Tim,
Can't make it out this weekend.  Sorry.  Let me know how it goes.  By the way, I
did get the platform for the portaball.  Works well.

Pat


-----Original Message-----
From: Tim Khan <timkhan@...>
To: SCASmail <scasmail@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 10:05:47 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [scasmail] Anyone planning on monument lake - nice dark skies!


Hey gang,

Finally got power back...anyways it is forcast to be
nice and clear in the interior, so I plan on heading
out to monument lake.

Tim



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

How many weeks without a shower?, finally got my lipo packs..all cycled and
ready to go. will see you at monument and at the amps.. get your thumbs
ready!

Tim Khan <timkhan@...>  wrote:

>Finally got power back...anyways it is forcast to be
>nice and clear in the interior, so I plan on heading
>out to monument lake.

Herm
Astropics http://home.att.net/~hermperez

Well, I guess next time

--- Saunderserineliz@... wrote:

> Tim,
> Can't make it out this weekend.  Sorry.  Let me know
> how it goes.  By the way, I did get the platform for
> the portaball.  Works well.
>
> Pat
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tim Khan <timkhan@...>
> To: SCASmail <scasmail@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 10:05:47 -0800 (PST)
> Subject: [scasmail] Anyone planning on monument lake
> - nice dark skies!
>
>
> Hey gang,
>
> Finally got power back...anyways it is forcast to be
> nice and clear in the interior, so I plan on heading
> out to monument lake.
>
> Tim
>
>
>
> __________________________________
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>
> http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
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>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
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>Hey gang,
>
>Finally got power back...anyways it is forcast to be
>nice and clear in the interior, so I plan on heading
>out to monument lake.

      Sounds like a wonderful idea.  Tim, what is your cell # so I can call
you to verify if you went out or not in case the weather is "iffy".  Chad

305-301-9946

--- chad cantrell <chad_cantrell@...> wrote:

>
>
> >Hey gang,
> >
> >Finally got power back...anyways it is forcast to
> be
> >nice and clear in the interior, so I plan on
> heading
> >out to monument lake.
>
>      Sounds like a wonderful idea.  Tim, what is
> your cell # so I can call
> you to verify if you went out or not in case the
> weather is "iffy".  Chad
>
>
>
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I just got power last night and the streetlights came on, even out here in the
country.  Makes me want to go hunting at night with a .22, but it's illegal
(hunting at night).  The sky was darker than at Mahogany Hammock back before
Wilma.  It was nice!  I even thought I saw color bands in the Milky Way, but
that was probably just from breathing in too much CO from the generator! 
Everglades is closed now, but we hope it opens soon for some great winter
viewing.  David

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

For those interested in meteor watching under a MOONLESS morning sky - this is
a prediction from Russian theorist Mikhail Maslov... Though I have not seen any
similar prediction from other scientists, this is an interesting possibility!

That time corresponds to the pre-dawn hours of tomorrow (Thursday) morning,
though if there were any activity, it could probably be seen from midnight on
in South Florida, and somewhat earlier in New England.

Note that under "normal" circumstances (whatever those are for this shower),
the Leonids aren't expected to produce even ONE meteor an hour on this date...

Clear skies to all!

Lew Gramer in SoFla


> Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2005 20:43:04 +0600
> From: Mikhail Maslov <ast0@...>
> Subject: (meteorobs) Reminder: Activity from 1001 Leonid trail
> To: meteorobs@...
>
> Hello,
>
> Just a reminder, tomorrow there is a chance to see some Leonid
> activity from very old (but still dense) 1001 trail. Its maximum is to
> be at 8:30 UT on 10.11.2005 but activity can last during several hours
> around the maximum. Nominal expected value of ZHRmax is 2, but
> considering very great age of the trail this value is quite uncertain,
> so activity can vary from virtually nothing to something very
> observable. Also it is a chance to see Leonids 2005 under moonless
> sky. Trail meteors are expected to be dimmer than average in
> brightness.
> Details are available at
> http://feraj.narod.ru/Radiants/Predictions/Leonids2005eng.html
>
> Best regards, Mikhail Maslov


Lew Gramer <dedalus@...>
http://www.meteorobs.org
http://www.visualdeepsky.org




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Would any of the other folks headed to Camp Wesumke next weekend be interested
in vanpooling down there with me? I live in Homestead, and I have a Caravan
I'd be using to drive my 20" dob and camping gear down with.

I'd be interested in splitting driving and/or gas - or if you have another
vehicle (maybe with better mileage!) that could haul the 20, let me know!


If you're interested, contact me via phone or email, and clear skies to all!

Lew Gramer
Work: (305) 361-4554
Cell: (617) 875-1174

Hi! I've posted a few photos of the site on Summerland Key in the
photo album WSP 06, showing some of the damage from the Hurricane.
The work crew repaired most of the building damage, cleaned up wind
strewn and water borne junk and the bobcat was making headway on the
sand drifts as of 12/04.

Jim Rose

The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) publishes a great "Observers'
Calendar" each year. It has 12 really pretty amateur astrophotos, just like
other calendars (e.g., Astronomy Magazine's calendar, TideMark, etc.)

However, the RASC calendar also has for EACH NIGHT of the year, moonrise and
moonset time, meteor shower peaks, transits and occultations, opposition and
greatest elongation dates for planets and bright minor planets, weekly sunset
and sunrise times, etc., etc. It is a HANDY tool for observer planning:

http://www.store.rasc.ca/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=RASC&Cate\
gory_Code=INTPUBS

Or if the above URL wraps, try: http://tinyurl.com/amlp7

The only drawback for us is that it only quotes moon/sun rise/set times for
40oN and 50oN lat. But the moon corrections are not HUGE, even for SoFla.


Does anyone know a similar calendar which is aimed at more Southern latitudes?
If not, I would like to reorder this calendar for myself in 2006.

These RASC calendars are about US $19 each (includes S&H). But if one orders
in bulk, the price goes down FAST: 5 calendars are US $12 each, and 10
calendars are just US $9 each. Does the club already order these, or would
any members be interested in going in on an order of them with me?

PS: I'm also interested in getting a 2006 RASC Observer Handbook. RASC has had
bulk order discounts for these in the past also: Would anyone be interested
in trying to do a group order of these Handbooks for 2006 as well?


Let me know, and thanks all!
Lew Gramer
Homestead

Lew,

Barb and Russ usually get some almanac, although I
always forget which one it is. I believe it also has
that information. Barb can chime in and tell you.

Anyways, I always use a computer program to get my
info. But it still has its drawbacks such as missing
certain types of catalogs, times of certain meteor
showers, etc.

Tim



--- Lew Gramer <dedalus@...> wrote:

> The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC)
> publishes a great "Observers'
> Calendar" each year. It has 12 really pretty amateur
> astrophotos, just like
> other calendars (e.g., Astronomy Magazine's
> calendar, TideMark, etc.)
>
> However, the RASC calendar also has for EACH NIGHT
> of the year, moonrise and
> moonset time, meteor shower peaks, transits and
> occultations, opposition and
> greatest elongation dates for planets and bright
> minor planets, weekly sunset
> and sunrise times, etc., etc. It is a HANDY tool for
> observer planning:
>
>
http://www.store.rasc.ca/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=RASC&Cate\
gory_Code=INTPUBS
>
> Or if the above URL wraps, try:
> http://tinyurl.com/amlp7
>
> The only drawback for us is that it only quotes
> moon/sun rise/set times for
> 40oN and 50oN lat. But the moon corrections are not
> HUGE, even for SoFla.
>
>
> Does anyone know a similar calendar which is aimed
> at more Southern latitudes?
> If not, I would like to reorder this calendar for
> myself in 2006.
>
> These RASC calendars are about US $19 each (includes
> S&H). But if one orders
> in bulk, the price goes down FAST: 5 calendars are
> US $12 each, and 10
> calendars are just US $9 each. Does the club already
> order these, or would
> any members be interested in going in on an order of
> them with me?
>
> PS: I'm also interested in getting a 2006 RASC
> Observer Handbook. RASC has had
> bulk order discounts for these in the past also:
> Would anyone be interested
> in trying to do a group order of these Handbooks for
> 2006 as well?
>
>
> Let me know, and thanks all!
> Lew Gramer
> Homestead
>
>
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If clear skies hold, a small group of us are going to try for some mid-week,
moonlit Geminid observing out in Everglades National Park tonight.

The actual peak is tomorrow night. So I expect about half-strength from the
shower tonight after midnight. But I figure if I plan on both nights, then
I'm more likely to actually get some clear sky one night or the other. :)

Be warned: the bright moonlight will probably cut meteor counts by about %75,
giving us maybe 20 total meteors per hour after midnight, versus 35 per hour
tomorrow night. Also, it may be quite "cold" out in the Glades tonight!

But if you're interested in some moonlit meteors (no telescope required) and
would care to join me on either night, please let me know!

Clear skies,
Lew Gramer
Homestead

Last night, three of us got to enjoy the pre-max night of the Geminids from
Everglades National Park, 15 miles west of Homestead FL. The moon bathed
Pa-hay-okee Trail  parking lot all night, but we set up our lawn chairs in
the shade of a handy mahogany tree, and when the breeze occasionally, died I
could fan away the few mosquitos with a gentle waft of the clipboard.

Needless to say, the night was beautiful... We observed Geminids and a few
Sporadics from about 9:45pm until 1:10am, and could have kept going if it
weren't for that pesky distraction - work the next morning. Also, we are
hoping for clear skies again TONIGHT - the peak night for the shower!

If anyone in the area is interested in joining us, please contact me: the
Geminids are the "old reliable" of meteor showers; and even with bright moon
light, they put on a very enjoyable show as night progresses into morning.

Clear skies, and I hope to get to meet SOME OF YOU in the Glades tonight!
Lew


PS: Here is a summary of what I logged last night:
======================================================================

NAMN Meteor Summary: 2005 Dec 12/13
Observer: GRALE (Lew Gramer)
Location: Pa-hay-okee Lookout, Everglades National Park, FL USA
Coordinates: 25o22.5'N, 80o45.0'W, 1m elev

TENTATIVE SUMMARY (Subject to final revision):

UT Period   FOV    Teff  F   LM   GEM XOR MON PUP HYD SPO
02:45-03:55 060+10 1.00  1.0 5.7   12  1   0   0   /    4
03:56-04:58 080+10 1.00  1.0 6.2   18  1   2   1   0    4
04:59-06:10 105+05 0.82  1.1 6.1   22  0   0   0   2    5

Total/Average:     2.82  1.0 6.0   42  2   2   1   2   13

Total Meteors: 62
Dead time / meteor: 5 sec
Total Break Time: 31 min

Magnitude Distribution:
[To follow]

Train Data:
[To follow]

Remarks:
Fellow observers were Mike Smith and Jim Rose (non-recording).
LMs were fairly variable due to intermittent cirrus all session.
Owls, crickets, frogs and many nocturnal water birds complemented the
  night's enjoyment, and temps varied from 62oF to about 55oF.
Meteor highlight of the night for me was a -2 Geminid with a 0.5
  second persistent train, seen below 10 degrees elevation in Caelum
  03:07 UT. Another highlight were two SIMULTANEOUS Geminids seen
  at 05:58 UT, both magnitude 2, in CMi and Leo respectively!

======================================================================

Lew,

so, no help from those, non-recording guys! And, if
Chad was there, he might have found another snake
carcass / skeleton!

Tim

--- Lew Gramer <dedalus@...> wrote:

> Last night, three of us got to enjoy the pre-max
> night of the Geminids from
> Everglades National Park, 15 miles west of Homestead
> FL. The moon bathed
> Pa-hay-okee Trail  parking lot all night, but we set
> up our lawn chairs in
> the shade of a handy mahogany tree, and when the
> breeze occasionally, died I
> could fan away the few mosquitos with a gentle waft
> of the clipboard.
>
> Needless to say, the night was beautiful... We
> observed Geminids and a few
> Sporadics from about 9:45pm until 1:10am, and could
> have kept going if it
> weren't for that pesky distraction - work the next
> morning. Also, we are
> hoping for clear skies again TONIGHT - the peak
> night for the shower!
>
> If anyone in the area is interested in joining us,
> please contact me: the
> Geminids are the "old reliable" of meteor showers;
> and even with bright moon
> light, they put on a very enjoyable show as night
> progresses into morning.
>
> Clear skies, and I hope to get to meet SOME OF YOU
> in the Glades tonight!
> Lew
>
>
> PS: Here is a summary of what I logged last night:
>
======================================================================
>
> NAMN Meteor Summary: 2005 Dec 12/13
> Observer: GRALE (Lew Gramer)
> Location: Pa-hay-okee Lookout, Everglades National
> Park, FL USA
> Coordinates: 25o22.5'N, 80o45.0'W, 1m elev
>
> TENTATIVE SUMMARY (Subject to final revision):
>
> UT Period   FOV    Teff  F   LM   GEM XOR MON PUP
> HYD SPO
> 02:45-03:55 060+10 1.00  1.0 5.7   12  1   0   0   /
>    4
> 03:56-04:58 080+10 1.00  1.0 6.2   18  1   2   1   0
>    4
> 04:59-06:10 105+05 0.82  1.1 6.1   22  0   0   0   2
>    5
>
>
> Total/Average:     2.82  1.0 6.0   42  2   2   1   2
>   13
>
> Total Meteors: 62
> Dead time / meteor: 5 sec
> Total Break Time: 31 min
>
> Magnitude Distribution:
> [To follow]
>
> Train Data:
> [To follow]
>
> Remarks:
> Fellow observers were Mike Smith and Jim Rose
> (non-recording).
> LMs were fairly variable due to intermittent cirrus
> all session.
> Owls, crickets, frogs and many nocturnal water birds
> complemented the
>  night's enjoyment, and temps varied from 62oF to
> about 55oF.
> Meteor highlight of the night for me was a -2
> Geminid with a 0.5
>  second persistent train, seen below 10 degrees
> elevation in Caelum
>  03:07 UT. Another highlight were two SIMULTANEOUS
> Geminids seen
>  at 05:58 UT, both magnitude 2, in CMi and Leo
> respectively!
>
>
======================================================================
>
>
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Hi Everyone,

Dark sky observing time again:
Mahogany Hammock on Christmas evening into early
morning of the 26th.

I'm planning on hitting Mahogany Hammock by sunset.

Tim



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ive heard of people going to pahayokee in the
everglades. anyone else go down there to view the
stars? im getting my telescope shipped out from CA
soon so i might start going out there if other people
do.

--- Tim Khan <timkhan@...> wrote:

> Hi Everyone,
>
> Dark sky observing time again:
> Mahogany Hammock on Christmas evening into early
> morning of the 26th.
>
> I'm planning on hitting Mahogany Hammock by sunset.
>
> Tim
>
>
>
> __________________________________________________
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Chris,

We go to Mahogany Hammock our preferred spot; it is
about 8 miles further to the west from pahayokee and
is notably darker. We hope that you will join us
there.

Tim

--- Chris Hind <cixcell@...> wrote:

> ive heard of people going to pahayokee in the
> everglades. anyone else go down there to view the
> stars? im getting my telescope shipped out from CA
> soon so i might start going out there if other
> people
> do.
>
> --- Tim Khan <timkhan@...> wrote:
>
> > Hi Everyone,
> >
> > Dark sky observing time again:
> > Mahogany Hammock on Christmas evening into early
> > morning of the 26th.
> >
> > I'm planning on hitting Mahogany Hammock by
> sunset.
> >
> > Tim
> >
> >
> >
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We enjoyed yet another fine night of meteors at Pa-hay-okee Lookout in the
Everglades two nights ago, Dec 13/14, from 03:15 UT to 06:50 UT.

The temperatures were just slightly warmer than the night before (dropping
from around 60 to 57oF), and the wind was a bit steadier (variable out of the
N and W at 5-10 kts). Mosquitoes were just a very occasional nuisance. A mix
of cirrus and cirrocumulus came and went in our Northern sky all night long,
but never interfered with our observing to the South.

Mike Smith recorded with me for the first time, and picked up the basics of
the IMO technique with little effort - recording his own meteor magnitudes,
showers, and Limiting Magnitude star counts for about 2 hours! Mike, enter
your data into an email and send it to me this week, and I can help you put
together a summary report of what you saw.


The highlight of the night for me was at 06:18:50 UT, a very spiffy -4
fireball, blue-green in color with a 0.5 sec train. It was medium speed,
about 7 deg long, and seen just 15o from the Geminid radiant: so although it
lined up perfectly with the radiant, I had to call it a "G?" on my log sheet.
But whatever it was, it was lovely and memorable. :)

In total, I enjoyed THREE fireballs (-3 or -4) and FIFTEEN negative-magnitude
meteors (i.e., brighter than Rigel or Betelgeuse) during the night, and Mike
also caught many of these, I believe. The Geminids lived up to their bright
"Old Faithful" reputation for me yet again this year...

Below is a summary report for me that night: be sure to view the tables with a
fixed-width font, so that the columns line up properly. Complete report for
both nights will go to IMO and NAMN separately.

Clear skies, all. Here's looking forward to the Ursids on 21-23 Dec!

Lew Gramer


======================================================================

NAMN Meteor Summary: 2005 Dec 13/14
Observer: GRALE (Lew Gramer)
Location: Pa-hay-okee Lookout, Everglades National Park, FL USA
Coordinates: 25o22.5'N, 80o45.0'W, 1m elev

TENTATIVE SUMMARY (Subject to final revision):

UT Period    FOV    Teff  F   LM   GEM XOR MON PUP HYD SPO
03:15-04:19  060+10 1.00  1.0 5.7   29  3   1   0   1    5
04:20-05:28  080+10 1.00  1.0 6.0   43  0   1   1   1   10
05:29-06:36  110+10 1.01  1.0 6.2   36  1   1   0   5   13
06:37-06:50  130+20 0.20  1.0 6.3    6  0   0   0   0    1

Total/Average:      3.21  1.0 6.1  114  4   3   1   7   29

Total Meteors: 158

Dead time / meteor: 2 sec
Total Break Time: 12 min

Magnitude Distribution:
[To follow]

Train Data:
[To follow]

REMARKS:
I recorded no constellations or DCVs (Distance from Center of
  Vision) tonight, in order to reduce the dead time per meteor.
Mike Smith also recorded with me using the IMO method tonight.
==
Once again, the natural beauty of the Everglades in moonlight and
  wind was an enchanting backdrop for the light show in the sky.
Meteor highlight of the night for me was a -4 probable Geminid with
  a 0.5 sec. persistent train, 7o long seen in Gemini starting just
  15o from the radiant at 06:18:50 UT. Other highlights, four meteors
  negative magnitude within TWO MINUTES, 03:44 and 03:45 UT; and two
  other Geminid fireballs mag -3 seen at 04:39:05 and 04:48:35 UT.

======================================================================

>so, no help from those, non-recording guys! And, if
>Chad was there, he might have found another snake
>carcass / skeleton!

      I barely remember that!  I do remember finding a live crawfish on the
side of the road at payhayokee during a leonids shower. But nothing beat the
gator we found at mahogany one may night.  "do alligators come up onto the
parking lots?"   "NO, they stay in the water at night."   " Then,.....WHATS
THAT!!!"

Celebrate the new year at Mahogany Hammock!

see you there,

Tim







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FYI, to any who get out to observe tonight or tomorrow night: the peak of a
major meteor shower is actually occuring some time in the next 24 hours. The
QUADRANTIDS have a very narrow max, lasting only six hours. But if you happen
to catch the Quads during this peak "pulse", they are as just strong as, or
even stronger than the Geminids of December or the Perseids of August!

If you'd care to join me in the Everglades to try to see this spectacle,
either of tonight or tomorrow night, please email me privately! Otherwise, be
sure to keep an eye skyward, as you toil away at your eyepiece or CCD. :)

Clear skies, all!

Lew Gramer
Homestead

Hi Lew..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4570730.stm

Nasa team sees explosion on Moon .. with a 10" scope!, this may perk up
lunar observations.


Lew Gramer <dedalus@...>  wrote:

>FYI, to any who get out to observe tonight or tomorrow night: the peak of a
>major meteor shower is actually occuring some time in the next 24 hours.
Herm
Astropics http://home.att.net/~hermperez

Thanks for forwarding that news story, Herminio!

There's apparently some controversy about the claim that this was a "Taurid",
but it has caused a lot of buzz in the meteor community: in fact, there's
been a NASA funding proposal that has been put in repeatedly for several
years, to try to provide AMATEURS with equipment to try to capture more of
these events... Maybe this success will trigger some cash flow down to us
"mere mortals", so we can catch more of these impacts on video. :)

PS: I'm headed out to Pa-hay-Okee again tonight, probably very late. (The
Quadrantid radiant isn't up until after midnight.) If anyone else is
interested, try contacting me at home (if you have my number)!

Clear skies all!
Lew Gramer


On Tuesday 03 January 2006 14:44, Herm wrote:
> Hi Lew..
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4570730.stm
>
> Nasa team sees explosion on Moon .. with a 10" scope!, this may perk up
> lunar observations.
>
> Lew Gramer <dedalus@...>  wrote:
> >FYI, to any who get out to observe tonight or tomorrow night: the peak of
> > a major meteor shower is actually occuring some time in the next 24
> > hours.
>
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--
Lew Gramer, UM/RSMAS/CIMAS at NOAA/AOML/PhOD, (305) 361-4554
The contents of this message are mine personally and do not necessarily
reflect any position of the Government - thankfully - nor of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, nor of the University of Miami.

We got to enjoy a few more Winter meteors in the Everglades last night,
despite a barrage of low-lying clouds. I got out to Pa-hay-okee Lookout at
around 11pm, and set up to just ever-so-slightly fog-hazy skies... A big ball
of scud (low stratocumulus) rolled through before long, though, delaying the
start of my session. I finally got the session going at 04:30UT (11:30 EST),
and fellow observer Mike Smith arrived around 11:45 local.

Unfortunately, it wasn't long before the low-level cloud decks began passing
overhead again, cutting off first one area of the sky, then another. And for
about an hour in the middle of my session, we had to take a break completely
and watch the end of the Orange Bowl (American college) football game! For as
always, Mike arrived amply supplied with inverter-powered "comfort gear",
including a small TV, and a microwave for coffee. :)

We finally managed to restart the observations near 1am local (05:50 UT). And
by wobbling our heads around like bobble-heads, we managed to keep a steady
90%-clear field of view for another 40 minutes, until the deck raised up and
thickened over our heads around 2:30 local (06:33 UT).

The high QUA rates (and the brightest shower meteors) had obviously passed us
by, before the radiant rose over South Florida USA. Still, this was my first
SUCCESSFUL Quadrantid observing session since the last time I lived in
Florida full-time - when I was 15 years old, in January 1983! So I am pretty
happy with the results, in spite of low counts and a short session. :)

A full report just to NAMN/IMO will follow momentarily.

Did others fair any better for clouds - or in catching high Quad rates?


Clear skies all!
Lew Gramer
Homestead FL USA

================================================================================
IMO METEOR SUMMARY
================================================================================
Observer's Name: Lewis J. Gramer               IMO Observer Code: GRALE
EVENING Date (UT): 03-Jan-2006                   IMO Showers Active that Date:
MORNING Date (UT): 04-Jan-2006                   COM,DCA,QUA
Session Start Time (UT): 4:30
Session End Time (UT):   6:33

Observing Site Location: Pay-ha-okee Lookout, Everglades, FL, USA
      Site Latitude: +25:22.5          Longitude: -80:45.0        Elevation: 1m

SHOWERS OBSERVED:
Shower Name      Quadrantids   Delta Cancrids Coma Berenicids   Sporadics
3-letter Code    QUA           DCA            COM               Spor


================================================================================
SUMMARY OF ALL METEOR DATA BY PERIOD:
# Start End  CFV    Teff  LM    F       QUA   DCA   COM   Spor  TOTAL
1 4:30  6:33 125+05 1.03  6.92  1.075   6     4     1     9     20

TOTALS              1.03  6.92  1.075   6     4     1     9     20

Average Magnitudes                      3.25  3.25  4.50  3.28  3.33

================================================================================
GENERAL COMMENTS ABOUT SESSION:
I recorded no Constellations or DCVs tonight, to reduce dead time.
Near-ground fog and low-level Sc clouds were intermittent all night,
   causing a late start, very variable LMs, a long break in the middle,
   and ultimately ending the session prematurely at 06:33 UT.
The peak of QUA activity (and the bright ones) were clearly over
   before the radiant rose: still, some 'tail' activity was noted.
Highlight of the night was my FIRST successful Quadrantid session
   since the age of 15 - the last time I lived in Florida... :)

Mike Smith also recorded with me using the IMO method tonight.
Pa-hay-okee Lookout really is a lovely place to observe from, and
   especially in the dark hours. But I *must* remember to bring my
   mosquito coils out there with me every single night, cold front
   or not! Temps tonight dropped, from about 70oF to 60oF, and damp
   was only a slight problem near the end of the session.

================================================================================

This March 17 - 19, the Thunderbird District Boy & Cub Scouts will be camping at
Camp Everglades (by James Beard Research Center) in Everglades NP.  Their theme
this year is Space & Astronomy.  I'll be out there with my telescope and was
wondering if anyone would like to bring theirs and help out.  You know kids,
they have 1001 questions they need answered and it would be nice to have some
scopes and experts to answer their questions.
This is a good opportunity to encourage younger people to get out & look at the
heavens.  Who knows, we might light the spark in some young person to take up a
career in astronomy .
They will be doing events during the day at the activities field like launching
different types of rockets and other scouting events. It would be really great
if we could get a solar scope set up so they could see some of the features of
the sun.  If anyone has one, I'd be willing to assist them with the scouts. 
Please respond if you are interested or email me at rpalms@....  I can
keep you up to date & remind you when the time nears.  Thanks, David

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

Hi Dave,  think we can have some SCAS members help out at times during that
busy weekend. We have top of the line solar equipment. Friday night March 17th
is a major Mars SCAS public program at FIU with Don Parker and Jose Olivarez.
Rescheduled from Oct. and Wilma's approach.
Exactly where is the Beard Research Ctr.? Name of road and landmarks? Are the
scouts aiming for their astronomy badge? What age group is your scout troop?
I'll be calling the gentleman who mentioned the event to me when he was at the
park prior to the Holidays.
pls contact me whenever you'd like to bring your scouts to our Saturday nite
SkyWatch at Sadowski. The park office takes reservations for Nature Walks, a
campfire circle, and there is plenty of space for a troop to pitch tents
overnight.
Thx again,
Barb





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

Hi Barb,  thanks for the response.  The Boy Scout camp is just after the
enterance to Everglades NP.  Make the first left after entering the park like
you are going to the Anhinga Trail.  Before you get to Anhinga, bear right and
then turn right at the stop sign.  About 2 miles down is the BSA camp on the
left side of the road.
The scouts will have a campfire ceremony after dinner on Saturday, but after
that, they are pretty much free to do what they want.  If a few people could
come out with their scopes, it would be great.  I'll bring my scope & we might
have a scout or two bring theirs.  A solar scope would add to our event during
the day.
Two or three scouts in our Troop 413 have their Astronomy Merit Badges and may
be avaliable to assist.  I'll forward your message to Jim Happell, who is in
charge of the Campout and he can give you more details.  Thanks again for SCAS's
respnse for helping the scouts in this event.  David
   ----- Original Message -----
   From: BarbYager@...
   To: scasmail@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 9:42 PM
   Subject: Re: [scasmail] Boy Scout Campout-Space & Astronomy Theme


   Hi Dave,  think we can have some SCAS members help out at times during that
   busy weekend. We have top of the line solar equipment. Friday night March 17th
   is a major Mars SCAS public program at FIU with Don Parker and Jose Olivarez.
   Rescheduled from Oct. and Wilma's approach.
   Exactly where is the Beard Research Ctr.? Name of road and landmarks? Are the
   scouts aiming for their astronomy badge? What age group is your scout troop?
   I'll be calling the gentleman who mentioned the event to me when he was at the
   park prior to the Holidays.
   pls contact me whenever you'd like to bring your scouts to our Saturday nite
   SkyWatch at Sadowski. The park office takes reservations for Nature Walks, a
   campfire circle, and there is plenty of space for a troop to pitch tents
   overnight.
   Thx again,
   Barb





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



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This is what I received from Bob Summerfield...Please let him know if you want
to buy these books so he can order enough and no one goes home disappointed. 
Charlie

Dear Friends and fellow WSP Attendees:

This year's WSP is rapidly approaching, and hopefully, we are all looking
forward to another fantastic party, complete with warm, sunny days, star-filled
skies at night, and our very special guest speaker, Astronaut Dr. Story
Musgrave.  I know many folks have thought about trying to find a copy or two of
a few books that he is associated with for his autograph session.  These books
are NOT easy to find.  Lisa and I (Astronomy To Go) have finally been able to
track down the publisher of his two main books and we will be bringing along a
quantity of these to sell at our booth.  However, we aren't sure how many to
bring, and figure with 500+ folks attending, we can't possibly anticipate
everyone's needs.  We are placing a very large order with the publisher and we
want to be able to offer a special discount to WSP attendees but can only do
this for pre-orders with an advance reservation/commitment from you.  We are NOT
asking for an advance payment or even a deposit, just an email commitment by
midnight, January 19.


We will be bringing the following two books:

1) Story:  The Way of Water by Anne Lenehan (his biography).  $29.95  For more
information and reviews, go to
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0975228609/qid=1136505523/sr=8-1/r\
ef=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/104-8673758-5215166?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 .

2) Australia From Space by Story Musgrave et al.  $24.95  From Amazon's book
description: "This exotic, 64-page color book explores the unique beauty of
Australia from space, with photographs taken by astronauts aboard the Space
Shuttle and International Space Station.  Each of the photographs was selected
by six-time Space Shuttle astronaut and payload commander of the historic first
Hubble Space Telescope repair mission, Story Musgrave.  Story Musgrave is
renowned for his space photography and his knowledge of geography. For this
beautiful glimpse of the remote continent, he has written pertinent and poetic
captions to complement each of the images.  The book is filled with spectacular
colors, geographic and regional detail, off-shore islands and panoramic views of
Australia from space."  See also
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0975187309/qid=1136505583/sr=8-2/r\
ef=sr_8_xs_ap_i2_xgl14/104-8673758-5215166?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 .

The prices shown are the list prices which we will be charging (plus 7.5% tax)
on site at WSP.  Since these book are not from a major publisher, they can be
very difficult for a bookstore to track down or even special order, let alone
offer a discount on, as witnessed by Amazon's prices.  By letting us know how
many of either/each you want in advance, we can offer you a very special price
of:

1) Story: The Way of Water  $27 (tax included)
2) Australia From Space      $22 (tax included)

To reserve your book(s), please email your name, address,  AND home phone
number, and quantity of each book wanted to Astro2go@... BEFORE midnight of
Thursday, January 19.  We will be placing our final order the next morning. We
will be bringing a quantity of books to sell, but cannot promise to reserve any
or offer a discount after this date.  Your book(s) will be waiting for you at
our booth in the Vendor's area, during normal vendor hours, starting when the
gates open on Monday at Noon.  We do expect a rush, so by pre-ordering, this
will cut down on any potential problems or disappointments.  If you will not be
able to attend but would still like to purchase a personalized, autographed
book(s), you can make arrangements with a friend to pickup and pay for your
book(s).  PLEASE make your arrangements FIRST before asking us to order them for
you, and make sure we know about this arrangement in advance.  We will NOT be
taking orders to be mailed out.  Please remember, Dr. Musgrave has graciously
allowed for an autograph signing period after his Wednesday morning talk, so
don't wait until Thursday to pick up your books!

If you need any additional help or information, contact us at Astro2go@...
Or call us at (215)-831-0485.  Thanks in advance, and we look forward to seeing
you all SOON!

Bob and Lisa Summerfield
Astronomy To Go

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HERM

THIS LOOKS LIKE A GOOD CLUB PROJECT .I AM VOLUNTEERING.



http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/01/10/stardust.search.ap/index.html

REGARDS

SERGIO



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