Hello All:

Remember to look up late in the day this Sunday, May 20th and watch the partial
solar eclipse—first one in WI since 2002.

And please, watch it safely!  Eclipse shades are available here at MPM and by
phone— 414.278.2795. You can also use the glasses for the upcoming Venus Transit
on June 5th.  Venus will not cross the face of the Sun again until 2117—105
years from now!

WHAT:                 Partial Solar Eclipse--watch the Moon take a big bite out
of the SUN!
WHEN:                 Sunday, May 20th; in Milwaukee times are 7:21pm to sunset
at 8:12pm.
WHO:                   Daniel M. Soref Planetarium
WHERE:               Almost anywhere if clear.  Telescope viewing at the
Observation Tower at the Urban Ecology Center
WHY:                    It's rare, remarkable, and fascinating astronomical
event.

For friends and relatives who might like to watch the eclipse, please see times
below for selected cities in Wisconsin and across the USA. People on a 100 mile
wide path from northern California to west Texas will see an annular
eclipse—where the Moon will center on the Sun's disk but not cover it
completely.


Milwaukee, WI                 7:21pm to 8:12pm CDT
Madison, WI                      7:21pm to 8:18pm CDT
La Crosse WI                      7:21pm to 8:30pm CDT
Superior, WI                       7:18pm to 8:43pm CDT
Green Bay, WI                   7:20pm to 8:18pm CDT
Eau Claire, WI                    7:20pm to 8:34pm CDT

Cincinnati, OH                    8:24pm to 8:47pm EDT
Detroit, MI                          8:21pm to 8:51pm EDT
Indianapolis, IN                 8:24pm to 8:56pm EDT

Austin, TX                            7:35pm to 8:20pm CDT
Birmingham, AL                7:30pm to 7:43pm CDT
Chicago, IL                           7:22pm to 8:08pm CDT
Dallas, TX                             7:32pm to 8:21pm CDT
Des Moines, IA                 7:23pm to 8:24pm CDT
Kansas City                         7:25pm to 8:29pm CDT
Lincoln, NE                          7:23pm to 8:42pm CDT
Memphis, TN                     7:29pm to 8:00pm CDT
Minneapolis                       7:19pm to 8:20pm CDT
Oklahoma City                   7:29pm to 8:32pm CDT
Omaha, NE                         7:23pm to 8:41pm CDT
St. Louis, MO                     7:25pm to 8:09pm CDT

Albuquerque, NM           6:28pm to 8:08pm MDT
Denver, CO                         6:23pm to 8:13pm MDT
Phoenix, AZ                        5:29pm to 7:26pm MST
Salt Lake City, UT              6:19pm to 8:33pm MDT

Los Angeles, CA                5:25pm to 7:43pm PDT
Medford, OR                     5:08pm to 7:34pm PDT
Portland, OR                      5:04pm to 7:29pm PDT
Reno, NV                             5:15pm to 7:37pm PDT
San Diego, CA                    5:28pm to 7:44pm PDT
San Francisco, CA             5:16pm to 7:40pm PDT

Honolulu, HI                       2:03pm to 4:11pm HAST

Clear Skies,

Robert Bonadurer
Director, Daniel M. Soref Planetarium & Imax
Milwaukee Public Museum
800 West Wells Street
Milwaukee, WI 53233
414.278.6985

Douglas K Duncan dduncan@...
6:02 PM (5 hours ago)

to dome-l, Center
Fiske Planetarium, Univ. of Colorado, has 212 seats.   For the 86% eclipse
Colorado

will see on May 20 we knew that wouldn't be enough, so we

arranged for the  whole football stadium of the University of Colorado to host
eclipse watching

  (and hotdog eating, trivia contests, giveaways, etc.).  All for free.

The university photographer will attempt to outdo the famous 1950s photo of
hundreds

of people wearing 3-D glasses in a movie theater by getting a shot of

10,000 people wearing eclipse glasses.  We can seat 15,000 people, the part of
the stadium that faces the

Rocky Mountains.  The sun will set over the Rockies while eclipsed.

Should be a great view.



NBC  and probably ABC will cover the eclipse from our Stadium, as will Spanish
language network Univision

We are a bilingually fluent Planetarium and the programs we produce

(and distribute for free; they are all funded from grants) are offered in
English and Spanish.

Space.com will be here as well.



CU's Sommers Bausch Observatory will broadcast live streaming video from its
solar telescope,

in both visible light and H alpha.

Here's the link http://cosmos.colorado.edu/sbo/public/live.eclipse.html



We've sold over 15,000 pairs of eclipse glasses.

A local hardware store stocked them and has sold

5,000 pairs and run out.  We also donated 20,000 to schools.



Doug Duncan



http://casa.colorado.edu/~dduncan

http://fiske.colorado.edu

http://www.eclipse-watch.com



Dr. Douglas Duncan

Director, Fiske Planetarium

Department of Astrophysical & Planetary Sciences University of Colorado, UCB 391
Boulder, CO 80309

http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/05/monster-sunspots-flare-strong-enough\
-to.html

It is indeed looking decent, although it might be a little breezy.  Everyone
please make sure to dress a little warmer than you might think.  Although the
breeze will help, don't forget to bring bug spray (and make sure to use it
downwind of the scopes!).

Sunset is at 8:22pm.  I'll make an official call late afternoon.

Mike R.


--- In laxastro@yahoogroups.com, "Bob" <allen.robe@...> wrote:
>
> It's nice and clear now (10:40am). If it stays nice, I plan on bringing the
6-inch Cave to the Flying Field tonight. Forecast is pretty good.
>
> Bob
>

Well, there's going to be some clouds.  Is anybody still planning to go?  I'll
go if anyone else wants to.

Mike R.


--- In laxastro@yahoogroups.com, "fastsedan" <fastsedan@...> wrote:
>
> It is indeed looking decent, although it might be a little breezy.  Everyone
please make sure to dress a little warmer than you might think.  Although the
breeze will help, don't forget to bring bug spray (and make sure to use it
downwind of the scopes!).
>
> Sunset is at 8:22pm.  I'll make an official call late afternoon.
>
> Mike R.
>
>
> --- In laxastro@yahoogroups.com, "Bob" <allen.robe@> wrote:
> >
> > It's nice and clear now (10:40am). If it stays nice, I plan on bringing the
6-inch Cave to the Flying Field tonight. Forecast is pretty good.
> >
> > Bob
> >
>

http://www.space.com/15762-eclipse-glasses.html

It looks like it will clear, not sure when.  I'd say we set up as planned. 
Anyone have any input?

Thanks,

Mike R.

Liz and I will be there around 7.

Mike Ehr


--- In laxastro@yahoogroups.com, "fastsedan" <fastsedan@...> wrote:
>
> It looks like it will clear, not sure when.  I'd say we set up as planned. 
Anyone have any input?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike R.
>

Mike Rowlands, Gordon Stewart, and Rick Morrison brought scopes with solar
filters yesterday for the eclipse observing session. Shauna Sallmen brought the
Sun Spotter and eclipse glasses. I brought binoculars with filters and eclipse
glasses. Members John Boland, Jonathon Ringdahl, Mike Ehr and Harry Nay were
there and helped out. Let me know if I left anyone out.

We saw the Sun's disc about 5 minutes before the eclipse started. Then we lost
it in a cloud bank. It dropped out of the clouds about 15 minutes before sunset.

I would estimate there were about 40 people there, including several LCAAS
Members, their family and friends, and the interested public. I don't know how
many of the latter just happened to be at the park and how many saw our notices
in Events Calendars.

I didn't get any phone calls or emails from the media before the eclipse. Also,
no reporters were there to broadcast "live" or audio or video record people or
the eclipse.

However, some Members (Jonathon and Harry) and some non-Members were able to
take pictures with filters and without (as it got near sunset).

After I got home, I saw a BEAUTIFUL picture of annularity taken by a Facebook
friend near Flagstaff, AZ. I'm sure there are many today in the media and at web
sites.

A BIG thanks goes out to all who helped make the event a successful one.

http://videos.lacrossetribune.com/p/video?id=144127381&genre_id=1730

http://www.sunaeon.com/venustransit/

Click on the arrow in the lower left to start the clock running. It begins at
the start of the transit.

http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/Some-Details-About-Transits-of-Venus.\
html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LG8JtvXtrY4#!

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the laxastro
group.

   File        : /June Abrams Sky Calendar.pdf
   Uploaded by : starman1944 <allen.robe@...>
   Description : June Abrams Sky Calendar

You can access this file at the URL:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laxastro/files/June%20Abrams%20Sky%20Calendar.pdf

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit:
http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/groups/original/members/web/index.html
Regards,

starman1944 <allen.robe@...>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3GZy4EK6Tic#!

About 7 minutes long.

http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/subject.html

http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/

The western horizon was finally clear enough to catch Venus just after sunset. 
It's an amazingly thin crescent.  Couldn't see it with the naked eye but the
little 70mm Pronto worked fine.

Mike R.

Greetings Astronomy Fans,

A reminder: We'll be attempting to observe the Venus Transit that starts at
about 5:00pm from the top of Grandad Bluff (at the end of Grandad Bluff Road).

As of about 12:15pm, the satellite radar loops make it extremely difficult to
predict what's going to happen, even though National Weather Service is
predicting mostly cloudy and 30 percent chance of rain.  I'll check again mid
afternoon, but since I would normally have to leave by 3:30pm in order to get
setup in time for the ingress, that may be about as late as I can give a
Go/No-go.

As far as traveling somewhere to get out from the clouds, it looks like our area
is actually the best shot right now.

If you have a tarp that could be used to cover a scope in case of rain, would
you please bring it for the club scopes?

Thanks,

Mike R.

As of about 2:37pm, there are clouds welling up everywhere.  It really doesn't
look good.  Well, as of now I plan to go anyway, so if you have nothing better
to do, bring a chair and an umbrella and we'll do some bench observing!

However, I'll give one last status report at 3:30pm.

Mike R.


--- In laxastro@yahoogroups.com, "fastsedan" <fastsedan@...> wrote:
>
> Greetings Astronomy Fans,
>
> A reminder: We'll be attempting to observe the Venus Transit that starts at
about 5:00pm from the top of Grandad Bluff (at the end of Grandad Bluff Road).
>
> As of about 12:15pm, the satellite radar loops make it extremely difficult to
predict what's going to happen, even though National Weather Service is
predicting mostly cloudy and 30 percent chance of rain.  I'll check again mid
afternoon, but since I would normally have to leave by 3:30pm in order to get
setup in time for the ingress, that may be about as late as I can give a
Go/No-go.
>
> As far as traveling somewhere to get out from the clouds, it looks like our
area is actually the best shot right now.
>
> If you have a tarp that could be used to cover a scope in case of rain, would
you please bring it for the club scopes?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike R.
>

At about 3:10pm, I'm about to head out and grab a bite on the way.  I'd say that
we might catch brief glimpses, so don't get your hopes up.

It's a marginal "Go"!

Mike R.


--- In laxastro@yahoogroups.com, "fastsedan" <fastsedan@...> wrote:
>
> As of about 2:37pm, there are clouds welling up everywhere.  It really doesn't
look good.  Well, as of now I plan to go anyway, so if you have nothing better
to do, bring a chair and an umbrella and we'll do some bench observing!
>
> However, I'll give one last status report at 3:30pm.
>
> Mike R.
>
>
> --- In laxastro@yahoogroups.com, "fastsedan" <fastsedan@> wrote:
> >
> > Greetings Astronomy Fans,
> >
> > A reminder: We'll be attempting to observe the Venus Transit that starts at
about 5:00pm from the top of Grandad Bluff (at the end of Grandad Bluff Road).
> >
> > As of about 12:15pm, the satellite radar loops make it extremely difficult
to predict what's going to happen, even though National Weather Service is
predicting mostly cloudy and 30 percent chance of rain.  I'll check again mid
afternoon, but since I would normally have to leave by 3:30pm in order to get
setup in time for the ingress, that may be about as late as I can give a
Go/No-go.
> >
> > As far as traveling somewhere to get out from the clouds, it looks like our
area is actually the best shot right now.
> >
> > If you have a tarp that could be used to cover a scope in case of rain,
would you please bring it for the club scopes?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Mike R.
> >
>

The weather mostly cooperated for our observing session yesterday. About a dozen
LCAAS Members as well as Shauna Sallmen and her husband Steve brought scopes,
binoculars, projection devices or equipment to Grandad Park.

It is hard to get a good estimate of how many people attended. I asked Bruce K.
near the end and he said a couple hundred. That's what I had in mind before
asking him. A plug on WXOW tv's 5pm news probably helped get some people out.
There were lots of people who just happened to be at the park, but a number of
them (including a lot of families) came for the transit.

I will probably miss some, but here's an attempt to describe the observing
"stations". Bruce K. had a nice projection box set up in the shelter area. He
had to modify it after setting it up, but it did a great job of providing a nice
bright good resolution image. I had the University's 11 power and 20 power
binoculars with Thousand Oaks glass filters. The 20s were on a tripod and people
hand held the 11s. I also had a few pairs of "eclipse shades". I shared one of
the filters with Jonathon Ringdahl so that he could take pictures. Some of his
eclipse photos a couple of weeks ago were shown on WKBT tv that night. Mike
Rowlands brought two club scopes and one of his. The club Pronto refractor with
a "sun funnel" projection screen that I built was manned by Mike Alderman. Mike
R. also had his refractor with a Baader solar filter. Shauna brought the
University's 11-inch Celestron SCT with a Thousand Oaks glass filter. She also
used the Coranado hydrogen alpha filter on it. Some prominences could be seen
through the h alpha filter. Shauna also had the University's Sun Spotter
projection device. In addition, she brought several pairs of eclipse shades. A
few people who came brought welder's glass filters.

All in all, it was a very rewarding (and tiring!!) event. A BIG thanks goes out
to all who contributed, including some club Members who attended besides those
mentioned above.