LOS ANGELES ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
BULLETIN
volume 87, issue 6 June 2013
LAAS BULLETIN MOVES
INTO THE MODERN AGE
LAAS BULLETIN moves into the 21st Century by
expanding onto the World Wide Web at
www.LAAS.org
Due to the high cost of printing and mailing, we will no longer
be producing a printed Bulletin. We are pleased to announce
new on-line articles & features as well as your favorite columns
from David Nakamoto and Tim Thompson, current events from
Andee Sherwood and room for much more. We want to
encourage all members to write for our web site, submit
pictures, and write short stories about our star parties and
outreach events and more . . .wherever your creativity leads
you.
Details are still being finalized but after the June bulletin is
published, please submit all articles, personal stories and
pictures to Andee at
<Coordinator@laas.org>
Page 1
LAAS Bulletin
87 YEARS OF ASTRONOMY IN
LOS ANGELES
Los Angeles Astronomical Society
Griffith Observatory
2800 East Observatory Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Change of Address, Membership:
Sadie De Stefano, LAAS Secretary
LAAS Officers:
President ............................ Mary Brown
Vice President ............ Geovanni Somoza
Treasurer .......................... John O’Bryan
Treasurer@laas.org
Secretary ..................... Sadie De Stefano
Secretary@laas.org
Volunteers:
Recording Secretary .... Richard Roosman
Library ............................... Mary Brown
nwwrgz@yahoo.com
Outreach ........................Heven Renteria
& Evan Warkentine
Outreach@laas.org
Loaner Telescopes ......... Dave Sovereign
(626) 794-0646
Messier Program.... Herman Meyerdierks
mrcapk9_groups@yahoo.com
New Members ............. Andee Sherwood
newmembers@laas.org
Speakers Bureau .............Tim Thompson
timthompson3@verizon.net
Youth Liaison................... (not assigned)
Youth@laas.org
Bulletin Editor ............. David Nakamoto
dinakamoto@hotmail.com
Bulletin Printer ........... Richard Roosman
Editor’s Corner
H
i fellow members ! As
we come to an “end of
an era” for the LAAS in
regards to the current
format of the bulletin, I wanted to
thank everyone who contributed
their words and images for the last
seven years. Thanks to you, you’ve
made my task of trying to make the
bulletin a success so much easier
than I could have hoped for.
But have no fears ! We’ll continue
to entertain, educate, and elucidate
on things astronomical on the
website, as the functions of the
bulletin are transferred to the web.
I encourage everyone to continue to
submit your words and images for
publication. However, after serving
as your friendly neighborhood
bulletin editor since 2006, I want to
take a “vacation” from acting as the
conduit for member’s submissions.
Thankfully, Andee Sherwood has
agreed to take on that responsibility.
You can submit your words and
images to her at
<Coordinator@laas.org>
for inclusion into the website.
Again, thank you all for making the
bulletin a success ! And let’s work to
make the website just as much of a
success !
Clear and Steady Nights ! David Nakamoto
Web Site Manager ........ Stephen Dashiell
webmaster@laas.org
Page 2
LAAS Bulletin
Inside this issue
Contact Information ..................................................... 2
Editor’s Corner ............................................................. 2
June Speaker Information ............................................ 4
Family Nights at Lockwood Valley ................................ 4
Mt Wilson 6060-inch Nights ......................... 5
RTMC, May 23rd to 27th ............................ 6
Why Does the Celestial Snake Carry a Crow
and a Cup? ............................................
............................................ 7-9
Wonderful Outdoor World Event (report) .................... 10
Lunar-X (image) ............................................................ 11
New Member Potluck (report) ..................................... 11-12
Garvey Ranch Park Map ............................................... 13
New Members .............................................................. 13
Nightfall Star Party in October ...................................... 14
Event Calendar ............................................................. 15
Sky & Telescope & Astronomy subscriptions ............... 16
Website Information ..................................................... 16
Membership Dues and Phone Lists .............................. 16
Soylent Co.
Proud to sponsor amateur Astronomical endeavors like the LAAS.
Providers of high protein supplements, made from seaweed and other highyield protein sources.
Remember— Soylent Green is people.
Vol 87, issue 6
Page 3
June General Meeting
Guest Speaker and Topic
Matt Ventimiglia is our June speaker. The topic of his talk is:
SEARCHING FOR METEORITES ON UNION GLACIER,
ANTARTICA
A general introduction to meteoritics, prospecting for
meteorites in Antarctica, and brief history of Antarctic
exploration.
Matt has been a museum guide at Griffith Observatory since 2006. He
has a BA in Physics (1978, University of Colorado, Boulder), MA in
Cinema (1984, University of Southern California, Los Angeles), and MS in
Geology (2010, California State University, Northridge). He is currently
working towards an MA in History and Philosophy of Science.
Matt was born on June 2nd 1955 in Colorado Springs, CO. He is an avid
eclipse chaser, amateur astronomer, Theremin player, and all-around
astronut (sic). Family Nights Lockwood Valley
Please mark the following dates on your calendar:
June 29
July 27
Aug. 10.
All LAAS members are invited to come up to the dark sky property and enjoy an
evening of stargazing with friends and family. Bring your telescopes, tents and
sleeping bags and camp out under the stars. Please RSVP and bring food for the
pot luck dinner that we'll all share together. Registered members of Night Sky
Network, will receive an event message in your email with an RSVP option.
Everyone else should send their RSVP to the following email:
Coordinator@laas.org.
Stay tuned for further information or check one of the dates on our calendar of
events in the near future to learn more about Family Nights. Andee Sherwood
Page 4
LAAS Bulletin
Mt Wilson 60” Nights
LAAS has arranged for four half-nights and one full
night at the Mount Wilson 60-inch telescope this year.
All are New Moon nights. Half-nights are until 1:00
am. Note that there is only one full night, in
September.
June 7th, Fri (half night)
July 5th, Fri (half night)
Aug 31st, Sat (half night)
Sept 7th, Sat (FULL night)
Oct 4th, Fri (half night)
Each session comes with an operator for the 60” telescope and a session
director (both often LAAS members) to answer questions and help guide the
group through the night. The operator will have a list of possible objects for
the night, but we can try to see whatever the group chooses. The viewing is
likely to be the best you will ever see in your life. The half night sessions are
$45.00 per person and $85.00 per person for the full night.
To reserve a spot for any or all of the sessions and for any further
information you may need, please contact Darrell Dooley, the LAAS 60”
coordinator at, mtwilsoncoordinator@laas.org. Then, make your checks
payable to LAAS and send them to:
LAAS Treasurer
P.O. Box 56084
Sherman Oaks, CA. 91413
When payment is confirmed, information packets will be emailed or mailed
with additional detailed information on the 60” sessions. Directions, what
to bring, etc. As it was built over 100 years ago, the 60” dome is not
accessible by wheel chair. Visitors will need to use stairs to get to the scope
and sometimes to get to the eyepiece. It’s a big telescope.
LAAS members and their invited guests should sign up as soon as possible
for any or all the nights available. If there are any open spots three (3)
weeks before session dates, non-members can sign up . Darrell Dooley
Vol 87, issue 6
Page 5
Riverside Telescope
Makers Conference
May 23-27, 2013
The 45th annual RTMC Astronomy Expo will take place at YMCA Camp Oakes,
five miles southeast of Big Bear City, California on State Route 38 at Lake
Williams Rd between mileposts 44 and 45. This location is about 50 miles
northeast of Riverside in the San Bernardino mountains. For more information
about the RTMC Astronomy Expo, visit
www.rtmcastronomyexpo.com.
The biggest and best day to visit RTMC is on Saturday, May 25, 2013. There will
be vendors, telescopes, speakers including our own Tim Thompson, door prizes,
and a swap meet. LAAS will have an information booth set up and we are asking
for volunteers to work the booth during the event. Contact Mary Brown directly
at nwwrgz@yahoo.com to volunteer at the booth.
General admission includes entry to the conference grounds for five days
(Thursday through Monday) and camping for four nights (Thursday through
Sunday nights). Meals and dormitory lodging are not included.
General Admission prices are:
Adults: $40 ($50 after May 10, on-site)
Children (Ages 5-13): $12
Children under age 5: Free
People coming for a single day (or any part thereof) may pay for a Single Day
Admission. Single Day Admission does not include camping, meals, or dorm
lodging. Day Users arriving after 9 AM Saturday will be directed to special
parking areas. Single Day Admission prices are:
Adults: $25
Children (Ages 5-13): $12
Children under age 5: Free
Register online at:
http://www.rtmcastronomyexpo.org/Online%20Registration.htm Page 6
LAAS Bulletin
Why Does the Celestial Snake
Carry a Crow and a Cup?
by Herbert Kraus
For years I was dumbfounded by the illustrations in old star atlases and other
astronomical publications of the constellations Hydra, Corvus and Crater.
Below is a color-enhanced version of a famous engraving of these three
constellations from the 1690 star atlas of Johannes Hevelius, which is here
flipped horizontally because Hevelius’ original illustrations reversed the EastWest orientation of the star maps to which we are accustomed.
This image and permission to use it here were provided by www.RareMaps.com –
Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc.
I understood that, whatever may have motivated the ancients to design their
constellations as illustrations for legendary tales about people, deities,
creatures and objects, we make use of the same old constellations simply in
order to identify where the stars and other deep-sky celestial objects are
located and to assign them names based on their locations. But the riddle is
this: why did the ancients depict a water snake represented by a string of stars
as carrying a bird and a drinking vessel on its back?
The name “Hydra” was among the clues that misled me. It is associated with
Hercules, the super-hero of ancient mythology whom the Greeks called
Heracles. This fellow is appropriately represented by a constellation in our
northern skies, although the usual illustrations of this constellation indicate that
Hercules is kneeling upside down in the sky (unless you’re looking at him from
somewhere south of the equator). The first of the twelve labors of Hercules
(Continued on page 8)
Vol 87, issue 6
Page 7
was the slaying of the vicious Nemean lion, and, sure enough, the ancients
decided that another constellation represented a lion, Leo, which is often
identified as the one slain by Hercules. Of course, we usually see Leo prancing
about the sky as a healthy lion, even though Hercules skinned the Nemean lion
and was often pictured as holding the lion’s pelt like a shield around his left
arm. But among the celestial constellations, it is not the kneeling hero Hercules
who carries the lion’s pelt, but the hunter Orion who is protecting himself from
the charge of Taurus the bull while he, with his two dogs, is chasing either Lepus
the hare or the Pleiades.
In any event, the second labor of Hercules was to slay the serpent known as the
Lernean Hydra, and I had long been under the impression that this was the
identity of the constellation named Hydra which stretches across the sky
between Monoceros and Libra . But in the legend of Hercules, the monstrous
Hydra was a multi-headed serpent, sometimes said to have had nine heads and
sometimes another number. None of the illustrations depicting Hydra, the
constellation, shows a multi-headed creature. Mostly it is portrayed as a very
long snake, like a python or boa constrictor, except that in most of the ancient
depictions this snake is given a parrot’s beak (a flaw I attribute to the
herpetological ignorance of either the ancient sages who first described the
appearance of Hydra or of the artists or astronomers responsible for the
pictures).
If Hydra is not the monster of Hercules’ second labor, what is it? The answer to
this question, which also explains the origin of Corvus and Crater, is this: A
raven named Corvus was the servant of the Greek god Apollo – who later
entered the Roman pantheon under the same name. Apollo sent Corvus to fill
his drinking cup with pure fresh water from a spring. Corvus flew off with
Apollo’s cup (the Greek word for which was Crater). On his way to the spring,
the bird became distracted by a fig tree bearing fruit that was not yet ripe, and
he waited for the figs to ripen so that he could eat them. But, needing an alibi
for the lengthy delay in carrying out his errand, Corvus picked up a water snake
and when he returned to Apollo claimed that the snake had interfered with his
ability to obtain the water from the spring more promptly. Apollo rejected this
story, and as punishment Apollo doomed all three, Corvus and the snake and
Crater, to spend an eternity In the skies. The ancient legend indicates that
Apollo also punished the raven by making it unable to drink in the Spring. And
that is how Hydra, the water snake in our sky, is associated with Corvus, the
raven, and Crater the cup.
During the middle ages, before the era of star atlases in which constellation
images were drawn or engraved upon the actual celestial maps, some of the
(Continued on page 9)
Page 8
LAAS Bulletin
books describing the ancient constellations included separate illustrations
showing the persons or creatures represented by these constellations. Some of
these illustrations (such as the example below from a 1570 edition of Hyginus,
Poeticon astronomicon) show the snake, with the raven and the cup on its
back, seeming to be crawling up a tree. Presumably this is a fig tree, tending to
confirm that these constellations were based on the legend described above
and not on the labors of Hercules.
Why do we refer to Corvus the
raven as a “crow?”
In avian
taxonomy, “Corvus” is the name of
the genus or family of birds that
includes the ravens well known in
Europe and the name of whose
species is “Corvus corax.” Another
species of this family named either
“Corvus
brachyrhynchos”
or
“Corvus americanus” is the bird we
know as the “crow.”
It was
evidently found in the Western
Hemisphere where John James
Audubon distinguished it from the
raven, and therefore not known to
the ancient Europeans.
Today’s Hydra, with Corvus and
Crater perched upon it, is the direct
descendant
of
the
ancient
constellation that illustrated the
legend of Apollo’s avian servant
Image obtained from Atlas Coelestis di
and his misadventure. But it was
Felicia Stoppa at www.atlascoelestis.com
not always so. In the late 18th
century the French astronomer Pierre Charles Le Monnier, a contemporary of
Charles Messier, placed a new bird upon Hydra’s tail end behind Corvus. This
was the Solitaire, identified as a species native to the Indies and the Philippines.
It did not last long. In the early years of the 19th century, Le Monnier’s Solitaire
was replaced by Noctua, an owl, which appeared in some of the finest star
atlases of that era. In its wisdom, the International Astronomical Union has
eliminated these innovations, and the only passengers riding on today’s Hydra
are Corvus and Crater, just as they were in the ancient times of the great
astronomer Ptolemy and his Greek predecessors.
The riddle has been solved. Vol 87, issue 6
Page 9
Van Webster, who took the above image, reports on the Wonderful
Outdoor World event, sponsored by the City of Los Angeles, Dept. of
Parks and Recreation.
We had five scopes. About 50 young middle school and high school age
young people had an overnight camping adventure in the old LA Zoo
area of Griffith park. After a lesson from park rangers on firefighting
techniques and an opportunity to shoot water out of a fire hose,
campers viewed Jupiter, Saturn, Alcor, Mizar and other objects. The
seeing was OK but the site was heavily shrouded by surrounding trees.
The young folk had a wonderful time, as evidenced by the youthful
observer photographed at the eyepiece of my telescope above. Total Recall
Proud to sponsor Astronomy in Los Angeles.
Get those memories back, or invent new ones, using our patented engram
implantation process !
Remember— We can remember it for you wholesale.
Page 10
LAAS Bulletin
David Pinsky took this image of the moon with the Lunar-X feature using
his Canon Rebel t3i through a 90mm Maksutov at 400 ISO, F 4.5 at 1/125
sec. The date was April 17th. Dave simply held the camera lens right up
to the eyepiece on the Mak. New Member Pot Luck
Seventy five club members and friends attended the New Member
Potluck and Star Party on April 28, 2013 at the Garvey Ranch
Observatory.
Richard Roosman volunteered to grill the hamburgers and hot dogs at
the picnic pavilion and did so for several hours. Everyone brought food
and seemed to enjoy the variety of dishes. We had everything from
salads to desserts and more than enough for all. Thanks to everyone
who generously donated food for the potluck and thanks to Richard for
dedicating his time at the grills.
After dinner, Nick Fraher from the Professor Egghead Science Academy
entertained everyone with dry ice experiments. He surprised many
members with exploding film canisters that suddenly shot up into the
air. He definitely added some fun to the day and everyone enjoyed his
(Continued on page 12)
Vol 87, issue 6
Page 11
presentation. To learn more about Professor Egghead's program, visit
ProfessorEgghead.com.
Glenn Basore, the President of the Local Group of Santa Clarita Valley,
Thor Dockweiler, the President of the Santa Monica Amateur
Astronomers Club and Sheri Breaux, the Outreach Coordinator from the
Columbia Astronomy Club and a member of the LAAS, attended the
potluck. Sheri did an excellent job of explaining how the dome and our
telescope work in the observatory to several visitors and represented
her clubs by expressing support and true dedication to both groups. It
was great to have both Glenn and Thor visit and connect with the
members of the LAAS.
Kevin Kawai and Elena Gonzalez from Celestron set up a nice table of
observation gear for our newest members and gave out several sets of
binoculars and some other fun items for the crowd. Elena personally
donated the binoculars for our members to enjoy. Kevin is an honorary
member of the LAAS and always shows his support of the club at several
of our events throughout the year. It was wonderful meeting Elena who
is a true amateur astronomer at heart.
Kevin also introduced our club members to 13 yr. old Grant Regen, a
prospective new LAAS member. The editors of Astronomy magazine
selected Grant as the winner of Astronomy’s 2013 Youth Essay Contest.
For his entry on what he loves best about astronomy, Grant received an
all-expenses-paid trip to the Northeast Astronomy Forum & Telescope
Show (NEAF), one of the world’s premier astronomy expos.
The evening concluded with a raffle for prizes, a presentation by Dave
Sovereign about the Loaner Program, and then several of our members
had their telescopes out on the lawn and enjoyed sharing the night sky
with the other members and guests.
Congratulations to those of you who won the VIP Tours donated by Tim
Thompson and Geo Somoza and to those who won the two half nights at
Mt. Wilson with the 60-inch telescope! Way to go! Thanks to everyone
who helped set up and clean up! Great job! Page 12
LAAS Bulletin
Map to Monterey Park Observatory
Orange
Ave
Gabriel Blvd
Del Mar Ave
F ree w a y
G arvey
N
San
10
V alley B lvd
New
Ave
Alhambra Ave
Garfield Ave
Atlantic Blvd
(The place to build your telescope)
Ave
G raves A v e
G arvey R an ch
P ark O bservatory
New Members
The new members approved at this month’s board meeting
are :
• Scott Baker
• Rebecca Calinsky
• Michael Engel
• Marjory Gonzalez
• Joseph Harding
• Jeremy Rahbari
• Richard & Mitchell Saisho
• Lisa Uyematsu
We welcome you all to our club, and we hope you’ll enjoy your
Astronomy with all of us ! Please join our online discussions. Vol 87, issue 6
Page 13
Nightfall 2013
Thursday Oct 31st to Sunday Nov 3rd
This is the 20th Nightfall star party. They skipped last year because
the resort couldn’t open due to financial trouble, but the resort
people have assured everyone that they’ll be open this year. It is run
by the folks at RTMC as their dark night party, since RTMC is held on
Memorial Day weekend regardless of the phase of the moon.
Please contact Palm Canyon Resort for rates and reservations.
Palm Canyon Resort
221 Palm Canyon Drive
Borrego Springs, CA 92004
Ph:(760) 767767-5341 / Fax:(760) 767767-4073
This is not strictly a dark site, but all lights are reddened, and the
resort offers a different astronomical experience; two pools and
Jacuzzis, restaurant, store, and resort rooms. I find that nothing
beats a nice warm bed after a full night of observing ! And while
sticklers for dark skies might balk at the lights, it’s not as bad as you
might think. Borrego Springs offers lot of amenities; restaurants,
fine daytime nature walking, and a small town atmosphere. I’ve
been to the first 10 or so of these parties, and it’s both nice and
offers unique views. Southern sky views are better; the objects in
Grus, Pisces Austrinus, Sculptor, Fornax and Eridanus, and many
others, rise higher than from Lockwood Valley.
If you’re thinking of attending, early reservations are necessary,
preferably before RTMC occurs. This event usually sells out soon
after RTMC is done. Showing up and hoping for the best usually
doesn’t work unless you’re going to use the RV park, and I’ve been
told that can sell out early also.
Note that the date is late October and early November. The desert
might be warm during the day but it will be very cool to COLD at
night. Bring cold weather clothing just in case !
Hope to see some of your there!
resort in the October bulletin. I’ll give away my location in the
David Nakmaoto
Page 14
LAAS Bulletin
EVENTS CALENDAR
Wed
6-5
Board Mtg
General Meeting room, Garvey Ranch Park.
Map pg 13
Fri
6-7
Mt Wilson
60-inch night
See pg 4 for details.
Sat
6-8
Dark Sky Star
Party
Lockwood Valley. Rules at
http://www.laas.org/
Lockwood_Valley_Public_Rules.pdf
Mon
6-10
General Mtg
Leonard Nimoy Theater, Griffith Observatory,
7:45pm to 9:45pm
Sat
6-15
Public Star Party
Griffith Observatory
2pm to 10pm
Sat
6-29
Family Night
Lockwood Valley.
Details pg 3.
Wed
7-3
Board Mtg
General Meeting room, Garvey Ranch Park.
Map pg 13
Fri
7-5
Mt Wilson
60-inch night
See pg 4 for details.
Sat
7-6
Dark Sky Star
Party
Lockwood Valley. Rules at
http://www.laas.org/
Lockwood_Valley_Public_Rules.pdf
Mon
7-8
General Mtg
Leonard Nimoy Theater, Griffith Observatory,
7:45pm to 9:45pm
Sat
7-13
Public Star Party
Griffith Observatory
2pm to 10pm
Sat
7-27
Family Night
Lockwood Valley.
Details pg 3.
Vol 87, issue 6
Page 15
Magazine Subscriptions
Sky and Telescope renewals should be sent directly to Sky Publishing. To
start a subscription at club rates, send a check payable to “Sky &
Telescope” in the amount of $32.95 for a one year subscription to :
LAAS treasurer
P.O. Box 56084
Sherman Oaks, CA 91413
Be sure to include the exact name and mailing address for your
subscription, then thereafter send the renewal bills directly to Sky
Publishing.
For a club rate subscription to Astronomy, send a check payable to
Kalmbach Publishing Co. in the amount of $34 for one year or $60 for two
years to the above address. Be sure to include the exact name and
mailing address for your subscription. That magazine also requires later
subscription renewals to be handled through the LAAS Treasurer. LAAS Home Page: http://www.laas.org
LAAS Bulletin Online:
http://www.laas.org/joomlasite/index.php/latest-bulletin-quicklinks
Membership Annual Dues:
Youth
$ 20.00
Regular (18-65)
$ 45.00
Senior Citizen (65 and up)
$ 30.00
Senior Family
$ 40.00
Family
$ 60.00
Life
$ 500.00
Additional fees:
Charter Star member
$ 30.00
Star member, with pad
$ 70.00
Star member, no pad
$ 60.00
Printed Bulletin
$ 15.00
(Membership due date is
indicated on the mailing label)
Page 16
HANDY PHONE
LIST
LAAS Answering Machine ......(213) 673-7355
Griffith Observatory
Program...............................(213) 473-0800
Sky Report...........................(213) 473-0880
Lockwood Site ........................(661) 245-2106
(not answered, arrange time with caller.
Outgoing calls – collect or calling card)
Mt. Wilson Institute .................(626) 793-3100
LAAS Bulletin