This month’s meeting will be on Friday, February 2, at 8:00PM in room 215 of the Aerospace Engineering Building.
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, February 17, at Cliff Hill’s farm, clouds permitting of course.   
 
 

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 16-18, Tennessee Spring Star Party
March 17, March star party at Cliff Hill’s farm
March 20, Spring Equinox
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.  Those who have paid  dues to AAS for 2007 are:  Alan Cook, Mike Holley, Rhon Jenkins, Eddie Kirkland, Everett Leonard, Allen Screws, Syd Spain, John Tatarchuk, Russell Whigham, and John B. Zachry

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

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

From Gail Smitherman:

Just a shout out from Selma.   I've seen the space station fly over a few times.  It was very bright  the one time it pasted directly over my house.  The other times were more at a distance and dimmer.   Marvin and I are going on a cruise to Cozumel in 2 weeks.  I hope to get a look at the stars.  I'm taking binoculars just in case.

Gail

From Wayne Martin:  
 
Thank you for the regular "Astrofiles" throughout 2006.  I will not be renewing my membership this year since my wife and I are moving shortly to Canada, then on to Europe.  Thank you for your help and advice on the occasions we met.
 
Wayne Martin

We're sorry to hear that you'll be leaving, but thanks for letting us know.  I'll leave you on the e-mail list until I get a bounce.  We hope you'll check back on us via the Web page wherever you are.

Thanks for helping when we needed you.

From Scott Thompson: 

Here’s my image of Comet McNaught made with 300mm lens w/ 1.4 extender = 720mm effective @ f/8 ISO 100 / 10 images stacked with Regi-Stack 3.0.  Added Saturation to try and make it look like the sky were the sun set.  Looks great with a pair of binoculars. 
 
Scott

From: Michael Schwartz:

My name is Michael Schwartz. I was visiting the astro society website and thought I'd drop a note to inquire about membership and when the date of the next dark sky outing. I am a 3 year hobbyist. My wife gave me a small scope for Christmas and I've been hooked ever since. I upgraded to an 8" Go-To- Cat about a year ago. However I have not had a chance to get to any Dark sky area to run it through it's paces. We live in the City with lot's of Trees and light pollution to boot.

From: John Zachry:

I sent this message to the  editor of Valley Times News. 

Mr. Wood:
Should you or any or your readers wish to send your own name or those of your family and friends to the Planet Mars they have until February 1, 2007 to sign up on the Planetary Society’s website given below. After they sign up their name will be placed on a “specialized silica-glass DVD”, no doubt with thousands of others, which in turn will be attached to the Mars Polar Lander spacecraft named “Phoenix”. The Mars Phoenix spacecraft will be launched to Mars on August 3, 2007.

The Planetary Society's website to fly a name to Mars.
http://www.planetary.org/programs/projects/messages/phoenix_dvd.html
“In 2007, The Planetary Society will send a specialized silica-glass DVD to Mars aboard Phoenix, NASA's newest Scout mission, led by Principal Investigator Peter Smith at the University of Arizona.  The disk, which is attached to the deck of the Phoenix lander, will include "Visions of Mars," a collection of 19th and 20th century stories, essays, and art inspired by the Red Planet. The disk also includes special features, such as the famous 1938 radio broadcast of HG Wells' classic, ‘War of the Worlds.’
People around the world can add their own names (or those of family and friends) to the archival disk that features the works of such visionaries as The Planetary Society's co-founder Carl Sagan, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Percival Lowell, and many more.  The Planetary Society is collecting up to several million names to send on the Mars-bound DVD.  Visit The Planetary Society's website to fly a name to Mars.” http://www.planetary.org/about/press/releases/2006/1030_Fly_Your_Name_on_NASAs_Phoenix_Mission.html

Thanks - John B. Zachry
Auburn Astronomical Society www.auburnastro.org

From Larry Owsley:

Dr. King is teaching a one hour course on Impact Geology this term.  Go to the URL below to see the "book" that we are using.  http://www.lpi.usra.edu/publications/books/CB-954/CB-954.intro.html.  Also, http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070128.html
 

Hubble Trouble:  http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0701/29hubbleacs/

From: John Zachry
 
On January 30th the second Genesis Pathfinder spacecraft will be launched.  

Genesis Pathfinder is a technology demonstration for the inflatable Nautilus space station structure as a prototype for a space hotel by Bigelow Aerospace. ... Once in Earth orbit, the one-third scale hardware is to produce important data regarding multiple features of a full-scale spacecraft.  The first Genesis will be pressurized with nitrogen, but later units will use an oxygen/nitrogen mixture. Genesis includes also windows and an airlock simulator with key seal interfaces. Genesis is 10 ft x 8 ft in size when inflated. ...The two Genesis spacecraft are designed to last for several years in orbit. Following the two Genesis spacecraft will be the Sundancer spacecraft in 2009, which is 45% in size of the full Nautilus and will test life support systems, propulsion and can support a crew of three.

 “The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to launch the lunar orbiter “SELENE” on a H-IIA Launch Vehicle from Tanegashima Space Center in the summer of 2007. ... JAXA will accept from the public names and messages to deliver to the moon aboard the SELENE. Please send us your wishful messages.”

In 2007, The Planetary Society will send a specialized silica-glass DVD to Mars aboard Phoenix, NASA's newest Scout mission ... The disk, which is attached to the deck of the Phoenix lander, will include "Visions of Mars," a collection of 19th and 20th century stories, essays, and art inspired by the Red Planet. The disk also includes special features, such as the famous 1938 radio broadcast of HG Wells' classic, "War of the Worlds." ... People around the world can add their own names (or those of family and friends) to the archival disk ... Launching in August 2007, Phoenix will land in May 2008. ... The special disk should last for at least many hundreds of years on Mars, plenty of time for a future generation to discover and read the Red Planet's first library.  ... The deadline for submitting names is February 1, 2007.

The Chicago Tribune had a good article on the moon base titled "NASA shooting for the stars, via the moon."  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution printed it with another title, "Will base be a moon-doggle?"  You might want to read it at
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0701070361jan07,1,2314395.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
 

Hoping to see everyone at the meeting,

Russell