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Alachua Astronomy Club, Inc. |  Member Astronomical League |
 Member International Dark-Sky Association |
| Monthly Meetings 2006 |
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| 29°39' N, 82°21' W Altitude: 50 Meters (more or less) |
Updated Apr. 4, 2008 | ||
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Location
POWELL HALL EXHIBITION CENTER
of the Florida Museum of Natural History
Located near S.W. 34 Street &
Hull Road intersection
(Western edge of UF campus
in UF's Cultural Plaza)
Gainesville, Florida USA
[Directions and Map]
NOTE: Powell Hall is located in the UF cultural complex that includes the Phillips Center for Performing Arts (CPA) and the Harn Museum of Art. Also across the street is the SW Recreational Center. Unless the CPA is holding a performance on the evenings when the AAC meets at Powell Hall, parking should not normally be a problem.
However, if an event is also happening at the CPA, people attending AAC events at Powell Hall should plan accordingly (arrive early! ).
Check the UF Calendar of Events to see when performances are scheduled at the CPA.)
At the present time there is one known conflict with AAC meetings and the CPA during the first half of 2006. (The CPA 2006/2007 schedule will not be published until spring 2006.)
- All monthly meetings are free and open to the public (but why not become a member!)
- Check detailed schedule for any changes in time or location
- The AAC Executive Council also meets the first Tuesday of the month
Speaker Schedule
(Click on date to see details)
Date (2006) Guest Speaker Title or Topic January 10 Howard Cohen Lunar Observing Software February 14 Bill Helms Lunar Books, Atlases & Maps March 14 Stephen Kane The Search for Other Worlds April 11 Bill Carter Simon Newcomb: America's Unofficial Astronomer Royal May 9 Mike Reynolds Falling Stars: An Introduction to Meteorites June 13 Brent Abbatantuono Heaven on Earth: Planetaria and their Development
MEETING CANCELLED (due to Tropical Storm Alberto)July 11 Fred Hamann Life on the Edge: The Story of Eta Carinae August 8 Bob O'Connell / Don Loftus Transient Lunar Phenomena September 12 Stephen Eikenberry Monsters of the Deep: Fishing for the Most Massive Stars in the Universe October 10 Brent Abbatantuono Heaven on Earth: Planetaria and their Development
(Rescheduled from cancelled June talk due to Tropical Storm Alberto)
incl. special introduction, The Planetarium That UF Never Built by AAC VP HL CohenNovember 14 Jaydeep Mukherjee NASA's Vision for Space Exploration December 9 None (Holiday Party) Help Celebrate Our 19th Anniversary
Details of 2006 MeetingsTuesday, January 10, 2006, 7:00 p.m. EST
Speaker: Dr. Howard L. Cohen, AAC Vice President and Associate Professor Emeritus, Department of Astronomy, University of Florida
E-Mail: cohen@astro.ufl.edu
Title: A Review of Some Lunar Observing Software Packages
Location: Powell Hall, Florida Museum of Natural History (Lucille T. Maloney Classroom), UF Campus, Gainesville FL
Preview: Although most amateur astronomers concentrate on planets or deep sky objects, the Moon offers both the beginning stargazer and advanced observer the most varied and marvelous features visible from small to moderate earth-bound telescopes. In fact, the Moon often evokes the loudest and most boisterous screams of joy and wonderment at star parties and is an exciting and easy object for beginning star gazers.
This presentation will review and demonstrate several PC software programs dedicated to observing the Moon. The audience will discover the potential these programs have as powerful aids for learning about the Moon and preparing for lunar observing sessions. Each is suitable for both beginners and advanced observers. All help make lunar observing sessions more productive and fun. However, these programs have different user interfaces and features that we will learn about in this computer presentation.
Although these programs may not always substitute for good lunar atlases, they offer powerful advantages over hard copy maps. Depending on the software package, users can produce real-time images with accurate visualizations of phases possibly including full libration (oscillation) corrections. One can display both wide field and high resolution zoomed images of both the near and far side, and print or display customized maps to match the view through your own telescope and eyepieces for any time or location. Included are searchable databases that also allow quick identification and descriptions of lunar features. Some can measure lunar distances or size of features, display photos of lunar objects, map lunar landing sites, provide timely lunar data, produce animated movie clips and 3-D visualizations, and much more depending on the particular software package.
These programs can help make you a dedicated lunar observer by helping you seek out, identify and learn about the myriad and marvelous features that cover our beautiful, perplexing and closest celestial neighbor.
About the Speaker: Howard Cohen is a founding member of the Alachua Astronomy Club, Inc. and will serve as vice president during 2006. He has been actively pursuing astronomy for over 50 years, first as an amateur then as a professional astronomer. Dr. Cohen is also an emeritus professor in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Florida where he was on the faculty for more than thirty-five years. Professor Cohen is an accomplished public speaker. His "down-to-earth" presentations use lively computer displays, which he has perfected through years of teaching at the University of Florida, and has presented talks to the AAC in nine out of the last ten years.
With his wife Marian, a travel specialist with Continental Capers Travel & Cruises, Dr. Cohen helps plan, organize and escort unique tours centered on astronomical themes. This fall (September 21 – October 2, 2005) he helped lead a new and unusual 12-day tour of Arizona astronomy, archaeology and geology with the Florida Museum of Natural History. This tour was a culmination of his many trips to the Grand Canyon State over the past forty years. He has also worked and observed at Lowell Observatory, a featured attraction on the tour. Their tour web site is at http://www.flycapers.com/tours/voyages/ .
Tuesday, February 14, 2006, 7:00 p.m. EST
PARKING ALERT! The Phillips Center for the Performing Arts will be having an event the night of this meeting (starting 7:30 p.m.). People attending the AAC meeting should arrive early enough to avoid parking hassles with those attending the CPA event.
Speaker: William R. Helms, AAC President and retired physicist from NASA Kennedy Space Center
E-Mail: president@floridastars.org
Title: A Discussion of Lunar Observing Books, Atlases, and Maps
Preview: A review of the orientation (naked eye/binoculars, reflector, or refractor/compound telescopes using a star diagonal), format, image scale, quality of photos and maps, and other pertinent information for most currently available books and maps. Additionally, copies of most of the documents discussed will be present for the audience to personally inspect.
About the Speaker: Bill Helms is the President and past Programs Coordinator of the AAC. He has a Bachelor's degree in Physics and a Master's degree in Management from Florida State University. Bill retired to the dark skies of North Florida after a 35-year career with NASA at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), where he was a Firing Room launch console operator for both the Apollo lunar landing missions and the early Space Shuttle missions. While at NASA, Bill designed launch complex instrumentation for the Space Shuttle, and designed the Hazardous Gas Detection System used at the launch complex for over 20 years. The instrumentation he designed was credited with saving three shuttle missions from launch with potentially catastrophic hydrogen leakage. Bill established and managed KSC Instrumentation Development Labs for 20 years. He has been awarded two NASA Exceptional Service Medals.
Bill has been an amateur astronomer for 35 years, and is a percussionist in the Gainesville Community Band.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006, 7:00 p.m. EST
Speaker: Dr. Stephen Kane, Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Astronomy, University of Florida
E-Mail: skane "at" astro.ufl.edu
Title: The Search for Other Worlds
Location: Powell Hall, Florida Museum of Natural History (Lucille T. Maloney Classroom), UF Campus, Gainesville FL
Preview: In the past 15 years, the number of known planets outside of our own solar system has grown from zero to almost two hundred. In this talk, Dr. Kane will outline the highlights from the field of extrasolar planetary detection, the methods that are used to discover them, and our current statistical knowledge of exoplanetary systems.
About the Speaker: Stephen Kane is from rural Australia where he had an excellent view of the southern sky. He graduated from Macquarie University in Sydney with an Honours degree in Physics, then pursued research for his Doctorate at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. After graduating, he spent four years in Scotland as a postdoc at the University of St Andrews. He moved to Gainesville last June to continue his research at the University of Florida. He has 10 years of experience in extra-solar planet detection and is one of the only people using all three of the radial velocity, transit, and microlensing techniques. See his web site.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006, 7:00 p.m. EDT
Speaker: Dr. Bill Carter, Adjunct Professor, Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering, University of Florida.
E-Mail: bcarter "at" ce.ufl.edu
Title: Simon Newcomb: America's Unofficial Astronomer Royal
Location: Powell Hall, Florida Museum of Natural History (Lucille T. Maloney Classroom), UF Campus, Gainesville FL
Preview: Dr. Carter will recount Simon Newcomb's climb from a penniless immigrant to the most renowned American astronomer of the 19th century, with never before published details of his family and professional lives, including his friendship with Congressman, and later President, James A. Garfield. Much of Dr. Carter's talk stems from a new book, Simon Newcomb, America's Unofficial Astronomer Royal, which he co-authored with his daughter Dr. Merri Sue Carter, an astronomer with the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington D.C.
About the Speaker: Bill Carter is an Adjunct Professor in the Civil and Coastal Engineering Department, University of Florida, in Gainesville. As a geodetic officer in the US Air Force, and as a research geodesist for twenty years at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Bill worked on just about all facets of geodetic astronomy—from the determination of astronomic latitude using the Talcott method, to detecting changes in the orientation of Earth using satellite and lunar laser ranging, as well as Very Long Baseline Interferometry.
Dr. Carter has spoken previously at an AAC Meeting; in January 2002, he gave a presentation based on his book Latitude, which he also co-authored with his daughter, Dr. Merri Sue Carter.
BOOK SIGNING: After his presentation, Dr. Carter will be signing a limited number of copies of his books Latitude (hardcover, $20) and Simon Newcomb: America's Unofficial Astronomer Royal (hardcover, $25).
Tuesday, May 9, 2006, 7:00 p.m. EDT
Speaker: Dr. Mike Reynolds
E-Mail: astrogator90 "at" comcast.net
Title: Falling Stars: An Introduction to Meteorites
Location: Powell Hall, Florida Museum of Natural History (Lucille T. Maloney Classroom), UF Campus, Gainesville FL
Preview: Dr. Reynolds will present an overview of the field of meteoritics, with a focus on meteorites and cratering. In his fast-paced presentation, Mike will also display a variety of meteorites, explain how to distinguish a meteorite from a "meteorwrong," and discuss the general classification of meteorites used by scientists.
About the Speaker: Dr. Mike Reynolds has thirty years' experience in astronomy and space sciences in the gamut of a high school and university instructor, planetarium and museum director, researcher, writer, lecturer, and administrator. He has received numerous awards and recognition for his work, including the 1986 Florida State Teacher of the Year, NASA Teacher-in-Space National Finalist, and the G. Bruce Blair Medal. Dr. Reynolds has written a number of astronomy books and articles. He has led numerous astronomical expeditions worldwide, and has also served as an invited speaker internationally. Dr. Reynolds is the Executive Director Emeritus of the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, California, and currently serves as the Associate Dean of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and Professor of Astronomy at Florida Community College in Jacksonville, Florida.
BOOK SIGNING: After his presentation, Dr. Reynolds will be signing copies of his books Binocular Stargazing ($12.95), Falling Stars: a Guide to Meteors and Meteorites ($14.95), and Observe Eclipses ($14.95). Dr. Reynolds will also have assorted meteorite samples for sale, starting at $2.00
Tuesday, June 13, 2006, 7:00 p.m. EDT
MEETING CANCELLED (UF Campus closed due to Tropical Storm Alberto)
Will try to reschedule talk for another month
Speaker: Brent Abbatantuono
E-Mail:
Title: Heaven on Earth: Planetaria and their Development
Location: Powell Hall, Florida Museum of Natural History (Lucille T. Maloney Classroom), UF Campus, Gainesville FL
Preview: Humans have tried to replicate the skies above for many generations. In the Twentieth century, however, this quest led to its ultimate - the planetarium. Although large, expensive units were developed elsewhere, an American - Armand Spitz - built and sold the first truly affordable planetarium. Like the similarly named automobile, Spitz's Model A brought the wonders of technology to the masses. We will look at the planetarium from its beginning to the height of its popularity - America's Space Age.
About the Speaker: Brent Abbatantuono received both his BA and MA degrees in the History of Science and Technology from the University of Florida. Specializing in astronomy, his masters' research concentrated on the development of planetaria, specifically Armand Spitz and his Model A. Since graduating, he has continued as an active amateur astronomer. He works with public outreach events near his home in the Orlando area. He also completed two successful total solar eclipse trips - to Salzburg, Austria in August 1999 (where he was the only eclipse chaser in his tour group) and to the Mediterranean for a ship-based observation of the 29 March 2006 event. When not staring upward, his interest in collecting astronaut-signed books has led him to many space sites around the country.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006, 7:00 p.m. EDT
Speaker: Dr. Fred Hamann, Professor of Astronomy, Department of Astronomy, University of Florida
E-Mail: hamann "at" astro.ufl.edu
Title: Life on the Edge: The Story of Eta Carinae
Location: Powell Hall, Florida Museum of Natural History (Lucille T. Maloney Classroom), UF Campus, Gainesville FL
Preview: Life on the edge or life in the fast lane? It's actually both for Eta Carina. This extremely rare and massive star is near the end of its brief and fitful life. Expelling matter at a prodigious rate, sometimes in spectacular eruptions, this star is not going quietly. One hundred fifty years ago it ejected the equivalent of 20 Suns, but the best is yet to come. Maybe in our lifetimes ...
About the Speaker: Dr. Hamann received his Ph.D. at the State University of New York at Stony Brook (SUNY) in 1987, and subsequently worked as a research fellow at the Carnegie Observatories, the Ohio State University, and the University of California at San Diego, before joining the faculty at UF in 1999. His current main interests are studies of quasars, active galaxies, and galaxy evolution.
Dr. Hamann has graciously spoken to the AAC several times before including May 2004 (Twinkle, Twinkle, Huge Explosion: The Story of Gamma-Ray Bursts) and February 2005 (From Darkness Into Light: The End of the Dark Ages). His talks are always interesting, informative and enthusiatically received.
Tuesday, August 8, 2006, 7:00 p.m. EDT
Speakers: Bob O'Connell / Don Loftus
E-Mail:
Title: Transient Lunar Phenomena
Location: Powell Hall, Florida Museum of Natural History (Lucille T. Maloney Classroom), UF Campus, Gainesville FL
Preview: Since the Apollo program, the scientific community holds that the Moon is a "dead" rock where nothing has happened for several billion years, except for the occasional moon quake or meteorite impact. Popular astronomy books promote this view and, as an apparent after thought, add a footnote about an obscure category of observation called “Transient Lunar Phenomena” (TLP).
For several hundred years there have been reports by lunar observers of light flashes and obscuration of topographic features (TLP). If the Moon is “dead,” these observations must be incorrect. Much ink has been spent challenging and “debunking” the TLP phenomena. For example, two contributing editors to Sky and Telescope Magazine in their book Epic Moon take every opportunity to discredit the validity of TLP, even launching into ad hominem attacks on lunar observers. Lunar expert Chuck Wood, in his recent book The Modern Moon, sums up the contemporary opinion -- “Perhaps, like UFOs, only believers see them (TLP).”
However, a number of modern observations including visual, infrared, photographic, spectrographic, Apollo astronaut observations, and Clementine data suggest that anomalous events do occur on the Moon. While the Moon may be dead, the controversy is not. This presentation will examine some of the most credible amateur and professional TLP reports.
About the Speakers: Don Loftus is an active sky observer, and has been an invaluable AAC member since its early days. Among other duties, Don has served as AAC treasurer and vice president. When not working at his University of Florida job in broadcasting, observing or building gadgets, Don tends his farm north of Gainesville where he is also currently growing grapes.
Bob O’Connell has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado at Denver and nursing degree from Santa Fe Community College. Bob is currently a registered nurse at Shands at AGH. Bob got his first telescope at age 5, a Sears 2.4" refractor; the first object he observed was the Moon. During the ensuing 40 years, he has owned several other telescopes and currently uses a 5" Meade refractor in his lunar studies. His interest for the past three years has been researching the controversial issue of Transient Lunar Phenomena.
Don has previously given many talks, including talks on transient lunar phenomenon and the Apollo missions. See, for example, "Man on the Moon," 2002 October, "Observing the Moon," 1998 September, and "Everything You Wanted to Know About the Moon, But Were Afraid to Ask," 1997 April. Don also gave our keynote address at our public viewing event for the total lunar eclipse of 2004 October 27 titled "Man on the Moon: NASA'S Golden Age." Despite his interest in dark sky objects and a bad case of "aperture fever" so he can see them better, he still can't stop looking at the Moon and be fascinated by its beauty. You can view some of Don's pictures on his picture page.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006, 7:00 p.m. EDT
Speaker: Dr. Stephen Eikenberry, Professor of Astronomy, Department of Astronomy, University of Florida
E-Mail: eikenberry "at" astro.ufl.edu
Title: Monsters of the Deep: Fishing for the Most Massive Stars in the Universe
Location: Powell Hall, Florida Museum of Natural History (Lucille T. Maloney Classroom), UF Campus, Gainesville FL
Preview: While exceedingly rare compared to "normal" stars like our Sun, the most massive stars have a profound impact on the Universe around us. They dominate the light output and kinetic energy of most galaxies, synthesize virtually all of the elements in the Universe heavier than helium, and leave behind massive neutron stars and black holes as "fossils" after they die. Dr. Eikenberry will review some of the properties of these most massive stars and describe the research efforts of our group at UF in finding and studying these "monsters of the deep," with particular emphasis on plans for using UF-built instruments on the Gemini Observatory 8-meter telescopes and the Gran Telescopio Canarias 10.4-meter telescope in Spain.
About the Speaker: Stephen Eikenberry received his bachelor’s degree in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1990 and his Ph.D. in Astronomy from Harvard University in 1997. While at Harvard, he won the Derek Bok Award for Excellence in Science Teaching and the Edwin Fireman Award for Outstanding Graduate Research. In 1997, he took a position as the Sherman Fairchild Postdoctoral Prize Fellow in Physics at the California Institute of Technology. In 1998, he became an Assistant Professor in the Department of Astronomy at Cornell University, and in 2002 he was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure at Cornell. While at Cornell he was awarded a 5-year NSF Early Career award, and founded the Hewitt Laboratory for Undergraduate Computation in Astrophysics. He joined the University of Florida as a Professor of Astronomy in January 2003.
Professor Eikenberry's research focuses on the development of infrared cameras and spectrographs for the world's largest telescopes, including the Gran Telescopio Canarias being co-developed in Spain by UF. He is leading the UF Infrared Instrumentation Group's current efforts in building FLAMINGOS-2 – the most powerful infrared instrument for astronomy ever built – which will be installed on the Gemini Telescope in Chile near the end of this year. Prof. Eikenberry's research group specializes in using these instruments to study black holes, neutron stars, and the most massive stars in the Universe. He is also leading the development of the Florida Center for Imaging Instrumentation at the University of Florida and University of Central Florida, which emphasizes the interdisciplinary development and application of imaging techniques to problems in astrophysics, bio/medicine, chemistry, and precision manufacturing, as well as training the next generation of leaders in imaging instrumentation.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006, 7:00 p.m. EDT
(This talk was originally scheduled for June but cancelled due to Tropical Storm Alberto. Mr. Abbatantuono has graciously agreed to give this talk this month)
A Very Special Program About Planetariums!
(see Special Extra Attractions below)
E-Mail:
Title: Heaven on Earth: Planetaria and their Development
Location: Powell Hall, Florida Museum of Natural History (Lucille T. Maloney Classroom), UF Campus, Gainesville FL
Preview: Humans have tried to replicate the skies above for many generations. In the Twentieth century, however, this quest led to its ultimate - the planetarium. Although large, expensive units were developed elsewhere, an American - Armand Spitz - built and sold the first truly affordable planetarium. Like the similarly named automobile, Spitz's Model A brought the wonders of technology to the masses. We will look at the planetarium from its beginning to the height of its popularity - America's Space Age.
About the Speaker: Brent Abbatantuono received both his B.A. and M.A. degrees in the History of Science and Technology from the University of Florida. Specializing in astronomy, his masters' research concentrated on the development of planetaria, specifically Armand Spitz and his Model A. He worked with professors in both the departments of history and astronomy including our current vice president, Dr. Howard L. Cohen, to produce a wonderful masters' thesis titled, "Armand Neustadter Spitz and His Planetaria, with Historical Notes of the Model A at the University of Florida."
Since graduating, Mr. Abbatantuono has continued as an active amateur astronomer. He works with public outreach events near his home in the Orlando area. He also completed two successful total solar eclipse trips - to Salzburg, Austria in August 1999 (where he was the only eclipse chaser in his tour group) and to the Mediterranean for a ship-based observation of the 29 March 2006 event. When not staring upward, his interest in collecting astronaut-signed books has led him to many space sites around the country.
SPECIAL, EXTRA ATTRACTIONS AT OCTOBER MEETING
- Spitz Model A Projector Come see the original Spitz planetarium projector that was part of UF's original planetarium that operated from about 1952 to 1966!
- Spitz Junior And see an original 1954 working "toy" planetarium inspired by the planetaria of Armand Spitz
- "The Planetarium That UF Never Built" Dr. Howard L. Cohen, AAC Vice President, will also give an introduction with never before seen slides of a once proposed UF planetarium for the Florida Museum of Natural History
Tuesday, November 14, 2006, 7:00 p.m. EST
Speaker: Dr. Jaydeep Mukherjee
E-Mail:
Title: NASA's Vision for Space Exploration
Location: Powell Hall, Florida Museum of Natural History (Lucille T. Maloney Classroom), UF Campus, Gainesville FL
Preview: Dr. Mukherjee will discuss efforts underway within Florida universities related to NASA's Vision for Space Exploration.
About the Speaker: Dr. Jaydeep Mukherjee received his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Physics from Bombay University (University of Mumbai), India, and his M.S and Ph.D degrees in Astronomy from the University of Florida. He was the Administrator of the Florida Space Grant Consortium (FSGC) at the University of Florida and later the Director of FSGC at the University of Central Florida. Presently, Dr. Mukherjee also serves as the Interim Director of the Florida Space Institute located at the Kennedy Space Center. Dr. Mukherjee also serves on the Board of the National Space Grant Foundation and is the Chair of the Southeast Regional Space Grant.
Saturday, December 9, 2006, 6:00 p.m. EST (dinner served at 6:30 p.m.)
Speaker: None but lots of fun!
Title: "Holiday Party" and Celebration of AAC's 19th Birthday!
Location: Home of Mark & Cindy Barnett, 3111 NW 18th Place, Gainesville, Florida, (352) 373-2244
Maps to Barnett Residence: 640x512 [Color, B/W], 800x640 [Color, B/W], 1024x768 [Color, B/W]
Preview: AAC will hold its annual December holiday party — a potluck dinner. (There will be no regular Tuesday meeting in December.) Club will buy drinks and paper products. (There will be a food sign up sheet at our October and November meetings — see below.)
Food to Bring: If you miss signing up at the October or November meetings, please respond to webmaster@floridastars.org and indicate what food dish you will bring:
- Wings, ham rolls, cheese & crackers, finger sandwiches, taco salad w/chips, dessert or other (please designate)
- Also indicate the number of adults and children (give ages) who will attend.
Last year we celebrated our 18th anniversary. This year we celebrate our club's 19th anniversary. Good food, games, our traditional astro slide quiz, lots of prizes, sci-fi space music, and an astro video!
Begins approximately at sunset. Lasts till whenever.
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