We went to East Newton Elementary and because of the clouds we started with inside presentations. We took them on a trip through the Solar System while discussing how astronauts would be effected by the gravity of other planets e.g. Mars and some of their moons or asteroids. Than they went on to hunt for asteroids and learned about the properties of Meteorites. When we finshed the Sun came out, and we routed all classes again to let the Students take a look at the Sun through our solar scopes. A great event and they will be back on Saturday evening to look through our telescopes at the night sky.
Thanks Frank and Theo for giving these students a great time.
Click the image below to link to the gallery for the event.

The last day this year at Cousins. 4 classes of 6th graders learned a little more about the planets in our solar system and made some great observations on Mars and learned about the size of Olympus Mons by taking a flight through the solar system. They learned about the orbits of astroids and where possibly the two Marsian moons might come from. Learning about the properties of Meteorites and identifying them was fun. All were able to hold a rock out of space in their hands before we closed the sessions. Click the image below to go to the gallery.

Back at Cousins for more astronomy. The students went with me on a trip through the solar system and we did visit some planets, but on top of that they learned about gravity on different planets and moons and they expressed concern if their athletes would start running on Phobos They learned about asteroids and did search for them and figured out which of the rocks I brought came out of space. A great day for these students!! Click the thumbnail below to go to the gallery.

Theo Ramakers responded to a request from Cousins Middle School to show the 240 6th grade students what goes on on the Sun. The Students observed the Sun through a visible light scope and an Ha scope. About 8 sunspots were visible and through the Ha scope the students could see small prominences protuding in one quadrant. They then experienced how small we are in the realm of the Universe and our solar system. They placed to scale models of Mercury, Venus and Earth in their proper orbits around the Sun and found out how small we really are on Earth and how far we are from the Sun. A great experience for the 8 classes who did rotate through this in around 95 degree weather. Click the picture below to link to the gallery.

This month’s meeting was held at the Charlie Elliott Conference Center in Conference Room A.  Fifty-one members and visitors attended the meeting.

Steve Siedentop, Chapter Director, convened the gathering by introducing himself and John Towne (Chapter Observing Supervisor) began the monthly ‘What’s Up’ presentation.  After covering a few choice conjunctions and meteor showers, John discussed the Charlie Elliott July Target list, which the following targets in Sagittarius:  M17, M25, M20, M8, M54, and M70.  The Charlie Elliott Astronomy Challenge Object for this month was NGC6822, Barnard’s Galaxy.

Handouts were available to all attendees.  The What’s Up! presentation and handout are also available for download:

What’s Up! Presentation
Charlie Elliott Astronomy Target List

This month’s feature presenter, Dr. Rachel Kuzio de Naray from Georgia State University, was introduced by Steve.  Dr. Kuzio delivered an engaging presentation providing an overview of her research on dark matter.

Steve dismissed the meeting by inviting all to the Jon Wood Observing Field.

Approximately 75 members and visitors enjoyed observing and imaging on Jon Wood Astronomy Field under spectacularly clear skies until the last few diehards left the field just before 4 a.m.

Photos from the event can be viewed here.

This months meeting was held at the Campbell Aquatic Activities Building, Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center near Mansfield Georgia.  Thirty-three members and visitors attended the meeting.

Steve Siedentop, Chapter Director, convened the gathering by introducing himself and then adjourning us to enjoy the quarterly potluck meal.  These Potlucks have become a tradition and one of our most well attended events.  There was plenty of great food and desserts to pick from.

After eating, Steve brought us back to order and introduced John Towne (Chapter Observing Supervisor) for the monthly ‘What’s Up’ presentation.  After pointing out that we were meeting on the day of the Summer Solstice, John centered our mental telescopes on the constellation Hydra and the half dozen key objects it contains including Galaxy M48, Globular Cluster M68, Open Cluster M83, Planetary Nebula NGC 3242, Variable Star Epsilon Hydra and Binary Star Alphard.  John also made mention of the upcoming Conjunctions, Occultation’s and Meteor Showers that will occur in June/July.  This months Observing Challenge is M1-92 (Minkowski 92), AKA the Footprint Nebula.

Handouts were available to all attendees.  John’s presentation is available on the Club’s website.

This month’s feature presenter, Rich Jakiel, was introduced by Steve.  Rich delivered a great presentation on Lunar Geology.  Why observe the moon?  “It is close, unaffected by light pollution and it is up more than half the month”.  What followed was a complete run down of examples of different geological features on the moon.  Each was accompanied by photographic examples captured by Rich.   The presentation is posted on the clubs web site.

Steve dismissed the meeting by inviting all to the Jon Wood Observing Field.

Approximately 25 optimistic attendees and visitors continued to socialize and talk astronomy over the 9 set-up telescopes while waiting on the clouds to part.

Here is an self explanatory email from Rusty Garisson, the Program Manager at CEWC about our recent outreach:

Theo, Thank you very much for coming out the last two weeks to conduct programs for us at CEWC. I am not sure what you did with the children this last week but you certainly made an impression. We asked a question on the evaluation: “Were there any speakers you would particularly like to see again?” We have 18 different speakers throughout the week but you rated as the top speaker! The next closest was the bat speaker. So, whatever you did, keep it up!
Again, thanks for your assistance.
Rusty Garrison
Program Manager, Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center, Nongame Conservation Section

Thanks to Dan for coming out and helping me.

Dan Schmitt and I went to CEWC yesterday evening to broaden the knowledge of astronomy for the 20 kids that participated in the Summer Camp. Cloudy skies and rain, so we could not observe the sky from the JWF. However for two hours we had them participate in our astronomical activities, and we went on a trip through the Solar System visiting many planets and their moons. They learned a lot and based on their smiley faces they liked the evening session while they made a to scale model f the solar system, learned about how we can escape the gravity of Earth and how we search for asteroids and determine if rocks come out of space or are Earth rocks. A very rewarding evening for us! I forgot my camera, so today no pictures of the event. Thanks Dan for helping out!
Theo Ramakers

Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center organized the Outdoor Wildlife Leadership School workshop at CEWC for members of different locations of the Department of Natural Resources in Georgia. Of course if it is CEWC, astronomy is part of the curriculum. So we went to show these leaders what we do. It was clouded when we started, so we did our inside presentations and as time went on, the skies started to break open allowing us to go to the JWF to show them what we wanted to show them. Transparency stayed bad but they got a pretty good look at Saturn, Mars, the ring nebula, the great cluster in Hercules, M4 and M7 as well as the double stars Mizar and Albireo and learned a lot about the summer constellations. They all loved it. Thanks to Jim Lancaster and his wife, Jon and Marilyn Edwards, Dan Schmitt, Frank Garner and Theo Ramakers to participate in this great event.
Theo

This was our 7th annual outreach event for the Garden Club of Georgia. About 18 youngsters and 7 adults spend the evening on the Jon Wood Field to observe what all is “up” there. CEA was represented with 12 individuals using 9 telescopes. We started the evening off by visually observing and explaining what we could see. Then it went to the scopes. The conditions were not that good, but all were able to see Mars, Saturn, M57, M4, M13, Albereo and at the end even the Moon, although some had to look through some serious clouds to make out the craters. A great evening again and thanks to Jack Fitzmier, Dan Schmitt, Marie and Tim Lott, Frank and Shelby Garner with her friend, Valorie and David Whalen, Jim Lancaster and his wife, and myself for showing these kids “our Universe”
Clear Skies,
Theo