MEETING NOTICE :

The regular meeting of the BARNARD ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY will be held Thursday, July 12th at Jones Observatory on Brainerd Rd. The business meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. followed by the program at 8:30. Refreshments will be served.

PROGRAM:

“A Selection Of Recent Astronomy Books.” Presented by BAS Member Tom Adkins.

The Barnard STAR is the official publication of the Barnard Astronomical Society.

Planned Activities to Enjoy
The Wonders of Astronomy—

“The joy of astronomy comes from finding your way around the starry sky and understanding what you see.” –The Editors, SKY AND TELESCOPE MAGAZINE

JUNE REGULAR MEETING PROGRAM

Thanks to BAS member Kevin Richardson for his June 14th presentation, “My Experiences While Working in The Space Shuttle Program.” Kevin was one of six engineering graduates from the University of West Virginia who came into NASA during the staff increases following the Challenger accident. He worked for several years in shuttle launch support functions at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. As part of his BAS program illustrated with photographs, he not only related many interesting job experiences at KSC but also traced the history of manned spaceflight beginning with Project Mercury and going up through the planned Orion/Constellation/Aries vehicles which are being designed to replace the shuttle (the remaining fleet of three operational shuttles is scheduled to be retired by 2010).

Kevin was a gracious speaker in allowing frequent audience interruptions for comments and questions during his program. This resulted in a most stimulating audience/speaker interaction and produced some very thought-provoking questions, per the following examples: Is the opinion of current NASA Administrator Dr. Michael Griffin correct that the shuttle is a flawed design with the crew compartment surrounded by fuel tanks and having no escape mechanism? Is the International Space Station (ISS) merely an invention to provide some useful function for the shuttle? Will U. S. astronauts really ever return to the moon, or is this just a political ploy by President Bush? What actually supports the weight of the shuttle/booster/fuel tank stack as it sits on the pad? Is it going to take a “Space Race” back to the moon with the Chinese to revive waning public interest in the American space program?

In the days after his BAS program, Kevin followed up with a global e-mail to BAS members from retired NASA engineer Homer Hickam, one of the original West Virginia “Rocket Boys” made famous in the movie OCTOBER SKY. Speaking for many NASA engineers, Homer essentially repeated the safety concerns related to the shuttle design. Since NASA has no other option until the new Aries boosters become operational, he hopes that enough careful attention can be given to details so that the remaining 10 shuttle missions to complete the ISS assembly can be completed without another catastrophic failure.

JULY REGULAR MEETING PROGRAM

On Thursday July 12th, BAS member Tom Adkins will give a program titled, “A Selection Of Recent Astronomy Books.” Refreshments will be served.

LOOKING AHEAD

Thursday, August 9th; “Astronomy in Science Fiction”; Presented by BAS Member David Witt

Thursday, September 13th; “Cassini-Huygens Mission To Titan”; Presentedby UTC Senior Emily Hassler

THE BEST ORION ACRES STAR PARTY EVER?

On Saturday night, June 16th, six BAS members and three guests had a deep sky observing session at Orion Acres which will rank among the best ever held there.

In the sky, Nature put on quite a show. After the early setting of the first quarter crescent moon and the clearing of a slight sky haze, the amazing sights above reaffirmed the reputation of Orion Acres as one of the best dark sky viewing locations in the Eastern United States. The air temperature was in the comfortable 60’s all night, and the turbulence in the “twinkle layer” of the atmosphere was almost nonexistent.

On the ground, BAS also put on a show with an impressive display of high-end telescope equipment. David Hanon, one of the best astrophotographers anywhere, was there with his seven plus inch refractor. Dr. Gary Galdwell, coming up fast in astrophotography, had his newly purchased large refractor and took photos all night. Victor Rogers had his famous “light bucket” seventeen inch reflector, converted from a dobsonian mount to a home-built fork mount (with the creative use of a jeep wheel assembly). David Witt brought his extremely well-equipped Celestron C11 to mount on a custom-engineered permanent pier. And, Adam Kraus showed the most ingenuity with his home-built five inch reflector mount and drive system utilizing two DOS based computers and a piggy-back film camera for some very impressive photographs.

To top it all, professional photographer and sky-watcher Tracy Knauss (THE PHOTO DOCTOR), had his Nikons at work all night recording the action. Some of Tracy’s beautiful composite Star Party creations have already been sent out via global e-mail to BAS members. Expect to see more of his work on BAS publicity materials in the near future. Thanks, Tracy!

Check out the poster on the last page of this newsletter. It looks even better in color. Be sure to see it on our website. (Editor)

Frank and Doris Helms

My dear friends and colleagues of the Barnard Astronomical Society, of all the inspirations of my life Frank and Doris Helms come to my mind and heart as not only friends but powerful parts of what I am and have learned. Indeed I came to the Barnard Society at their behest and became because of them what we all have become, Astronomers of the heart. I viewed this morning of the passing of Doris Helms, who with the patients of a saint, guided and encouraged many steps of my love of astronomy and craftsmanship. I would ask you my friends at whatever accession presents, look closely at the art work of our historic Table Planetarium. It is by, of and for Frank Helms. I gave it many hours of craftsmanship to compliment the artwork that only Frank could do.

Frank and Doris further inspired my meeting of Prof. Jack Lorenz, who was at the very core of my inspiration to do what I have done in my life in astronomy. That inspiration came later to write these lines:

A Thing Of Brass and Glass

There is this thing in me, it wells up and consumes but a few.
Some would say it is passion, some a curse, if only they knew.
We tread a nightly stair, this need we have, the anthropic view.
In the darkness, these points, knowledge in them, Messier knew.

Now this path we tread, is it passion, a mistress to our mind ?
We are moved in seeking it, these things we have, only our kind.
With all thought we seek it, air, curse it, if seeing is blind.
It is not likely you truly know, this glass, how it binds.

For those who partake of brass and glass, I implore, I am bound.
Set course naught to elude, we are consumed already, I’ve found.
Only few subsist long without it, once followed Eve, we drown.
I tell you of knobs and tubes, gears of brass, passions found.

We dream, yet not even of food, knowledge it boils our blood.
That one stable view, past turbulent blue, thus our minds flood.
We tell you our souls are traded for it, you ask how we could.
How to answer, how indeed, just to see it, then understood.

These icons, crafts best work, a monument to our pleading souls.
That minds forever know them, as inspirations finest goals.
You ask why keep them this way, it feeds the mind it controls.
When human spirit fails, look through it, the universe unfolds.

By Francis Merritt Cordell, Sr.

Read by him at the ceremony commemorating his restoration of the Alvan Clark Refractor and the reopening of the Observatory Dome at the University of The South in Sewanee, Tennessee on October 8, 1993.

Good Seeing

 

BAS WEB SITE
http://bas.chattanooga.net

Officers
President………………………………………...….Tom Adkins
Vice-President……………………………………Gary Caldwell
Secretary…………………………………...………Bill Seymour
Treasurer…………………………………………….David Witt
STAR Editor……………………………………….Steve Ramey
Webmaster…………………………………………….Rod Ruch
Star Party Chairman……………………………...Victor Rogers

June Minutes

The June meeting of The Barnard Astronomical Society (BAS) was called to order by President Tom Adkins at 7:45 P.M. There were twelve members and four visitors present. The minutes of the May Meeting were read and accepted as read.

Treasurer’s Report

David Witt reported $790.37 in the checking account.

Old Business

None.

New Business

A Star Party is being planned for Saturday night, June 16th at Orion Acres.

It was decided, after discussion on both sides of the issue, not to take up money at BAS meetings to cover the small cost of providing refreshments. Rather, the treasury will cover the expense (usually less than $15.00) each month as a hospitality gesture. Refreshments provide a break in the evening and are a good “ice-breaker” mechanism for social interaction among members and guests. Bill Seymour will coordinate refreshments for future meetings.

BAS members agreed to enter the ASTRONOMY MAGAZINE Competition for Best Outreach by an Astronomy Club. Although BAS may not have a chance to be in first place in such a contest, our outreach in the last year has been significant, and this is a chance to gain some recognition for our hard work. To complete the application procedure, Bill Seymour will coordinate with Dr. John Mannone, who has put in an enormous effort toward documenting BAS outreach for the NIGHT SKY NETWORK.

Dr. Mannone announced that he had another poem published, this one named “Pearls and Galactic Oysters”, in an astronomy-related journal ASTROPOETICA.

David Witt cautioned against sending money for supposed low-cost subscriptions to telephone solicitors for ASTRONOMY MAGAZINE; these may be fraudulent. The standard price is $34.00 per year and should be paid either to David or to Kalmbach Publishing Company.

Respectfully submitted,

Bill Seymour, Secretary

REMINDER- Your annual BAS dues of are now due on the anniversary of your membership in accordance with the adopted amendment to the by-laws. The due date appears below your name on the address on the front of this newsletter. If your expiration date says “Overdue” or if you don’t agree with the date shown, contact David Witt to resolve discrepancies. The current dues rates are as follows: REGULAR $15.00, REGULAR ASSOCIATE $7.00, JUNIOR $8.00, JUNIOR ASSOCIATE $5.00. Your Sky & Telescope or Astronomy subscription will continue to be handled as in the past. When you receive your subscription reminder card, submit it to:

David Witt
4503 Cove Lane
Chattanooga, TN 37415-2306

Along with the group subscription rate of $32.95 for Sky and Telescope, or $34.00 for Astronomy. Note the increased rate for Astronomy. This was effective July 31, 2005

DEADLINE- All articles and other materials for publication in the next STAR are due no later than Wednesday, August 1st. The following media are acceptable: hard copy, disk (IBM), video tape (VHS), prints, or e-mail to bas@chattanooga.net or stramey@catt.com and attach a file or mail to:
Steve Ramey
109 Sioux Trail
Ringgold GA 30736
PHOTOGRAPHS ARE ALSO ACCEPTABLE.

DIRECTIONS TO ORION ACRES

FROM NORTH HAMILTON COUNTY:
From 27 (corridor J) take hwy. 111 to Dunlap, continue through the Sequatchie Valley up the next mountain (Cagle Mountain). When you reach the summit about 5 miles turn LEFT onto hwy. 399 (sign reads 'to Savage Gulf State Park' Stay on 399 until it ends, which will be in Grundy Co. Now make a LEFT onto hwy. 108 South. This goes thru Palmer TN. Continue on 108 up to a higher elevation. When this levels off, turn RIGHT onto Palmer Fire Tower Rd. This is a large open area with possibly trucks loaded with timber for the paper mills. Orion Acres will be on the RIGHT about 8 tenths mile.

FROM INTERSTATE 24 (to Nashville):
Go to the Dunlap/Whitwell exit (#155). This is hwy. 28. Exit right and keep on 28 for about 11 miles, passing Hardee’s on your left. Continue through the stoplight and take the next LEFT on Hwy. 108 North. Continue another 11 or so miles. You will see 'Grundy County' sign. Take the next left. This is Palmer Fire Tower Rd. Go 8 tenths of a mile and Orion Acres is on the RIGHT

More on the June 16th Star Party

Vic,
Thank you very much for letting me join you and the BAS last Saturday. I really enjoyed meeting you and the club members there. The site was really good and the skies were everything I hoped for. I had especially good view of the north and northeast where at home I am very limited. Because of the great site and great sky I added 16 objects to my logbook over the course of the night, mostly Herschel 400's. Six of these were Caldwell List objects: NGC 188 (C-1), NGC 6822 (C-57), NGC 6885 (C-37), NGC 7006 (C-42), NGC 6934 (C-47), NGC 7009 (C-55).

My primary objective of the night was to log my last two Messier list objects, M74 and M76. As Andromeda rose in the east I viewed M76 at 3 am. But M74 in Pisces never rose high enough to clear the 2 atmosphere line and although I was able to find its location with absolute certainty about 1.5 degrees east of Eta Psc, no amount of averted vision and patient gazing with towel over my head and hyper ventilation, the "full monty" of faint fuzzy viewing effort, could coax those photons out of the darkness enough for me to see it. I think I may have gotten just a glimpse of the core a few fleeting moments but not enough to log it. I knew that my chances were not that good with it so close to the horizon at sunrise this month but I thought it was worth a try. I can't see that area of the sky from my home at all due to tall trees so it was at least fun to get the chance at it.

Hopefully we'll be blessed with such good conditions again soon. It was one heck of a great night for viewing. Anyway, I'll certainly be looking forward to another visit if possible.

David Hofland
Director, Student Services
College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Jacksonville State University
256.782.5276