November 2013

Highlights of theHighlights of the

January SkyJanuary Sky. . .. . .

-- -- -- 33rdrd →→ 44thth -- -- -- AM: Quadrantid meteor AM: Quadrantid meteor shower peaks, but is shower peaks, but is spoiled by a bright Moon.spoiled by a bright Moon.

-- -- -- 44thth -- -- -- Full MoonFull Moon 11:53 pm EST11:53 pm EST

-- -- -- 55thth -- -- -- AM: Algol is at minimum AM: Algol is at minimum brightness for ~2 hours brightness for ~2 hours centered on 12:07 am EST.centered on 12:07 am EST.

-- -- -- 77thth -- -- -- PM: Jupiter is within 5PM: Jupiter is within 5ºº of of a Waning Gibbous Moon.a Waning Gibbous Moon.

-- -- -- 88thth →→ 1212thth -- -- -- DUSK: Mercury and Venus DUSK: Mercury and Venus are within 1are within 1ºº of each other. of each other. Look low in southwestern Look low in southwestern sky in early evening.sky in early evening.

-- -- -- 1313thth -- -- -- Last Quarter MoonLast Quarter Moon 4:46 am EST4:46 am EST

-- -- -- 1616thth -- -- -- AM: Saturn is about 2AM: Saturn is about 2ºº from a Waning Crescent from a Waning Crescent Moon.Moon.

-- -- -- 2020thth -- -- -- New MoonNew Moon 8:14 am EST8:14 am EST

-- -- -- 2121stst -- -- -- DUSK: A thin crescent DUSK: A thin crescent Moon forms a nearly Moon forms a nearly equilateral triangle with equilateral triangle with Mercury and Venus. Look Mercury and Venus. Look in the west shortly after in the west shortly after sunset. The Moon is to the sunset. The Moon is to the left of Venus.left of Venus.

-- -- -- 2222ndnd -- -- -- DUSK: A Waxing Crescent DUSK: A Waxing Crescent Moon is about 4Moon is about 4ºº to the to the right of Mars.right of Mars.

-- -- -- 2424thth -- -- -- AM: A rare triple shadow AM: A rare triple shadow transit occurs on Jupiter transit occurs on Jupiter from 1:27 from 1:27 -- 1:52 am EST.1:52 am EST.

-- -- -- 2626thth -- -- -- First Quarter MoonFirst Quarter Moon 11:48 pm EST11:48 pm EST www.kasonline.org

General Meeting: Friday, January 9 @ 7:00 pm Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center - See Page 10 for Details

Board Meeting: Sunday, January 11 @ 5:00 pm

Sunnyside Church - 2800 Gull Road - All Members Welcome

Full Moon Theater: Saturday, January 31 @ 7:00 pm

WMU Rood Hall - Room 1110 - See Page 4 for Details

This Months This Months KAS EventsEvents

Prime FocusPrime FocusPrime Focus A Publication of the Kalamazoo Astronomical SocietyA Publication of the Kalamazoo Astronomical SocietyA Publication of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society

January 2015

Inside the Newsletter. . .Inside the Newsletter. . . December Meeting Minutes................. p. 2

Board Meeting Minutes......................... p. 3

Full Moon Theater..................................p. 4

Observations of 2014............................ p. 5

Intro to Amateur Astronomy.............. p. 6

NASA Space Place.................................. p. 7

January Night Sky................................... p. 8

KAS Board & Announcements............ p. 9

General Meeting Preview......................p. 10

January 2015

The KAS annual meeting, featuring our 16th Holiday Party, began at 6:30 pm EST on Friday, December 5, 2014. Approximately 41 members and guests were in attendance at the Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center (KAMSC). Dinner was served at about 6:45 pm. Our potluck hors d'oeuvre and dessert extravaganza was as good as always. These include the return of the traditional tasty meatballs, several pizza pies, and more desserts than one could possibly enjoy in a single evening. Our “hostess-with-the-mostess,” Jean DeMott, supplied the soft drinks and hot wassail again and did another exceptional job with the table decorations this year. Thank you, Jean! Once dinner was complete and everyone had a chance to relax and chit chat, we played four highly competitive rounds of BINGO. Here are the lucky winners:

Molly Williams - The Science of Interstellar Donated by the KAS

Scott Macfarlane – StarShoot Solar System Imager IV Donated by Orion Telescopes & Binoculars

Spencer Henning (tie) – Cosmos Blu-ray Donated by the KAS

Andrew Loveless (tie) – Backyard Guide to Night Sky Donated by the KAS

Akila Jayatilaka – RedBeam LED Mini Light Donated by Orion Telescopes & Binoculars

Final nominations and elections for 2015 KAS Officers and At-Large Board Members were then held once everyone reconvened in the presentation center. All nominees ran unopposed, so a majority of members present at the meeting

voted to ignore Article 5 of the KAS Bylaws and forego voting by secret ballot. The 2015 KAS board members can be seen on page 9. Members and guests enjoyed a year-in-review slide show painstakingly assembled by Richard Bell. Richard then gave a brief president’s report. He started with the bad news reported in his column last month. This was the Dow Foundation’s rejection of our grant application for the Robotic Telescope Project. Richard reported that he sent a Letter of Inquiry to the Kalamazoo Community Foundation on December 1st. Crowdfunding through websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo was once again suggested, but Richard is very skeptical pursuing this avenue would be worthwhile. Others are certainly welcome to step forward and give it a try. Any takers? One bit of good news this year was the increase in membership. The previous all-time high (set last year) was 141 memberships. As of meeting time, the membership count is 150. In an effort to keep membership high, Richard asked everyone to renew their membership (if needed). Renewals can always be done at general meetings or by regular mail. The most efficient method is to renew online. Richard said that everyone can check their membership cards to see if they need to renew for 2015. It lists your membership expiration date. Under current events, several members mentioned the successful test of NASA’s Orion spacecraft. Orion launched earlier in the day on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket and splashed down about 4.5 hours after launch in the Pacific Ocean. New Horizons also began its science mission on the day of the meeting. It’s due to fly by Pluto in July 2015. The Dawn spacecraft is closing in on asteroid Ceres and will arrive in orbit at the end of March or early April. The Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) recently launched Hayabusa-2. It is expected to arrive at asteroid 1999 JU3 in July 2018 and return samples to Earth by December 2020. The European Space Agency’s Philae lander successfully landed on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on November 12, 2014. In fact, Philae landed on the comet three times! The little lander was in free-fall toward its planned landing site for 7 hours, but both the harpoons and a small thruster designed to anchor Philae to the low-gravity surface failed to fire. The first bounce lasted 2 hours and reached a height of 1 km above the comet’s icy surface. The second bounce lasted about 7 minutes. Unfortunately, Philae seems to have landed at a 30º angle and in the shadow of a cliff. That meant its batteries couldn’t be charged by the lander’s solar panels. Philae operated for 57 hours and managed to return results from all 10 of its science instruments before slipping into hibernation. It may be

Prime Focus Page 2

December Meeting MinutesDecember Meeting Minutes

Dinner is served at the sixteenth annual KAS Holiday Party; held at KAMSC on December 5, 2014.

January 2015 Prime Focus Page 3

The monthly meeting of the KAS Board was held on December 14, 2014 at Sunnyside Church. The meeting was called to order by President Richard Bell at 5:10 pm. In attendance were board members Scott Macfarlane, Rich Mather, Jack Price, Don Stilwell, and Roger Williams. Rich presented the Treasurer’s Report. One question left from last month was the amount of credit left at OPT from the Paramount ME II purchase, and Rich reported the amount of this credit. On a second topic, Richard had incurred extra expenses for the Holiday Party (for BINGO prizes, when the contributions from vendors fell a bit short of the usual). After a motion by Rich and second by Don, the Board voted to reimburse Richard for this amount. In follow-up items from the previous meeting, Rich and Don reported the good news that the defective board for the Owl Observatory telescope mount had been repaired and was waiting to be installed. On the subject of a bell jar and vacuum pump to be used for demonstrations at KAS public appearances, the Board voted to authorize the funds for the equipment recommended by Richard. Under New Business, Richard reported that a Cub Scout pack in Battle Creek had asked about viewing the sky on January 21st. The leader was known to Don, and he agreed to get further information. Richard also reported on plans to repeat his Introduction to Amateur Astronomy lecture series. He had already contacted the Portage District Library about using their facility, and he suggested a schedule of every two weeks, starting on March 21st. He also requested 1 volunteer per class session to tend to a greeting table. The Board voted to support this plan and to authorize funds needed for materials. Suggestions were solicited for topics for Astronomy Day 2015, to be held on Saturday, April 25th. Richard suggested making Hubble telescope models again and screening the Saving Hubble video. Dwarf planets were also suggested as a topic, given the missions to Ceres and to Pluto that will be arriving near this time. Finally, the need was stated for a new Equipment Manager for club gear, since Mike Dupuis has announced that his job responsibilities are no longer compatible with the position. Under Other Business, Richard asked for thoughts on 2014 and goals for 2015. One goal discussed was sponsoring more field trips, and Don asked for more information about a proposed Yerkes Observatory field trip. He agreed to get more information about arrangements and costs. After this discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 6:35 pm. The next meeting was set for 5 pm on January 11th at Sunnyside. Respectfully submitted by Roger Williams

BOARDBOARDBOARD Meeting MinutesMeeting MinutesMeeting Minutes

possible to revive the lander by August 2015 when the comet gets closer to the Sun. Upcoming events were then covered. First was the Geminid Meteor Shower Watch scheduled for December 13th. Richard encouraged everyone to attend if clear, because the Geminids can be a really prolific shower. [UPDATE: Predictably, it was too cloudy to observe the Geminids again and also pretty foggy!] Joe Comiskey gave a preview for his next talk on January 9th (see page 10 for full details). We then held the door prize drawings. Here are ALL the lucky winners (in order): Tony Gurczynski (Star Target Planisphere, donated by Orion); Greg Sirna (Gravity Blu-ray, donated by the KAS); Kathy Patton (Saturn Map, donated by Orion); Phyllis Lubbert (1-year subscription to Astronomy magazine, donated by Kalmbach Publishing); Shannon Loveless (KAS Cap, donated by the KAS); Andrew Loveless (AstroGoggles, donated by Orion); Jack Price (KAS Cap, donated by the KAS); Molly Williams (Mars Map, donated by Orion); Mike Dupuis (10×25 monocular, donated by Orion); Roger Williams (Solar System Poster Kit, donated by Orion); Ellen Comiskey (Moon Map 260, donated by Orion); Ayra Jayatilaka (25mm Plössl eyepiece, donated by Oceanside Photo & Telescope); Scotty Macfarlane (Moon Map 260, donated by Orion); Beverly Byle (Jupiter Map, donated by Orion); Ruth Price, Scott Macfarlane (both selected a NASA Card Game, donated by NASA Space Place); Rich Mather (Solar System Poster Kit, donated by Orion); Rachel Sirna, Jim Kurtz, Sophie Loveless (pictured below) - (all selected a NASA Card Game); Bill Van Dien (framed photo of M42, donated by Beverly Byle).

Richard asked everyone in attendance to give a long and loud round of applause to Jean DeMott for all her hard work on party preparations. Much of the decorations are done at her own financial expense. Jean wanted to thank Rich Mather and Don Stilwell for helping with setup this year. We would also like to thank Kevin Jung for taking photos during the party this year. It was one less thing poor Richard had to do. The meeting concluded at about 9:10 pm. Thanks to the volunteers that helped with clean-up and putting all the tables and chairs away.

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society presents

Full Moon TheaterFull Moon Theater Saturday, January 31 @ 7:00 pmSaturday, January 31 @ 7:00 pm

WMU Main Campus - Rood Hall - Room 1110

Admission is FREE!   The KAS will provide the popcorn and soft drinks.   You just need to show up and have a great time!  For more information and directions to Rood Hall, please visit our web site:  www.kasonline.org 

T his  is  the  intimate  and  revealing  story  of Stephen Hawking's life. Told for the first time in Hawking's own words and with unique access to 

his  home  and  public  life,  this  is  a  personal  journey through  Hawking's  world.  The  audience  joins  him  at home, under the care of his nursing team; in San Jose as he "wows" a packed  theatre audience;  in Silicon Valley as he meets a  team of  technicians who hope  to  speed up his communication system; and as he throws a party for  family  and  friends.    HAWKING  also  carefully  tells Hawking's life journey, from boyhood under‐achiever to PhD genius, and from a healthy coxswain on the Oxford rowing  team  to  diagnosis  of  motor  neuron disease,  given  just  two  years  to  live  ‐  yet  surviving several  close  brushes  with  death.    The  film  also highlights his greatest scientific discoveries and plots his rise to fame and superstardom.  Directions to Rood Hall 

Head  north  up  the  Howard  Street  hill  from  the intersection of Howard and Stadium Drive.   Turn  right onto W. Michigan Ave. and then go left at the round‐a‐bout.    Turn  right  into  the  parking  lot.    Parking  in  the employee/student  lot  is perfectly  safe  and  free  all day on  Saturday.    Rood  Hall  is  located  just  past  Everett Tower.  Click HERE for an interactive map. 

January 2015

The Kalamazoo Astronomical Society has completed its 78th orbit around the Sun. It was a historic year for our beloved organization, but, like the year before, there were many disappointments for amateur astronomers. My main goal for the year was to write and submit grants for the Robotic Telescope Project and hopefully wrap up our five year old fund raiser. Only one out of the five grants we submitted in 2014 was successful, so the fund raiser will need to continue. That one grant, $20,000 from the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, is the largest one the KAS has ever received. That was a major milestone. Special thanks go to Joe Borrello and Molly Williams for their valuable input on the initial grants. At the annual meeting, I reported that I submitted a Letter of Inquiry to the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. They determined that our request best fit with the John E. Fetzer Institute. They’ll only fund up to $5,000 and their next advisory meeting is on February 9th. The other accomplishment for the Robotic Telescope Project was the purchase of the Paramount ME II German equatorial mount. That was unveiled in an “unboxing ceremony” at the April General Meeting. It sits patiently in my garage waiting to be used. Let’s hope a group of members can travel out to Arizona during the first half of 2015 and get at least the main telescope and related equipment installed. We almost certainly have the funds to do it now. Disregarding the purchase of the Paramount, we have raised over $93,500 toward our goal of about $110,000. Let’s hope we wrap up the fund raiser soon, get everything installed, and have a functioning robotic telescope by the end of 2015! As usual, we had many excellent general meeting speakers in 2014. Two of them were KAS members. Joe Comiskey spoke on My Favorite Light Polluting Menace: Rhapsody on

Lunar Observing on March 7th. I talked about The KAS Robotic Telescope on April 4th (that talk can be viewed on my YouTube Channel if you missed it). Special thanks to all our guest speakers in 2014. These include Dr. Robb Gillespie (Geology and the Race to the Moon on February 7th), Dr. Jay Strader (Black Holes and Globular Clusters: Sparkling Hosts of Frozen Stars on May 2nd), Dr. Michael Velbel (Robot Geologists on Mars on June 6th), Robert Miller (Yerkes Observatory: The Old and the New on September 5th), and Dr. Adrienne Erickcek (The View from Early Time presented via Skype on November 7th). The KAS continued to do a lot of outreach in 2014. There were so many I don’t think I can name them all, but I’ll try. Let’s see, there was Science Night at Vicksburg Middle School on March 5th, Family Math & Science Expo at Kellogg Elementary on March 25th, Free Admission Day at the Nature Center and Green-a-Thon at Portage Celery Flats (both on April 26th), Rock, Gem & Mineral Show from May 2nd - 4th, Kindleberger Festival in Parchment on July 12th, Crane Fest at the Kiwanis Area on October 11th & 12th, Spooky Science Saturday at Kingman Museum on October 25th, Science & Engineering Festival at Gull Lake High School on November 8th, and Education Day at the WMU Fetzer Center on November 15th. Man, that’s a lot! There would have been more, but they were all observing related and got canceled. We’ll likely participate in most of these activities again in 2015, so please volunteer when the call goes out. We need you! Astronomy Day was held at a new location, the Portage District Library, on May 10, 2014. Attendance at the library was fair, but it was overall a successful event. Attendance for the keynote presentation by Astronomy magazine Senior Editor Michael Bakich was quite good. In fact, we had to bring out several more chairs. For our efforts, we again won “Best Event” under the medium population category in the Astronomical League’s Astronomy Day Award. Astronomy Day will return to the Portage District Library on April 25th. I think the earlier date will help with attendance. Our Public Observing Sessions started off really hot. All sessions in April and May were successful, but then the weather completely shut us out in June and July. In all, just over half the sessions had clear skies. Attendance was fair, but still not where I’d like it to be. Even my trip to the Saskatchewan Summer Star Party was clouded and rained out. Kalamazoo had cloudy skies for both the April 15th lunar eclipse and October 23rd partial solar eclipse. We did have great weather for the lunar eclipse on October 8th! I’ve got to end this with some good news! The final total for membership in 2014 was 151. That beats last year’s total by 10! There’s no complaining about that!

Prime Focus Page 5

One of Richard’s highlights of 2014 was his vacation to Canada. He posed with this model of a starship located in Vulcan, Alberta on August 25th.

SS targazing is easy, and astronomy is something anyone can do and enjoy. You just have to get started off on the right foot. Starting out wrong can lead to disappointment, frustration, and wasted money. Starting out right can

lead to a lifetime of celestial exploration and enjoyment. Today, the hobby of astronomy - the biggest and most mind-boggling branch of amateur nature study - is attracting more people than ever. The Kalamazoo Astronomical Society is happy to present a five-part lecture series that will help you become a star-hopping skymaster!

Introduction toIntroduction to

Amateur AstronomyAmateur Astronomy

Part 1: Our Place Among the Infinities March 21

For a long time, the stars were merely pinpoints of light on the black backdrop of the heavens. Before massive telescopes on mountaintops came along, all we could observe were the Sun, Moon, planets, their satellites, and the occasional comet. Today we know that those pinpoints of light are distant suns and that we live in a remote corner of one galaxy amongst billions. For our first presentation, we'll travel through our solar system, explore the star clusters and nebulae of our Milky Way Galaxy, and the countless other galaxies in this vast, infinite universe.

Part 2: Discovering the Night Sky April 4

Is that a bright star or a planet? Where's the constellation Orion? Your first task as an amateur astronomer is to learn your way around the night sky. Learn how to find any star or constellation in the night sky with the use of a simple star map. We'll also look at several of the best books geared toward the novice stargazer and the many sophisticated planetarium programs for your home computer.

Part 3: Binocular Basics April 18

Every amateur astronomer, novice or advanced, should own at least one good pair of binoculars. They make an ideal first "telescope" because of their wide field of view, ease of use, portability, versatility, and low cost. Several types of binoculars are available, but which ones are best for astronomy? You’ll be amazed at what you can see!

Part 4: Telescope Tutorial May 2

Sooner or later, every amateur astronomer faces the decision of purchasing a first telescope. There are literally hundreds of choices today! What's the difference between a refractor and reflector? Which telescope is the right one for you? To make this daunting task easier, we'll compare several of the top telescopes available today and tell you which ones to avoid. We'll also look at the countless array of accessories available for your telescope. If you already have a telescope but need help then bring it along.

Part 5: The Art of Astrophotography May 16

Astrophotography is the art of photographing the night sky. In the past few years that art has undergone a revolution as digital cameras have overtaken their film counterparts. In some ways this has made the field more technical, but in many ways shooting the sky is easier than ever! We’ll start with the basics like using a stationary photographic tripod and work our way up to imaging with sophisticated CCD cameras. Constellation patterns, the Milky Way, the night-to-night motion of the planets, bright comets, northern lights, and perhaps a meteor all await you.

Time: 2:00 pm → 4:00 pm

Admission: FREE

Registration: www.kasonline.org

Location: Portage District Library 300 Library Lane Portage, MI 49002 (269) 329-4544

January 2015

In late July 2013, Tropical Storm Flossie barreled furiously toward Hawaii. The question was not if it would strike, but when and where it might do so. During the afternoon hours of July 29th, forecasts predicted landfall later that week on the state’s Big Island; however, by the time residents of the 50th state awoke the following morning things had changed. NOAA’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center warned that the islands of Oahu, Molokai and Maui were now at a greater risk. This overnight recalculation was thanks to the Day/Night Band viewing capabilities of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, or VIIRS, on board the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite. VIIRS is able to collect visible imagery at night, according to Mitch Goldberg, program scientist for NOAA’s Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), of which Suomi NPP is a part. That means it was able to spot some high-level circulation further north than expected during the nighttime hours. This was an important observation which impacted the whole forecast. Without this forecast, said the Hurricane Center’s Tom Evans, “we would have basically been guessing on Tropical Storm Flossie's center.” Polar-orbiting satellites, like Suomi NPP and the future JPSS-1 and JPSS-2 (scheduled for launch in 2017 and 2021, respectively), sweep in a longitudinal path over Earth as the planet rotates beneath them — scanning the globe twice a day. VIIRS, the imager that will be aboard all the JPSS satellites, images 3,000 km-wide swaths on each orbit, with each swath overlapping the next by 200 km to ensure uninterrupted global coverage. This high-resolution, rapidly updating coverage allows researchers to see weather patterns change in near real-time.

Instruments on Suomi NPP allow scientists to study such long-term changes too — things like, “the patterns of sea surface temperature, or coral bleaching,” says Goldberg. They are even used by the World Bank to determine how much energy is burned off and wasted from natural gas flares on oil drilling platforms. While scientists are excited by the JPSS series’ wide range of capabilities, the ability to address pressing immediate concerns is, for many, the most tangible value. That was certainly the case in July 2013, when thanks to Suomi NPP, authorities had ample time to close ports and facilities, open shelters, activate emergency procedures, and issue flash flood warnings. Despite heavy rains, high surf, and widespread power outages, accidents and injuries were few. By the time the storm passed, Hawaii was soaked. But it was largely unharmed. Learn more about JPSS here:

http://www.jpss.noaa.gov/ Kids can learn all about how hurricanes form at NASA’s Space Place:

http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/hurricanes/

Prime Focus Page 7

Keeping an Eye on Storms and MoreKeeping an Eye on Storms and More by by Kieran MulvaneyKieran Mulvaney

S-NPP captured this image of Tropical Storm Flossie heading toward Hawaii using its VIIRS Combined Day-Night Band sensor. Credit: NOAA.

January Night Sky.......................January Night Sky.......................

NORTH

EA

ST

WE

ST

I nferior planets Mercury and Venus come together for a close conjunction from January 8th - 12th.

During that time the two worlds stay within 1º of each other. Their least separation, 39ʺ, occurs on January 10th. Look toward the west-southwest horizon starting about 30 minutes after sunset.

A whisper-thin waxing crescent Moon forms a nearly equilateral triangle with Mercury and Venus after sunset on January 21st. The Moon will be about 4º to the right of Venus. Mercury will be 3º below the Moon. A pair of standard 7×50 binoculars should frame the scene perfectly.

A rare triple shadow transit occurs on Jupiter from 1:27 - 1:52 am on January 24th. Naturally, you’ll need a telescope to enjoy this phenomena. The western-most shadow will be from Io with Callisto’s puffier shadow just to the east. Europa’s shadow will be right on Jupiter’s eastern edge when the triple transit begins.

SOUTH

This star map is property of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society. However you may make as many copies as you wish free-of-charge, so long as it is for non-profit educational purposes and full credit is given to the KAS.

www.kasonline.org

Late December 10 pm

Early January 9 pm

Late January 8 pm

Early February 7 pm

This map represents the sky at the following local standard times:

PRESIDENT

Richard S. Bell 373-8942

VICE PRESIDENT

Jack Price 343-3193

TREASURER

Rich Mather 629-5312

SECRETARY/ALCOR

Roger Williams 375-4867

MEMBERS-AT-LARGE

Joe Comiskey 329-4251 Mike Cook 345-4998 Scott Macfarlane 679-2865 Don Stilwell 963-5856

E-MAIL a BOARD MEMBER

KAS BOARD January 2015 Page 9

THE MILLER PLANISPHERETHE MILLER PLANISPHERE

Only $13.00

The Miller  Planisphere  is made with  heavy  duty plas c  and  includes  a  durable  plas c  case.  All planispheres  sold  by  the  KAS  are  10.5”  in diameter and set at 40º la tude. Just dial the date and  me and you'll see what's  in the sky for that moment. Available for purchase at most mee ngs and observing sessions.  Also available online at:  

skyshop.kasonline.org 

WANTED: Equipment Manager The KAS seeks a member in good‐standing for the volunteer posi on of Equipment Manager.  The Equipment Manager is responsible  for maintaining our collec on of  telescopes  for loan and checking them in and out to KAS members. See the Telescopes for Loan web page for more informa on.  Any  member  interested  in  volunteering  for  the  posi on must  have  a  basic  knowledge  of  amateur  astronomy equipment  and  regularly  a end  KAS  general  mee ngs. Please  contact  KAS  President  Richard  Bell  if  you’re interested in applying for the posi on. 

Apparel is Back!Apparel is Back! It’s been well over ten years since the KAS has offered a full line of clothing. We now have several items in stock and ready for purchase. These include:

Short-sleeve T-Shirts: $17.00

Long-sleeve T-Shirts: $20.00

Sweatshirts (unhooded): $17.00

Sweatshirts (hooded): $22.00

KAS Embroidered Caps: $15.00

Full details, including sizes and colors, will be listed on our online store, The SkyShop, soon. Clothing will also be availa-ble to purchase at most general meetings.

© January 2015, Stargazer Productions

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society c/o KAMSC 600 West Vine, Suite 400 Kalamazoo, MI 49008

STAMP

General Meeting Preview

The winter season  in Michigan steals more than  its allo ed three months, providing us with prolonged cold, snow, and cloudy  nights.    However, when  the  sky  clears  (and  it will clear),  it  behooves  us  to  take  full  advantage.    The winter night  sky  is  full of  celes al  treasures  that  can be  captured with  telescope, binoculars and even  the unaided eye.   This presenta on will explore many of these, such as binary star systems, star clusters, nebulae, happenings at Jupiter, and a very close encounter between Mercury and Venus.  Various observing  ps,  including how to observe comfortably  in the frigid cold, will also be discussed.  Please join us and take on the challenge (and the delight) to behold the wonders of the winter night.  

Friday, January 9 @ 7:00 pm Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center

600 West Vine, Suite 400 • Use Dutton St. Entrance

─ Dutton Entrance Locked by 7:10 pm ─