Got your attention?  Space.Com reports a Mexican Air Force jet
photographed 11 objects using IR cameras, 3 showed on radar.  They
also chased the plane.  Experts claim it was ball lightning.  The Bad
Astronomer claims that if there were UFOs, amateur astronomers would
be the group most likely to see them.

So, to generate some action on here, I'm asking a simple
question...Have you ever seen something in the night sky that you
could not identify immediately, or at a later time?  Doesn't have to
be a "UFO."  Just something you never figured out?

Laurent

Seminole Community College Planetarium
Press Release 052504

For Immediate Release

Contact Person:

Laurent Pellerin
SCC Planetarium Operations & Production
Seminole Community College Planetarium
100 Weldon Blvd
Sanford, Florida 32773-6199
407.328.2409 (office)
407.754.4078 (cell)
PelleriL@...

The SCC Planetarium will be Hosting FREE Telescope Viewings of the
Historic Venus Transit on June 8 from 6:30 - 7:30 AM on the Main
Sanford/Lake Mary Campus of Seminole Community College

Twice (8 years apart) every 300 years, Venus passes directly in front
of the Sun as seen from Earth. This phenomena is know as a "Transit." A
Transit is basically the same thing as an eclipse, but of course Venus,
being approximately 26 million miles away, cannot completely cover the
disk of the Sun like the Moon can.  On June 8th, Venus will transit the
Sun for the first time since before the United States even existed! The
next one will be in 2012, then another three centuries will follow
before it will be seen again.

Unfortunately, here in Florida we will only get to see the tail-end of
the transit just after sunrise, since most of it occurs before the Sun
rises in our time zone.  But some is certainly better than none!

IMPORTANT ... IMPORTANT ... IMPORTANT ... IMPORTANT ... IMPORTANT

LOOKING AT THE SUN WITHOUT SPECIAL FILTERS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR
SOLAR VIEWING CAN CAUSE PERMANENT INJURY TO YOUR EYES!

The SCC Planetarium will be setting up telescopes WITH SPECIAL FILTERS
to safely view this historic event along College Drive behind the
Planetarium. One telescope will be equipped with a very special
hydrogen-alpha filter and an astronomical color camera to record the
event. This camera view will also be displayed on a monitor for you to
see the extra solar details that this very special and expensive filter
can provide. Other telescopes will be set up with white-light solar
filters for direct viewing by the public.

NEWS MEDIA:

We will be providing three line feeds from our telescope video camera
for those TV cameras/trucks equipped with line-input jacks.  (BNC
connection)  Given the timing of the Venus Transit, this will allow
local news programming to carry the event live.  Due to the limit of
three lines, please contact Laurent Pellerin in advance to reserve one
line for your use.  Stations that can provide additional amplified line
splitters, may also take a feed from our camera.



Laurent A. Pellerin, Jr.
Operations & Production Manager
Seminole Community College Planetarium
100 Weldon Blvd
Sanford, Florida 32773-6199
407 328 2409 (Office)
407 754 4078 (Cell)
407 328 2360 (Show Info)
PelleriL@...
http://www.scc-fl.edu/planet/

Seminole Community College Planetarium
Press Release 060304

For Immediate Release

Contact Person:

Laurent Pellerin
SCC Planetarium Operations & Production
Seminole Community College Planetarium
100 Weldon Blvd
Sanford, Florida 32773-6199
407.328.2409
PelleriL@...

The SCC Planetarium will be Hosting FREE Telescope Viewings of the
Historic Venus Transit on June 8 from 6:30 - 7:30 AM on the Main
Sanford/Lake Mary Campus of Seminole Community College

Twice (8 years apart) every 125 years, Venus passes directly in front
of the Sun as seen from Earth. This phenomena is know as a "Transit." A
Transit is basically the same thing as an eclipse, but of course Venus,
being approximately 26 million miles away, cannot completely cover the
disk of the Sun like the Moon can.  On June 8th, Venus will again
transit the Sun. The next one will be in 2012, then another 125 will
follow before it will be seen again.

Unfortunately, here in Florida we will only get to see the tail-end of
the transit just after sunrise, since most of it occurs before the Sun
rises in our time zone.  But some is certainly better than none!

IMPORTANT ... IMPORTANT ... IMPORTANT ... IMPORTANT ... IMPORTANT

LOOKING AT THE SUN WITHOUT SPECIAL FILTERS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR
SOLAR VIEWING CAN CAUSE PERMANENT INJURY TO YOUR EYES!

The SCC Planetarium will be setting up telescopes WITH SPECIAL FILTERS
to safely view this historic event along College Drive behind the
Planetarium. One telescope will be equipped with a very special
hydrogen-alpha filter and an astronomical color camera to record the
event. This camera view will also be displayed on a monitor for you to
see the extra solar details that this very special and expensive filter
can provide. Other telescopes will be set up with white-light solar
filters for direct viewing by the public.

NEWS MEDIA:

We will be providing two line feeds from our telescope video camera for
those TV cameras/trucks equipped with line-input jacks.  (BNC
connection)  Given the timing of the Venus Transit, this will allow
local news programming to carry the event live.  Due to the limit of two
lines, please contact Laurent Pellerin in advance to reserve one line
for your use.  Stations that can provide additional amplified line
splitters, may also take a feed from our camera.



Laurent A. Pellerin, Jr.
Operations & Production Manager
Seminole Community College Planetarium
100 Weldon Blvd
Sanford, Florida 32773-6199
407 328 2409 (Office)
407 328 2360 (Show Info)
PelleriL@...

Hello,

My name is Derek Demeter, and I work with Laurent Pellerin at the
SCC Planetarium.  I just wanted to introduce myself to all you guys
here at Southern Nights.  I will also be updating new information on
whats going on at the Planetarium and also some other things as
well.  Thats it for now.

Seminole Community College Planetarium
Press Release 062904

For Immediate Release

Contact Person:

Laurent Pellerin, Operations & Production Manager
Seminole Community College Planetarium
100 Weldon Blvd
Sanford, Florida 32773-6199
407.328.2409
PelleriL@...

NASA's Cassini Spacecraft Arrives at Saturn AND the SCC Planetarium

On July 1, 2004  (June 30, 2004 EDT,)  NASA's latest robot explorer,
Cassini and its partner, Huygens, will finally arrive at Saturn, the
true "Lord of the Rings,"  after a long, long 7 year journey.  Cassini
has already passed Saturn's outer moon, Phoebe, returning our first
closeup images and information of this surprising body.  Cassini will
then begin an exploration mission of Saturn, its rings and its 31 known
moons that is scheduled to last at least 4 years!  The Cassini-Huygens
mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and
the Italian Space Agency.

But Saturn is not the only place hosting the presence of Cassini and
Huygens...  The SCC Planetarium will be Premiering our new Saturday
Evening Special Feature, Ring World narrated by Star Trek's, John
Billingsley, on July 10, 2004.  This planetarium show was produced by
NASA and the Clark Planetarium in Utah to give the Public an insider's
preview of Cassini's mission to Saturn, as well as possible future
missions.  The SCC Planetarium has further adapted Ring World to use the
latest technology recently acquired during our equipment renovations.
The show has been fully digitalized and animated to take advantage of
our new 160 degree immersive video projection system for a virtual
reality experience that won't soon be forgotten!  What's more, we plan
to keep the show updated with new images of the Saturnian system as they
become available.  In fact, even before its Premiere, Ring World has
already been updated with the latest image of Phoebe!

Ring World Premieres July 10, 2004 at 8:30 PM.  Tickets are available
at the door beginning at 8:00 PM.  Admission is $4 for Adults and $3 for
Student in Grades K-12 as well as Senior Citizens.  Pre-schoolers and
SCC Students and Employees are free with I.D.  Telescope Viewings will
follow each show as the weather permits.

The Seminole Community College Planetarium is located at the corner of
Weldon Blvd (off of US 17-92) and College Dr (off of Lake Mary Blvd) on
the Main Sanford/Lake Mary Campus of Seminole Community College in the
heart of Seminole County.  Further information is available by calling
407.328.2360, or visiting our web site at http://www.scc-fl.edu/planet
.



Laurent A. Pellerin, Jr.
Operations & Production Manager
Seminole Community College Planetarium
100 Weldon Blvd
Sanford, Florida 32773-6199
407 328 2409 (Office)
407 328 2360 (Show Info)
PelleriL@...
http://www.scc-fl.edu/planet/


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Seminole Community College Planetarium
Press Release 071004

For Immediate Release

Contact Person:

Laurent Pellerin, Operations & Production Manager
Seminole Community College Planetarium
100 Weldon Blvd
Sanford, Florida 32773-6199
407.328.2409
PelleriL@...

Ring World Premiere a 100% Success!

Cassini arrived at the Seminole Community College Planetarium tonight
to a sold out crowd of enthusiasts!   Everyone loved the show and many
said that they couldn't wait for the updates at the end of the show in
the weeks to come.

Ring World will continue every Saturday Evening at 8:30 PM until
September 25th.  Each show will be followed with a live update of the
very latest information and photos from these intrepid explorers.

Tickets are available at the door beginning at 8:00 PM.  Admission is
$4 for Adults and $3 for Student in Grades K-12 as well as Senior
Citizens.  Pre-schoolers and SCC Students and Employees are free with
I.D.  Telescope Viewings will follow each show as the weather permits.

The Seminole Community College Planetarium is located at the corner of
Weldon Blvd (off of US 17-92) and College Dr (off of Lake Mary Blvd) on
the Main Sanford/Lake Mary Campus of Seminole Community College in the
heart of Seminole County.  Further information is available by calling
407.328.2360, or visiting our web site at http://www.scc-fl.edu/planet
.



Laurent A. Pellerin, Jr.
Operations & Production Manager
Seminole Community College Planetarium
100 Weldon Blvd
Sanford, Florida 32773-6199
407 328 2409 (Office)
407 328 2360 (Show Info)
PelleriL@...
http://www.scc-fl.edu/planet/

--------------------------------------------------------------
Please Note:
Due to Florida's very broad public records law, most written communications to
or from College employees
regarding College business are public records, available to the public and media
upon request.
Therefore, this e-mail communication may be subject to public disclosure.

Anybody hear any more about this?


Did Meteorite Strike Central Florida?

Fri Jul 16,11:36 AM ET  Add Local - WESH NewsChannel2000.com to My
Yahoo!


Speculation about a July Fourth meteorite strike in Seminole County
has many area residents searching their yards for answers.


From Oviedo, to Maitland, to Casselberry, witnesses claim to have
heard a large boom and saw bright flashes of light across the
evening holiday skies, WESH NewsChannel 2 reported.


It's creating a meteorite buzz on local radio stations, WESH
NewsChannel 2 reported.


"I saw this crazy light, and it was really bright," said Casselberry
resident Diana Felise. "The entire house was rattling. We thought
the pictures were going to fall off the wall."


If a meteor did strike the area, it is believed to have hit
somewhere around Red Bug Road and state Road 434, but Casselberry
police officials said they're convinced it was nothing more than a
big bolt of lightning since there was a severe storm in the area
that night.


"Lightning, thunderstorms, welcome to Florida," said Lt. Dennis
Stewart of the Casselberry Police Department.


Many residents, however, still believe it was a meteorite. Rick Wega
shot video of the bright lights and remains convinced it was not a
storm-induced effect.


"The way it shook the ground isn't like no other lightning," said
Wega, "Ive been around a lot of lightning."


Experts, on the other hand, said that until someone finds a piece of
a meteorite in the area, it will remain an unsolved mystery.


A meteorite is a small particle of matter that falls to Earth, and
the last one to reportedly strike the area hit in Lake County in
1918. Because of such rarity, meteorites are very valuable, and in
some cases, one gram of a meteorite can be valued at $10,000.

I've posted a composit of the 2004 Venus Transit from Seminole
Community College in the photos section.  Anybody else with photos?

Laurent

We have some great images posted in the Venus Transit Gallery under
Draco's Lair on the EAAA web page at www.eaaa.net; Ed Magowan's shot of
the red rising sun, with Venus distorted on its edge was also posted on
the Spacewatch.com site.

>>> nightsight1@... 07/16/2004 4:28:38 PM >>>
I've posted a composit of the 2004 Venus Transit from Seminole
Community College in the photos section.  Anybody else with photos?

Laurent







Yahoo! Groups Links

Jerry's info on this pic...

The images are straight through the camera with the camera's lens.
It's a Nikon 2000 with a 75mm-300mm zoom, set to 300mm, with a 2X
barlow for a total of 600mm.  I had a home-made solar filter with
Baader solar film on both the telescope and camera.  We set up in
front of my work at Suddath Relocations and had about 20 people
attend, plus a few strays who saw the setup and stopped by to see
what was going on.

Here is one of the shots I took.  You can see a couple of sunspots
also.

I was recently contacted by an independant travel writer for the
Miami Herald regarding an upcoming story about dark sky destinations
in Florida. She said that she will be mentioning Southern Nights in
the article. If anyone sees the article, please forward it to me.

The Florida Section of the International Dark-sky Association has
it's new web site up and running! You can access it at
http://www.flida.org or use the new link at the bottom of the SNRP
home page.

Laurent Pellerin
Founder, Southern Nights Astronomical League of Florida
Founder, Southern Night-sky Restoration Project

Recently, both Orange and Seminole Counties have passed new outdoor
lighting ordinances. I haven't seen the Orange County one yet, but
the Seminole County one requires cut-off lighting fixtures for new
installations in unincorporated commercial areas. No limits on
illumination levels where included. Neither county chose to work
with Dark-sky organizations, limiting their input to the IESNA
only. So we now have half the equation in the ordinances, but its a
start!

I have heard that Volusia County is looking into expanding its beach
lighting ordinances county-wide, but I have yet to hear from them.

A local group of Sanford residents presented a petition to the City
a couple of weeks ago asking that an outdoor lighting ordinace be
passed for their city. This group was led by a man that got turned
on to Dark-skies after one of my standard presentations during one
of my planetarium shows at Seminole Community College Planetarium in
Sanford.

Also, I gave a presentation to the Southeastern Seminole County
Voters Association about dark-skies this past spring at their
request! This rural area of Seminole County is very concerned about
the improachment of light pollution in their area. They plan to
work with Seminole County to improve its lighting ordinance.

I will be adding the new ordinances to the Files at the Southern
Night-sky Restoration Project's group as soon as I can
get copies of them. I know that I've been too busy to post here or
on SNRP, or add to the Files sections, for a long time. But I want
you to know that the work goes on!

Please check out the links section of SNRP and consider joining our
sister group as well.  Dark skies should concern all of us!

Laurent Pellerin
Founder, Southern Nights Astronomical League of Florida
Founder, Southern Night-sky Restoration Project

NASA to Announce New Class of Planets



By JOSEPH B. VERRENGIA, AP Science Writer

Astronomers have discovered four new planets in a week's time, an
exciting end-of-summer flurry that signals a sharper era in the hunt
for new worlds.




While none of these new bodies would be mistaken as Earth's twin,
some appear to be noticeably smaller and more solid — more like Earth
and Mars — than the gargantuan, gaseous giants identified before.


Planet-hunting is the hottest field in astronomy, with hundreds of
researchers joining a race that just a decade ago was reserved for a
few dreamers. This past week has been a dizzying one with three teams
in the United States and Europe rushing to announce their discoveries
of new exoplanets — those orbiting stars other than our sun.


On Tuesday, NASA (news - web sites) was expected to cap the
excitement with details on what the space agency describes as a "new
class" of exoplanets found by one of the American teams, led by
University of California-Berkeley astronomer Geoffrey Marcy.


At least two of the newly discovered bodies — including one NASA is
expected to describe — probably are comparable in scale to
intermediate-sized planets in our solar system like Neptune and
Uranus, which are about 14 times the mass of Earth. That sounds huge,
but many of the previous exoplanets have been closer to the size of
Jupiter, about 318 times the mass of Earth.


"It's been a great week," said David Charbonneau of the Harvard-
Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass., where
scientists announced a competing discovery last week. "They have
finally broken through to a new level."


Now many experts say it won't be long before astronomers detect
planets that are similar to Earth's dimensions and characteristics —
perhaps even suitable for sustaining life with an oxygen-rich
atmosphere and oceans.


NASA's announcement comes on the heels of the first discovery ever of
a multiple planet system beyond our own solar system by a European
team led by Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz of the University of
Geneva. The pair discovered the first exoplanet in 1995, and has
found dozens of others in what observers describe as a "good-
natured," but serious race with the Americans.


NASA officials wouldn't discuss details of the latest findings
Monday.


Even the largest planet cannot be directly seen by the best
telescopes because it is hidden in the halo of its star's bright
glare. But astronomers have come up with methods for detecting these
bodies by measuring how much a star wobbles from the gravitational
tug of an orbiting planet.


The European team describes its new object as a "super-Earth" that is
the smallest planet to be found outside of our solar system.


The planet was spotted in June orbiting a southern hemisphere star
called mu Arae located 50 light-years away in the constellation
Alter. It orbits mu Arae every 9.5 days and has a temperature of more
than 1,160 degrees. Its dimensions are more like Neptune or Uranus,
and it represents the upper limit of the size of solid planets.


This "super-Earth" appears to be orbiting between the star and a
larger, previously known exoplanet, making it the first multiple
planet system to be spotted beyond our own solar system.


"We are getting closer to finding a solar system," more like our own —
  one that has an Earth-sized planet in the inner region and a Jupiter-
sized planet in the outer region, said Alan Boss, a planet-formation
theorist at the Carnegie Institution in Washington. Boss did not
directly participate in the new planet searches.


"It could be they've found the tip of the iceberg of a wide range of
planets of Earthlike masses," he said.


The third and fourth planets are both Jupiter-sized, less Earthlike
gas giants. One was spotted by the Europeans and is so close to its
parent star that it completes an orbit in just four days. The other
was discovered by the Harvard-Smithsonian center and orbits a star in
the constellation Lyra 500 light-years away.


What makes the American discovery noteworthy is it was found through
a network of small telescopes.


In the next 20 years, NASA hopes to launch new space observatories to
get a sharper view of exoplanets and perhaps find some that are more
Earthlike. The first mission, known as the Kepler observatory, is
scheduled to launch in 2007.

Meanwhile, astronomers caution against jumping to grand conclusions
about these strange new worlds.

"Very few solar systems seem to be built along the same lines as
ours," said Timothy Brown of the National Center for Atmospheric
Research in Boulder, Colo., who was a leader of the Harvard-
Smithsonian team.

Brown compares planet-hunting today to the efforts of early
biologists who were confounded by strange new specimens.

"You tend to think that all fish have fins, and then you pull up an
octopus," Brown said. "There's just a vast amount that we don't
know."


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?
tmpl=story&ncid=753&e=1&u=/ap/20040831/ap_on_sc/planet_hunters

Hi All,

I was without power for a week after Hurricane Charley, then had to
fly to Vermont for two funerals in my family.  I just got back, and
have taken care of pending members for Southern Nights.  However, I
am beginning my vacation today AND preparing for Hurricane Frances!
So, I'm letting you know that items requiring my attention may be
delayed over the next two weeks.

I'm hoping all Southern Nights members in Florida surive Frances
without any damage or injury.

Laurent
Founder/Moderator,
Southern Nights Astronomical League of Florida

Hi All,

To keep you up to date, the Seminole Community College Planetarium
in Sanford has been closed until January, 2005 by Hurricane Francis
damage to OTHER parts of the building housing our dome.  The
Planetarium itself received NO damage from either hurricane.

However, due to the extensive roof and flooding damage to both
classroom wings of the building that flank (and protected) the SCC
Planetarium, the entire building has been closed as unsafe.

While classes, faculty and administrators have been relocated to
other buildings on campus, the planetarium cannot be moved,
obviously.  My student worker has already been given another job on
campus, and my Assistant and I are still awaiting word about our
work for the next 3 months.

This will give us a good opportunity to get a lot of production done
in reproducing our school shows for each grade level to match the
new FCAT standards, and also work on our new public show, "Where's
the Science?," for its February grand opening.  But there is only so
much that can be done on a computer without access to the dome to
fit the show together.  We are hoping to get the Administration to
allow us to work in the planetarium, with hard-hats if necessary,
but have yet to get a response.

I hope everybody else has weathered the storms better.

Laurent Pellerin
Operations & Production Manager
Seminole Community College Planetarium

Sep 22, 2004

Florida Tech getting own view of stars

BY CHRIS KRIDLER
FLORIDA TODAY

MELBOURNE -- Florida Tech will soon have an eye to aim at the sky.

The university recently got a grant of $347,000 from the National
Science Foundation that, combined with money from the school, will
add up to $496,000 to buy a 24-inch-diameter telescope.

The silvery dome for the telescope is already in place atop the new
F.W. Olin Physical Sciences Building, which weathered Hurricane
Frances well, spokeswoman Karen Rhine said. It is expected to hold
its first classes in January. The telescope should arrive within a
year.

"The main reason for wanting to do this is we have one of the largest
programs in astronomy in the world, and it's time we had one of the
best campus observatories in the world to go with it," said Terry
Oswalt, associate dean for research and professor of physics and
space sciences. "Our students deserve that."

Students will be able to sit in a classroom adjoining the observatory
dome and see on a television screen what the telescope is seeing.
Such high-tech observing is typical these days.

"If you see an astronomer looking through the eyepiece of a
telescope, it means a piece of equipment has failed," Oswalt said.

The telescope will use a camera that costs about $20,000 and is 50
times more sensitive than the human eye, he said. About a hundred
astronomy majors will use it each year, along with high school
students and teachers.

A public lecture series will allow visitors to have a peek, too,
professor and astronomer Matt Wood said, though the telescope won't
have regular visiting hours the way Brevard Community College's does.

In addition, there are 15 pads on the observation deck to hold mostly
8-inch telescopes.

Skies are plenty dark enough for Florida Tech's telescopes, Oswalt
said, thanks to the ocean to the east and little developed land to
the west.

"We're nothing but a little sliver of light pollution on the coast,"
he said.

As the lead member of the Southeastern Association for Research in
Astronomy, the university also uses a telescope at Kitt Peak near
Tucson, Ariz., because it's across the country. It can be programmed
through the Internet.

These "two eyes," Oswalt said, give observers a kind of depth
perception that enhances measurements of asteroids, comets and moons.


Through international cooperation, students can make 24-hour
observations.

"You always want to have someone on the night side of the planet,"
Wood said. Otherwise, watching in one spot is like listening to music
and hearing one of every three seconds.

"If you've got the whole planet, then you get the whole song," he
said.

With the new telescope, students can do time series photometry, Wood
said. They measure the brightness of stars every 10 seconds to
determine the frequencies at which they oscillate. This information
allows them to infer the stars' structure.

"Essentially, we're doing seismology of the stars," Wood said.


The new telescope will sit on a cross-beam atop two massive concrete
piers, which will isolate it from vibrations.

Although it will be state-of-the-art, it still isn't big enough to
help Oswalt study the faint objects in which he's most interested.
Instead, he requests time on much larger telescopes.

"I'm trying to get a reasonably accurate measure of the age of the
galaxy using the fossils called white dwarf stars," he said. "Those
are the leftover remnants of all the previous generations of stars
the galaxy has ever produced."

Wood also studies white dwarfs, though in rare binary systems called
cataclysmic variables. In such systems, a normal star orbits a white
dwarf, which pulls material out of the orbiting star, creating an
accretion disk.

Earth and the rest of the solar system formed out of an accretion
disk around our sun. Studies of cataclysmic variables might be able
to explain how such a process works.

"We find accretion disks at all scales in astrophysics," he said.

Contact Kridler at 242-3633 or ckridler@...


Stellar donations: Florida Tech's astronomy program is seeking
monetary donations for gear for the new F.W. Olin Physical Sciences
Building and other needs. For information, call Elizabeth Taylor,the
director of corporate and foundation relations, at 674-6155.


Cosmic construction: F.W. Olin Physical Sciences Building webcam:
www.it.fit.edu/broadcast/webcams/pscam/index.cfm Florida Tech
astronomy group: www.astro.fit.edu/astro.html

Canon EOS 10D, TeleVue 2x Powermate, TeleVue TV-76 and Losmandy G-11

  Here's an airliner flying by about 30min before the shadow appeared:
  http://www.digitalastro.net/20041027_Moon_Jet.jpg

  And here's a first attempt at a 'phases' collage:
  http://www.digitalastro.net/20041027_Lunar_Eclipse.jpg

Forrest Egan
http://www.digitalastro.com

strashni2002 <strashni@...> wrote:Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 02:55:49
-0000
From: "strashni2002"
To: nightsight1@...
Subject: Winter Haven Astronomy


Hay Laurent,

Our club is currently working with the state to secure a site near
Hwy 60 that as pernament observing site. Would you please review the
following BB posting and give me your thoughts and suggestions.

http://winterhavenastronomy.com/phpBB/viewforum.php?
f=2&sid=543306cab9a5fceb56d3f1d3c8b47c1e

or if that does not work, goto Winterhavenastronomy.com and goto the
upcomming starparties and that should direct you to our BB. The
subject is the future of Kissimee Shores Site.

Thnks and clear skies,
Mike Partain
Winter Haven Astronomy







---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
  Yahoo! Search presents - Jib Jab's 'Second Term'

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

WHAT:   Partial eclipse of the Sun. Free telescope
viewing and eclipse glasses for students (while
supplies last).

WHEN:   Friday evening, April 8, 2005 5:15 p.m. - 7:15
p.m. (weather permitting)

SCHEDULE FOR SOLAR ECLIPSE IN BOYNTON BEACH, FL
April 8, 2005
E.D.T.           Eclipse stage
5:23 p.m.       Partial eclipse begins
6:21 p.m.       Maximum Eclipse 43.7% of the solar
disc occulted.
7:14 a.m.       Partial eclipse ends
7:41 a.m.       Sunset

WHERE:  The Boynton Beach City Library located at 208
S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach FL 33435. Take I-95
to Boynton Beach Blvd. Drive east to Seacrest and turn
south. Library is 4 blocks on the left (east) side of
Seacrest. The parking lot and main entrance are on the
southeast corner of the building. Phone# 742-6390.

WHY:    A partial eclipse of the Sun will grace the
skies of much of North America during the late
afternoon and evening hours of Friday, April 8, 2005.
The eclipse will be particularly dramatic in south
Florida, where half of the Sun's disk will be blocked
by the Moon. From the southern tip of Florida, about
50 percent of the Sun's diameter will be covered,
after 6 p.m. EDT.

For viewers in the southern and mid-Atlantic states,
the Sun will be setting while the eclipse is still in
progress, which offers photographers a splendid
opportunity to take spectacular pictures. Because the
eclipse will occur late in the day, make sure you have
an unobstructed view to the west, where the Sun will
be located. Maximum eclipse (when the highest
percentage of the Sun's diameter is blocked by the
Moon) occurs about one hour after the eclipse starts,
and the eclipse ends roughly an hour after maximum.

"During the period of maximum eclipse, the sky will
appear a little darker than it would normally be, and
shadows will be sharper," says Erich Landstrom, a NASA
Educator Ambassador and science teacher at Boynton
Beach Community High School. "People looking at the
Sun near maximum eclipse will definitely notice a
dramatic change. It will appear as if an invisible
monster has taken a huge bite out of our Sun."

Dr. Marc Flesher, optometrist with Eye-Site Optical
Studio in Boynton Beach, cautions that it is extremely
dangerous to look directly at the blinding light of
the Sun, especially during a partial eclipse. "A
partially-eclipsed Sun is just as dangerous to look at
as a non-eclipsed Sun," he warns. "The Sun's visible
and invisible rays can cause serious damage to
sensitive eye tissue, often without the person being
immediately aware of it. When an eclipse happens,
enthusiasm can overwhelm common sense, and people,
especially children, sometimes stare at the Sun for
too long."

Two methods for safe viewing of the solar eclipse will
be available at the Boynton Beach City Library
(weather permitting). The Science Department at
Boynton Beach Community High School will be providing
a 10” Dobsonian reflecting telescope, specially fitted
with a full-aperture glass solar filter designed to
block 99.999% of incoming sunlight. Astronomers from
the Astronomical Society of the Palm Beaches will be
on-hand, guiding the telescope viewing.

Dr. Flesher has donated 200 pairs of eclipse glasses
made from special aluminized polyester filters. The
glasses will be given away to students at the Boynton
Beach City Library during the eclipse, while supplies
last. He points out that pinhole cameras and indirect
projection from telescopes all provide safe ways to
watch the eclipse, but "viewing the eclipsed Sun
directly provides the most dramatic views. To do that,
you need a filter that blocks not just visible light
but also ultraviolet and infrared light. I'm happy to
help share with students the safe Sun."

He adds, "Partial eclipses are fun to watch, but only
if you know how to do so safely. Never look directly
at the Sun. Even a tiny bit of the Sun peeking out
from behind the Moon is enough to cause serious eye
damage. Even at sunset. Peering at the Sun through
sunglasses, compact discs, exposed film, and smoked
glass is NOT okay and is just NOT safe!"

One can view an eclipse safely by projecting an image
of the Sun. One easy way is to make a pinhole
projector. Take two pieces of cardboard or thick
paper. Prick a pinhole in one. Then stand with your
back to the Sun, and let sunlight pass through the
hole and onto the other sheet. You'll get a small but
distinct inverted image of the eclipsed Sun. Try using
different sized holes. A large hole gives a bright but
fuzzy image of the Sun, while a small hole yields a
dim but sharp image.

Here are times of deepest solar eclipse for selected
cities arranged by time zone, and the magnitude, or
fraction of the solar diameter covered by the Moon.

MST: Phoenix AZ 2:57 p.m. (0.04).
CDT: Houston TX 5:11 p.m. (0.30); Oklahoma City OK
5:11 p.m. (0.11); New Orleans LA 5:15 p.m. (0.31);
Memphis TN 5:15 p.m. (0.15); St. Louis MO 5:15 p.m.
(0.04);

EDT: Louisville KY 6:17 p.m. (0.07); Atlanta GA 6:18
p.m. (0.21); Tallahassee FL 6:19 p.m. (0.32);
Washington DC 6:19 p.m. (0.05); Philadelphia PA 6:19
p.m. (0.02); West Palm Beach, FL 6:21 p.m. (0.43);

The next North American total solar eclipse will
happen on August 21, 2017. Totality will last 2
minutes and 40 seconds.

Erich Landstrom, NASA SEU Educator Ambassador
http://universe.sonoma.edu
Seeing and Exploring the Structure and Evolution of the Universe

Science fiction & science fact stranger than fiction.
Listen Monday mornings on http://www.SCIFIOVERDRIVE.com



__________________________________________________
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Seminole Community College Planetarium

Press Release 032805

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE PARTY FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2005 AT 5:15 PM

DATE:  FRIDAY: APRIL 8, 2005
TIME:  5:15 PM - 7:15 PM
LOCATION: Seminole Community College Planetarium
                        100 Weldon Blvd, Sanford, Florida
COST: FREE
PUBLIC INFORMATION: 407 328 2409

Press Contact:   Laurent Pellerin
                            SCC Planetarium Operations & Production
                            100 Weldon Blvd
                            Sanford, FL 32773
                            PelleriL@...
                            Office:  407 328 2409
                            Cell:     407 754 4078

PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE PARTY FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2005 AT 5:15 PM

The next Solar Eclipse for Central Florida will occur just before
sunset on Friday, April 8th.  This will not be a total eclipse, but only
a Partial Eclipse, which means that the Moon will block only 38% of the
Sun.  But, since the next Total Eclipse for North America won't occur
until the year 2017, even 38% is something special to see.

The Eclipse will begin at 5:25 PM for Orlando;

Maximum coverage will occur at 6:21 PM;

And the Eclipse will end at 7:11 PM.

We urge all media to inform the public of the dangers of trying to
observe this eclipse without proper Solar Filters.  Even with the Sun
nearing sunset during this eclipse, it is very dangerous to look
directly at the Sun without proper filters.  Mylar balloons, exposed
film, smoked or welder's glass (unless at least #14,) CDs, and other
"homemade filters" are NOT SAFE!  They may block enough visible
light to observe the Sun, but they DO NOT block ultra-violet and/or
infra-red.  It is these wavelengths of light that cause permanent eye
damage.  Because this damage may be delayed in showing up, just as skin
cancer can take years to show up, people could cause irreparable harm to
their eyes without even knowing it.

Use ONLY professionally made solar filters, such as the ones made for
telescopes or the free solar glasses available in many astronomy and
science magazines whenever an eclipse occurs.  Or make a pinhole
projector by poking a small pin hole in a piece of cardboard and then
projecting the Sun's image onto another sheet or the sidewalk, wall,
etc.

But by far the best way to enjoy a Solar Eclipse in Central Florida is
to attend the Solar Eclipse Party at the Seminole Community College
Planetarium in Sanford.  We will have telescopes available for the
public to look through for FREE!  And you may be assured of a safe
viewing with our professional solar filters.  Experts will also be on
hand to answer any questions.

As always, News Media are welcome at our events.



Laurent A. Pellerin, Jr.
Operations & Production Manager
Seminole Community College Planetarium
100 Weldon Blvd
Sanford, Florida 32773-6199
407 328 2409 (Office)
407 754 4078 (Cell)
407 328 2360 (Show Info)
PelleriL@...
http://www.scc-fl.edu/planet/

--------------------------------------------------------------
Please Note:
Due to Florida's very broad public records law, most written communications to
or from College employees regarding College business are public records,
available to the public and media upon request. Therefore, this e-mail
communication may be subject to public disclosure.

Milky Way's Central Structure Seen with Fresh Clarity
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
posted: 16 August, 2005
10:00 am ET

Story found at:
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/050816_milky_way.html

A new infrared survey that claims to be the most comprehensive
structural analysis of our galaxy confirms previous evidence for a
central bar of stars.

The bar is embedded in the center of the galaxy's spiral arms and
cuts across the heart of it all where a supermassive black hole
resides. The survey found that the bar is longer than thought and
sits at a sharp angle to the galaxy's main plane.

"This is the best evidence ever for this long central bar in our
galaxy," said Ed Churchwell, a University of Wisconsin-Madison
professor of astronomy.

The challenge

If you've ever been fortunate enough to see the Milky Way in the
night sky, then you can appreciate the frustration astronomers face
trying to probe the galaxy's center.

The milky swath of stars visible under a dark, rural, summertime sky
represents a fraction of the millions upon millions of stars that
crowd the center of the galaxy. We sit on the outskirts, looking in.
Seeing through the glow to determine the galaxy's structure is hard.

Even more challenging is peering through all the dust between here
there.

The survey was done with NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, which
records infrared light. All objects that emit any heat can be seen in
infrared, and this wavelength penetrates dust, so the new survey
revealed light from tens of millions of stars hidden to optical
telescopes.

Bigger than expected

The bar is made of relatively old and red stars, the survey shows. It
is about 27,000 light-years long, or roughly 7,000 light-years longer
than previously thought. Churchwell's team also found that the bar is
oriented at about a 45-degree angle relative to the main plane of the
galaxy, in which the Sun and the other spiral-arm stars orbit.

A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, about 6
trillion miles (10 trillion kilometers).

Other stars exist outside the galaxy's main plane. The Milky Way,
like many galaxies, is surrounded by a sparsely populated spherical
halo of stars. The main galactic disk is about 100,000 light-years
wide, and the Sun sits about 26,000 light-years from the center.

Bars are fairly common in large spiral galaxies, but some do not have
them. Astronomers had glimpsed ours and were not sure if it was in
fact a bar or perhaps an ellipse.

The results will be published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Pine Ridge High School Fellowship of Christian Athletes

Press Release 112905

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Persons: Catherine Pellerin or Polo Garcia, 407-328-6941

PINE RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL "SUPPORT OUR TROOPS" RUMMAGE SALE

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes Chapter of Pine Ridge High School in
Deltona, Florida will be hosting a Rummage  Sale on Saturday, December 10th, to
raise money to buy holiday supplies for our Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan
through the My Soldier Program.  In addition to the items for sale, they will
also be accepting donations of food, money and other supplies.

Please support our troops this season and encourage our youth in this worthy
endeavor.

December 10, 2005
8 AM - 2 PM
Deltona Lakes Baptist Church
2886 Elkcam Blvd
Deltona, Florida 32738

  Additional Contact:

Laurent A. Pellerin, Jr.
Operations & Production Manager
Seminole Community College Planetarium
100 Weldon Blvd
Sanford, Florida 32773-6199
407 328 2409 (Office)
407 754 4078 (Cell)
407 328 2360 (Show Info)
PelleriL@...
http://www.scc-fl.edu/planet/

--------------------------------------------------------------
Please Note:
Due to Florida's very broad public records law, most written communications to
or from College employees regarding College business are public records,
available to the public and media upon request. Therefore, this e-mail
communication may be subject to public disclosure.

I do not know if I posted this or not, but I did (I am sorry).  I live
near the Venice area, and I was wondering if there is any group that
helps bring other non astronomy to less informed.  I belonged a group
where I used live that had at least three times a year public outings
and wonder if any near me here.  Their address is www.casonline.org .

Prairie,

   Goto the "Links" section on the left of the Southern Nights home page...then
to the Astronomical Societies and Clubs  subsection.  There you will find links
for all of the astronomical societis in Florida that I know of.

   There are extensive links to all kinds of astronomy related information in the
Links section.

   ~~Night~~

Southern_Nights@yahoogroups.com wrote:
   There is 1 message in this issue.

Topics in this digest:

1. Hello
From: "Prairie_Hoosier"


________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Message: 1
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 14:17:41 -0000
From: "Prairie_Hoosier"
Subject: Hello

I do not know if I posted this or not, but I did (I am sorry). I live
near the Venice area, and I was wondering if there is any group that
helps bring other non astronomy to less informed. I belonged a group
where I used live that had at least three times a year public outings
and wonder if any near me here. Their address is www.casonline.org .





________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________



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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

One internet radio station that is keen to check out is live365.  One
special one is called the space show.  They discus things that are
going on on the behind the scenes of the space activities.  They
repete the shows for the week there, but at his home page you can
download some of the old shows.  They air live on some nights like
Tuesday at 10 pm eastern time, but regardless many of the shows are
very interesting to listen to.

Seminole Community College Planetarium
Press Release 100306
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Person:
Laurent Pellerin
Planetarium Operations & Production Manager
100 Weldon Blvd
Sanford, FL 32773
(407) 708-2409
pelleril@...
The Seminole Community College Planetarium in conjunction with the Career
Professional Employees Council, Florida Association of Community Colleges, and
the Central Florida Astronomical Society bring to you Halloween Extravaganza
2006.  Enjoy a stroll in the Haunted Cemetery where you will meet with mad
scientist Dr. D and take home your very own bag of slime.  Kids ages 12 and
under, don’t forget to wear your favorite costume because there will be a
costume contest where you will have a chance to win prizes.
If haunted graveyards or slime don’t have you interested, learn about the
astronomical and cultural history of Halloween in the Planetarium.  Telescopes
provided by the Central Florida Astronomical Society for peering into the
wonders of the night sky.  The SCC Fire and Police department will be out
demonstrating Halloween safety.
The sneak preview of the Planetarium’s new feature, “NightSpirits: Native
American Star Lore” where you will learn some of the history, astronomical
culture and star lore of the many nations of Native America.

The best part is that all of it is FREE! For further information regarding
Halloween Extravaganza 2006, please call (407) 708-2409.  Children 12 years or
younger can participate in the costume contest.  For directions to the
planetarium, please check us out on the web at www.scc-fl.edu/planet.
Date: October 28th, 2006
Time: 6:00 PM-11:00 PM
Location: SCC Planetarium 100 Weldon Blvd.
Sanford, FL 32773
Admission: Free
Food: Candy will be handed out
Contact Information: Laurent Pellerin (407) 708-2409 pelleril@... Venue :
Family


Laurent A. Pellerin, Jr.
Operations & Production Manager
Seminole Community College Planetarium
100 Weldon Blvd
Sanford, Florida 32773-6199
407 328 2409 (Office)
407 328 2360 (Show Info)
PelleriL@...
http://www.scc-fl.edu/planet/



Please Note:
Due to Florida's very broad public records law, most written communications to
or from College employees regarding College business are public records,
available to the public and media upon request. Therefore, this e-mail
communication may be subject to public disclosure.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Seminole Community College Planetarium

Press Release 012207

For Immediate Release

Contact Person: Laurent Pellerin,
Operations & Production Manager
SCC Planetarium
100 Weldon Blvd
Sanford, FL 32773
407 708 2409 (office)
386 473 9622 (cell)
PelleriL@...

World Premiere of “Port of Call: MARS!”
Date: Saturday, February 3, 2007
Location: Seminole Community College Planetarium, Sanford/Lake Mary Campus, 
Bldg B, 100 Weldon Blvd, Sanford, FL 32773
Time: 8:30 PM
Cost: $4.00 Adults; $3.00 School-Aged Children (K-12th Grade,) $3.00 Seniors
(55+,) Free to SCC Students and Staff with SCC Photo ID.


World Premiere of “Port of Call: MARS!”

The SCC Planetarium will be premiering its latest original production, “Port of
Call: MARS!” at 8:30 PM on Saturday, February 3, 2007.  We would like to welcome
the Central Florida public aboard the U.S.S. "Star Dancer" of Virgo Galactic
Interplanetary Cruise Lines for our inaugural voyage.  The first Port of Call
for this new series will be the Red Planet...Mars.
Once in orbit about Mars, we hope that you’ll join us for excursions to Olympus
Mons, the highest mountain in the Solar System* three times higher than any
mountain on Earth, Valles Marineris, a 2000 mile long and 6 mile deep canyon
that would stretch across the United States, and the Cydonia Region of
superstitious lore.
With our new presentation system we will also keep you up-to-date with the
latest findings about the most Earth-like planet in the Solar System by updating
the show every week as needed.  “Port of Call: MARS!” will be shown every
Saturday evening through the month of April.  Future “Port of Call” shows will
include voyages to other Solar System Destinations such as Saturn, Jupiter,
Mercury and more.




Please Note:
Due to Florida's very broad public records law, most written communications to
or from College employees regarding College business are public records,
available to the public and media upon request. Therefore, this e-mail
communication may be subject to public disclosure.

Seminole Community College Planetarium

Press Release 022007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RED MOON RISING!  Total Lunar Eclipse Viewing

DATE:  SATURDAY: MARCH 03, 2007
TIME:  SUNSET
LOCATION: Seminole Community College Planetarium
                        100 Weldon Blvd, Sanford, Florida
COST: FREE
PUBLIC INFORMATION: 407 708 2409
   Press Contact:   Laurent Pellerin
                            SCC Planetarium Operations & Production
                            100 Weldon Blvd
                            Sanford, FL 32773
                            PelleriL@...                           
Office:  407 708 2409
                            Cell:     386 473 9622

TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE PARTY SATURDAY, MARCH 03, 2007 at SUNSET

The Seminole Community College Planetarium, in conjunction with the Central
Florida Astronomical Society would like to invite you to witness the first Total
Lunar Eclipse seen from Central Florida in over two years!  Please join us at
Sunset on Saturday, March 3rd to observe the Red Moon Rising in the sky.  The
moon will be rising in Central Florida in the middle of totality, therefore the
eclipsed moon will be seen rising in the east right after sunset with a reddish
crimson hue.  Telescopes will be set up for viewing.  Our view of the eclipse
starts right after sunset and will last about 1 hour and fifteen minutes.
The Eclipse will begin at 6:25 PM for Orlando;
And the Eclipse will end at 7:44 PM.

By far the best way to enjoy the Lunar Eclipse in Central Florida is to attend
RED MOON RISING at the Seminole Community College Planetarium in Sanford.  We
will have telescopes available for the public to look through for FREE!  Experts
will also be on hand to answer any questions.

As always, News Media are welcome at our events.







Please Note:
Due to Florida's very broad public records law, most written communications to
or from College employees regarding College business are public records,
available to the public and media upon request. Therefore, this e-mail
communication may be subject to public disclosure.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Good evening,

As many of us are probably aware, the Perseid shower is upon us the
evening and morning of Aug. 12-13, as well as part of a total lunar
eclipse the early morning of Aug. 28. Also, I just read at Space.com
that the Aurigids will be unusually spectacular in the early morning
of Sept. 1.

Now, I have been using my girlfriend's house for viewing sky objects
because it is in the earstern outskirts of Orlando and relatively the
darkest place I have access to, over by the Avalon area. I was
wondering if anyone could share some great public places open at
night that offer very dark skies and a safe environment in which to
enjoy skywatching around Orlando. I am certain that many others who
view these boards would also be appreciative of this helpful
information.

Thank you, and happy viewing!

-jeremy

links:

Perseid shower -
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/070712_perseid_meteors.html

Total lunar eclipse -
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/070720_ns_eclipse.html

Aurigid shower -
http://www.space.com/searchforlife/070809_seti_aurigids.html

Jeremy,

I lived on the NE side of Orlando, and I'm not sure what areas on the
E side are left with all the growth.  But a couple that used to be
pretty good were Ft Christmas and a little park/boat ramp on SR 50 out
past Bithlo.  Ft Christmas closes at sunset, but they used to allow
people to park in the field along the drive into it for events like
this.  I recommend that you give them a call and ask.  Another
possibility is Harmony near St Cloud.  You can also check with the
Central Florida Astronomical Society and the Brevard Astronomical
Society, both are listed in the "Links" section of Southern Nights.

Laurent


--- In Southern_Nights@yahoogroups.com, "Jeremy" <rydgen@...> wrote:
>
> Good evening,
>
> As many of us are probably aware, the Perseid shower is upon us the
> evening and morning of Aug. 12-13, as well as part of a total lunar
> eclipse the early morning of Aug. 28. Also, I just read at Space.com
> that the Aurigids will be unusually spectacular in the early morning
> of Sept. 1.
>
> Now, I have been using my girlfriend's house for viewing sky objects
> because it is in the earstern outskirts of Orlando and relatively the
> darkest place I have access to, over by the Avalon area. I was
> wondering if anyone could share some great public places open at
> night that offer very dark skies and a safe environment in which to
> enjoy skywatching around Orlando. I am certain that many others who
> view these boards would also be appreciative of this helpful
> information.
>
> Thank you, and happy viewing!
>
> -jeremy
>
> links:
>
> Perseid shower -
> http://www.space.com/spacewatch/070712_perseid_meteors.html
>
> Total lunar eclipse -
> http://www.space.com/spacewatch/070720_ns_eclipse.html
>
> Aurigid shower -
> http://www.space.com/searchforlife/070809_seti_aurigids.html
>