Pizza Gram

From: "macyoda"
Subject: PizzaGram - January 24, 2004 Star Party
Date: Monday, January 19, 2004 4:50 PM

Greetings Fellow Stargazer,

As some of you might have noticed, I did not send out a Nov. or Dec.
PizzaGram. That was because a Canis Major (Big Dog) and Canis Minor
(Small Dog) attacked my Hoku. My dog, Hoku, and I were attacked by 2
Pit Bulls on 3 Nov just after putting the trash can out to the curb
where I live. Hoku, even after surgery has been bleeding for over
two months due to an a bad infection from the bites. He still needs
more surgery but looks like he will pull through. I am physically
(almost) back to being normal but I am afraid and don't do my nightly
walks anymore. But the good news is I have recovered enough to be at
this month's Star Party and will be looking at a much more friendly
Canis Major in the sky. So come to this month's Star Party and let
me show you Orion and his two dogs.

You know that stargazing sometimes intimidates beginners because they
feel the night sky itself is so complex. To make things easier, the
heavens were divided into 88 constellations, most of which are
visible from the at different times of the year from most places on
Earth. There are also 88 keys on a piano and that too is
intimidating to people wanting to learn the piano. Do you know why
both have 88?

Another fact is that many more people eat pizza rather than learn the
piano or the stars because the pizza is only divided into 8 pieces
(not very complex at all)! So bring a pizza to this month's Star
Party and I will help you with the learning at least 8 of the 88
constellations. On the other hand, if you want to learn piano, bring
a Grand and I will help you play something out of this world.

Speaking of something out of this world, come join us this month at
the January Star Party for our search of things "out of this world"
as well as for Pizzas "from this world"!!! So bring a Pizza, a chair
and a red flashlight and join us for a great time under Cosmos.

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Star Party Invite for January 24th
Sponsored by the Hawaiian Astronomical Society
http://www.hawastsoc.org
Dillingham Airfield - before sunset (6:17 pm)
(Star Party Directions are at the end of this message)
Bring:
http://bishopmuseum.org/planetarium/...02/febsm03.jpg

Here is where I go to check the weather on a Star Party Night:
http://weather.noaa.gov/radar/latest.../si.phmo.shtml

If it is clear, you will be able to see many astronomical sights.
It's now that time of year to see the Saturn, Venus, Orion Nebula,
the Winter Triangle, the Seven Sisters as well as many other
heavenly sights!

If you won't be in Hawaii, fear not. Check this link for a Star
Party near you!

http://SkyandTelescope.com/resources/organizations/
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If you miss this month's HAS Star Party then join us at the next:

***** 2004 *****
February 21st
March 13th
April 10th
May 22rd
Jun 19th
July 10th
August 7th
September 18th
October 16th
November 6th
December 4th

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Back to the 88 question!

At any given moment on a clear, moonless night, a thousand or more stars
are visible. Throw in five planets, a few star clusters, a spiral galaxy,
a stellar nursery, and the odd bright comet, and the catalog of objects
visible to the unaided eye is truly impressive -- and overwhelming.

To bring this complexity down to earth a bit, veteran stargazers suggest
an "inside-out" strategy: begin your skywatching adventures indoors
before you venture out into those big, starry skies. This usually
guarantees that it will rain that night, but nevertheless it is a good
idea.

Start with a good guide to the night sky or a meeting of a local
astronomy club. Clubs often host special events for beginners, with
experienced members offering tips on what to look for, where to go, and
what equipment to take along.

The only instrument that most beginners need is their eyes. Our eyes can
detect subtle variations in brightness, determine the colors and relative
temperatures of stars, and track the motions of the Moon and planets from
one night to the next.

Finally, you need a good viewing spot. Start with your back yard, even if
you live in the city. Then, as you gain experience, escape from city
lights into the darkness of the countryside. Find a state park or other
safe, accessible spot. And try a night without moonlight, so you can see
shooting stars and the subtle glow of the Milky Way.

A constellation is a group or pattern of stars. Centuries ago, people saw
images in these patterns and gave them the names of animals or characters
from ancient myths. Of course, different people saw different pictures in
the same patterns of stars. And in some cases, two cultures saw similar
pictures, but included slightly different groups of stars in their
constellations.

The ancient Greek astronomers gave us 48 classic constellations. But
these groups didn't cover the whole sky. In fact, they didn't even cover
all of the sky visible from the northern hemisphere, much less the
southern hemisphere.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, astronomers drafted their own star
charts, and picked their own names for new constellations. No two sky
charts looked the same -- and sometimes one star was assigned to two
different constellations. With no standard reference, there was great
confusion when astronomers tried to share their observations.

So in 1930, the International Astronomical Union drew official boundaries
for the constellations. They set the boundaries using imaginary east-west
and north-south lines on the dome of the sky. These lines are like the
lines of latitude and longitude that we use on Earth's surface. There are
now 88 officially recognized constellations covering the entire sky. The
constellations are like different states of a celestial union, with their
boundaries marking specific regions of the sky.

As for the 88 keys on a piano... well, isn't it obvious? If not just
Google it! If you find the answer, please let me know. ;-)

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Cosmic Factoids

-Canis Major, the largest of Orion's two hunting dogs, might be
chasing Lepus, the Rabbit, who is just in front of him. Or perhaps he
is ready to help Orion battle the great bull.

-The Romans associated other nearby stars with Sirius and pictured it
as a dog.

-The Arabic title for the constellation was Al Kalb al Jabbar, or
"the Dog of the Giant."

-The ancient Egyptians believed that the flooding of the River Nile
was caused by the "power" of the star Sirius. The Egyptian records
show that the rising of Sirius at dawn was used by the
astronomer-priests at least as early as 3000 B.C. The day on which
Sirius was first seen to rise at dawn became New Year's Day for the
Egyptians, and they called Sirius "Mistress of the Year." In honor
of Sirius, the Egyptians oriented temples so that they faced that
point on the horizon where Sirius was first seen to rise at dawn.
One such temple was built as early as 2700 B.C.

-The stories concerning Orion's dogs are not of mythic proportion,
but the Greeks did have several interesting beliefs concerning
Sirius. The Athenian New Year began with the appearance of Sirius.
He was seen as two-headed, like the Roman God Janus: looking back at
the past year and forward to the new one. Sirius was sometimes
confused with another two-headed beast called Orthrus. This was
Geryon's watchdog; his job was to guard the tyrant's cattle.
Hercules captured the cattle (as his Tenth Labor), killing Orthrus in
the process.

-In antiquity, as Homer and Hesiod were writing their stories, the
Dog Star was already associated with the Sun, since the Sun enters
that part of the sky in the hot summer months. The ancients thought
that the heat of Sirius was added to that of the Sun. To this day we
call the hottest portion of summer the "dog days."

-The name Sirius may come from the Greek meaning "scorching." Now
days the star is mostly thought of as a winter star, accompanying
Orion, rather than as the summer home of the sun.

-According to the Polynesians, Sirius was not always the brightest
star. They believed that the Pleiades were much brighter than
Sirius. The Pleiades had a reputation of bragging about their
beauty. One day Sirius convinced the god Tane to hurl the star
Aldebaran at this brightest star, shattering it into the group of six
stars we see now.

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Some Messier Objects to See this Month

M33
This is a very large (about the size of the full moon) face on spiral
galaxy in the constellation Triangulum. The total light from M33 is
about magnitude 5.3, but when spread out over its large area it
yields a very low surface brightness. The best and easiest views of
M33 can be found with a pair of binoculars. Look for a large, round
hazy patch of light with little detail at first glance. M33 can be
glimpsed with the naked eye in dark clear skies. Finding M33 in a
telescope can be a challenge because of its size. Use the widest
field eyepiece you have and look for a change in light level to
identify the galaxy.
M103
This is a fairly small, sparse open cluster in Cassiopeia. Look for
a tight group of stars in binoculars, being careful not to mistake it
for several other clusters in the same area. Through a telescope the
cluster is very sparse, four bright stars amidst the slight glow of
much fainter companions.
M52
This rich open cluster in Cassiopeia is fairly easy to see in
binoculars as a faint smudge of light. A small to mid telescope will
begin to resolve this cluster. Look for a triangular patch of light
with some stars clearly resolved, but most of the cluster members
provide only a hint of graininess.
M76
Known as the little dumbell, this planetary nebula in Perseus is one
of the dimmest objects in the Catalog. Look for a small, faint,
oblong patch of light. Not a very obvious object, if you don't see
it at first try varying magnifications in an attempt to bring it out.
Fortunately M76 is located near a bright star which aids in locating
the correct field to search.
M34
This is a large and bright, but sparse open cluster located in
Perseus. Visible as a faint patch of light to the naked eye, it is
very obvious and easy to resolve in binoculars. In fact, binoculars
provide a better view of this cluster than most telescopes.
M74
This galaxy in Pisces is a smaller and fainter version of M33, a
face on spiral galaxy with low surface brightness. M74 is arguably
the most difficult object to find in the Catalog. You will need very
dark, clear skies to easily see it, anything less than perfect
conditions will make M74 nearly impossible to find. Look for a very
faint fuzzy star, which is the bright central condensation,
surrounded by a very faint glow. Try all of your tricks on this one;
star hop to the correct field, try varying magnification, tap the
scope to detect the galaxy through its motion. If all of the above
fail, try again another night or seek darker skies.
M77
This is a small faint galaxy in Cetus. Possible to see in
binoculars, but very difficult, look for a faint fuzzy star. Through
a telescope look for a fuzzy, oval shaped patch of light, bright in
the center, fading towards the edges.

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The Wanderers (The Planets) this Month

Mercury (magnitude 0) is having a good apparition in the dawn sky.
Look for it above the southeast horizon about 60 to 45 minutes before
sunrise. Don't confuse Mercury with orange Antares, which is to its
upper right by nearly three fist-widths at arm's length. )

Venus (magnitude *4.0) is the brilliant "Evening Star" shining in the
southwest during twilight and early evening. Every week it's getting
a little higher and brighter.

Mars (magnitude +0.6, in Pisces) glows orange high in the south at
dusk, very far to Venus's upper left, and lower in the southwest
later in the evening. It sets around midnight. Mars continues to fade
and shrink; it's now only 7 arcseconds in diameter.

Jupiter (a brilliant magnitude *2.4 in the hind feet of Leo) rises in
the east around 9 p.m. If you're out at dawn, look for Jupiter in the
southwest.

Saturn (magnitude *0.3, in the feet of Gemini) shines in the east
during evening ‹ between Orion to its right or lower right, and
Castor and Pollux to its left or lower left. This month is an ideal
time to view Saturn with a telescope; it's as close to Earth as it
gets. The sharpest views will be had when Saturn is very high in
steady air, late in the evening.

Uranus and Neptune are lost in the glow of sunset.

Pluto is hidden very low in the glow of dawn.
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Annual Meteor Showers

Quadrantids: January
Virginids: March/April
Lyrids: April
Scorpiids: May
Delta Aquarids: July
Perseids August
Piscids: September
Orionids: October
Leonids: November
Geminids: December

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Find what is moving overhead after sunset:
http://www.bester.com/
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/RealTim.../JTrack3d.html

Check out when the next Iridium Satellite is available for you to
see:
http://www.heavens-above.com/Neighbo...PlaceID=593409
(for non Oahu Star Gazers...)
http://www.heavens-above.com/selectt...p?CountryID=US

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Check out:
http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/12months/m-jan-i.html

and bring the above list...

As for the rest of the Messiers, check out
http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/messier.html It also has a link to:

http://www.hawastsoc.org/messier/index.html
(all the Messier Objects as photographed by HAS's local Jay Wrathall)

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Star Party Directions
(http://www.hawastsoc.org/directions/dillingham.html)

To reach the Dillingham observing site, take the H2 to the end at
Schofield Barracks. Drive past Schofield and follow the signs to
Waialua. At the Y intersection at Waialua, bear left and pass under
the bridge. Drive out of town a few miles until you reach Dillingham
Airfield. Dillingham is several miles long. It has three gates. You
need to drive to the far end to the third gate (marked as Gate 1 on
the color map). When you enter the gate, the road will curve left
behind some hangars. It will then take you through a very sharp S
curve. 1/4 mile beyond that is a stop sign in the middle of nowhere.
Turn right at the stop sign, and you will be there. You can find me
by looking for the big red telescope in the corner with a table with
lots of pizza on it.

You will need to reach the site before sunset in order to find the
gate open!!!

A few words on light. We try to maintain dark conditions at the site.
Therefore we have certain rules about light. First, no white
flashlights. The only flashlights that you should use are not too
bright, red ones.

When entering and exiting the site, do not use headlights. Some cars
now can't turn off their headlights. If you have a car like that
please park nearer the windsock then the telescopes. Point it away
from the telescopes. Headlights make you lose your night vision for
up to 30 minutes. It immediately ruins any astro photography that
might be in progress.

Bring some warm clothes, something to sit on, some real powerful bug
spray, a dim or red covered flashlight and some munches to share with
your friends.

Remember there is an absolute need to remain clear of the runway, and
anyone attending the star party needs to remain in the immediate star
party area. Do not be wandering around in areas where we are not
permitted. Especially near any planes (parked or moving)!
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Bishop Museum Planetarium Happenings

Daily Planetarium schedule:
(808) 848-4136 for pre-recorded sky information and planetarium
schedule.

11:30 a.m. Explorers of the International Space Station (45 Minutes)
12:20 p.m. Explorers of Polynesia (in Japanese , 30 Minutes)
1:00 p.m. Red Planet Mars (in English , 30 Minutes)
3:30 p.m. Explorers of Polynesia (45 Minutes)

³The Sky Tonight,² an hour-long sky talk with Sam Rhoads, occurs on
the first Monday, at 7:00 PM. Reservations are necessary, since Sam¹s
shows often fill. $4 for adults, $3 for kids, free to Bishop Museum
members and Hawaiian Astronomical Society members. Reservations for
³The Sky Tonight²: 848-4168.

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After Dark with Stars in the Park
Waikele Community Park
OR... Kahala Park
(Weather permitting)

***** 2004 *****
January 31st
February 28th
March 27th
April 24th
May 29th
Jun 26th
July 24th
August 21st
September 25th
October 23rd
November 20th
December 18th

FROM DUSK to 9:30 PM
Bring your children! Tell your friends!

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Visit the cosmos via:

The HAS HomePage: http://www.hawastsoc.org/ or go to
(or show up at meeting 7:30pm first Tue of month)
and check out the Bishop Museum Planetarium Home Page
http://www.bishopmuseum.org/planetarium/
and the Institute for Astronomy Colloquia/Seminars
http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/
Hawaii in Space: http://apollo-society.org/launchpad39_A.html
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Keep Looking SkyWard...gww

http://homepage.mac.com/macyoda/PhotoAlbum6.html
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"The computer is to the mind as the amplifier is to sound."
Paul Maurer
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How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?
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--
"In this universe the night was falling,the shadows were lengthening
towards an east that would not know another dawn.
But elsewhere the stars were still young and the light of morning
lingered: and along the path he once had followed, man would one day go
again."

Arthur C. Clarke, The City & The Stars

SIAR
www.starlords.org
Freelance Writers Shop
http://www.freelancewrittersshop.netfirms.com
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http://home.inreach.com/starlord
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