November 2013

Lisa Clore-Taylor
John Rovnak

• 83 paid active members
• 5 Educational Membership – Astro Op
• Checking account and Cash on Hand: $2,605.59
• See Ed Preston for information on discounted subscriptions to Astronomy and Sky and Telescope

• Club Scopes available for use by members http://cvilleastro.com/clubtelescopes-available-for-club-member-use/
– See Rich for information richard@drummdigital.com

• Current Officers
– President: Steve Layman
– Vice President: Rich Drumm
– Secretary: Larry Saunders
– Treasurer: Ed Preston
Interested in running for an office?

Art Lichtneberger
University of Virginia Microfabrication Lab and ALMA

Saturday, October 5
The Northern Virginia Astronomy Club (NOVAC) will be hosting the 2013 annual meeting of the Virginia Association of Astronomical Societies
(VAAS) this fall. It will be held on Saturday October 5th at C. M. Crockett
Park near Warrenton, VA and will coincide with our big fall public Star Gaze event there. This will be a free event for all members of the invited astronomy clubs.
The VAAS portion of the day will begin early at 8:30 AM. After a light breakfast for attendees, there will be several presentations running up to a catered lunch around noon. During the daylight hours members can enjoy safe solar viewing and at night you can set up your equipment by your cars on the large observing field. VAAS attendees are welcome to stay for our afternoon to evening Star Gaze beginning at 3 PM when we will have more presentations and demonstrations.

We have been invited to assist at
Boy Scout Apple Harvest
Camporee in Pleasant Grove
Park, Fluvanna County
Saturday, October 12
9:15 – 10:30
Contact Ed Murphy or Steve Layman

Astronomy Day
Sunday, October 13
Build a Telescope at McCormick Observatory
12 students enrolled

Fan Mountain Open House
Friday, October 25
Rain or Shine
6:00 pm
We need someone to manage
Concessions

Hollymead Star Party
Friday, October 25
7:00 – 8:30 pm
200+ students and parents

Have you participated in any of the following?
• Fall Fan Mountain
• Hollymead Star Party
• Ivy Creek
• Rockfish Valley Star Gaze
• Open Doors session
• McCormick Group Nights
If so…………..

The Astronomical League
Outreach Award

Lunar Observing Award
* observe 100 objects on the moon
* log your observations
* http://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/lunar/lunar2.html

Moved from Northern Virginia to dark skies on 3 rd birthday
Was scared of the dark.

Father stressed science and mathematics from early age.
Pi “R” squared
Double the diameter of a pizza you get 4 times as much.

Greek Myths and Newton's laws were bedtime stories

Attempted to view Comet
Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp … from dark skies of the Elizabeth River
Failed
.

10 years later brought up Astronomy as a topic of conversation to music teacher to evade the fact that he had not practiced playing the Tuba .
Sorry Steve
Music teacher responded by inviting him to
CAS club picnic.

12” Dob was purchased the same month.

Visited 4 Observatories Last Week!
Lowell
Observatory
Flagstaff,
Arizona

Very Large Array
Socorro, New Mexico

McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis
Texas

Library –
Waiting for UVA to complete work in
Library room to tag books and make things available
Do You have Library Books Out ?

Waiting for movement from UVA

Painting is done is the basement 
Need help after the meeting to move the library cabinet.

M82 – Hubble Image

M82 – Spitzer Image

November
• Tom Field
• Real Time Spectroscopy (Rspec)
• Video Lecture from Seattle
December
The Inaugural Heidi Winter Lecture
Dr. Ed Murphy
Meeting at NRAO

January
• MESSENGER Mission to Mercury update
• Mark Kochte – MESSENGER Mission Payload
Operations Specialist
Contact Steve if you have an idea for a guest speaker

• Outreach Speakers Bureau
* 30 minute talks to school or civic groups
* Sign up tonight or send info to Steve
* Information will be posted on web site
* Fred Repich will act as point person

Holiday Party and
Swap Meet
Tentative
Friday, December 13
McCormick

* CAS *
Charlottesville Astronomical Society
Astro-OP (Astronomy Outreach Program)
Status
October 2, 2013

CAS Astro-OP Resources Offered to Educators
•
Telescope Kit Classroom Project to study the solar system, moon, planets and some deep sky objects ($50-75/kit cost)
•
Astronomy Presentations by CAS Speakers at your school
•
Student Astronomy Club assistance in establishing an in-school program
•
CAS Mentoring and Support for school Astronomy activities, events, and programs
•
Free CAS membership for Grade 4-12 Science/Gifted Program Educators
• Access to UVA’s McCormick Observatory and 26” Refractor for observing via group nights and Heidi’s Nights (fifth Fridays)
• Access to UVA’s Fan Mountain Observatory via UVA’s public nights and CAS special star party nights
•
Access to CAS Star Parties at Ivy Creek Nature Center/VA Dark-Sky locations
•
AIAA Grants to help Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) become real in the classroom
•
Encourage Projects for 2014 VPRSF (CAS
–Physics/Astronomy Sponsor)

Activity ~ since 9/4/13
• Met/Meeting with 13 Educators in Five* Central Virginia Counties
– *Albemarle 38 Schools (27Public/11 Private) (Jeff Prillaman, Tony Borash, Kirsten Fuoti)
– Augusta 23 (22, 1)
– Buckingham 3 (3/0)
– *Fluvanna 4 (2/2) (Brenda Gilliam, Cheryl Gilliam )
– * Greene 6 (5/1) (Mike Coiner, Anne-Marie Eberhardt; Jamie Bourland, 10/7 mtg)
– Louisa 2 (2/0)
– *Madison 3 (2/1) (Mike Sisler 10/2 mtg)
– Nelson 3 (2/1)
– *Orange 5 (3/2) (Dara Carter, Susan Midland, Faithe Foster. Emily Dooley)
– Rockingham 9 (8/1)
•
Contacted Shanil Virani, Director, John C Wells Planetarium at JMU regarding a collaborative outreach effort

Results: Five Counties, 35 Schools,
13 Educators, and ??? Interested Students
•
Fluvanna County High School
(1)
( Brenda Gil liam )
• Fluvanna County Middle School
(2)
( Cheryl Gilliam )
• Greene County , Blue Ridge Private School
(3)
( Jamie Bourland )
• Greene County Primary School
(4)
(K-2) Principal Mike Coiner and Nathaniel Greene
Elementary School
(5)
(3-5) Principal Anne-Marie Eberhardt expressed interest in
CAS support for a combined (K-5) Science Day Fair at the Nathaniel Greene
Elementary School from 6 -9 PM on November 15 th
• Orange County Locust Grove Middle
(6)
and Elementary
(7)
Schools ( Dara Carter ,
Susan Midland , Faithe Foster, Emily Dooley )
•
Madison County High School
(8)
Principal Mike Sisler expressed interest; Leo
Lombardi and myself met with Mike at 9 AM, Wed,10/2/13
• Albemarle County School System (
9-35)
( Jeff Prillaman , Kirsten Fuoti , Tony Borash )

Your Next Actions
•
CAS Membership-at-Large : Brainstorm candidate astronomy interrogative questions for use by Students in Designing Projects for the 2014 VPRSF (Suitable for grades 6-12)
– An interrogative word or question word is a function word used to ask a question, such as what, when, where, who, why and how ~ Wikipedia
• CAS Council Members/CAS Membership-at-Large : Brainstorm/Develop
List of 4 – 5 Basic Astronomy Topics and CAS Speakers for 30 minute presentations to students in classroom, auditorium, or at after hour
School Astronomy Clubs (Suitable for grades K-12)
• CAS Astro-OP Volunteers/CAS Membership-at-Large :
– Continue Coordination With Educators and Schools:
– Continue CAS Astro-OP E-News email each month to promote future CAS activities, events, and projects as well as scheduled meeting dates, times and guest speakers
• CAS Council Members/CAS Membership-at-Large :
1. We are soliciting volunteers to serve as AstroOP POC’s with schools.
2. Any inputs, articles, astronomy news, links of interest for E-News publication will be appreciated – by 15 th of each month.

CAS Astro-OP Opportunities
• Be a POC : Contact/Support Educators, Science/Gifted Program
Coordinators, and Students to promote CAS Astro-OP
– Albemarle 38 Schools (27 Public, 11 Private)
–
Augusta 23 schools (22/1)
– Buckingham 3 schools (3/0)
–
Fluvanna 4 schools (2/2)
– Greene 6 schools (5/1)
–
Louisa 2 schools (2/0)
– Madison 3 schools (3/0 ): Leo Lombardi, Astro-OP POC
– Nelson 3 schools (2/1)
–
Orange 5 schools (3/2)
– Rockingham 9 schools (8/1)
–
Piedmont Virginia Community College : Armand Mottaghi. Astro-OP POC
• Thanks!!! – you can contact me at fred.repich@gmail.com
or via telephone at 480-390-5205 (mobile)

Free Internet Classes https://www.coursera.org/courses
Confronting The Big Questions: Highlights of
Modern Astronomy
Analyzing the Universe
Understanding Einstein: The Special Theory of Relativity

In the Solar System http://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/chartsdiagrams/20130928_solar-system-missions2013-10b.png
In the Night Sky http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded
&v=ReoS1xVQGVI