We’ll hold our October meeting on Friday, October 2, at 7:45PM, in room 215 of  Davis Hall, the Aerospace Engineering Building.   The doors to the building automatically lock at 8:00PM, so if you’re running late, rap on the door nearest our meeting room and we’ll let you in.  It’s an away game weekend in Auburn, so it should be a little easier to find a parking space. We’ll have a special presentation by Tom McGowan on the most recent inovations to his truss-tube Dobsonian Midnightelescopes.  Tom has three of the 12.5-inch f/5 ready for delivery.  He’s bringing one of these to demonstrate the filter slide and adjustable altitude bearings.  You won’t want to miss this.

Riders from the Montgomery area are welcome to meet at the home of Russell Whigham, 518 Seminole Dr., and carpool over to Auburn.  Plan to be ready to leave for Auburn at 6:45PM. 

Our new moon star party this month will be on Saturday, October 17 at Cliff Hill’s farm or , Conecuh National Forest, depending on how far you’re willing to drive for dark skies. 

October 02, October meeting, 7:45 PM, in room 215 of Davis Hall
October 11 – 18 Peach State Star Gaze 2009 will be held at the Deerlick Astronomy Village 
October 14 – 18  DSRSG Wednesday, at The Feliciana Retreat Center, in Norwood, LA
October 17,  Cliff Hill’s farm or Conecuh National Forest star party
November 06, Normal first Friday meeting changed to 11/13 because of  home football game
November 13, November meeting, 7:45 PM, in room 215 of Davis Hall
November 14, Star party at Cliff Hill’s farm
November 21, Mary Olive Thomas Demonstration Forest stargaze
December 4, December meeting, 7:45 PM, in room 215 of Davis Hall

Ray Kunert has added a TEC-140 APO refractor,with the new Ortho-Apochromat  to his collection.  Congratulations, Ray!

I’ve asked Phil Hosey to consider giving a demo/program on digital image processing.  I've heard several folks mention that they'd like to know more about this art.  Phil modestly replied:

I'm still learning the ins and outs of processing myself, and I make no claims that I know anything about it really.  Anything I can provide would be the most basic stuff, but I could share what I do personally if that would help.

Phil asked if could wait until his work load eases up – perhaps early 2010.  We anxiously await this presentation.  See Phil’s results to date at:   http://www.flickr.com/photos/jphosey

In a similar vein, August Johnson shared his MallinCam hardware with us at the September meeting.  If you’re not familiar with this, it’s a real-time video imager.  I think we can count on a MallinCam demo/program from August in the near future as well.

If there’s a topic that you’d like to learn more about, or better yet, willing give a presentation on, let us know.

 AAS discount subscriptions/renewals to Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazine are due in October and November.  We need 5 subscriptions to qualify for each magazine. Sky & Telescope discount rate is $ 32.95 (Regular $ 42.95), and Astronomy magazine is $34.00 for AAS members (Regular $ 42.95).  Subscriptions for to both will be $66.95. 

Make checks payable to Auburn Astronomical Society. Only members of Auburn Astronomical Society are entitled to club subscription rates. If you are unable to attend our October meeting, mail checks to: 

Auburn Astronomical Society 
c/o John B. Zachry 
501 Summerfield Road 
West Point, GA 31833

Sept. 29 - 3rd flyby of Mercury by Mercury Messenger spacecraft at 4:53 p.m. CDT
Sept. 30 - MESSENGER, 3rd Mercury Flyby
Oct 01 - Soyuz TMA-16 Soyuz FG Launch (It will transport 2 members of the Expedition 21 crew and a 
             Canadian entrepreneur to the ISS.
Oct. 19 - New Horizons spacecraft 2000 days to Pluto encounter
Oct 06 - Phobos-Grunt (Russian Phobos Sample Return Mission & China Mars Orbiter)
Oct 09 - LCROSS Impacts Moon (seen with large amateur telescopes)
Oct 13 - Cassini, Distant Rhea Flyby
Oct 14 - Cassini, Distant Mimas & Tethys Flyby
Oct. 19 - New Horizons spacecraft 2000 days to Pluto encounter
Oct. 27 - Ares 1-X Test Flight (Ares program developed to replace Space Shuttle.)
Nov. 13 Dawn spacecraft on the way to Vesta and Ceres “entered the asteroid belt on June 30,  2008 and exited on September 20. It will cross the boundary once again on November 13,  2009 and will  remain in the asteroid belt for the rest of its mission and likely for  millennia if not millions of years beyond”.

Hoping to see everyone at the meeting,

Russell