Observations

Quick and dirty time-lapse of Comet PanSTARRS

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[quicktime width=”600″ height=”350″ autoplay=”0″ loop=”1″]https://aplastronomy.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/C2011-L4-PanSTARRS-basic.mov[/quicktime]

Here is a quick and dirty time-lapse movie of Comet PanSTARRS over the course of three evenings (March 12, 14, and 19). Details varied on exposures and lens from 1-2 seconds, 210-400mm, ISOs from 400-3200. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the angle of the comet tail changes over the course of these short clips.

The entire thing is about 40 seconds long. The first two sequences were from March 12. The last sequence from March 19. The rest from March 14.

Activities, Observations

Comet PanSTARRS and the Crescent Moon

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Last week during the first opportunity for us to even see C/2011 L4 PanSTARRS, the barely 1-day old crescent moon was a few degrees away. I managed to do a very very short time-lapse of the two together as the clouds streamed by. Here is a still from that sequence of images.

Nikon D7000, 2 second exposure, 240mm lens, f/5.3, ISO 400

Comet Pan-STARRS and the thin, thin crescent moon at sunset
Comet PanSTARRS and the crescent Moon
Meetings

Meeting Mar. 20, 2013

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APL ACWhat: APL Astronomy Club monthly meeting
Where: Gibson Library room L-2
When: Wednesday, March 20, noon to 1:00 pm
This month’s topic: Webmaster Radha Venkat will show us some features the club’s website, and take suggestions to make it more useful. Also club business and members’ observing reports.

Open to anyone with an interest in astronomy.

Other club events coming soon:
April 17: monthly meeting; “The Cassini Magnetospheric Imager”, Don Mitchell (APL)
April 19: Friends & Family Star Party at APL
October 11: Friends & Family Star Party at APL

 

Meetings

Meeting Feb. 20 2013

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APL ACWhat: APL Astronomy Club monthly meeting
Where: Gibson Library room L-2
When: Wednesday, Feb. 20, noon to 1:00 pm
This month’s topic: Ron Farris is bringing in the new OTA and mount for the Calcium-K solar telescope. Also club business and members’ observing reports.

Open to anyone with an interest in astronomy.

Other club events coming soon:
March 9: Dark Sky Star Party (members only)
March 20: monthly meeting; no speaker yet.
April 19: Friends & Family Star Party, south of Bldg 200.

 

General News

2013 Dues are due.

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Dues for 2013 is due in January. $25, payable by cash or check. Make checks out to “APL Astronomy Club”. Bring payment to the meeting, or sent to our treasurer Tim Miller. Be sure your name is on the envelope, so you can be properly recorded.

Paying dues grants the right to check out club equipment, the right to vote in elections and equipment decisions, and the right to stand for office.

So please pay and be a full participant in the upcoming year’s events!

Meetings

Meeting Jan. 16 2013

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APL ACWhat: APL Astronomy Club monthly meeting
Where: Gibson Library room L-2
When: Wednesday, Jan. 16, noon to 1:00 pm


This month’s topic: “Some Applications of Mathematica to Astronomy” by Dave Vasholz. Also some club business and members’ observing reports.

Sun Observing Parties

Solar Star Party – canceled

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sunspots_2000_09_24

What: Solar Observing
Where: Building 1 Main Cafeteria Patio
When: Tuesday, Nov. 20, noon to 1:00 pm

The weather is looking very cloudy on Tuesday. So I have CANCELED this solar observing party. HMH 11/19/12 4pm.

Come view the Sun, our very own star, with the APL Astronomy Club. Count sunspots, see faculae and plages and maybe granulation and spicules, and compare the view through different kinds of equipment. Event will be canceled if the sky isn’t clear enough.

Open to anyone on campus who is interested.

Check here on Nov 20, 11 am, for a weather update.

Star Parties

Fall Star Party, take 2

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The APL Astronomy Club’s Fall Friends & Family Star Party will be held Friday, November 16th , starting at 5:00 pm. Now that we’ve returned to Daylight Normal Time, the sun is setting pretty early, so we can start the star party early, too. We expect to finish between 9 and 10 pm, depending on how the night’s going.

Star gazing is always contingent on sky conditions. The star party is a GO!. The weather for this evening is looking pretty good. The temperatures will be COLD: 40 degrees at sunset, dropping to 35 by 9 pm.. This concludes the weather update for tonight.

Star Party on the West lawn near the Big Radio Dish

APLers and their friends and families are invited. Club members will have several telescopes out for your viewing pleasure. Bring your own optics if you have ’em – the more, the merrier! NO FLASHLIGHTS

Where: on the lawn next to the Big Dish on the West side of the Main Campus, outside the perimeter fence.

Dress for temperatures at least 10 degrees colder than predicted!

Park near the turnstile entrance by building 21, or in the long parking strip west of the observing hill.

Sunset: 4:50 pm EST
End civil twilight: 5:20 pm EST

Moonset: 7:50 pm EST
Moon phase: waxing crescent, 11% illuminated

Meetings

November Meeting

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APL ACWhat: APL Astronomy Club monthly meeting
Where: Gibson Library room L-2
When: Wednesday, Nov. 14, noon to 1:00 pm

This month’s topic: “How to set up and use the Lunt H-alpha solar telescope” by club member Ron Farris. Also some club business and members’ observing reports.

Open to anyone with an interest in astronomy.

Other club events coming soon:
Fall Star Party take 2: Friday, Nov. 16, 5 pm to 9 or 10 pm (weather permitting)
Tuesday, Nov. 20: Solar Observing, noon to 1 pm, building 1 cafeteria patio (weather permitting)

 

Sun Observing Parties

Solar Star Party

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sunspots_2000_09_24

The skies are clear enough, so come on ’round! We’ll have 4 ‘scopes out.

What: Solar Observing
Where: Building 200 Cafeteria Patio
When: Tuesday, Oct. 16, noon to 1:00 pm

Come view the Sun, our very own star, with the APL Astronomy Club. Count sunspots, see faculae and plages and maybe granulation and spicules, and compare the view through different kinds of equipment. Event will be canceled if the sky isn’t clear enough.

Open to anyone on campus who is interested.

Check here on Oct 16, 11 am, for a weather update.