VOL 34 NO 12 DECEMBER 2005 PUBLISHED MONTHLY
MEETING NOTICE:
There will be a meeting on Thursday, December 8th at 7:30 PM at the Jones Observatory to discuss ways to increase our attendance and plans for future programs. Then, on Saturday, December 10th, we will have our annual Christmas party at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and School on Ashland Terrace at 6:00 PM.
PROGRAM:
Because of the Christmas party and the abbreviated meeting on the 8th, there will no program at the December 8th meeting
OFFICERS
President………………………………………...…..Tom AdkinsVice-President……………………………………….George Bell
Secretary………………………………………….Gary Caldwell
Treasurer……………………………………………..David Witt
STAR Editor……………………………………….Steve Ramey
Webmaster…………………………………………….Rod Ruch
Database Manager………………………………....Bill Seymour
Star Party Chairman………………………………Victor Rogers
November Minutes
The November meeting of the Barnard Astronomical Society (BAS) was a special joint session at UTC on November 10, 2005 with the Chattanooga Section of The American Chemical Society (ACS). There were 37 persons present from the two groups for a social and buffet at 6:00 P. M. and 47 attendees for the program at 7:30 P. M.
Business
The meeting was called to order by Dr. Maurice R. Smith, ACS Councilor. A short ACS business meeting was conducted to ratify the slate of nominated officers for 2006. The BAS did not have a business meeting in November.
Program
Tom Adkins, BAS President introduced the speaker, Dr. Robert L. Marlowe, Professor of Physics at UTC. Dr. Marlowe delivered an extremely interesting power point presentation on the subject, “The Interstellar Medium and The Possibilities for Life.”
In presenting the excellent technical content of his talk, intended to appeal to professional chemists as well as to astronomers, Dr. Marlowe discussed the chemical basis of life here on earth and biologically significant chemical compounds in the larger universe:
The primary components of life as we know it are remarkably few: twenty amino acids are found in living organisms, comprised essentially of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. These four and other elements, along with simple compounds, are found throughout the cosmos.
The presentation looked at our current understanding of how these compounds came to be so widely distributed, what techniques are used in investigating their presence, and what evidence has been found for bio-molecules (and life?) in the interstellar medium. The beginning point for the discussion is the catastrophic end of massive stars as Type II supernovas, which fertilize the interstellar medium with “metals.”
Every atom in our solar system heavier than helium was originally synthesized in the stars and blasted into space by stellar explosions; and often cycled over and over, as in our sun (thought to be a third generation star.) All living beings on earth as well as all physical objects around us then are literally “children of the stars”. In that sense, life as we know it here on earth definitely had its origins in outer space.
The detection of interstellar compounds important to life was discussed.
In reviewing the formula developed by astronomer Frank Drake for estimating the number of possible intelligent civilizations in our galaxy, it was pointed out that a great uncertainty in working with the Drake Equation is estimating the average number of years that technological civilizations could usually exist (before they might destroy themselves, “blowing themselves back into the swamps” in a nuclear or other catastrophic holocaust.) Is it 200 years? 1000 years? As an aside, Dr Marlowe made the comment that he had worried during the nuclear confrontations (between America and the Soviet Union) beginning in the 1960’s that western civilization here on earth would meet such an early fate.
Finally, Dr. Marlowe presented important evidence that polarized starlight, produced by being filtered through certain configurations of nebulae, had caused the “-Levo” version of many important bio-molecules found here on earth to be more predominant than the “-Dextro” forms. Following this line of thought, in other distant worlds the bio-molecules could be predominantly “-D” versions if influenced by light of a different polarity emerging from interstellar dust clouds.
Thank you, Dr. Marlowe, for agreeing to speak to this combined meeting of the ACS and BAS and for delivering a presentation of great interest to both chemists and astronomers.
Respectfully submitted by Bill Seymour
In absence of Gary Caldwell
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, January 4th. 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. A sign will be posted at 7pm on Saturday May 7th.
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. There will be a sign posted at 7pm on Saturday, May 7th.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Annual BAS Christmas Party
The Christmas party will be held at 6:00 PM on Saturday, December 10th at the St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and School. Everyone is invited to bring a covered dish for a pot luck dinner. For more information, contact Tom Adkins at 877-4639.
Proposed amendment to BAS By-laws:
At the October, 2005 meeting it was motioned and seconded that the executive officers be given the power to recommend adjustment the annual dues amount no more than 1 time per year, subject to ratification by a majority vote of the membership. In keeping with the by-laws, this notice will be published for 3 consecutive months in this newsletter.
14th annual meeting of amateur astronomers "Bobfest"
Sponsored by the Cleveland County Astronomical Society, this event will be held at Garner-Webb University in the Ritch Banquet Hall located in Boiling Springs, NC 28017 on January 21st 2006. Event starts 8:00am. Activities include astrophotography contest, lectures, swap tables, solar observing, door prizes, vendors and night observing at club dark site. For more information visit http://www.ccastro.org or contact Don Brooks at dbrook@bellsouth.net
Frank N. Bash
In 1996 I was presented with the opportunity of a lifetime, to look over the shoulders of some very great men, indeed some very great and dedicated astronomers. Among them was the director of McDonald Observatory, Dr. Frank N. Bash. Our great luck got usinvited to the living room of his residence at the observatory!
Dr. Bash spends most of his time in Austin, where he can more easily promote the observatory, and travels to McDonald Observatory in the Davis Mountains for about a week every two months, except
in the fall, when he teaches astronomy to 230 freshmen. (Observatory superintendent Mark Adams has full-time charge of the facility's daily operation.)
If McDonald is a monastery of science, Bash's parsonage there is perhaps the sweetest perk of any job in Texas: a house at the base made of volcanic rock, perched on a cliff side with a 100-mile view to the east.
Dr. Bash has led the effort to expand the public-outreach programs of McDonald Observatory. These programs include the observatory's Visitors' Center; Star Date, the syndicated two-minute radio show heard by millions each day in English, Spanish (Universo), andGerman (Sternzeit), and a bimonthly magazine of the same name.
Dr. Bash's most spectacular legacy would be the construction of the 11-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald. He gazes out his office window on the 15th story of Robert Lee Moore Hall on the UT campus, he is dreaming big again, very big!
Good Seeing!