We had our June meeting tonight and with nice weather hope to be
observing most of the night. Mercury is well placed low in the west
for observing this week. Saturn and Mars and the moon are high in the
south close together tonight.

Our next meeting is July 6th


--- In northstarastronomical@yahoogroups.com, "Steve Downing"
<sjdown@...> wrote:
>
> Thanks for joining the group Cal!  There is another meeting coming up
> this month, maybe we can make it to that one?  We'll see how it goes.
>  Do you want to go?  Do you want to invite anyone else?  I wonder if
> it would get dark too late in the evening for us to bring a guest
> along...I'll ask around: Katie and Andrew, that Bloom girl Hunter are
> some I can think of off hand.
>
> Has anyone listened to the public radio stations around here?  I
> haven't had a chance to check if anyone is announcing our meetings.
>
> --- In northstarastronomical@yahoogroups.com, "whyistherenofreename"
> <whyistherenofreename@> wrote:
> >
> > Hi I've been taking my Dad's new telescope and finding planets
nebulas
> > and galaxies with him.And I recently went to A astronomy group
meeting
> > with patrick and....Mark (hope that's the right name).Anyway at the
> > meeting Patrick talked about the moon and what all the craters were
> > named and everyone talked about sattelites and even took time to talk
> > a little about star trek.Then we talked about the comet going through
> > the lyra constellation.So I'm glad I could join the group.
> >
>

Hi All,
   This is a great month for observing Mercury low in the West about 30
minutes after sunset. Right now it is getting a little higher each
evening as it swings wide of the sun on its fast orbit which is far
inside the Earth's orbit around the Sun.
Patrick

Over the next few nights Mars will pass Saturn showing how much faster
it is travelling on its smaller orbit around the Sun than the much
slower moving ringed planet who's orbit is much further from the Sun.
Also you can look to the west and see how Mercury is catching up with
Earth and over the next few weeks starts to pass Earth on its much
faster inferior orbit.
Patrick

Hi,
   This morning I imaged 25 star clusters near the constellation
Sagittarius and just put the pictures in the photos section under
Clobular Clusters.
   All are raw single frame unprocessed images.
   Can you discover which one star cluster image does not belong with
the rest of the star cluster images in this Album?
Answer will be given at the next NSAS meeting.
Patrick

Looks like Jeff and his Sirius Stargazers will be up from August 24-27.
Lets hope for clear skies so we can put their big scopes to good use.
Patrick

Pat:  I had my 10" dob out last night.  Great views of M31-32 around 2
AM.  I've been getting it in shape in case I'm invited to bring it to
a U of M mini-course on "Cosmic Genesis" at their biological station
near Pellston Aug. 15-19.  Whether they actually hold the course seems
to be on hold depending if they get enough applicants.  At $550 tuition
I can't afford the full price, but they said they'd offer me a discount
if I do go. -- Rick
----------------------------------------------
              rwkropf@...
                       +
                www.stellamar.net

Hello Cosmic Rick,
   Yes I was looking at M31 about the same time this
morning. Mostly I was manually doing a comet search
around sagittarius and Hercules area with the 12"
   Sounds like a fun class but I doubt I'd learn much
taking it. I actually gave a power point presentation
on cosmic genisis for one of my classes at the
University center a week ago using some of my astro
pics.
  I start a new class this afternoon about using
technology in education. All done on computers so no
books for the class.
Whenever you are going by stop in and watch the Coyne
lecture or take it with you if you have a VHs VCR to
watch it on.
Patrick

--- Richard W Kropf <kropfr@...> wrote:

> Pat:  I had my 10" dob out last night.  Great views
> of M31-32 around 2
> AM.  I've been getting it in shape in case I'm
> invited to bring it to
> a U of M mini-course on "Cosmic Genesis" at their
> biological station
> near Pellston Aug. 15-19.  Whether they actually
> hold the course seems
> to be on hold depending if they get enough
> applicants.  At $550 tuition
> I can't afford the full price, but they said they'd
> offer me a discount
> if I do go. -- Rick
> ----------------------------------------------
>              rwkropf@...
>                       +
>                www.stellamar.net
>
>


Truth and beauty can be found by all who search the Heavens above.
Regards,
Patrick Stonehouse

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

Pat:  Was out again this morning around 2:30.
You mentioned a Coyne lecture.  On what and
where did you pick it up?
-- Rick
----------------------------------------------
              rwkropf@...
                       +
                www.stellamar.net

Observed the great Perseid Meteor Shower last night after midnight but
the Gibbous waning moon spoiled some of the show. Still I saw several
bright members including one about magnitude -5. Also saw a bright
interloper traveling in a path oposite that of the shower members.
Lets hope for clear skies the weekend of the 25th when we get together
with the Sirius Stargazers at Elkwood.
Patrick

Pat:  The cosmology course at U of M biological research camp
was canacelled due to lack of students.  I know the feeeling well.
Hope we have good weather holds next week.  -- Rick
----------------------------------------------
              rwkropf@...
                       +
                www.stellamar.net

If the weather clears the Sirius stargazers are coming up north this
weekend and bringing their big scopes with them. But the forcast is for
rain both friday and saturday. So it could be a wash.
Patrick

The IAU today made history demoting Pluto from a major planet to
the less prestigious class of dwarf planet.
  Here is an excerpt from an article on yahoo.

For now, membership will be restricted to the eight "classical"
planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Much-maligned Pluto doesn't make the grade under the new rules for a
planet: "a celestial body that is in orbit around the sun, has
sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces
so that it assumes a ... nearly round shape, and has cleared the
neighborhood around its orbit."

Pluto is automatically disqualified because its oblong orbit
overlaps with Neptune's.

Instead, it will be reclassified in a new category of "dwarf
planets," similar to what long have been termed "minor planets." The
definition also lays out a third class of lesser objects that orbit
the sun — "small solar system bodies," a term that will apply to
numerous asteroids, comets and other natural satellites.

Hi,
   Again another star party has been cancelled due to poor weather
conditions which have plagued our observing time all too much this
year.
Patrick

Hi,
   We will be discussing the demise of Pluto as  a major planet and how
you can help discover new planets with only an on line connection to
the WWW.
Patrick

Discover magazine (September 2006) published an article on this huge
object plowing through a distant galaxy.  Here is the link:
http://www.discover.com/issues/sep-06/rd/xraymap

Kind of interesting, largest object like this ever seen.  I hope the
link works.

I'll look into attending the meeting and bringing some family.

Best regards!  --Steve

HI Steve,
   Yes if you want we can have one more meeting at 7PM on the first
thursday of October in 2 weeks and then that will be our last
meeting at Elkwood for the year. We can still meet here and leave
messages on line or if any wants to  have a star party we can do
that.
regards,
Patrick


--- In northstarastronomical@yahoogroups.com, "Steve Downing"
<sjdown@...> wrote:
>
> Missed that meeting,  [:D] , but hope to attend the one here in
October.
> What do you say, going to have one?
>
> Yours truly,  Steve
>
> --- In northstarastronomical@yahoogroups.com, "discoverer98"
> <discoverer98@> wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> >   We will be discussing the demise of Pluto as  a major planet
and how
> > you can help discover new planets with only an on line
connection to
> > the WWW.
> > Patrick
> >
>

Hey Patrick!

It has been busy around the house lately.  I haven't had a single night out observing since I got home.  Too tired since having our youngest boy in "Head Start" program which begins at eight o'clock; we have to get up at six a.m.!  Aggh!  It's hard to imagine doing anything later at night.  This Head Start program is helping our boy we think, so we'll stick it out for now.

I'll check with the family, but I don't think a trip to Elkwood is in the cards for us.

Take care, and I'll be in touch,

Yours,

Steve

--- In northstarastronomical@yahoogroups.com, "discoverer98" <discoverer98@...> wrote:
>
> HI Steve,
> Yes if you want we can have one more meeting at 7PM on the first
> thursday of October in 2 weeks and then that will be our last
> meeting at Elkwood for the year. We can still meet here and leave
> messages on line or if any wants to have a star party we can do
> that.
> regards,
> Patrick
>
>
> --- In northstarastronomical@yahoogroups.com, "Steve Downing"
> sjdown@ wrote:
> >
> > Missed that meeting, [:D] , but hope to attend the one here in
> October.
> > What do you say, going to have one?
> >
> > Yours truly, Steve
> >
> > --- In northstarastronomical@yahoogroups.com, "discoverer98"
> > <discoverer98@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi,
> > > We will be discussing the demise of Pluto as a major planet
> and how
> > > you can help discover new planets with only an on line
> connection to
> > > the WWW.
> > > Patrick
> > >
> >
>

HI,
   The new comet Swan is a naked eye comet visible a few degrees below
M13 in Hercules tonight. If you can find clear skies this is a very
nice greenish comet with a long narrow tail and is best seen in
binoculars or low power in a telescope just after dark.
I imaged it tonight through the clouds but now the clouds have moved
in over my observatory so will have to wait until tomorrow night to
try and see it again.
Patrick

Hello,
   The president of  the Grand Traverse astronomical Association
contacted me about givng a lecture in the spring at a star meet in
Kalkaska.He told me they were having John Dobson come to the Roger's
Observatory the weekend of February 15th. This is the inventor of the
Dobson mount many of us use on our telescopes and he is a wonderfully
enthusiastic speaker on astronomy.
Patrick

Those of you who were out early this morning were treated to a wild
and frenzied display of Aurora Borealis at its best and brightest.
They were extremely fast moving and extended well into Orion and even
south of that brilliant constellation.
Patrick

Over the next couple days comet McNaught can be seen near the sun if
one is very careful to block out the sun so there is no chance of
sunlight entering your eye.
   Look above and to the left of the sun for this very bright comet
whose tail should sweep over Venus during the next couple days.
If the clouds prevent observation of this magnificent comet please go
to the SOHO image page here
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/c3/512/
to see it.
Patrick

Hi,
    Today just after noon until almost 4PM I observed the bright comet
McNaught in 10X50 binoculars, 12X70 binoculars and in a 12" Dobsonian
telescope. The clouds parted just enough this afternoon to make the
observations possible.
   I used these directions from the author of Spaceweather .com to find
the Great Comet -

"Observers around the world are reporting that Comet McNaught is now
visible
in broad daylight. The comet is very close to the sun, so it is tricky
to find.
If you want to try, here's how to do it: Go outside and stand in the
shadow
of a building so that the glare of the sun is blocked out.  Make a
fist and
hold it at arm's length.  The comet is about one fist-width east of
the sun.

This weekend is a special time for Comet McNaught because it is making
its
closest approach to the sun.  Solar heat causes the comet to vaporize
furiously
and brighten to daytime visibility.  McNaught is now the brightest
comet in
more than 40 years, and it may become the brightest in centuries."



--- In northstarastronomical@yahoogroups.com, "discoverer98"
<discoverer98@...> wrote:
>
> Over the next couple days comet McNaught can be seen near the sun if
> one is very careful to block out the sun so there is no chance of
> sunlight entering your eye.
>   Look above and to the left of the sun for this very bright comet
> whose tail should sweep over Venus during the next couple days.
> If the clouds prevent observation of this magnificent comet please
go
> to the SOHO image page here
> http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/c3/512/
> to see it.
> Patrick
>

Hi
    Venus is about 8 degrees to the upper left of Mercury tonight and
both are seen easily with the naked eye low in the South West. With
binoculars Uranus can be seen right between Venus and Mercury.
  The moon will rise  totally eclipsed at about 6:30 PM on March 3rd.
Patrick

On Friday, 2/16/07 at 7pm, John Dobson will be speaking to the Saginaw
Astronomical Society at Delta College Planetarium and Learning Center
in Bay City, MI.

Saturday, 2/17/07, GTAS presents an evening with John Dobson at 7pm at
the Hagerty Center Room A in Traverse City, MI

Sunday, 2/18/07 Mr. Dobson will be at J. Rogers Observatory in
Traverse City, MI at 7pm

Hi,
  John Dobson delivered a very humourous and anecdote filled speech
about the Cosmos last night in Traverse City,
   I would recommend that anyone who has an interest in astronomy go
see him tonight at Rodger's Observatory in Traverse City at 7PM at
1999 Birmley Road off Keystone which is off Airport Rd.
Clear Skies,
Patrick



--- In northstarastronomical@yahoogroups.com, "discoverer98"
<discoverer98@...> wrote:
>
> On Friday, 2/16/07 at 7pm, John Dobson will be speaking to the
Saginaw
> Astronomical Society at Delta College Planetarium and Learning
Center
> in Bay City, MI.
>
> Saturday, 2/17/07, GTAS presents an evening with John Dobson at
7pm at
> the Hagerty Center Room A in Traverse City, MI
>
> Sunday, 2/18/07 Mr. Dobson will be at J. Rogers Observatory in
> Traverse City, MI at 7pm
>

Last weekend I saw Mercury low in the West and it will be
approaching Venus over the next couple weeks. The next few weeks will
be a good time to see Mercury, Venus and Saturn aligned. Jupiter comes
up in early morning hours.
Patrick

Hi,
  Over the next week Saturn and Venus appear to draw ever closer to each
other until they almost seem to touch and can be seen in the same wide
field eyepiece field of view in almost any telescope. Crescent Venus
and ringed Saturn will be a beautiful sight to behold together as
viewed in a telescope.
   If anyone wants to have a star party this summer just let me know.
Patrick

Hi,
   Tonight Venus and Saturn will make a remarkable sight in a low power
eyepiece of your telescope showing both the ringed planet and crescent
Venus very close together.
   I used several telescopes last night and binoculars to view them last
night and they were a spectacular sight.
Patrick

Hi,
   If anyone is interested in having a star party at Elkwood August 11
and 12 to observe the Perseid meteor shower please reply to this post.
Patrick