Astrofiles
Auburn Astronomical Society E-Newsletter
December, 2005

In this Issue


December Events Upcoming Events
2006 Membership Dues Tape and DVD Library

December Events

This month’s meeting will be on Friday, December 2, at 8:00PM in room 215 of the Aerospace Engineering Building.  If available parking space is still an issue, Rhon suggests trying the on-street parking on Wright St., the first street (north) off of W. Magnolia.  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 7:00PM. 

Our dark-sky star party this month will be on the following Saturday, December 3, at Cliff Hill’s farm, clouds permitting of course. 

Upcoming Events

December 1, New Moon
December 2, December Meeting
December 3, Star Party at Cliff Hill’s farm
December 4, Venus  and the Moon will show congruent  crescents separated by only 15 degrees. 
December 8, 1st quarter Moon
December 9,  Venus at greatest brilliance
December 14,  Geminid meteor shower (Full Moon interferes)
December 15, Full Moon
December 21, Winter Solstice
December 23, 3rd quarter Moon
December 30, 2nd New Moon of the month
January 6, January meeting
January 28,  Star Party at Cliff Hill’s farm


2006 Membership Dues

AAS membership dues for 2005 will expire at the end of December.  Annual dues for 2006 are  $20.00 for regular membership, and $10.00 for full-time students.  Advantages of membership in the Auburn Astronomical Society include: 
 

• Access to others who share your interest in astronomy.
• Access to a wide variety of telescopes.
• Access to experienced amateurs who are eager to share their skills and expertise.
• Discount subscription rates for Astronomy and Sky & Telescope  magazines.
• Access to a safe dark-sky location for observing.
• Access to the society's extensive video tape and DVD library.
• Access to the society's 8-inch "loaner" telescope  and Hydrogen-alpha solar scope.
• Because the Auburn Astronomical Society is affiliated with the Astronomical League  members are entitled to enjoy all of the benefits afforded to League members, including quarterly issues of The Reflector.
• Newsletters with news of upcoming events. E-mail reminders of scheduled events and special notices of late-breaking astro-news.


Make your check payable to Auburn Astronomical Society.  If you can’t attend the December meeting, send your check to:

Auburn Astronomical Society
c/o John B. Zachry, treasurer 
 501 Summerfield Road
West Point, GA 31833
If you have questions about your membership status, e-mail John at:  treasurer@auburnastro.org

Tape and DVD Library

As a benefit of membership in AAS, members have access to the society's tape and DVD library.  Members should make arrangements for checking out these videos with AAS vice-president and program chairman, Allen Screws, veep@auburnastro.org  .  Videos will be loaned on a first come, first serve basis, with official AAS functions having the highest priority.  There is a limit of 2 items at a time, for no more than 2 weeks, unless special arrangements are made.  Select from the videos below: 
 

Cosmos Lecture series -- 4 tapes (50 Mins. each) 
What makes the Big Bang 
Milky Way’s Invisible Light 
Wimps vs Machos 
Digital Universe
Made for Mars – Mars Pathfinder Story 

Comet Odyssey – Comet Hyakutake Photography 

The Planets series (~1 hour each) 

Atmospheres 
Giants 
Life Beyond the Sun 
Different Worlds – Creation of Solar System 
Terra Firma
Life Beyond Earth (~ 2 hours) 

Aurora (1 hour) 

Meteorites  (2, 1 hour tapes) 

Time Travel 

Mysteries of the Universe (1, 2 hour tape) 

Telescope Building with John Dobson 

Understanding the Universe 

Jupiter (Planets series) 

Solar Max – Imax Film (DVD) 

Wheels on Mars (DVD) 

Eyes on Mars (DVD) 

Searching for Super Stars 

Danger!  Solar Storm 

Comet Hunters/Asteroid Seekers (DVD) 

Atlas of the Sky (DVD) 

40-tape Astronomy Lecture Course, Understanding the Universe:  An Introduction to Astronomy, presented by Professor Alex Filippenko, University of California at Berkeley 

PART I Unlocking the Secrets to the Heavens 

Lecture 1 A Grand Tour of the Cosmos 
Lecture 2 Journey Through Space and Time 
Lecture 3 Light – The Supreme 
Lecture 4 The Fingerprints of Atoms 
Lecture 5 Tools of the Trade 
Lecture 6 Space Telescopes and the Celestial Spheres Informant 
Lecture 7 Our Sun – The Nearest Star 
Lecture 8 Lunar Phases and Glorious Eclipses

PART II Unlocking the Secrets to the Heavens (continued) 

Lecture 9 The Early History of Astronomy 
Lecture 10 The Copernican Revolution 
Lecture 11 On the Shoulders of Giants 
Lecture 12 One Small Step – The Earth and Moon 
Lecture 13 Paradise Lost – Venus and Mars 
Lecture 14 Planetary Behemoths – Jupiter and Saturn 
Lecture 15 Distant Worlds and Solar-System Debris 
Lecture 16 Comets and Catastrophic Collisions

PART III The Stars and Their Lives 

Lecture 17 Distant Suns 
Lecture 18 Social Stars – Binaries and Clusters 
Lecture 19 Nature’s Nuclear Reactors 
Lecture 20 The Fate of Our Sun 
Lecture 21 Exploding Stars – Celestial Fireworks! 
Lecture 22 The Corpses of Massive Stars 
Lecture 23 Hearts of Darkness 
Lecture 24 The Quest for Black Holes 

PART IV A Universe of Galaxies 

Lecture 25 Starting at Home – The Milky Way 
Lecture 26 One Giant Leap – Other Galaxies 
Lecture 27 The Dark Side of Matter 
Lecture 28 The Birth and Life of Galaxies 
Lecture 29 Quasars – Cosmic Powerhouses 
Lecture 30 In the Belly of the Beast 
Lecture 31 Are We Alone?  The Search Begins 
Lecture 32 Communicating with Extraterrestrials

PART V The Birth and Life of the Universe 

Lecture 33 The Expansion of the Universe 
Lecture 34 The Age of the Universe 
Lecture 38 In the Beginning 
Lecture 35 The Geometry and Fate of the Universe 
Lecture 36 Einstein’s Biggest Blunder? 
Lecture 37 Echoes of the Big Bang 
Lecture 39 The Ultimate Free Lunch? 
Lecture 40 A Universe of Universes

 
Hope to see everyone at the meeting,

Russell