterday we did an event at Hopewell Middle School in Alpharetta. This was a follow up and some 70 students and parents attended over the 2 1/2 hour outreach event. The students build three Newtonian Telescopes a few months back. Yesterday they learned how they work in the field. After a briefing, they setup the scopes themselves, knowing how to level the tripots, point the scope to North and how to set the elevation to the correct degrees, balance the scope on both axes, and how to turn the scope so the eye piece can be reached for smaller persons. Great Students!! Unfortunately in alpharetta the clouds were supposed to break up at 6:00 P.M., but they never did, whereas the east side of Atlanta had clear skies. So we will be back when they take a look at the first night sky objects. Great Job Students!! Click here for some pictures.

The Chapter website has been updated with the meeting information for next month, and the postings on the “Past Events” Tab of the links to the presentations, movies and pictures of the last meeting. We also have a new image of the month. This time we’re showing Larry Owen’s captures of the Moon eclipse in December.
If you missed our last meeting, you missed a treat so make plans to be there on February 5th.
Clear skies,
Theo Ramakers

Because of the snowy conditions and the cloudy forecast, the outreach for Hopewell Middle School for tomorrow is cancelled.
Theo Ramakers

A number of physics students of the Monroe Area High School will attend our meeting and the observing session this coming Saturday January 8th. In order to provide more room during the meeting, Charlie Elliott’s staff has offered us to hold our meeting in the “Sheppard Room” which is in the building to the right of the Visitor Center and administration building. Just take the next driveway past the visitor center entrance and you will see it there. The meeting will start at 3:00 P.M. and the forecast for observing, so far, is excellent. So plan on being there, bring your scope, and enjoy an afternoon and evening with friends and interested people! All members participating in the obseving session can use the event for qualifying Event/Hours requirements for 2011 for the Night Sky Network outreach.

I like the way this tool demonstrates light polution and how effective lighting can reduce the same, and save on energy.  Click here for the tool.
Clear skies
Theo

Dr. Alan Harris’ presentation evaluates the present and future ground-based surveys and implications of a large increase in near-earth asteroid discovery rate.   To join the Teleconference on Thursday, November 18th at 6:00 pm Pacific (9:00 pm Eastern) call the toll-free conference line: 1-888-455-9236  Call anytime after 5:45 pm Pacific the evening of the telecon. An operator will answer and:
- You will be asked for the passcode: NIGHT SKY NETWORK
- You will be asked to give your NAME and the CLUB you belong to (Charlie Elliott Chapter of the AAC) , and number of people listening with you.
The direct link to the 3.3 MB PowerPoint (no login required):
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/docs/AlanHarris.ppt
Theo Ramakers