The Eyepiece
 
Published by the Neville Public Museum Astronomical Society Volume 10 Issue 12, December 1998
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS  
December in Detail:  Page 1 
New Member Welcome Mat: Page 1 
For Sale/Want Ads:  Page 2 
A Look at Our Past:  Page 2 
Happenings This Month: Page 2 
Down the Road: Page 3 
Ramblings from the President: Page 4 
IDA Pollution Project: Page 4		 DECEMBER AT A GLANCE 
9th: Monthly Meeting-Astronomical Terms 
11th: Holiday Party-The Rite Place 
12th: Movie Outing-Star Trek Insurrection 
16th: Newstar Monthly Meeting 
 
DECEMBER IN DETAIL 

MONTHLY MEETING 
     Our December monthly meeting will be on Wednesday, December 9th from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Neville Public Museum.  This month's talk will be given by Gary Baier and the topic is "Astronomical Terms".  We hope to see you all there! 

HOLIDAY PARTY 
     Our annual holiday party will be held on Friday, December 11th at The Rite Place.  There is no specified time for cocktails but dinner is at 6:00 pm.  We have a reservation for 35-40 people but we do need to call them when we have a clear idea of the head count.  You can call Steve Wicker at 496-0288 or Don DeWitt at 405-8534. 
 
MOVIE OUTING 
     We are planning a movie outing for Saturday, December 12th to see the new Star Trek movie. 

 Please see the related article on page 2 of this month's newsletter. 

NEWSTAR MONTHLY MEETING 
     The monthly NEWSTAR meeting will be on Wednesday, December 16th.  Call Don DeWitt at 920-405-8534 if you are interested in going. 

NEW MEMBER WELCOME MAT 
     We had several new people join in the last month.  First, Dan Ankeney, 3225 Calais Court, 
Green Bay, WI 54301.  Next, Bill and Gregg Fritschel, 65 Webster Heights, Green Bay WI 54301.   Terry LeClair, 3014 Ancestor Way, Green Bay, WI 54313.  Finally, Ray Scofield, 1816 Spence Street. Green Bay, WI 54304. Welcome to the club Dan, Bill, Greg, Terry and Ray! 
 
 
 
FOR SALE/WANT ADS 
     For Sale: two Dobsonian telescopes. The first one is an 8" f/4.5 Coultier Optical which is good for deep sky.  I have added an 8x50 finder and  a removable 2" low profile rack and pinion focuser.  The second telescope is an 8" f/9.  The mirror was figured by Ron Parmentier and it is an excellent telescope for the planets.  It also comes with an 8x50 finder scope and a removable 2" low profile rack and pinion focuser. 
     There are four eyepieces, a 9 mm Ortho, 12 mm Kelner, 24 mm Konig and 40 mm Plossl.  Prices: $475.00 each or both for $850.00.  Call Don DeWitt at 405-8534 if interested. 

A LOOK AT OUR PAST 

LEONID REVIEWS FROM THE NET 
     submitted by Wayne Kuhn and taken from NASA Space Science News 

     At its peak the 1998 Leonid meteor shower produced "only" 500 shooting stars per hour, well below the 10's of thousands per hour that rained down during the 1966 Leonid Storm. 
     However, what this year lacked in numbers it made up for in dazzle. An unusually high percentage of Leonid meteors were "fireballs", shooting stars with magnitudes brighter than -3.  Some were so bright that they cast shadows, and some were seen during daylight hours. "It's the most spectacular meteor display I have ever seen" said Brett Gladman, an experienced observer at the Observatoire de Nice where the skies were clear and 450 meteors/hr were observed. 
     A bust or a blast? Valentin Grigore of the Romanian Society for Meteors and Astronomy is an experienced meteor observer who monitored the Leonid shower from Targoviste, Romania on the night of 16/17 November. In a 6-hour observing period under dark skies he saw 796 meteors, of which 193 were fireballs. 

 When the shower peaked in Romania, with 200+ meteors per hour, nearly 40% of the shooting stars were brighter than magnitude -3.  Many were brighter than Jupiter, Venus, and the full moon.  Some have characterized the 1998 Leonids as a disappointment because the number of meteors per hour did not approach that of the 1966 storm, when 40 meteors per second were seen in some places. The peak of the 1998 Leonids was hardly greater than an outburst of Giacobinid meteors earlier this year. Still, many of us like Valentin Grigore, who were favored with dark skies on the nights of November 16th and 17th, recall the shower of fireballs as one of the most dazzling sky shows ever. 
     The International Meteor Organization has suggested that the 1998 Leonid shower is similar in some respects to the 1965 shower, which preceded the Great Storm of 1966. If they are correct, the 1998 Leonids could be the prelude to an even greater spectacle next year. Or it might be another "bust". The only way to be sure is to go outside and look! 
     For more information and some spectacular pictures on the internet, follow this link. 

HAPPENINGS THIS MONTH 
     by Katrina DeWitt 

     The time has come once again to assault the local theater in search of a movie worthy of the NPMAS vote of approval.  Many have challenged us, but few have survived!  This time we go head to head with Old Baldy, Mr. Mop and Glow-Captain Picard and crew in the showdown known as Star Trek: Insurrection.  Are you ready for the adventure? 
     Whether you're a Star Trek fan or not, come on out and join in the fun!  Besides, when was the last time you watched a movie with twenty plus people eating a bucket of popcorn? 
 
(Continued from page 2) 
If you're still craving for more, an invitation has been extended to everyone to come to the DeWitt house after the movie for a "bring your own" B.B.Q. (condiments will be provided) Come join your fellow astronomers and others to watch Star Trek: Insurrection.  The adventure gets underway on Saturday, December 12th at Bay Park Square Cinema.  We plan on going to the showing closest to 2:00 pm and We will meet in the lobby 45 minutes before show time.  The cost for this adventure is $4.50 per person. 
     In the words of Captain Picard, "Make it So!" 

DOWN THE ROAD 

CAMP U-NAH-LI-YA WINTER WEEKEND 

     As 1998 comes to a close, we are already starting to look forward to our first event for 1999, our ninth annual Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya Winter Weekend.  The dates are Friday through Sunday, January 22nd through 24th. 
     What is the Winter Weekend?  First of all, it means relaxation.  The camp cooks you six meals, and then they wash the dishes.  The only phones are in the offices and there are no televisions or radio's to be found. 
     If you enjoy winter sports you will definitely like it here.  The camp has an ice skating rink right next to the dining hall and there are hockey sticke and pucks for those interested in getting a game of broom ball going.  There is also an extremely large ice rink known as the lake not far from our cabin.  The camp has many different sizes of ice skates or you can bring your own. 
     Skating not your forte?  Well how about cross country skiing?  The camp has over seven miles of well groomed trails in and around the Nicolet National Forest for your enjoyment.  Camp U-Nie has many skis, boots and poles.  Again, you are also welcome to bring your own equipment. 

  Other activities include: snow shoeing, ice fishing, and sledding.  The camp has a variety of snow shoes, sleds and fishing gear including an ice shanty on the lake for our use. 
     What?  You are a warm weather person? Fine, as a matter of fact, bring your shorts along!  The camp has a wood burning sauna waiting to melt the icicles from your nose and we've got the keys!  If you are brave you can even compete in the snow rolling contest. 
     Lodging for both nights is in group cabins that will be shared by NPMAS members and their families.  Bunk beds with mattresses are provided but you must bring a sleeping bag or any other bed linens you desire.  The cabins are heated and equipped with a fireplace.  Separate bathroom facilities and hot showers are provided. 
      Since this is an astronomy club event, we will, of course, be bringing our telescopes along to enjoy Wisconsin's dark northern sky's.  The camp also owns an eight inch telescope which we will be able to use. 
     There will be other groups here for the same reason that we are:  to get away from the recently completed holiday season.  We have agreed to put on a stargazing session on Saturday for these other groups.  It usually lasts for one to two hours which will leave us plenty of time afterwards to do some serious observing. 
     The cost for the weekend is $56.00 for adults and $51.00 for those under 18.  A very reasonable price considering what you get: two nights lodging, , six meals, unlimited use of all facilities, cross country skis, ice skates, sauna etc. 
     If you are interested in going please send your check made payable to the NPMAS to Don DeWitt, 1081 Raleigh Street, Green Bay, WI 54304.  You can also call me at 405-8534 if you need more information.  We look forward to you coming along and making Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya Winter weekend a weekend to remember! 
 
RAMBLINGS FROM THE PRESIDENT 
     by Katrina DeWitt 

A NEW LOOK AT OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS 
     At our last board meeting, I asked for ideas on how to improve our monthly meetings for the membership. 
     I received many suggestions on how to improve our meetings.  Starting in January, you will begin to see some of these being implemented.  Just so they don't come as a shock to you all, I'll tell you what the board has in mind. 
     First of all, when you attend a meeting, all members will pick up their name tags at the front table.  It was brought up by several members that this would help put names with faces and allow our new members to get to know everyone faster. 
     Our scheduled talks will begin several of our meetings instead of business.  Many members have to leave early and miss out on these talks and the opportunity to listen in and learn something new.  While this won't happen at every meeting, we will do it as often as the membership directs. 
     It's also been suggested that at each meeting there be slides and/or pictures to show.  From what I've learned, this was the norm at our meetings years ago.  If anyone has anything to share, let me know so I can put you on the schedule.  This would be a great idea to renew at our meetings. 
     An area of concern was membership involvement at our meetings.  The general feeling was that only a few do the talking and consequently, others are not/will not partake in conversations.  To help get more involvement, it was brought up that there should be more "hands-on" activities being done, whether at our meetings or "assignments" to try at home and then talked about at the next meeting. 
     These are only a few of the suggestions that 

 were received.  Not all will be implemented right away, nor done at every meeting.  However, I believe by adding these ideas and activities, the club and membership will benefit in both knowledge and skills in astronomy. 
    I'd like to hear of any suggestions from anyone on how or what you'd like to see happening at our monthly meetings.  After all, these monthly meetings are held for you, the members, to learn more about astronomy. To help make these meetings better, let me know what you think. 
     Happy Holidays!  See you all in '99. 

IDA POLLUTION PROJECT 
     Each winter the IDA or International Dark Sky Association conducts a survey to determine the effects of light pollution nationwide.  They would like us to look at the Pleiades star cluster (M45) to determine how many stars can be seen.  They also request that we try to spot the Winter Milky Way. 
     Visual estimates should be made with both the naked-eye and binoculars on Moonless nights when the Pleiades are high up in the sky.  You should wait at least 20 minutes to let your eyes become dark-adapted. 
     It is important to log sky conditions, type of binoculars, and other items requested on the form.  Feel free to check off the stars you see on the accompanying chart, but use different symbols for naked-eye and binocular results.  Honesty counts in this program.  Negative results are just as important as positive ones.  So if you do not see any of the stars, note that down also. 
     Photographic observations of the sky glow can also be recorded.  Using a camera with a 50 mm lens, f/ratio of 2.0 or faster, and slide film such as Ektachrome or Fukichrome with ISO of 400.  Center the exposure on Aldebaran or Alpha Tauri,  the bright orange star twelve degrees southeast of the Pleiades.  Set the lens to f/4, then make three exposures, 80, 150 and 300 seconds long.  No guiding is needed. 
 
 Remember, this is not a test of eyesight but of sky condition.  We need data from the center of Green Bay as well as your favorite dark sky site.  Data from the same observer on many different nights and from different sites will be of most value. 
     Try to get as comfortable as possible when you observe the Pleiades.  Use a lounge chair or lay on the ground if possible.  Remember, the pleiades cluster is nearly strait overhead and just the size of your fingertip held at arm's length. 
     This can be a rather fun and intresting project.  Why don't we all get out there and record what we see.  Gary Baier is going to try to get his high school students to get data.  If we pool our data together we can come up with a map of Green Bay and it's light pollution, which would be a great tool for Astronomy Day next year. 
     Use the observing map and form located to the right to record your observations.  (internet readers please follow this link to the observing form) Please feel free to copy the form and observe as often as possible.  If you have any questions, please call Don DeWitt at 405-8534.