The Galileo Astronomy Unclub

What Does the Night Sky Smell Like?

2012-02-12T22:15:00.000-08:00

Here is a curiosity...what does the night sky smell like? We sort of already have an idea as to what space smells like according to Steven Pearce, a chemist hired by NASA. Space smells like "fried steak, hot metal and welding a motorbike." Read more here.

This seems to conflict with what Little Trees thinks that the night sky smells like. These air fresheners smell so bad, it's hard to describe. Nothing like fried steak and hot metal at all. In fact I'll take hot metal and steak over the scent of these trees.

As an astronomer, I though...cool, the night sky! But buyer beware. These smell like a mixture of horrible perfumes instead of what Little Trees states on their website:

"Modern, bold aroma, Raw and primitive, yet refined, World-famous quality"

I would like to invite the chemist who determined that this scent represents the night sky to the GAU to please explain this...

Ski Goggles & Snow Blindness

2011-12-28T21:54:00.000-08:00

The GAU is not known for public service announcements, but as an astronomer and a skier, I have to share this story in the event it even helps one fellow skier or astronomer preserve their vision.

Note: I am not a doctor or a scientist, and regardless of any debates that this story may cause, I have permanent eye damage that affects my enjoyment of the night sky through my own telescope and I have to wear glasses, whereas I once had outstanding vision...this isn't about the aging process either.

This is directly related to one day while skiing that resulted in a corneal sunburn while wearing yellow ski goggles. Two years ago at the end of the ski season in April, I was skiing at Crystal Mountain in Washington State. The day started off very cloudy, overcast and gloomy. I packed the goggles I usually use for night skiing, which are the exact goggles you see in this first image, which seem appropriate for low visibility conditions. At that time I only had these yellow goggles...these are name-brand UV goggles I purchases from a reputable dealer.

After arriving at Crystal Mountain on a Saturday morning and skiing for a while under dark skies, the sky actually began to clear and it became an incredibly beautiful Spring day with clear skies and very bright sunshine. I skied all day until the upper lifts closed at 3:30, then skied a few lower trails until 4:00 PM, and went home...business as usual.

By Sunday AM, it felt like I had small sand particles in my right eye that kept bothering me. I kept going into the bathroom to look in the mirror and see what was in my eye, but nothing was there. The discomfort did not go away at all, and only intensified.

By Monday, my eye literally felt like it was on fire. I had no idea what was wrong, as I was wearing ski goggles all day long on Saturday, and didn't injure my eye at all. I kept thinking that maybe overnight I scratched it or something while sleeping. The pain became unbelievably horrible on that day, and that night, my eye was so sensitive to light that I could not even keep my eye open.

By Tuesday my eye was in so much pain I had to go see a doctor because it was beyond any other pain I had ever felt before in my life and I still did not know what was wrong.

The conclusion was simple...a corneal sunburn, also known as ultraviolet keratitis or snow blindness. I though this was impossible because I was wearing ski goggles by a major manufacturer that were supposed to be UV safe. I wore those goggles all day long with my helmet, so how was this even possible?

As a side note, according to Wikipedia, "Fresh snow reflects about 80% of the UV radiation compared to a dry, sandy beach (15%) or sea foam (25%). This is especially a problem in polar and at high altitudes, as with every thousand feet (approximately 305 meters) of elevation (above sea level), the intensity of UV rays increases by four percent."

When I went to the eye doctor I had to undergo a series of tests that included the doctor examining my eye, and putting eye drops in it and the standard routine set of tests to determine the problem. The doctor specifically asked me if I was wearing UV protective goggles, and at that time I thought that was standard across all goggles nowadays, so I naturally answered yes.

The yellow goggles I have (pictured) are made by Smith, and they do not advertise any UV protection at all on the goggle page but do seem to advertise UV protection on the page where they feature lens choices. The gray goggles you see in this article are from Scott, and are advertised as providing 100% UV protection.

In order to help my cornea heal, I had to wear a bandage contact lens. If you never heard of this, it's a contact lens that is actually a bandage that allows the cornea to heal and to protect it from something as simple as blinking. And of course this kind of bandage has to be applied by the doctor and was beyond painful.

By the end of the day, I was in an amazing amount of pain and felt like a war victim. The results of all of this is simple...I permanently damaged my eyesight while skiing with yellow goggles. There's no other way to put it. I wear glasses now, and everyday when I wake up, I have to carefully open my right eye to prevent re-injuring my cornea simply by opening my eye. The trauma of the sunburn apparently still has side effects even after two years.

Why do skiers like yellow goggles? It's not hard to understand. In an article on www.livestrong.com, it's explained that yellow goggles "affects how much visible blue light is allowed through your ski goggle lenses. The visible light transmission for yellow goggles is 68 percent, according to REI.com. In comparison, dark brown lenses only allow 10 to 18 percent of visible light in. Because the yellow lenses transmit more light than their darker counterparts, they allow sufficient visibility to see on overcast or foggy days, yet filter some of the brightness reflected off the snow."

Here is an unscientific comparison between standard gray goggles and yellow goggles. I took both pairs you see in this picture and simply held them up to a kitchen light, and took a photo with my iPhone...no editing, no camera tricks. Just in this simple image, look how you can easily see the strap behind the yellow lens compared to the gray lens.

The yellow goggles allow much more light through to the point where the filament in the lightbulb is glowing hot as fire, as compared to the standard gray goggles where the light seems more diffused.

If you think about Sun's surface temperature of 5,505 degrees C, compared to my kitchen light, it's sort of scary. Combine that with the knowledge that visible light transmission is at 68% for these lenses, along with the standard 85% UV exposure from sunlight on snow, and all I know is that two years later I still have pain in my right from this experience. Sure there's a bunch of variables at play, but look at the difference with the gray goggles and the same kitchen light below:

I used the same iPhone camera, aimed through the gray goggles at the same light, and it clearly shows a different amount of light intensity and exposure. The filament is no longer as well-defined and bright. I already claimed I'm no scientist, just a guy with eye damage...so guess what ski goggles I will never ever use again? The yellow goggles.

Your mileage may vary, and of course there are people who ski with yellow lenses their whole lives perhaps, so all I'm saying is that if I were shopping today for ski goggles, I would never buy yellow goggles ever again because two years later, I am still having problems with my right eye that somehow ended up sunburned that one sunny Saturday while skiing...and I was wearing UV protective yellow goggles.

The impact of this experience as it relates to astronomy is more subtle, and probably not even apparent to any eye doctor. I have been a visual astronomer since I was 12 years old. I have always had better-than 20/20 vision, and have never worn glasses before.

When looking through a telescope I use averted vision most of time on faint objects in order to extract as much visual information about the objects I'm observing. I can absolutely tell that my perception is nowhere near where it used to be before this injury. It's dramatically degraded my night vision through the telescope to the point where I have been trying to "retrain" my brain by using my left eye (non-observing eye) as my primary eye now.

It's been a very long process, and overall, the lesson here is very simple...no matter what the perceived benefits of yellow goggles are, and no matter what the debates may be, I wish I had my vision back the way it was before this experience regardless of manufacturer claims.

I still love to ski and use my telescope, but buyer beware...and remember, you only have two eyes. UV protection while skiing under any conditions should be a top priority for every skier or snowboarder.

2011 Lunar Eclipse!

2011-12-10T06:56:00.000-08:00

There's an eclipse taking place right now and it's gorgeous! Get outside and see awesome color on the Moon as the eclipse progresses. This is my favorite part of a lunar eclipse when things turn a deep red. You won't get to see something like this again until 2014.

If you can't see the Moon due to clouds, head over to the Slooh Space Camera where the eclipse is being broadcast live right now. Dr. Duncan Copp is giving a fantastic commentary on the Moon...he's the Producer for a 2006 documentary called In the Shadow of the Moon.

GAU iPhone App in Development

2011-11-27T19:59:00.000-08:00

What's better than reading about the GAU on your computer? Reading about the GAU on your iPhone!

In order to stay fresh, the GAU is currently developing an iPhone app that will focus on the main content on the website, and will hopefully include a few extras to keep readers interested. There are plenty of astronomy apps out there, but not very many apps for unclubs!

Stay tuned as this app gets polished and submitted to Apple for consideration.

GAU Winter Astronomy for Foster Children

2011-11-27T19:16:00.000-08:00

This winter, the GAU is going to do something that may be a first here in the Seattle area...host a star party for foster children if possible. The idea is to simply share the winter night sky with children who may have never seen the Moon through a telescope, or even heard of the beautiful Christmas Tree Cluster.

After Thanksgiving, the GAU will be contacting local foster organizations to begin proposing an event for children of all ages who are in foster care to come out for an evening and look at the night sky through telescopes provided by local astronomers.

We will share beautiful objects such as the Moon, Christmas Tree Cluster, the Garnet Star in Cygnus, Albireo in Cygnus, asterisms such as the Diamond Ring that surrounds Polaris, and other rich and beautiful urban targets for city skies.

The GAU will also begin the process of contacting other local area astronomy clubs for potential volunteer support to provide astronomers and telescopes for the event.

For now we'd like to see if this idea can become a reality as the winter night sky is not to be missed! And who better to share it with than children who may have never had a chance to look at these objects ever before.

If you are involved in foster care here in the Seattle/Tacoma area please contact the GAU if you are interested in helping with this event.

The Book of the Moon: The Truth

2011-11-16T23:50:00.000-08:00

I recently picked up a copy of Rick Stroud's "The Book of the Moon" from a used bookstore, and I have to say right off the bat, shame on you Amazon book reviewers for completely missing the point of this great book.

If you turn the book over, it literally states that the book includes the "magic and mystery" of the moon. It even states, "From alchemists and witches to scientists and astronauts...Rick Stroud delves into the mythology and astrology that has inspired civilizations and cultures the world over."

There are only 3 reviews of this book on Amazon, two of which criticize the author for it not being a science book, or blurring the lines between science and pseudoscience.

Did they not catch the part about witches? I'm pretty sure there are plenty of science books out there on the boring stuff about the Moon that no one actually is interested in like kreep, or like how during the Nectarian Period there was heavy bombardment on the moon compared to the Copernican Period.

PS...if you never heard of kreep, it is the acronym for...wait a minute...you can Google this if you actually want to find out. So why would a reviewer on Amazon give the book 2 stars and claim that the book is "full of fiction, not facts?"

I have books on the Moon that are mainly facts, figures, and features. You can only read that stuff so many times before you say, okay, I get it...it's the moon. It's like, several shades of gray, and is all dusty and stuff, and I can't move there yet and trash it.

What if you were looking for a book about the other stuff about the moon that makes you say, wow, okay, the moon is awesome! That's when you put down Gerald North's book on the moon and pick up Rick Stroud's. Here is a quotes from this book to give you an idea as to why I am criticizing the reviewers of this book on Amazon:

"Generally, light spells should be done when the moon is waxing, darker spells when the moon is waning..."

I personally didn't know that the best time to impose vengeance, discord, and hatred is during a waning moon. There's even a section on "Rules for Spell-Making." Rule number 4 is to check moon phases...if your spells aren't working, have you been checking the moon phase?

This stuff is awesome if you're bored with reading about the diameter of the moon over and over again.

I don't think it's fair to complain about a book about the moon that has a chapter called "Medicine, Madness, Werewolves, and Science," or to complain that the book isn't factual enough...werewolves? Did you even read Chapter 7 on werewolves? It was right after the chapter on magic.

Chapter 7 even covers sharks, suicides, tides, cockroaches, and even the sea slug. This is not your typical book on the moon.

So I say cheers to Rick Stroud for gathering the most amazing collection of knowledge on the moon I've ever read. This book covers astronomers and astronauts, farming and festivals, gardening and gravity, sex and spells, weather and witches...even Zarpandit and Zoroastrianism.

Oh yes...and also that pesky science-type stuff about the Pre-Nectarian Period when the moon formed versus the Copernican Period is still in there. This book is now a permanent part of the GAU lunar library.

GAU Veterans Day Meeting

2011-11-08T00:29:00.000-08:00

That's me, the Founder of the GAU, in that picture, with a loaded M-16 ready to mess up the enemy's world. Before serving in South Korea, I was stationed in (West) Germany from 1988-1990, and the Russians, East Germans, and Czechs were my enemy. That's the way it was...

But that's in the past. I bet there were a lot of potential GAU members back then. Can't fix that, but let's say that those walls came down a long time ago, and all are welcome in the GAU...mostly all. :-)

On Veteran's Day, the GAU will be gathering at Starbucks in Bellevue, WA at the Bellevue Square Mall...that one near that giant-fireplace thingy. The time will be around 7PM...feel free to stop by if you want to thank a US Veteran in real life or talk astronomy...both topics are on the table for discussion.

In order to keep things in perspective, I once met my enemy...in Southern California a few years ago. My car broke down, and the tow truck driver noticed my license plate...CLDWAR. He was about my age, and asked with a heavy Russian accent what it meant. I told him I served during the Cold War, and studied it when I was majoring in Political Science.

We spoke for a while, and he told me that he was in the Russian Army stationed in the Czech Republic and would have shot me. I told him I was in the US Army stationed in West Germany, and I would have shot him first. We sort of stared at each other, smiled, shook hands, and were quite amazed that we were face-to-face in CA actually talking to each other. Amazing moment. That's the only time I ever met my sworn enemy...and he was there to help me start my car. Small world?

GAU Anniversary Celebration: Thanks Everyone!

2011-10-26T21:12:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night at the Nectar in Seattle, the GAU celebrated it's 2nd anniversary, and I wanted to take the time to give a big thanks to all those who came up to help mark this event!

Without you, the unclub celebration would have been, well uneventful.

Three sets of SLOOH mission launch cards were given away to the first three attendees. The stage was lit up in a huge array of colors and the DJs had quite a staggering amount of equipment set up to pump out the reggae.

Tuesday night was quite unusual. It was almost as if it were a private celebration and we had the whole venue reserved. The ratio of GAU to non-GAU attendees was at least 3:1, and we don't do math very well at the GAU. If you were there, then you know what I mean by a ratio of 3:1.

If you weren't there, you missed the sight of an entire night club in Seattle...two floors each with a bar...with a ratio of 3:1 celebrating the GAU's anniversary.

Let's just say that the number of people celebrating the GAU was equal to the population of the town of Tortilla Flat, Arizona.

GAU Celebrates its 2nd Anniversary!

2011-10-20T23:11:00.000-07:00

On October 25th, 2011 the GAU will be celebrating its 2nd anniversary. The GAU was founded (technically-speaking) on October 26th, but that's a school night, and at the GAU we aren't counting...

Here's what we are counting though, 2 sets of 10 launch code cards for direct access to the SLOOH Telescope! In celebration of our second year of (un) existence, we are giving away launch codes that will allow the lucky winners to initiate live missions on the SLOOH Telescope and let them capture and publish their own images directly into Google Sky!

As the weather has taken a turn for the worse in Seattle, why not try to grab access to one of the most awesome telescope networks on the planet? SLOOH is located in the Canary Islands, Chile, and Australia and covers both the northern and southern hemisphere.

If you can top that in Seattle, I suppose our conversation is over...if you can't top that, I hope you can join me in celebrating the only unclub in the universe you need to know about.

So...where is this celebration? Well, what goes better with astronomy than reggae music? We're not your standard-issue astronomy club. There are no rules at the GAU, so we are planning this celebration on reggae night at the following venue:

Nectar Lounge
Tuesday, Oct 25, 2011 8:00 PM PDT (8:00 PM Doors)
412 N. 36th St., Seattle WA 98103

I'll be on the second floor...go upstairs at the back (right) of the venue...there is a sitting/standing area plus a bar up there. Listen to Zions Gate Sound (DJ Element) and special guest Blessed Coast Sound and hang out with the GAU and get your launch code card!

On a side note, the GAU is an unclub and has no budget, so you will most likely have to buy your own drink. Sorry about that technicality, but it helps keep the GAU true to its mission. Hope to see you there!

Image credit: http://www.nectarlounge.com/calendar.html

Model Lighting Ordinance Training - Seattle WA

2011-10-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) and the Illuminating Engineering Society passed what is called the Model Lighting Ordinance (MLO). It's easy to understand what the MLO is all about. Simply put…it is an effort to reduce glare, light trespass and glow...something that all astronomers can appreciate.

Now for the first time anywhere, Seattle will be hosting the first MLO training on Wednesday, October 26th. Astronomers in the great NW, and especially the Puget Sound area are literally in a great position to participate in this training and lead the way.

Training will be presented by internationally renowned Nancy E. Clanton (PE, LC, IALD), an award-winning lighting designer and president of Clanton Engineering in Boulder, Colorado. Nancy has served on the board of directors of IESNA and IALD and continues to serve on many committees. She has taught more than 250 lighting courses and seminars for the University of Colorado, IESNA, AIA, IALD, ASID, and USGB. She received her BS degree in architectural engineering from the University of Colorado.

There are so many abbreviations in the previous paragraph that the GAU doesn't even have enough funding to Google all of these to provide a decent summary for its un-members. All you need to know is that Nancy has some serious credentials when it comes to lighting.

Also, for this special training, Scott Kardel, IDA Public Affairs manager, will be in Seattle to participate in elevating the campaign to fight light pollution in our communities with the new MLO. Overall, if you are interested in this issue, this should be a historical first for all astronomers.

Even though this training isn't free, every astronomical organization should try to have at least one representative at the MLO training. Find out how the MLO can be used to promote meaningful energy conservation and measurable reduction of light pollution such as glare and light trespass. Take this opportunity to share with your fellow members and your community leaders a roadmap to quality outdoor lighting and darker night skies.

For registration and more information visit the MLO training page on the IDA Site.

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011
10:00am – 2:00pm

Lighting Design Lab
2915 4th Ave S.
Seattle, WA 98134
Cost: $75 per person includes lunch

Photo credit: http://yosemite.epa.gov/

Unihedron Sky Meter vs Homemade Sky Meter

2011-09-25T20:32:00.000-07:00

In order to better understand what seem to be inconsistent meter readings with my Unihedron Sky Meter I decided to build one myself using my Arduino microcontroller.

The device I built tonight measures illuminance ranging from a Moonless clear night sky to direct sunlight using a highly sensitive photocell.

These readings haven't been converted to lux yet, but notice that they DO fluctuate between 906 and 917. It may not seem like a big deal, but the Unihedron also fluctuates under dark skies between readings, when it would seem like it shouldn't as a dark sky doesn't really change in seconds or minutes to an observer. Therefore is the programming set too sensitive on the Unihedron?

In addition to this, two Unihedron Sky Meters side-by-side give different readings of the night sky...not a huge difference, but different enough to cause question.

When I put my hand over the top of my homemade sky meter, look what happens. The readouts drop between 435 and 462 and are not consistent. When I pull my hand back, the reading go back up to 902 - 916.

Analog reading = 915 - Very bright

Analog reading = 909 - Very bright

Analog reading = 907 - Very bright

Analog reading = 913 - Very bright

Analog reading = 906 - Very bright

Analog reading = 913 - Very bright

Analog reading = 902 - Very bright

Analog reading = 917 - Very bright

Analog reading = 904 - Very bright

Analog reading = 913 - Very bright

Analog reading = 906 - Very bright

Analog reading = 914 - Very bright

Analog reading = 462 - Light

Analog reading = 435 - Light

Analog reading = 458 - Light

Analog reading = 455 - Light

Analog reading = 435 - Light

Analog reading = 454 - Light

Analog reading = 459 - Light

Analog reading = 486 - Light

Analog reading = 466 - Light

Analog reading = 453 - Light

Analog reading = 446 - Light

Analog reading = 906 - Very bright

Analog reading = 914 - Very bright

Analog reading = 902 - Very bright

Analog reading = 916 - Very bright

Analog reading = 902 - Very bright

Analog reading = 914 - Very bright

Analog reading = 906 - Very bright

Analog reading = 916 - Very bright

So...this tiny experiment tells me that the issue may be the sensor itself, and how the program behind the scenes is set to read the sensor before it displays a magnitude reading to the user.

I designed my sky meter to maintain a practical (for me) readout from "dim" to "very bright" even though there is fluctuation in the actual numerical light measurement. Maybe the Unihedron need not go down to tenths of a magnitude because the sensor fluctuations are not really that helpful, because its in my nature to ask why?

I'm not concerned with the numerical difference between 902 and 916 as it's in the same defined range of "Very bright."

So...in a nutshell, this tells me that my Unihedron Sky Meter is maybe reading out the level of sky brightness a bit to sensitively for the average user of the sky meter.

In other words, maybe it doesn't need to give a readout into tenths of a magnitude due to fluctuations from a photocell that can't really be avoided. A readout of 20.92 or 20.15 is sort of pointless for me as an amateur astronomer compared to 20.0 or 20.5. Can't these be averaged out in the programming so the meter readings are more practical?

If anyone has any ideas or input on this, give me a call on Google Voice. Has anyone built a sky meter like this to test this issue? Am I the first?

Crystal Mountain and the Perseids - August 13th 2011

2011-08-12T10:15:00.000-07:00

If you didn't catch this, Crystal Mt. (out past Enumclaw) is hosting a very special meteor shower party complete with an astronomy talk at 9PM at the top of the new gondola. Cost is $20 to upload at the base of Crystal Mt. You need to upload between 7:30 and 8:30 PM to get to the top in time to catch the talk and the show.

This location provides amazing views of Mt. Rainier by day, and awesome night sky views by night. Dress super warm if you're going up there...it can get chilly.

The astronomy talk is being presented by the President of the Tacoma Astronomical Society, and there will be telescopes. Visit the Crystal Mt. website for full details.

New Moon Discovered around Pluto!

2011-07-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here at the GAU, we still classify Pluto as the "ninth planet that orbits the Sun."

In fact the GAU proudly declares the un-reclassification of Pluto as the "second most massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System after Eris." That's just too many words for us...

What you might not have caught was that while NASA was looking for dwarf rings around the ninth planet that orbits the Sun, it actually discovered a fourth moon...orbiting the ninth planet that orbits the Sun.

This discovery is thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope which located it at a distance of about 3 billion miles. Go Hubble!

At the moment this tiny new moon, (the one that orbits the ninth planet that orbits the Sun) is only 8 - 24 miles in diameter and is named P4. That's not a very exciting name for an exciting new moon, but what can you do?

It's still a new moon, and it still orbits the ninth planet that orbits the Sun.

The full NASA story is located here, and includes more images like the one posted here showing the new discovery.

Arduino Astronomy Project Update

2011-07-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

The Arduino-powered astronomy device is coming along nicely. At the moment, I'm using Google SketchUp to develop drawings and specifications for the device, and eventually will have some idea of how compact it can be. The drawing you see here is just a rough idea on what the table-top device will look like.

Google SketchUp is fantastic for designing prototypes as it allows you to put your project into "wireframe" view so you can really get inside and see what's going on in terms of potential extra space for added components, batteries, etc. as well as reducing wasted space.

A provisional patent will be filed once a description of the device is completed and the application is complete. Stay tuned for updates on the project as time permits.

Special Thanks

2011-06-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

The GAU wants to give special thanks and recognition to both the Boeing Employees' Astronomical Society and the Tacoma Astronomical Society for their assistance and participation in the City of Lake Forest Park's 50th Anniversary celebration Friday night.

This event was a success except for one thing...it was cloudy! Aside from that, the astronomers that attended were able to share the hobby with local residents, and talk all things astronomy. Star charts were handed out, and there were a lot of discussions on future events at this great location.

As it turns out, Horizon View Park is a great place for future astronomy outreach events due to its overall darkness and horizon. There is plenty of parking, easy access to observing areas, and protection from headlights.

This location has been added to the GAU's AstroMap of observing locations in Washington State.

GAU Helping Celebrate Lake Forest Park 50th Anniversary - June 17th

2011-06-12T22:58:00.000-07:00

The City of Lake Forest Park, WA will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this weekend, and the GAU will be onsite Friday evening for the stargazing event to share the night sky with local residents.

The stargazing event is at Horizon View Park starting at sunset. There will be a movie starting at 8PM, and then afterwards we'll observe some popular urban night sky objects, weather permitting. If it's cloudy, hope you can stop by and say "hi" to the GAU and learn a little bit about the unclub.

Here's the full weekend event schedule.

The purpose of this event is to provide the opportunity to instill a sense of pride in local residents, increase regional awareness of this community, and celebrate our quality of life. The GAU is happy to help make this event a success, and marks the first official outreach event for the GAU.

Congratulations to Benjamin Palmer!

2011-06-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

Back in March this year, Astronomy Magazine held an essay contest for young astronomers to share why they love astronomy. The grand prize for the best essay was a trip to the Northeast Astronomy Forum and Telescope Show (NEAF) and front page coverage...well page 6 in Astronomy Magazine.

Benjamin Palmer's essay was selected out of over 50 that were submitted. Here is a quote from his inspirational essay:

"Astronomy is revolutionary because it changes the way we think about the world and ourselves. It encourages me to think outside the box - the box of self, the box of finite knowledge, the box of known commodities. In the truest sense, astronomy opens up the physical world of possibility."

Read the full story here: Astronomy Magazine

This is an outstanding achievement. Benjamin started enjoying astronomy when he was only 9 years old, and at the age of 16, he's already made a lasting impression on the astronomy community.

Way to go Benjamin!

GAU Coffeehouse Gathering: Thanks!

2011-05-31T23:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to those who attended tonight's GAU Coffeehouse Gathering! If you weren't there, we talked about the Unihedron Sky Quality Meter, a local astronomer's "taste of discovery" of a supernova, Astronomical League Observing Clubs, and the GAU's newest research website covering astronomy in Antarctica on the Sigma Octanis website.

If you missed this informal meeting, there will be more in the coming months as astronomy season ramps up. Thanks again to those who attended tonight's meeting.

Without you, the unclub would be...well, an unclub!

First Supernova Undiscovered!

2011-05-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

Here at the GAU, we take pride in the fact that the unclub has no members, no formal organization, and no official presence, and yet there are readers from 173 cities around the world.

In this same spirit, the GAU is proud to announce what appears to be the first ever recorded, undiscovery of a supernova! On the night of April 30th, 2011 at 11:57, Denis Janky, Principle Astronomer of the Zephyr Ridge Observatory in Washington State was observing NGC3972 when he noticed a "suspicious star" on the northern side of the halo near the center of the galaxy. He reported on his website that it wasn't a star on his existing charts and even wrote in his original observing log that night that it could be a supernova.

A week later he realized that he was actually looking at Supernova 2011by that was discovered only four days prior to his visual observation! This was officially discovered by Zhangwei Jin and Xing Gao of China, but for our purposes at the GAU we credit Denis as being the first visual observer who undiscovered a supernova.

To verify this claim, feel free to Google "supernova undiscovered" and you will see that no one in history has ever undiscovered a supernova before. This is a bold claim, but at the GAU, we are all about being bold, so a huge shout-out goes to Denis and his meticulous observing notes and dedication to amateur astronomy.

The GAU encourages everyone to read his observing report and enjoy the undiscovery first-hand!

(Image credit: Richie Jarvis)

GAU Meeting Postponed

2011-05-23T20:11:00.000-07:00

The May coffeehouse gathering is being rescheduled for Tuesday, May 31st at 7:00 PM at Seattle's Best Coffee inside Borders Books at Southcenter Mall. The topic will be the Unihedron Sky Quality Meter.

GAU Coffeehouse Gathering: May 24th

2011-05-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

The GAU will be meeting May 24th at 7:00 PM at Seattle's Best Coffee in Borders Books at Southcenter Mall in Tukwila.

The topic will be the Unihedron Sky Quality Meter. This is a handheld device that lets you find out how good your night sky really is. You can use this to compare sky brightness at different observing sites, and even document the increase/decrease in light pollution.

Another interesting use for this meter is to use it in conjunction with the Clear Sky Clocks to confirm sky quality.

The sky meter include an audible signal when you're taking a measurement. The sky brightness is displayed on the screen in visual magnitudes per square arcsecond. For an explanation on how this works, click here. The sky meter also shows the temperature in Celsius and Fahrenheit to help you record observing conditions.

If you have one of these and want to share experience with them, or are interested in what they look like and how they work, join us on Tuesday.

National Astronomy Day: May 7th 2011

2011-05-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

National Astronomy Day takes place every year in the Spring where planetariums, astronomy clubs, and anyone with a love for astronomy get together and share astronomy with the public. Here are a few local NW events that are taking place:

Celebrate Space Day at the Museum of Flight today from 5PM to 9PM. All Space Day programs are free with museum admission, free of charge tonight courtesy of Wells Fargo. This year the celebration coincides with the 50th anniversary of the first American in space, Alan Shepard. This is related to Astronomy Day in that it encourages people to enjoy and share in the wonders of the Universe.

This year in Seattle the Pacific Science Center is hosting events all day that will include craft activities, extra planetarium shows and facilities space-themed activities with onsite Science Interpretation staff.

More events will be added as they come to light.

The 2011 Messier Marathon 2011

2011-03-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

It's time to dust off your telescope and head outside and try to bag as many Messier objects as you can in a single night. This year we may have a bit of a problem due to a Full Moon during prime marathon season. March 18th would be the ideal marathon night otherwise.

We have a few other opportunities near New Moon on March 4th or April 3rd. The problem will be that it could be difficult to hunt down all 110 Messier objects, especially from urban areas. Here in Washington State the Yakima Astronomy Club is planning to hold a marathon on March 26th. Closer to GAU headquarters is the Tacoma Astronomical Society who just concluded two marathons on February 4th-5th and March 4th-5th according to their calendar. So it's the season!

The best resource for Messier Marathons is a book written by Harvard Pennington called The Year-Round Messier Marathon. It's currently on Amazon for about $25.00. I have used this book since 2004 to plan and participate in marathons. In fact it was this book that helped me locate 104 objects on my first marathon with a Televue 76 refractor. I highly recommend this book if you have any interest in the subject.

Even if you don't want to try a marathon, this book is fantastic at helping locate Messier object year-round due to the way the objects are organized and presented to the observer.

For 2011, the GAU may try to hold a mini-marathon Saturday, April 2nd at Rattlesnake Lake. (cancelled due to weather) Here is the clear sky clock you can use to see if it will be a good night to hunt for Messier objects. Basically you want blue blocks and not white blocks...pretty easy to use!

The purpose of the mini-marathon will be to simply focus on observing as many of the Messier objects as possible up until we get bored or bummed out by the light pollution from Seattle...yes...it's all Seattle's fault. Here's the proof. :-p

This will be good practice at using the guide book in a structured fashion to locate, observe, and log observations. This is a good habit for all observing sessions, but it can be more fun when you have a group of people all trying to locate the same objects at the same time...from the same guide book perhaps.

If you can't get the book, there a lot of online resources. For example the Saguaro Astronomy Club has an online Messier observing list you can print out to use. You could even try out a mini-marathon using the mini-list that the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada provides for beginners.

Rob Hawley has a great online book for Messier Marathons complete with visual charts in pdf format. Rob is a pretty hard core amateur astronomer and has a lot of his lectures online and other astronomy resources available. Thanks Rob for providing this to everyone!

If you're not a big fan of marathons, hopefully you will still have clear skies this month and have a chance to revisit some of our favorite Messier objects in the night sky.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-13T22:14:00.000-08:00

The GAU is still in full swing for 2011. This year will hopefully be a fun year for the unclub. A few items on the agenda for the new year:

1. Reach out to local astronomy clubs for joint events.
2. Update website design and layout.
3. Increase social media participation.
4. Hold monthly coffeehouse meetings.
5. Increase local ad hoc star parties in the South Puget Sound area.
6. Research dark sky sites.

Ever heard of an astronomy/ski party? So far this year, on a few night skiing trips I've had the unexpected pleasure of actually being able to do a little bit of winter astronomy while riding the chairlift up the mountain. From about 3,500 ft elevation with clear dark skies, Orion looked fantastic!

It was an unexpected surprise, although craning the neck to look at Orion while on the chair was a bit foreboding! The benefit of observing while sitting on a chairlift is that you're already bundled up for cold weather...plus, for a few minutes you aren't going anywhere but up! Might as well check out the stars and get reacquainted with the winter constellations.

Don't forget to look up no matter where you are over the cold winter months.

Arduino and Astronomy?

2010-12-03T08:59:00.000-08:00

The weather has taken a turn here in the Seattle area, and clear skies are now an endangered species. With many local astronomers hunkering down for the winter, what better time to talk about indoor projects?

Recently I've become very interested in the Arduino microprocessor and have started learning how to program and use it. Naturally this leads to questions about astronomy applications for the Arduino. If you've never heard of Arduino, here's the main site: http://www.arduino.cc/

A quick search on the internet reveals some interesting results. There are a few discussions about Arduino being used to control observatory domes and even digital setting circles. Here's a nice write up of one guy's project: http://msfastro.net/articles/arduinodsc/

Perhaps at the next GAU coffeehouse gathering we will talk about Arduino project ideas, like red LED observing light projects, or incorporating ultrasound...or who knows. The sky is the limit with Arduino!

(Picture from Wikipedia)

GAU One Year Anniversary!

2010-10-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

The GAU is celebrating its one year anniversary today! Exactly one year ago today, the GAU posted its first story online. The unclub experiment has been fun so far, with readers coming from across the globe to check out the website. Thanks for stopping by once in a while to see what's new. This coming year will hopefully bring more content, more product reviews, and maybe even some interviews. Stay tuned!

SkyVoyager for iPhone

2010-08-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

These days I've been trying to spend more time with SkyVoyager on my iPhone trying out all of its cool features. I should start off by saying that at a dark sky site, I would never use any mobile device as it will degrade night vision no matter what. I prefer paper charts and a dim red flashlight for preserving night vision.

SkyVoyager is a very powerful app that is fantastic for arm-chair astronomers who want a portable planetarium in their pocket. This app is only 157mb and takes up very little space on an iPhone/iPod Touch and includes an impressive list of features. It includes data on:

1 Sun
9 Planets (counting Pluto!)
22 Moons
88 Constellations
110 Satellites
298 Comets
327 Asteroids
1,418 City locations
31,791 Star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies
312,088 Stars

In addition to this it includes a whole host of educational material that is useful for students and amateur astronomers that rival pocket-sized books on astronomy. Here's some of the material it includes in addition to the planetarium features:

37 Planet and Moon Descriptions
51 Constellation Prints
65 Reference Diagrams
88 Constellation Guides
144 Solar System Images
287 Deep Sky Object Images
508 Star Descriptions
558 Deep Sky Object Description

SkyVoyager allows you to search for commonly observed objects such as planets, asteroids, stars, etc. with an easy to use search feature.

This lets you either type in the name of the object you are looking for or click on the type of object you want to find. One feature I like about this is that it will highlight the objects that are visible to you from the location/time you have set up. This way you can quickly tell if a galaxy or planet is visible or not.

The only complaint I would have is it doesn't have a list of NGC objects. It's my understanding that they are all in the database, but there's no 'list' I can scroll through. It does have a list of Messier and Caldwell objects which is probably sufficient in most cases. From my backyard there's no way I'm going to see all the NGC objects so my complaint isn't really that legit!

Here's a screenshot of the planetarium screen for this evening looking east/southeast at 9:44PM for Yakima, WA. SkyVoyager has a very nice display showing the position of Uranus, Neptune, Jupiter and the Moon in relation to the horizon. You can click on any celestial object on the screen to get detailed information about the object which is also a nice feature.

This program allows you to pan around or zoom in/out using a pinching motion with your fingers which is comfortable to use. Sometimes the speed of the program seems to lag a bit when doing this, but overall it's not a problem considering the amount of detail it has. You can turn features on/off to help speed up things and change the screen from color to black/white.

Overall I like this program and use it quite a bit, although I don't use it at the telescope. There is a night vision mode, and the screen brightness can be adjusted to help dim everything but on my iPhone there remains a small strip of white light that leaks at the top of the screen which is slightly annoying under really dark skies.

SkyVoyager remains my favorite astronomy app on the iPhone despite this because I use it as resource rather than as an observing aid. It's not cheap, but it's packed with enough features to make the price seem reasonable, and the folks at Carina Software work hard to keep it updated. The most recent release (1.6.2) updated constellation and Messier object descriptions which illustrates the attention to detail Carnia puts into this app. Enjoy!

Lunar Parties Anyone?

2010-07-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

With all the buzz surrounding star parties, does anyone ever have lunar parties where they gather just to enjoy the Moon through a variety of telescopes with fellow observers?

Image by Jon Bergskog

Many amateur astronomers curse at the Moon as it causes so much light pollution, but there has to be some folks out there who enjoy observing lunar craters, shadows on the lunar surface, and traveling along the terminator, etc.

Lunar parties don't require a dark sky site at all, and setting up in a public location to share the Moon through telescopes is easy to do.

Members of the public would probably enjoy looking at the Moon in great detail more than they would enjoy looking at a small fuzzy patch and trying to believe it's a galaxy or a nebula. Considering the responses I have received when I show someone the Moon through my telescope, I would think that a lunar party would be a huge hit and get more people interested in astronomy.

So, here at the GAU, we're going to test this idea and hold a lunar party and see what happens. If there's anyone out there who enjoys the Moon as an astronomical object, and wants to join in, let us know. Stay tuned for date, time, and location.

GAU Coffeehouse Gathering July 8th

2010-07-07T11:01:00.000-07:00

The GAU will hold an informal coffeehouse gathering at Seattle's Best Coffee (SBC) at Southcenter Mall, Thursday, July 8th at 7:30 PM. SBC is located within Borders Books on the south side of the mall.

We'll talk about online astronomy tools and gadgets, and anything anyone wants to talk about. Anyone pick up a pair of Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15 x 70 binoculars recently? Let's talk giant binos!

Shout out to GAU Fans!

2010-06-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

The Galileo Astronomy Unclub has now been around for 7 months, and there are already fans in 161 cities around the world in 34 countries!

This is just a note to say thanks to everyone...your readership is greatly appreciated, and my wish for clear skies goes out to you. You may all consider yourselves official non-members of the unclub!

Dark Nebula

2010-06-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend out in the Eastern Washington desert, I finally visually spotted my first dark nebula, Barnard 86, aka the Ink Spot Nebula. This dark nebula borders NGC 6520, an open cluster. If you can find this cluster, you found the dark nebula!

Most amateur astronomers are familiar with emission and reflection nebula, but dark nebulae are exciting targets that are often overlooked. This is where background starlight is blocked by the presence of dust particles coated with frozen carbon monoxide and nitrogen. In essence these are like mysterious inky-black 'holes' in the sky. You can read more about these on Wikepedia.

Some famous dark nebula include the Coalsack Nebula, Cone Nebula, Dark Horse Nebula, and the almighty Horsehead Nebula.

I once attempted to photograph the Horsehead Nebula from Table Mt. in Washington State in the past using 35mm film. This image includes the Flame Nebula in the bottom of the picture, and the faint, tiny black patch in the square is actually the dark nebula...it's there, trust me.

These are interesting objects to either observe or photograph if you have the right stuff. I hope you will all get outside and give some of these a try. If your pictures don't turn out the greatest, don't worry...these dark nebula are mysterious to begin with and are there to challenge us all.

Star-Hopping: Your Visa to Viewing the Universe

2010-04-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

Despite the popularity of computer-guided telescopes, star-hopping remains the only technique available to everyone no matter what equipment you have or don't have, and no matter your economic status because you don't even need a telescope or pair of binoculars. What can help though, is a good book on the subject.

Enter Robert Garfinkle's book "Star-Hopping: Your Visa to Viewing the Universe." This is the most comprehensive book on the subject and available on Amazon.

This book is put together with a month-to-month chapters showcasing unique star-hopping paths the author has selected. These guide the reader along an adventurous star-hopping route. For example, the month of April focuses on the area around the Big Dipper starting at Alkaid and ending at M101.

This journey takes us from the last bright star in the handle of the Big Dipper, past NGC 5480 and NGC 5481, the double star Kappa Bootis, and NGC 5474, to name a few. The author describes each of these objects along the route, so the book makes for a great field guide alongside the telescope for reference.

If you're into star-hopping, this is a perfect book to add to your library. Even if you are using a computer-guided scope, you might still want to grab this book and try out the interesting adventures throughout the year.

Spring Observing

2010-03-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

On March 18th, 2010 I went observing in Eastern WA for some "last-minute" winter objects. I used my 3" Televue refractor as my primary instrument and left the 8" SCT at home. Here are the objects I observed, including a very special treat:

NGC 2169, Open Cluster, Famous "Number 37" cluster.
NGC 2194, Open Cluster, Very faint in 3" Televue.
NGC 1662, Open Cluster, Sparse, not really cluster-like.
NGC 2903, Spiral Galaxy, Non-Messier, rather faint.
NGC 3638, Spiral Galaxy, Faintest of the "Leo Triplet."
NGC 3623, Spiral Galaxy, Part of "Leo Triplet."
NGC 3627, Spiral Galaxy, Part of "Leo Triplet."
NGC 3379, Elliptical Galaxy, Difficulty in seeing black hole. :-P
NGC 3384, Elliptical Galaxy, Part of "Leo I Group."
NGC 3351, Spiral Galaxy, Part of "M96 Group."
NGC 3368, Spiral Galaxy, brightest galaxy in M96 Group.

Special Treat: Melotte 111 aka "Coma Berenices Star Cluster." This is a true physical cluster and was proven as such in 1938.

Surprisingly, this cluster is moving "with" us...there's no Doppler shift in any of the member stars...very weird.

This is a huge cluster that doesn't require a telescope, just dark skies. In other words, impossible from Seattle!

(Image Credit: NASA)

More info about this cluster:

http://messier.obspm.fr/xtra/ngc/mel111.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coma_star_cluster

Pluto Protest in Seattle - March 13th at 1PM

2010-03-12T16:02:00.000-08:00

If you're not a fan of Pluto losing its status as a planet, and you live in Seattle, you might want to join the 2nd annual "Pluto is a Planet" protest march.

This year's protest will begin at the Greenwood Space Travel Agency and end at Neptune Coffee, where a sit-in rally will be held, and a workshop for student who might be interested in writing essays about whether or not Pluto should be a planet.

February 25th Coffeehouse Gathering

2010-02-16T21:22:00.000-08:00

The GAU will be meeting February 25th at 7:00 PM at Seattle's Best Coffee in Border's Books at Southcenter Mall in Tukwila.

The topic will be the Messier Marathon. Have you tried one? If so, how many objects did you observe? Would you like to try one?

Participating in a marathon is sort of a once-in-a-lifetime event because once you've tried it, you most likely won't want to try it again! It can get brutal.

My personal record is 104 objects with a 3" refractor...can you beat my score?

Another question to ponder...if you haven't tried it yet, why not? It's sort of a badge of honor in some circles, showing that you've got what it takes to take your astronomy to the next level. Of course, at the same time, some say it's not only insane, but pointless to attempt to view all of the Messier objects in one setting. I detect a bit of controversy here...

I bet that no matter what your opinion is on the matter, if you attend the next unclub gathering, you will meet your rivals face-to-face. Prepare to defend your stance on the infamous Messier Marathon!

Telescope Owner Attacked by Cyclist

2010-02-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

I know that us astronomers try hard to not convey the wrong impression by the use of our optical instruments. Afterall, we have these powerful instruments to gaze upon the heavens and nothing more, right? However, I think we can all admit that at one time or another we've trained our telescopes where we probably shouldn't have...or at least we thought about it.

I recently came across a YouTube video showing a guy using his telescope for "unconventional" purposes, and although he tries to play it off, he gets attacked by the cyclist who was making a "wardrobe adjustment" on his wife/girlfriend.

The guy literally gets knocked to the ground for his mischievous use of his telescope. This should be a reminder that we need to keep our optics turned towards the sky...

Here's the video.

Once you witness this with your own eyes, please feel free to leave any comments, as I'm sure you have have not seen anything like this before, or was unaware of the dangers of such behavior. You've been warned! :-)

"Night Skiing"

2010-01-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

Speaking of ski season, over at Celestron Images is this beautiful and interesting image taken by an astrophotographer codenamed "peaceandhappiness" with a Nikon D40x at Sugerloaf, Maine. According to the notes with the image, this was a 20 second exposure taken on February 23, 2008.

Orion is clearly visible to the right of the chairlift I really like how the cables almost look like light beams fading into the night sky.

Excellent shot combining skiing and the night sky!

No Meeting in January...

2010-01-19T16:17:00.000-08:00

The ski season is underway so there will not be a January GAU meeting. Stay tuned for date/time of the February meeting.

January 12th Coffehouse Gathering Postponed

2010-01-10T20:09:00.000-08:00

The January 12th Coffeehouse Gathering is being postponed until after the MLK holiday. Stay tuned for date/time updates.

Salute to our Troops

2010-01-01T17:08:00.000-08:00

This is an unforgettable scene that reminds us that our soldiers are still overseas and we need to support them. Here is US Army PFC Brent Dawkins, left, and US Air Force Tech Sgt Efren Lopez sleeping on the ground outside a mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle during a cold winter night in Wam Valley, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, December 22, 2009. (Photo approved for public release: US Air Force, by Tech Sgt. Efren Lopez/Released)(091222-F-9191L-529)

Tech Sgt Lopez took a great star trails picture in the desert with his vehicle in the foreground. I can imagine how beautiful the night sky is out there. It's amazing to think that amid having to serve our country overseas in combat, that a soldier still can gaze upon the heavens and appreciate the night sky.

In 2010, I hope that all of our troops remain safe in battle, and can return home to their families without incident. I I hope you will join me in thanking them for their service whenever the opportunity arises.

Christmas Tree Cluster!

2009-12-23T15:42:00.000-08:00

I was unaware that my favorite winter object, the Christmas Tree Cluster, was the subject of a beautiful wall-size poster! This is a quite spectacular image of the cluster in full glory.

This was found on art.com's website under "education > astronomy & space > astronomy elements" and measures 144" x 96" and sells for $299.99.

Speaking of the Christmas Tree Cluster, have you ever looked at it through a telescope? It's actually more spectacular (in my opinion) in a small scope rather than a big scope because the size of the cluster is just right in a 3" or 4" scope. In a small scope you will not see any nebulosity, only the outline of a Christmas tree. Even from the city, this is a beautiful cluster because the surrounding light pollution will actually help hide many of the fainter stars in the field of view, and help bring out the tree even better!

Here's a picture of the Christmas Tree Cluster (naturally upside down) taken at the CSU, Fresno Campus Observatory by a student. This was taken through a 70mm guide scope at f/5.7...a scope less than 3 inches in diameter!

The brightest star in the image is at the imaginary "trunk" of the tree, and you can make out an outline of a little tree covered in ornaments.

With a 76mm Televue refractor, I am able to see a variety of colors in the stars, and it really does make you think of a decorated Christmas tree.

So...how can you find it? It's easier than you think. Here is a chart showing its relation to Orion. If you can see Orion, you can probably find the Christmas Tree. On the star chart, it's labeled as NGC 2264.

Use the two uppermost stars in Orion as a guide straight to NGC 2264! On cold winter nights you want objects that are fun, fast, and fantastic, so you can get back inside to a cup of hot chocolate. The Christmas Tree Cluster is perfect for sharing with family and friends, and is perfect for the season. Merry Christmas!

Poor Man's Refractor Dew Heater?

2009-12-12T22:32:00.000-08:00

In an odd conversation with a friend of mine, somehow the subject of baby bottle warmers came up...similar to the one pictured here. It wraps around a baby bottle and plugs into a car's lighter port. I realized that this might work on a small 3" refractor to help keep dew from building up on the objective lens.

The idea would be to use it for short periods of time as it's not intended to serve as a low temperature device that would stay attached to the telescope all night.

Considering that this can be found online at Walmart for only $15 it sure is a lot easier on the wallet compared to a 'real' dew heater for a 3" refractor. If I try this and it works, I'll post the results...it's not an ideal solution compared to a dedicated dew heater, but you never know.

Next Coffeehouse Gathering: January 12, 2010, 7PM (or so)

2009-12-12T22:07:00.000-08:00

Starting in January, I'm going to hold the gatherings across the street from the usual haunt to a more enjoyable setting...Seattle's Best Coffee in Border's Books at Southcenter Mall. I like how it's in the bookstore so anyone arriving early can browse the latest astronomy publications, and I really like the free wi-fi.

At the previous coffeehouse one has to have an active drink card which is okay, but the login process is a bit annoying...plus not everyone might have one of these cards and may want to bring along a computer to join in the fun or share some observing lists or astrophotos.

EnviroDome: Potential Astronomy Warming Hut?

2009-12-09T14:06:00.000-08:00

For the past week or so at the Auburn WA SuperMall, there has been an odd-looking igloo in the parking lot. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an "EnviroDome" on display. The first thought that came to mind was, "I bet this would make a nice warming hut at a dark sky site." Sure it's not an actual observatory, but it would be a good structure to set up as an "outpost" at a surprisingly low cost.

According to the EnviroDome website these are made from high-tech aerospace composite material and are built to withstand hurricane strength winds or even earthquakes. These things are even insulated for sub-zero arctic weather or hot desert climates. There are two diameters...a 14' dome for $7,500 and a 20' dome for $12,500. The site states it only takes three people about three hours to set one up, and they are 100% environmentally sustainable. Pretty cool if you ask me. Here is a set of pictures showing a few possibilities for the interior of a 20' dome. Everything from a cozy cabin to hard-core research facility.

The site points out that these were recently on display at the Eastern Washington State Fair, and these domes are being used out there as hunting cabins, personal vacation domes, and what are being called "Man Caves." I would be inclined to add "Astronomy Warming Hut" to the list of ideas.

'Tis the Season, Astronomers!

2009-12-02T20:43:00.001-08:00

Oh what a beautiful night under the stars and the moonlight! It's not just time to get those Christmas lights up on the house, but time to get outside and enjoy the most ancient Christmas lights of them all in the night sky.

With all the rather somber news here in the NW lately, you can't turn on the TV or radio without getting an earful. What better time to take a moment and remember why we love astronomy, and pull that scope outside, grab a snifter of brandy and some gloves, and do some observing!

Tonight I started with my very first experiment in capturing the Moon on a converted webcam. I took shots every three seconds, and have a nice batch of images to figure out how to process. Sure they aren't that spectacular, but if was fun to give it a try, considering that I prefer 35mm film.

The Moon was out in full glory tonight...not completely full...that was actually last night, but what a beautiful sight. I used a 12mm Nagler and a Moon filter to lessen the glow, and enjoyed the views. The skies were dark and clear and the Moon was hovering high above the rooftops making it an easy target.

A Moon filter makes a huge difference in trying to enjoy the Moon...I would highly recommend buying one of these if you're ever going to do any lunar observing.

After taking a few shots of the Moon, I moved onto a few targets that didn't require star charts or lengthy planning. I just wanted to see a few familiar objects for the night.

It was rather fun to spot "old friends" like the Orion Nebula, Jupiter, and Pleaides. Despite the glow from the Moon, these were easy to locate and observe. The Trapezium was easily visible tonight in Orion, and sparkled like diamonds. The nebula itself was slightly washed out, but still recognizable and fun to see after a long wait from last winter.

Jupiter was low in the SW and its four major moons were all to one side making a very pleasant and surprising view. It was too low for any surface detail, but the alignment of the four major moons on one side made up for it!

Pleaides is always beautiful in the Televue! You just can't go wrong with these young hot B-type stars. In case you don't know the names of the seven sisters, here you go: ( in order of brightness)

Alcyone
Atlas
Electra
Maia
Merope
Taygeta
Pleione

After some general panning about the sky, I called it a night and packed it in. No harm done, no excursions to darker skies, and it was a lot more fun than thinking about astronomy! My next night out I will try to locate the Christmas Tree Cluster...my all-time favorite winter object. My next post will be all about this fantastic cluster that you can't miss this time of the year.

Best New Animation: Egon & Donci

2009-11-30T22:17:00.000-08:00

If you love astronomy, you simply have to check out the new Hungarian animation film called Egon & Donci. Egon is a warm-hearted amateur astronomer and Donci is his loving pet cat.

Together they live on a far away planet and dream of visiting Earth after Voyager 3 crashes into their planet. Egon builds a spacecraft and together they travel the universe.

This has to be the most inspiring and fun animation I've ever seen. The quality of the animation is superb with striking graphics, colors, and sound. This film is apparently the first animation to be released from Hungary, and it is on par with other major animation productions.

Here is the film's website if you want to learn more...you can find a high-quality DVD on amazon.com here. It's only $13 or so, so if you have a loved one who enjoys astronomy, please be sure to check out this awesome film.

At the next Coffeehouse Gathering I'll have the DVD with me on the laptop if anyone wants to watch some of it or discuss some of the themes in the film. It will make you think...you may need to watch it a few times.

Images: Egon & Donci Website

December 10th GAU Coffeehouse Gathering

2009-11-24T23:03:00.000-08:00

Winter observing is upon us (weather-permitting) so let's talk winter objects! We'll have our second "hangout" December 10th...it's not a meeting, just a chance to grab a cup of our favorite coffee and talk about astronomy and what our favorite winter objects are. Detail and map on the right side of blog.

Starbug vs Soyuz!

2009-11-23T11:27:00.000-08:00

While in DC at the Smithsonian, I noticed right away a similarity between the Soyuz spacecraft that was launched from Kazakstan in 1975, and the the Jupiter Mining Corporation transport vehicle Starbug, from Red Dwarf!

Not only are these spacecraft sectional and round, but the color is a wonderful green hue that is similar to the color that Boeing uses on the skeletons of their aircraft.

National Air & Space Museum Soyuz Here
Red Dwarf Starbug Here

Galileo Star Party - November 14th, 7:30 PM - CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER

2009-11-05T22:41:00.000-08:00

The first Galileo Star Party will be November 14th at Rattlesnake Lake, weather permitting. It's always hard to predict the weather this time of the year, but if it's clear, the GAU will be at the turn-out with scopes aimed at our favorite pre-winter objects.

Full Set of Star Charts Added to GAU Site

2009-10-27T21:43:00.000-07:00

A complete set of printable/downloadable pdf star charts down to magnitude 7 have been added to the GAU online "cloud" located here. This set of charts includes double stars, multiple stars, Messier objects, the RASC finest NGC objects and the Herschell 400...over 550 DSO's in total!

Two Easy Halloween Astronomical Objects

2009-10-27T19:02:00.000-07:00

Halloween is the one time of the year dedicated to celebrating the darker side of humanity...the evil and the dead side. The night sky does not let us down in examples like the Witch Head Nebula seen here, or the Ghost of Jupiter and the Broomstick Nebula. (Image Credit: NASA)

The only problem is that the average person can't even see these objects through a telescope, so I'd like to share a few objects that are my favorite scary night sky wonders that you can enjoy...many of you may already know of these evil objects.

The Owl Cluster (NGC 457)

This is one of my all-time favorite scary objects to share with people because it doesn't require a big telescope, and everyone who looks at it can recognize an eerie creature staring back down on them from the heavens.

The mind plays tricks and tells us that there are clearly two eyes, two arms or wings, and two legs. When you see this through a telescope, the eyes are crystal clear, and the average light-polluted sky actually seems to help bring this creature to life.

The Owl Cluster lives in Cassiopeia as shown in this chart. If you need help locating this scary creature, let me know.

As the chart shows, the Owl Cluster lives not too far from M103. If you point your telescope at the middle of the "w" and use low power, you should begin to see this scary creature waiting to fix its eyes on you.

When you share this object with others, please remember that it may be upside-down depending upon your telescope, which means...it's perhaps a a celestial bat, waiting to feast upon your blood on Halloween night!

The Cat's Eyes in Draco

Another favorite object is easy to spot, and fun to share. It's a nice double star in Draco called the Cat's Eyes. These two stars are evenly spread apart, and about the same brightness. When you see these through binoculars or a telescope, you will believe that an evil black cat is staring at you from above. You will stare at these eyes and tempt yourself to not look away.

Notice that in the area of these stars there aren't a lot of stars nearby so it's easy to enjoy and share with others. All of the children I have shared this with have agreed that these are spooky cat's eyes.

This is another very easy object to find and share, and you don't need dark country skies to enjoy. Once again, light polluted skies seem to help this cat stare down from millions of miles away.

To find the Cat'e Eyes, use a planisphere to find Draco, and then use the chart below to find Nu1 and Nu2.

If you find Draco but don't see the eyes, try looking at the other main stars in the Dragon's head. Only one of them is a double star through a small telescope, so you will find these...I promise you. But don't stare too long as it's not a good idea to challenge a black cat on Halloween night!

First Coffeehouse Gathering

2009-10-27T13:41:00.001-07:00

To get into the Autumn groove, we'll have our first "hangout" this coming Thursday...it's not a meeting, just a chance to grab a cup of our favorite coffee and talk about astronomy and what our favorite autumn objects are. Detail at the bottom of page.

Scary Halloween Sounds from Space

2009-10-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

As the Halloween season is upon us, why not turn our ears towards space for the creepiest sounds in the universe? Can you imagine the sound of the solar wind hitting Jupiter’s magnetosphere? Or radio signals at Ganymede that send shivers down Galileo Spacecraft’s spine?

Is the dust storm on Mars really a dust storm or a ghostly figure? (Okay, this one is not a sound, so-to-say...)

Have you ever listened to the frightening atmospheric howling on Enceladus or Titan's creepy heart beat? All of this followed by Voyager's capturing of the moaning and groaning of the solar winds!

Forget the iPhone Halloween App...listen to these really scary Halloween sounds that will have you jumping into bed and throwing the covers over your head!

Scary Sounds from NASA

Welcome to the GAU!

2009-10-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the newest astronomy unclub in the Pacific Northwest. There are no members, no dues, no formal structure, and no expectations other than to enjoy the night sky and share the experience with others. Despite our usually gray weather in the Pacific Northwest, we still have plenty of opportunities to enjoy astronomy whether online or outdoors throughout the year. The GAU plans on hosting informal astronomy events, coffeehouse meetings, and observing sessions, so stay tuned to this site for updates.