This month’s meeting will be on Friday, January 5, at 8:00PM in room 215 of the Aerospace Engineering Building.   Be sure to bring any new astro-toys that Santa may have brought, to share.

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 Saturday, January 20, at Cliff Hill’s farm,  clouds permitting of course. 
 

January 3, Earth closest to Sun
January 3, Full Moon
January 5, January meeting
January 20, January star party at Cliff Hill’s farm
February 2, February meeting
February 17, February star party at Cliff Hill’s farm
March 2, March meeting
March 3, Moon rises in total eclipse
March 17, March star party at Cliff Hill’s farm
April 6, April meeting
April 14, April star party at Cliff Hill’s farm
April 21, National Astronomy Day 
April 19-22, Georgia Sky View 2007 

AAS membership dues for 2006 expired at the end of December.  Annual dues for 2007 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.

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

David McConnell has some of fruits of his astro-imaging labors on the Web page.  Check Dave’s page from the link at:   http://www.auburnastro.org/pictures.htm

Jim McLaughlin has observed the asteroid, Iris, over several nights for one of the observing projects for the Astronomical League’s Planetary Observers Club certificate.  He  had to estimate the movement in 24 hours.

[Editor’s Note:  As a member of AAS / Astronomical League, you can download and participate in a host of observing programs for your edification and recognition.  RDW]

David Bussey of Millbrook AL writes:

I was wondering if someone could provide me with information on a telescope.  I have never had one, but I am truly interested in learning about astronomy.  I have a telescope that I am considering and would like your opinion.  The scope is a Celestron NexStar SE 8.  I am interested in your opinion. 

Thank You, 
David  

• 8 inch Celestron SCT on a fork mount 
• Built in 9 volt tracking/drive system 
• 8 by 50 polar finder
• Telrad unity finder
• f /6.3 telecompressor
• Ultima 30 mm Plossl, 
• Ultima 15 mm  wide angle
• Ultima 7.5 mm  Plossl
• Photographic extension tube
• Electric focuser

The scope was sold as a PowerStar 8 but is the same as several of the other Schmidt scopes.
Robert Rock  

Price Reduced

• 10 inch Meade Starfinder Equatorial Newtonian scope.- with  motor drive 
• Weight: 97lbs. 
• Focal length 1140mm. ratio f/4/5 
• Bought in 1997 from Pocono Mountain  Optics 
• Universal Wheeley bars 
• Collimator bought in 2005 
• Garage kept

$400.00 
Gail Smitherman  

Found:  
Eyepiece or finder cover found at Cliff Hill’s farm.  I’ll bring it to the meeting.  Russell

From: "Michael A. Covington" astro@covingtoninnovations.com
I just fell into the project of making my own monitor calibration chart:  www.dslrbook.com/cal

Why the earliest sunset, latest sunrise, and shortest day of the year occur on different dates and everything you ever wanted to know about the analemma:  http://members.aol.com/jwholtz/analemma/analemma.htm

Google Earth at Night  (and Europa) www.cc.gatech.edu/~pesti/night/

Download Tammy Plotner's free book, 365 Days of Skywatching. http://www.astrowhatsup.com/download-the-book/  
(20+ megabytes)

From John Zachry:  Lunar phase and libration time-lapse movie.  http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991108.html
 
Anyone who has struggled with grasping  our multidimensional universe, should read Flatland.  Online at:  http://www.authorama.com/flatland-1.html

From John Zachry:  Found the best International Space Station Assembly video on the Internet I have ever seen. You may wish to take a look. Only last 1:53 minutes.  Current appearance of the ISS can be found 48 seconds into video.  As you can see the ISS will become much much brighter in the near future.  http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/iss_construction.html 
Go to International Space Station Assembly Sequence (see picture of ISS) and click on:
+View video (Real) or +View video (Windows).  I got the best results using +View video (Real)

Free three month subscription to a new magazine:  http://www.astronomytechnologytoday.com/
 

Let Loaner Scope steward, Rhon Jenkins, know if you (members only) would like to have your name added to the list to borrow either of the loaner telescopes. 

If you want your name on the next Lunar orbiter or Mars Lander you have about a month to sign up.
 
Jan 31 - Deadline To Submit Name to Selene 
Feb 01 - Deadline to Submit Names to Phoenix Mission

The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit landed on Mars on January 3, 2004 and the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity landed on Mars January 25, 2004. Both are described as "healthy" on Mars Exploration Home page: http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/mission/status.html 

The best times to see the International Space Station pass over the Montgomery - Auburn - West Point area this month will be on the following days:
 
On Wednesday, January 3, 2007 look toward your Northeast. The ISS will be traveling  in the night sky from Northwest to East from 5:54 p.m. CST (6:54 p.m. EST) to 5:57 p.m. CST (6:57 p.m. EST). The highest point the ISS will be in the night sky will be between 38 to 48 degrees above the horizon when facing Northeast.
 
On Thursday, January 4, 2007 look toward your Southwest. The ISS will be traveling in the night sky from West-Northwest to South-Southeast from 6:16 p.m. CST (7:16 p.m. EST) to 6:20 p.m. CST (7:20 p.m. EST). The highest point the ISS will be in the night sky will be between 33 to 41 degrees above the horizon when facing Southwest.
 
On Saturday, January 6, 2007 look toward your Southwest. The ISS will be traveling in the night sky from West-Northwest to South-Southeast from 5:25 p.m. CST (6:25 p.m. EST) to 5:30 p.m. CST (6:30 p.m. EST). The highest point the ISS will be in the night sky will be between 35 to 45 degrees above the horizon when facing Southwest.
 
On Sunday, January 14, 2007 look toward your Northwest. The ISS will be traveling in the night sky from Southwest to Northeast from 6:00 a.m. CST (7:00 a.m. EST) to 6:06 a.m. CST (7:06 a.m. EST). The highest point the ISS will be in the night sky will be between 83 to 88 degrees above the horizon when facing between Northwest.
 
On Tuesday, January 16, 2007 look toward your Northeast. The ISS will be traveling in the night sky from Northeast to Northeast from 5:12 a.m. CST (6:12 a.m. EST) to 5:15 a.m. CST (6:15 a.m. EST). The highest point the ISS will be in the night sky will be between 47 to 62 degrees above the horizon when facing Northeast. 
 

Hoping to see everyone at the meeting and the star party,

Russell