1

Southwest Florida Astronomical Society

SWFAS

The Eyepiece

July 2017 Contents

Message from the President Page 1 Program this Month Page 2 Photos by Mathew KnightChuck Pavlick Page 3

In the Sky this Month Page 4 Future Events Page 5

Minutes of the Southwest Florida Astronomical Society ndash June 1 2017 Page 7 Eclipses in Other Planetary Systems Page 8 Shape of the Solar System Page 12

Club Officers amp Positions Page 14

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT I would like to thank Bruce for handling the June Meeting I also want to thank the club

for the condolences and generosity

Itrsquos getting close to Eclipse Day Alice Mack is doing a program on August 1st at 130

pm at the Fort Myers Beach Library We have the City of Cape Coral Parks and Rec Day on the 15th where we will be pushing the eclipse If you can help at the Calusa Nature

Center that day please let Heather know If you want to host an event at another location that day (or prior to the eclipse) let me know Our August meeting will be

about observing the eclipse so that proper observing methods and cautions can be presented Remember down here in FL you need a proper solar filter for the entire

eclipse

Rain is a real problem for our summer star parties We will try again on the 22nd I will not be in town so just use your weather eye to decide to go out to Seahawk Park

Tim Barrier was able to get things straightened out with Wells Fargo so we are leaving

the club accounts with them

Brian

2

Program this Month

Fellow Amateur Astronomers

In lieu of a guest speaker at the July 6th meeting of the South West Florida Astronomical Society we will be showing a new planetarium program entitled Phantom of the

Universe The Hunt for Dark Matter This visually stunning and scientifically fascinating program has received rave reviews worldwide from its viewers It covers

everything from the Big Bang to galaxies the Large Hadron Collider and a deep underground experiment in the Homestake Mine in South Dakota The Higgs Boson will

be discussed as well This program will be shown immediately following the regular monthly meeting of the

SWFAS which begins at 730pm on Thursday July 6th at the Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium in Fort Myers We hope to see you there

Michael J McCauley

Program Coordinator SWFAS

August Program With the upcoming eclipse we will be doing a program about safe observing of the eclipse both here and on the path of totality Many people think it is more dangerous to

observe during the eclipse than other times but that is not true What is true is that

more people will attempt to look at the sun directly during the eclipse Proper knowledge about observing is key to helping the public observe the eclipse

August 21st Solar Eclipse

If you are not traveling to see the eclipse and would be able to help with observing that

afternoon from SW Florida please let Brian Risley know We have had several people ask about observing events in the area for it and I need to find people to help coordinate

these events The CPC 800 and Celestar 8 will be available for white light solar observing and possibly the Nexstar 6se We also have a solar filter for the 8rdquo dobsonian

as well We can supply handouts on the eclipse and how to safely observe it School will have just started so I donrsquot know if we will be able to do anything with the schools

in advance of it I have been in contact with the News-Press for an article about it to appear before the eclipse and I would like to be able to direct people to an event

CNCP is seeking volunteers able to run a planetarium show for times in the summer whenever Heather will be gone etc If anyone is interested in more info (no obligation)

please let Heather know or the CNCP office manager Ginger Allen at 239 275 3435 (you can leave a voice message if she is out) Its a fun way to expand your knowledge

of Astronomy as well as interact with others interested in learning more

3

Photos from Matthew Knight Chuck Pavlick

Chuck Pavlick Centauri A

4

In the Sky this Month

Moon July ndash 1st Quarter ndash01 Full ndash 09 Last Quarter ndash 16th New ndash 23th

The Planets

Mercury and Mars are hidden deep in the glow of sunset

Venus (magnitude ndash42) shines low in the east as dawn brightens

Jupiter (magnitude ndash20 in Virgo) shines brightly in the southwest during evening Spica (magnitude +10) glitters 10deg left of it In a telescope Jupiter has shrunk to 37

arcseconds wide Saturn (magnitude +01 in southern Ophiuchus) glows pale yellowish in the south-

southeast to south during evening Fiery Antares less bright is 14deg to Saturns right or lower right Delta Scorpii the third brightest object in the area catches the eye half that

far to the upper right of Antares See how many of Saturns satellites you can identify in your scope using Sky and Telescopersquos Saturns Moons tracker

Uranus (magnitude 59 in Pisces) and Neptune (magnitude 79 in Aquarius) are well placed in the east and southeast respectively before the beginning of dawn Sky and

Telescopersquos Finder charts

International Space Station The ISS is visible in the evening skies over Ft Myers

Sat Jul 1 506 AM 2 min 12deg 10deg above SE 10deg above ESE

Sun Jul 2 549 AM 4 min 79deg 16deg above SW 33deg above NE

Mon Jul 3 459 AM 2 min 37deg 37deg above SE 23deg above ENE

Tue Jul 4 409 AM lt 1 min 10deg 10deg above E 10deg above E

Tue Jul 4 541 AM 4 min 24deg 15deg above W 11deg above NNE

Wed Jul 5 451 AM 1 min 46deg 46deg above N 21deg above NNE

Thu Jul 6 401 AM lt 1 min 16deg 16deg above NE 16deg above NE

The Hubble Space Telescope appears in the Evening from July 07-11 and the morning from 12 through the end of the month

See this link for specific times and routes for both httpwwwheavens-abovecom

2

Program this Month

Fellow Amateur Astronomers

In lieu of a guest speaker at the July 6th meeting of the South West Florida Astronomical Society we will be showing a new planetarium program entitled Phantom of the

Universe The Hunt for Dark Matter This visually stunning and scientifically fascinating program has received rave reviews worldwide from its viewers It covers

everything from the Big Bang to galaxies the Large Hadron Collider and a deep underground experiment in the Homestake Mine in South Dakota The Higgs Boson will

be discussed as well This program will be shown immediately following the regular monthly meeting of the

SWFAS which begins at 730pm on Thursday July 6th at the Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium in Fort Myers We hope to see you there

Michael J McCauley

Program Coordinator SWFAS

August Program With the upcoming eclipse we will be doing a program about safe observing of the eclipse both here and on the path of totality Many people think it is more dangerous to

observe during the eclipse than other times but that is not true What is true is that

more people will attempt to look at the sun directly during the eclipse Proper knowledge about observing is key to helping the public observe the eclipse

August 21st Solar Eclipse

If you are not traveling to see the eclipse and would be able to help with observing that

afternoon from SW Florida please let Brian Risley know We have had several people ask about observing events in the area for it and I need to find people to help coordinate

these events The CPC 800 and Celestar 8 will be available for white light solar observing and possibly the Nexstar 6se We also have a solar filter for the 8rdquo dobsonian

as well We can supply handouts on the eclipse and how to safely observe it School will have just started so I donrsquot know if we will be able to do anything with the schools

in advance of it I have been in contact with the News-Press for an article about it to appear before the eclipse and I would like to be able to direct people to an event

CNCP is seeking volunteers able to run a planetarium show for times in the summer whenever Heather will be gone etc If anyone is interested in more info (no obligation)

please let Heather know or the CNCP office manager Ginger Allen at 239 275 3435 (you can leave a voice message if she is out) Its a fun way to expand your knowledge

of Astronomy as well as interact with others interested in learning more

3

Photos from Matthew Knight Chuck Pavlick

Chuck Pavlick Centauri A

4

In the Sky this Month

Moon July ndash 1st Quarter ndash01 Full ndash 09 Last Quarter ndash 16th New ndash 23th

The Planets

Mercury and Mars are hidden deep in the glow of sunset

Venus (magnitude ndash42) shines low in the east as dawn brightens

Jupiter (magnitude ndash20 in Virgo) shines brightly in the southwest during evening Spica (magnitude +10) glitters 10deg left of it In a telescope Jupiter has shrunk to 37

arcseconds wide Saturn (magnitude +01 in southern Ophiuchus) glows pale yellowish in the south-

southeast to south during evening Fiery Antares less bright is 14deg to Saturns right or lower right Delta Scorpii the third brightest object in the area catches the eye half that

far to the upper right of Antares See how many of Saturns satellites you can identify in your scope using Sky and Telescopersquos Saturns Moons tracker

Uranus (magnitude 59 in Pisces) and Neptune (magnitude 79 in Aquarius) are well placed in the east and southeast respectively before the beginning of dawn Sky and

Telescopersquos Finder charts

International Space Station The ISS is visible in the evening skies over Ft Myers

Sat Jul 1 506 AM 2 min 12deg 10deg above SE 10deg above ESE

Sun Jul 2 549 AM 4 min 79deg 16deg above SW 33deg above NE

Mon Jul 3 459 AM 2 min 37deg 37deg above SE 23deg above ENE

Tue Jul 4 409 AM lt 1 min 10deg 10deg above E 10deg above E

Tue Jul 4 541 AM 4 min 24deg 15deg above W 11deg above NNE

Wed Jul 5 451 AM 1 min 46deg 46deg above N 21deg above NNE

Thu Jul 6 401 AM lt 1 min 16deg 16deg above NE 16deg above NE

The Hubble Space Telescope appears in the Evening from July 07-11 and the morning from 12 through the end of the month

See this link for specific times and routes for both httpwwwheavens-abovecom

3

Photos from Matthew Knight Chuck Pavlick

Chuck Pavlick Centauri A

4

In the Sky this Month

Moon July ndash 1st Quarter ndash01 Full ndash 09 Last Quarter ndash 16th New ndash 23th

The Planets

Mercury and Mars are hidden deep in the glow of sunset

Venus (magnitude ndash42) shines low in the east as dawn brightens

Jupiter (magnitude ndash20 in Virgo) shines brightly in the southwest during evening Spica (magnitude +10) glitters 10deg left of it In a telescope Jupiter has shrunk to 37

arcseconds wide Saturn (magnitude +01 in southern Ophiuchus) glows pale yellowish in the south-

southeast to south during evening Fiery Antares less bright is 14deg to Saturns right or lower right Delta Scorpii the third brightest object in the area catches the eye half that

far to the upper right of Antares See how many of Saturns satellites you can identify in your scope using Sky and Telescopersquos Saturns Moons tracker

Uranus (magnitude 59 in Pisces) and Neptune (magnitude 79 in Aquarius) are well placed in the east and southeast respectively before the beginning of dawn Sky and

Telescopersquos Finder charts

International Space Station The ISS is visible in the evening skies over Ft Myers

Sat Jul 1 506 AM 2 min 12deg 10deg above SE 10deg above ESE

Sun Jul 2 549 AM 4 min 79deg 16deg above SW 33deg above NE

Mon Jul 3 459 AM 2 min 37deg 37deg above SE 23deg above ENE

Tue Jul 4 409 AM lt 1 min 10deg 10deg above E 10deg above E

Tue Jul 4 541 AM 4 min 24deg 15deg above W 11deg above NNE

Wed Jul 5 451 AM 1 min 46deg 46deg above N 21deg above NNE

Thu Jul 6 401 AM lt 1 min 16deg 16deg above NE 16deg above NE

The Hubble Space Telescope appears in the Evening from July 07-11 and the morning from 12 through the end of the month

See this link for specific times and routes for both httpwwwheavens-abovecom

4

In the Sky this Month

Moon July ndash 1st Quarter ndash01 Full ndash 09 Last Quarter ndash 16th New ndash 23th

The Planets

Mercury and Mars are hidden deep in the glow of sunset

Venus (magnitude ndash42) shines low in the east as dawn brightens

Jupiter (magnitude ndash20 in Virgo) shines brightly in the southwest during evening Spica (magnitude +10) glitters 10deg left of it In a telescope Jupiter has shrunk to 37

arcseconds wide Saturn (magnitude +01 in southern Ophiuchus) glows pale yellowish in the south-

southeast to south during evening Fiery Antares less bright is 14deg to Saturns right or lower right Delta Scorpii the third brightest object in the area catches the eye half that

far to the upper right of Antares See how many of Saturns satellites you can identify in your scope using Sky and Telescopersquos Saturns Moons tracker

Uranus (magnitude 59 in Pisces) and Neptune (magnitude 79 in Aquarius) are well placed in the east and southeast respectively before the beginning of dawn Sky and

Telescopersquos Finder charts

International Space Station The ISS is visible in the evening skies over Ft Myers

Sat Jul 1 506 AM 2 min 12deg 10deg above SE 10deg above ESE

Sun Jul 2 549 AM 4 min 79deg 16deg above SW 33deg above NE

Mon Jul 3 459 AM 2 min 37deg 37deg above SE 23deg above ENE

Tue Jul 4 409 AM lt 1 min 10deg 10deg above E 10deg above E

Tue Jul 4 541 AM 4 min 24deg 15deg above W 11deg above NNE

Wed Jul 5 451 AM 1 min 46deg 46deg above N 21deg above NNE

Thu Jul 6 401 AM lt 1 min 16deg 16deg above NE 16deg above NE

The Hubble Space Telescope appears in the Evening from July 07-11 and the morning from 12 through the end of the month

See this link for specific times and routes for both httpwwwheavens-abovecom

5

Southwest Florida Astronomical Society Inc Event Schedule 2017

July 6th 2017 Monthly Meeting Calusa Nature Center amp

Planetarium

730pm

July 15th 2017 Parks and Rec Day Cape Coral Yacht Club 1000 am ndash 100 pm

July 22nd 2017 Monthly Star Party Seahawk Park Cape Coral Dusk

August 1st 2017 Eclipse Program Fort Myers Beach Library

130pm ndash Alice Mack

August 3rd 2017 Monthly Meeting Calusa Nature Center amp

Planetarium

730pm

Aug 19th 2017 Monthly Star Party Seahawk Park Cape Coral Dusk

Aug 21st 2017 Solar Eclipse Across America

Sept 7th 2017 Monthly Meeting Calusa Nature Center amp Planetarium

730pm

Sept 23rd 2017 Monthly Star Party Seahawk Park Cape Coral Dusk

Oct 5th 2017 Monthly Meeting Calusa Nature Center amp Planetarium

730pm

Oct 15th 2017 Ding Darling Days Ding Darling National

Wildlife Refuge - Sanibel

Solar

ObservingDisplays

Oct 21st 2017 Monthly Star Party Caloosahatchee

Regional Park

Dusk (Arrive before

gate closes park fee)

Nov 2nd 2017 Monthly Meeting Calusa Nature Center amp

Planetarium

730pm

Nov 18th 2017 Monthly Star Party Seahawk Park Cape Coral Dusk

Dec 7th 2017 Monthly Meeting Calusa Nature Center amp

Planetarium

730pm

Dec 16th 2017 Monthly Star Party Caloosahatchee Regional Park

Dusk (Arrive before gate closes park fee)

Date Event Location TimeNote

6

All events are Weather Permitting If it is cloudy we may not setup at all There may be no way to provide advance notice of cancellation

Monthly Star Parties These are held at either Caloosahatchee Regional Park (CRP) off SR78 7 miles east of SR31 or at Seahawk Park in Cape Coral Other than park fees noted these are

free and open to the public

CRP has a gate that closes at dusk you can check the countyrsquos website for current gate closing times and the status of the parkrsquos Northside entrance as that is where we observe from (They

may close the area if there are issues with the trails) There is a parking fee of $1hr or $5day at CRP Park in the main Northside parking lot We sometimes setup down the dirt road that goes to the east That area is grassy and may not be level so one should walk on the dirt road

as much as possible and watch their step

Seahawk Park is in North Cape Coral off Wilmington Blvd (Nelson Rd or Chiquita Blvd are the nearest cross streets) There is a brown sign in the center median at the entrance to the park

(GPS may not get you to the park as some of the local roads have been closed) You will make a big J hook before getting to the parking area Seahawk Park is utilized by the Radio Controlled

Planes and they have priority They are usually done by sunset but may be there before sunrise Park in the lot and transport your equipment to the concrete staging area before the runway This park is handicap capable as there is level concrete leading from parking to the staging area

Big Cypress The Big Cypress Visitor Center is located off US41 5 miles east of SR29 about 25 miles east of Naples Big Cypress has earned a Dark Sky Park designation They hold observing events down the road that extends south of the Visitor Center during the winter months This is

a real dark sky site One of their events this year is timed to a full moon with a penumbral eclipse so that night will not be dark Their observing events are free After the fires of March

it has been decided the site will be closed till next season

Solar Events We have daytime solar events where one can safely look at the Sun Things such as sunspots and prominences may be visible These are free unless tied to another event

that may have an entrance fee

Rotary Park Star Party This is a free public star party held at Rotary Park at the south end of Pelican Blvd in South Cape Coral Park to the west of the main building and walk to where we

are setup to the east of the main building If the weather is bad we will try again the next night

Moore Observatory FSW Punta Gorda Campus The campus is located off Airport Rd just

east of I-75 Go to the right around the lake and park The observatory is located down the path along the lake Besides the telescope in the observatory additional scopes may be setup around the observatory This is a free event

Star Party Etiquette Bright white flashlights are not welcome We use red flashlights to preserve our night vision At the parks please use just your parking lights if possible As there may be cords and tripod legs that are hard to see in the dark we ask that all children be well

behaved and cautious around the telescopes If you need help in moving around in the dark just ask Someone will be happy to guide you with a red light If you have a telescope and

need help with it just ask Someone will be glad to show you how to use it

Golden Rules to Telescope Observing Move your eye to the telescope donrsquot try to move the telescope to your eye Ladderschairs are there for your support the telescopes do not

provide support and should not be touched

7

Minutes of the Southwest Florida Astronomical Society ndash June 1 2017

The regular monthly business meeting of the Southwest Florida Astronomical Society was called to order at 730 pm by vice-president Bruce Dissette in the Calusa Nature Center Planetarium

President Brian Risley was unable to attend due to the death of his father

Twenty-five people were present including three new membersvisitors

Scott Flaig presented the program on ldquoTimerdquo

At 815pm vice-president Bruce Dissette reconvened the business meeting

The Nature Center needs volunteers to help out with the Planetarium on a continuing basis

especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays See Heather Preston

Also volunteers are needed to help with local events for the August 21 Solar Eclipse as Heather Brian Risley and a number of other members will be out of state for the eclipse Since several outside groups are requesting eclipse-related programs sooner is better

Astronomical League dues of $10 plus $5 per member are due Tony Heiner made a motion seconded by Ron Madl to authorize payment The motion passed on a voice vote

Mike McCauley made a motion seconded by Tony Heiner to authorize $100 for a flower arrangement for Brian Risleys family The motion passed on a voice vote

The past events listed in the printed agenda were reviewed

Upcoming events listed on the printed agenda were discussed

Tony Heiner made a motion seconded by Mary Vilbig to approve the minutes of the May 4 meeting as published in the June newsletter The motion carried on a voice vote

Treasurer Tim Barrier reported a May ending balance of $260555 Tony Heiner made a motion

seconded by Tom Klein to approve the report The motion passed on a voice vote

Astronomical League Coordinator John MacLean reported that e-mail corrections have been made and new members added for the AL update

Heather Preston announced a Planetarium screening of ldquoThe Farthestrdquo celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Voyager space probe mission launch It will be June 22 from 6-8pm

After a discussion that the ldquoclosedrdquo sign on the Nature Center gate might prevent visitors from attending our meetings Earl Hahn made a motion seconded by Mike McCauley to authorize buying a sign for the gate indicating that the SWFAS meeting is taking place in the planetarium

The motion passed on a voice vote

The business meeting was adjourned at 840 pm

submitted by Don Palmer secretary

8

ECLIPSES IN OTHER PLANETARY SYSTEMS

The Search for Exoplanets It may surprise you to learn that NASA observes eclipses of a sort in planetary systems

outside our own When a planet around a distant star passes between that star and Earth it blocks out a tiny bit of light resulting in a mini-eclipse This event called a

transit can be observed all the way from Earth Transits are one of the ways scientists search for exoplanets and in fact most exoplanets known today were discovered using

this method Observing a transit requires that the planetrsquos orbit around its star passes through our line of sight to the star It also favors large planets orbiting close to their

stars as this configuration is more likely to yield a transit and it causes the largest

and most noticeable drops in light

As an exoplanet passes in front of a star it blocks some of the starlight in a mini-eclipse

Several NASA missions have observed exoplanet transits including Kepler the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope

For more information on NASArsquos search for exoplanets go to exoplanetsnasagov

9

NASArsquos Kepler mission has discovered over 2000 exoplanets using the transit method since its launch in 2009

NASArsquos Spitzer Space Telescope recently discovered seven Earth-size planets around the nearby TRAPPIST-1 star 40 light-years away by combining transit data with other

observations from ground-based telescopes Scientists were able to determine the size mass and distance from the star for these planets and were able to show that three of

them are firmly in the habitable zone where the temperature allows for the possibility of liquid water on the surface

An Artistrsquos illustration of the seven Earth-sized worlds of the Trappist-1 system

10

NASArsquos Future Plans for Studying Transits

NASA has several plans for using transits to study exoplanets in the future The

upcoming Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) planned for launch in 2018 will

specifically search for transiting exoplanets around nearby bright stars It plans to monitor 200000 nearby stars for planets

Artistrsquos illustration of NASArsquos Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)

Exploring exoplanets is one of the primary science goals of the James Webb Space Telescope launching in 2018 Webb will study many phases in the history of our

universe including the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets similar to Earth as well as the evolution of our own solar system It is targeted to

launch from French Guiana aboard an Ariane 5 rocket in 2018 Webb is an international project led by NASA with its partners ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian

Space Agency

The exquisite sensitivity of Webb will allow scientists to look for chemical fingerprints in

exoplanet atmospheres and search for possible life-bearing environments containing oxygen methane and water

11

The primary mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope during testing at

NASArsquos Goddard Space Flight Center

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NASA Exoplanets Program exoplanetsnasagov

NASA Eclipse Transit Page eclipse2017nasagovtransits-and-occultations Eclipse 2017 Home Page eclipse2017nasagov

6

All events are Weather Permitting If it is cloudy we may not setup at all There may be no way to provide advance notice of cancellation

Monthly Star Parties These are held at either Caloosahatchee Regional Park (CRP) off SR78 7 miles east of SR31 or at Seahawk Park in Cape Coral Other than park fees noted these are

free and open to the public

CRP has a gate that closes at dusk you can check the countyrsquos website for current gate closing times and the status of the parkrsquos Northside entrance as that is where we observe from (They

may close the area if there are issues with the trails) There is a parking fee of $1hr or $5day at CRP Park in the main Northside parking lot We sometimes setup down the dirt road that goes to the east That area is grassy and may not be level so one should walk on the dirt road

as much as possible and watch their step

Seahawk Park is in North Cape Coral off Wilmington Blvd (Nelson Rd or Chiquita Blvd are the nearest cross streets) There is a brown sign in the center median at the entrance to the park

(GPS may not get you to the park as some of the local roads have been closed) You will make a big J hook before getting to the parking area Seahawk Park is utilized by the Radio Controlled

Planes and they have priority They are usually done by sunset but may be there before sunrise Park in the lot and transport your equipment to the concrete staging area before the runway This park is handicap capable as there is level concrete leading from parking to the staging area

Big Cypress The Big Cypress Visitor Center is located off US41 5 miles east of SR29 about 25 miles east of Naples Big Cypress has earned a Dark Sky Park designation They hold observing events down the road that extends south of the Visitor Center during the winter months This is

a real dark sky site One of their events this year is timed to a full moon with a penumbral eclipse so that night will not be dark Their observing events are free After the fires of March

it has been decided the site will be closed till next season

Solar Events We have daytime solar events where one can safely look at the Sun Things such as sunspots and prominences may be visible These are free unless tied to another event

that may have an entrance fee

Rotary Park Star Party This is a free public star party held at Rotary Park at the south end of Pelican Blvd in South Cape Coral Park to the west of the main building and walk to where we

are setup to the east of the main building If the weather is bad we will try again the next night

Moore Observatory FSW Punta Gorda Campus The campus is located off Airport Rd just

east of I-75 Go to the right around the lake and park The observatory is located down the path along the lake Besides the telescope in the observatory additional scopes may be setup around the observatory This is a free event

Star Party Etiquette Bright white flashlights are not welcome We use red flashlights to preserve our night vision At the parks please use just your parking lights if possible As there may be cords and tripod legs that are hard to see in the dark we ask that all children be well

behaved and cautious around the telescopes If you need help in moving around in the dark just ask Someone will be happy to guide you with a red light If you have a telescope and

need help with it just ask Someone will be glad to show you how to use it

Golden Rules to Telescope Observing Move your eye to the telescope donrsquot try to move the telescope to your eye Ladderschairs are there for your support the telescopes do not

provide support and should not be touched

7

Minutes of the Southwest Florida Astronomical Society ndash June 1 2017

The regular monthly business meeting of the Southwest Florida Astronomical Society was called to order at 730 pm by vice-president Bruce Dissette in the Calusa Nature Center Planetarium

President Brian Risley was unable to attend due to the death of his father

Twenty-five people were present including three new membersvisitors

Scott Flaig presented the program on ldquoTimerdquo

At 815pm vice-president Bruce Dissette reconvened the business meeting

The Nature Center needs volunteers to help out with the Planetarium on a continuing basis

especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays See Heather Preston

Also volunteers are needed to help with local events for the August 21 Solar Eclipse as Heather Brian Risley and a number of other members will be out of state for the eclipse Since several outside groups are requesting eclipse-related programs sooner is better

Astronomical League dues of $10 plus $5 per member are due Tony Heiner made a motion seconded by Ron Madl to authorize payment The motion passed on a voice vote

Mike McCauley made a motion seconded by Tony Heiner to authorize $100 for a flower arrangement for Brian Risleys family The motion passed on a voice vote

The past events listed in the printed agenda were reviewed

Upcoming events listed on the printed agenda were discussed

Tony Heiner made a motion seconded by Mary Vilbig to approve the minutes of the May 4 meeting as published in the June newsletter The motion carried on a voice vote

Treasurer Tim Barrier reported a May ending balance of $260555 Tony Heiner made a motion

seconded by Tom Klein to approve the report The motion passed on a voice vote

Astronomical League Coordinator John MacLean reported that e-mail corrections have been made and new members added for the AL update

Heather Preston announced a Planetarium screening of ldquoThe Farthestrdquo celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Voyager space probe mission launch It will be June 22 from 6-8pm

After a discussion that the ldquoclosedrdquo sign on the Nature Center gate might prevent visitors from attending our meetings Earl Hahn made a motion seconded by Mike McCauley to authorize buying a sign for the gate indicating that the SWFAS meeting is taking place in the planetarium

The motion passed on a voice vote

The business meeting was adjourned at 840 pm

submitted by Don Palmer secretary

8

ECLIPSES IN OTHER PLANETARY SYSTEMS

The Search for Exoplanets It may surprise you to learn that NASA observes eclipses of a sort in planetary systems

outside our own When a planet around a distant star passes between that star and Earth it blocks out a tiny bit of light resulting in a mini-eclipse This event called a

transit can be observed all the way from Earth Transits are one of the ways scientists search for exoplanets and in fact most exoplanets known today were discovered using

this method Observing a transit requires that the planetrsquos orbit around its star passes through our line of sight to the star It also favors large planets orbiting close to their

stars as this configuration is more likely to yield a transit and it causes the largest

and most noticeable drops in light

As an exoplanet passes in front of a star it blocks some of the starlight in a mini-eclipse

Several NASA missions have observed exoplanet transits including Kepler the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope

For more information on NASArsquos search for exoplanets go to exoplanetsnasagov

9

NASArsquos Kepler mission has discovered over 2000 exoplanets using the transit method since its launch in 2009

NASArsquos Spitzer Space Telescope recently discovered seven Earth-size planets around the nearby TRAPPIST-1 star 40 light-years away by combining transit data with other

observations from ground-based telescopes Scientists were able to determine the size mass and distance from the star for these planets and were able to show that three of

them are firmly in the habitable zone where the temperature allows for the possibility of liquid water on the surface

An Artistrsquos illustration of the seven Earth-sized worlds of the Trappist-1 system

10

NASArsquos Future Plans for Studying Transits

NASA has several plans for using transits to study exoplanets in the future The

upcoming Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) planned for launch in 2018 will

specifically search for transiting exoplanets around nearby bright stars It plans to monitor 200000 nearby stars for planets

Artistrsquos illustration of NASArsquos Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)

Exploring exoplanets is one of the primary science goals of the James Webb Space Telescope launching in 2018 Webb will study many phases in the history of our

universe including the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets similar to Earth as well as the evolution of our own solar system It is targeted to

launch from French Guiana aboard an Ariane 5 rocket in 2018 Webb is an international project led by NASA with its partners ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian

Space Agency

The exquisite sensitivity of Webb will allow scientists to look for chemical fingerprints in

exoplanet atmospheres and search for possible life-bearing environments containing oxygen methane and water

11

The primary mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope during testing at

NASArsquos Goddard Space Flight Center

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NASA Exoplanets Program exoplanetsnasagov

NASA Eclipse Transit Page eclipse2017nasagovtransits-and-occultations Eclipse 2017 Home Page eclipse2017nasagov

7

Minutes of the Southwest Florida Astronomical Society ndash June 1 2017

The regular monthly business meeting of the Southwest Florida Astronomical Society was called to order at 730 pm by vice-president Bruce Dissette in the Calusa Nature Center Planetarium

President Brian Risley was unable to attend due to the death of his father

Twenty-five people were present including three new membersvisitors

Scott Flaig presented the program on ldquoTimerdquo

At 815pm vice-president Bruce Dissette reconvened the business meeting

The Nature Center needs volunteers to help out with the Planetarium on a continuing basis

especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays See Heather Preston

Also volunteers are needed to help with local events for the August 21 Solar Eclipse as Heather Brian Risley and a number of other members will be out of state for the eclipse Since several outside groups are requesting eclipse-related programs sooner is better

Astronomical League dues of $10 plus $5 per member are due Tony Heiner made a motion seconded by Ron Madl to authorize payment The motion passed on a voice vote

Mike McCauley made a motion seconded by Tony Heiner to authorize $100 for a flower arrangement for Brian Risleys family The motion passed on a voice vote

The past events listed in the printed agenda were reviewed

Upcoming events listed on the printed agenda were discussed

Tony Heiner made a motion seconded by Mary Vilbig to approve the minutes of the May 4 meeting as published in the June newsletter The motion carried on a voice vote

Treasurer Tim Barrier reported a May ending balance of $260555 Tony Heiner made a motion

seconded by Tom Klein to approve the report The motion passed on a voice vote

Astronomical League Coordinator John MacLean reported that e-mail corrections have been made and new members added for the AL update

Heather Preston announced a Planetarium screening of ldquoThe Farthestrdquo celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Voyager space probe mission launch It will be June 22 from 6-8pm

After a discussion that the ldquoclosedrdquo sign on the Nature Center gate might prevent visitors from attending our meetings Earl Hahn made a motion seconded by Mike McCauley to authorize buying a sign for the gate indicating that the SWFAS meeting is taking place in the planetarium

The motion passed on a voice vote

The business meeting was adjourned at 840 pm

submitted by Don Palmer secretary

8

ECLIPSES IN OTHER PLANETARY SYSTEMS

The Search for Exoplanets It may surprise you to learn that NASA observes eclipses of a sort in planetary systems

outside our own When a planet around a distant star passes between that star and Earth it blocks out a tiny bit of light resulting in a mini-eclipse This event called a

transit can be observed all the way from Earth Transits are one of the ways scientists search for exoplanets and in fact most exoplanets known today were discovered using

this method Observing a transit requires that the planetrsquos orbit around its star passes through our line of sight to the star It also favors large planets orbiting close to their

stars as this configuration is more likely to yield a transit and it causes the largest

and most noticeable drops in light

As an exoplanet passes in front of a star it blocks some of the starlight in a mini-eclipse

Several NASA missions have observed exoplanet transits including Kepler the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope

For more information on NASArsquos search for exoplanets go to exoplanetsnasagov

9

NASArsquos Kepler mission has discovered over 2000 exoplanets using the transit method since its launch in 2009

NASArsquos Spitzer Space Telescope recently discovered seven Earth-size planets around the nearby TRAPPIST-1 star 40 light-years away by combining transit data with other

observations from ground-based telescopes Scientists were able to determine the size mass and distance from the star for these planets and were able to show that three of

them are firmly in the habitable zone where the temperature allows for the possibility of liquid water on the surface

An Artistrsquos illustration of the seven Earth-sized worlds of the Trappist-1 system

10

NASArsquos Future Plans for Studying Transits

NASA has several plans for using transits to study exoplanets in the future The

upcoming Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) planned for launch in 2018 will

specifically search for transiting exoplanets around nearby bright stars It plans to monitor 200000 nearby stars for planets

Artistrsquos illustration of NASArsquos Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)

Exploring exoplanets is one of the primary science goals of the James Webb Space Telescope launching in 2018 Webb will study many phases in the history of our

universe including the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets similar to Earth as well as the evolution of our own solar system It is targeted to

launch from French Guiana aboard an Ariane 5 rocket in 2018 Webb is an international project led by NASA with its partners ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian

Space Agency

The exquisite sensitivity of Webb will allow scientists to look for chemical fingerprints in

exoplanet atmospheres and search for possible life-bearing environments containing oxygen methane and water

11

The primary mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope during testing at

NASArsquos Goddard Space Flight Center

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NASA Exoplanets Program exoplanetsnasagov

NASA Eclipse Transit Page eclipse2017nasagovtransits-and-occultations Eclipse 2017 Home Page eclipse2017nasagov

8

ECLIPSES IN OTHER PLANETARY SYSTEMS

The Search for Exoplanets It may surprise you to learn that NASA observes eclipses of a sort in planetary systems

outside our own When a planet around a distant star passes between that star and Earth it blocks out a tiny bit of light resulting in a mini-eclipse This event called a

transit can be observed all the way from Earth Transits are one of the ways scientists search for exoplanets and in fact most exoplanets known today were discovered using

this method Observing a transit requires that the planetrsquos orbit around its star passes through our line of sight to the star It also favors large planets orbiting close to their

stars as this configuration is more likely to yield a transit and it causes the largest

and most noticeable drops in light

As an exoplanet passes in front of a star it blocks some of the starlight in a mini-eclipse

Several NASA missions have observed exoplanet transits including Kepler the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope

For more information on NASArsquos search for exoplanets go to exoplanetsnasagov

9

NASArsquos Kepler mission has discovered over 2000 exoplanets using the transit method since its launch in 2009

NASArsquos Spitzer Space Telescope recently discovered seven Earth-size planets around the nearby TRAPPIST-1 star 40 light-years away by combining transit data with other

observations from ground-based telescopes Scientists were able to determine the size mass and distance from the star for these planets and were able to show that three of

them are firmly in the habitable zone where the temperature allows for the possibility of liquid water on the surface

An Artistrsquos illustration of the seven Earth-sized worlds of the Trappist-1 system

10

NASArsquos Future Plans for Studying Transits

NASA has several plans for using transits to study exoplanets in the future The

upcoming Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) planned for launch in 2018 will

specifically search for transiting exoplanets around nearby bright stars It plans to monitor 200000 nearby stars for planets

Artistrsquos illustration of NASArsquos Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)

Exploring exoplanets is one of the primary science goals of the James Webb Space Telescope launching in 2018 Webb will study many phases in the history of our

universe including the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets similar to Earth as well as the evolution of our own solar system It is targeted to

launch from French Guiana aboard an Ariane 5 rocket in 2018 Webb is an international project led by NASA with its partners ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian

Space Agency

The exquisite sensitivity of Webb will allow scientists to look for chemical fingerprints in

exoplanet atmospheres and search for possible life-bearing environments containing oxygen methane and water

11

The primary mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope during testing at

NASArsquos Goddard Space Flight Center

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NASA Exoplanets Program exoplanetsnasagov

NASA Eclipse Transit Page eclipse2017nasagovtransits-and-occultations Eclipse 2017 Home Page eclipse2017nasagov

9

NASArsquos Kepler mission has discovered over 2000 exoplanets using the transit method since its launch in 2009

NASArsquos Spitzer Space Telescope recently discovered seven Earth-size planets around the nearby TRAPPIST-1 star 40 light-years away by combining transit data with other

observations from ground-based telescopes Scientists were able to determine the size mass and distance from the star for these planets and were able to show that three of

them are firmly in the habitable zone where the temperature allows for the possibility of liquid water on the surface

An Artistrsquos illustration of the seven Earth-sized worlds of the Trappist-1 system

10

NASArsquos Future Plans for Studying Transits

NASA has several plans for using transits to study exoplanets in the future The

upcoming Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) planned for launch in 2018 will

specifically search for transiting exoplanets around nearby bright stars It plans to monitor 200000 nearby stars for planets

Artistrsquos illustration of NASArsquos Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)

Exploring exoplanets is one of the primary science goals of the James Webb Space Telescope launching in 2018 Webb will study many phases in the history of our

universe including the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets similar to Earth as well as the evolution of our own solar system It is targeted to

launch from French Guiana aboard an Ariane 5 rocket in 2018 Webb is an international project led by NASA with its partners ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian

Space Agency

The exquisite sensitivity of Webb will allow scientists to look for chemical fingerprints in

exoplanet atmospheres and search for possible life-bearing environments containing oxygen methane and water

11

The primary mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope during testing at

NASArsquos Goddard Space Flight Center

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NASA Exoplanets Program exoplanetsnasagov

NASA Eclipse Transit Page eclipse2017nasagovtransits-and-occultations Eclipse 2017 Home Page eclipse2017nasagov

10

NASArsquos Future Plans for Studying Transits

NASA has several plans for using transits to study exoplanets in the future The

upcoming Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) planned for launch in 2018 will

specifically search for transiting exoplanets around nearby bright stars It plans to monitor 200000 nearby stars for planets

Artistrsquos illustration of NASArsquos Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)

Exploring exoplanets is one of the primary science goals of the James Webb Space Telescope launching in 2018 Webb will study many phases in the history of our

universe including the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets similar to Earth as well as the evolution of our own solar system It is targeted to

launch from French Guiana aboard an Ariane 5 rocket in 2018 Webb is an international project led by NASA with its partners ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian

Space Agency

The exquisite sensitivity of Webb will allow scientists to look for chemical fingerprints in

exoplanet atmospheres and search for possible life-bearing environments containing oxygen methane and water

11

The primary mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope during testing at

NASArsquos Goddard Space Flight Center

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NASA Exoplanets Program exoplanetsnasagov

NASA Eclipse Transit Page eclipse2017nasagovtransits-and-occultations Eclipse 2017 Home Page eclipse2017nasagov

11

The primary mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope during testing at

NASArsquos Goddard Space Flight Center

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NASA Exoplanets Program exoplanetsnasagov

NASA Eclipse Transit Page eclipse2017nasagovtransits-and-occultations Eclipse 2017 Home Page eclipse2017nasagov

12

This article is provided by NASA Space Place

With articles activities crafts games and lesson plans NASA Space Place encourages everyone to get excited about

science and technology Visit spaceplacenasagov to explore space and Earth

science

The Shape of the Solar System

By Marcus Woo

When Stamatios (Tom) Krimigis was selected for the Voyager mission in 1971 he became the teams youngest principal investigator of an instrument responsible for the

Low Energy Charged Particles (LECP) instrument It would measure the ions coursing around and between the planets as well as those beyond Little did he know though

that more than 40 years later both Voyager 1 and 2 still would be speeding through

space continuing to literally reshape our view of the solar system

The solar system is enclosed in a vast bubble carved out by the solar wind blowing against the gas of the interstellar medium For more than half a century scientists

thought that as the sun moved through the galaxy the interstellar medium would push back on the heliosphere elongating the bubble and giving it a pointy comet-like tail

similar to the magnetospheresmdashbubbles formed by magnetic fieldsmdashsurrounding Earth and most of the other planets

We in the heliophysics community have lived with this picture for 55 years said

Krimigis of The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel Maryland And we did that because we didnt have any data It was all theory

But now he and his colleagues have the data New measurements from Voyager and

the Cassini spacecraft suggest that the bubble isnt pointy after all Its spherical

Their analysis relies on measuring high-speed particles from the heliosphere boundary

There the heated ions from the solar wind can strike neutral atoms coming from the interstellar medium and snatch away an electron Those ions become neutral atoms and

ricochet back toward the sun and the planets uninhibited by the interplanetary magnetic field

Voyager is now at the edge of the heliosphere where its LECP instrument can detect

those solar-wind ions The researchers found that the number of measured ions rise and fall with increased and decreased solar activity matching the 11-year solar cycle

showing that the particles are indeed originating from the sun

13

Meanwhile Cassini which launched 20 years after Voyager in 1997 has been measuring

those neutral atoms bouncing back using another instrument led by Krimigis the Magnetosphere Imaging Instrument (MIMI) Between 2003 and 2014 the number of

measured atoms soared and dropped in the same way as the ions revealing that the latter begat the former The neutral atoms must therefore come from the edge of the

heliosphere

If the heliosphere were comet-shaped atoms from the tail would take longer to arrive at MIMI than those from the head But the measurements from MIMI which can detect

incoming atoms from all directions were the same everywhere This suggests the distance to the heliosphere is the same every which way The heliosphere then must be

round upending most scientists prior assumptions

Its a discovery more than four decades in the making As Cassini ends its mission this year the Voyager spacecraft will continue blazing through interstellar space their

remarkable longevity having been essential for revealing the heliospheres shape

Without them Krimigis says we wouldnt be able to do any of this

To teach kids about the Voyager mission visit the NASA Space Place

httpsspaceplacenasagovvoyager-to-planets

Caption New data from NASArsquos Cassini and Voyager show that the heliosphere mdash the bubble of the sunrsquos magnetic influence that surrounds the solar system mdash may be much

more compact and rounded than previously thought The image on the left shows a compact model of the heliosphere supported by this latest data while the image on the

right shows an alternate model with an extended tail The main difference is the new modelrsquos lack of a trailing comet-like tail on one side of the heliosphere This tail is

shown in the old model in light blue

13

Meanwhile Cassini which launched 20 years after Voyager in 1997 has been measuring

those neutral atoms bouncing back using another instrument led by Krimigis the Magnetosphere Imaging Instrument (MIMI) Between 2003 and 2014 the number of

measured atoms soared and dropped in the same way as the ions revealing that the latter begat the former The neutral atoms must therefore come from the edge of the

heliosphere

If the heliosphere were comet-shaped atoms from the tail would take longer to arrive at MIMI than those from the head But the measurements from MIMI which can detect

incoming atoms from all directions were the same everywhere This suggests the distance to the heliosphere is the same every which way The heliosphere then must be

round upending most scientists prior assumptions

Its a discovery more than four decades in the making As Cassini ends its mission this year the Voyager spacecraft will continue blazing through interstellar space their

remarkable longevity having been essential for revealing the heliospheres shape

Without them Krimigis says we wouldnt be able to do any of this

To teach kids about the Voyager mission visit the NASA Space Place

httpsspaceplacenasagovvoyager-to-planets

Caption New data from NASArsquos Cassini and Voyager show that the heliosphere mdash the bubble of the sunrsquos magnetic influence that surrounds the solar system mdash may be much

more compact and rounded than previously thought The image on the left shows a compact model of the heliosphere supported by this latest data while the image on the

right shows an alternate model with an extended tail The main difference is the new modelrsquos lack of a trailing comet-like tail on one side of the heliosphere This tail is

shown in the old model in light blue

14

Club Officers amp Positions

President Vice President Secretary

Brian Risley Bruce Dissette Don Palmer

swfasbrisleyembarqmailcom bdissettecenturylinknet swfassecgmailcom

(239-464-0366) (239-936-2212) (239-334-3471)

Treasurer Program Coordinator Librarian

Tim Barrier Mike McCauley Maria Berni

barriertimgmailcom mmccauley13comcastnet (239-940-2935)

(239-887-8864) (860-982-5022)

Viewing CoordsFakahatchee Viewing CoordCaloosahatchee WebsiteCoordinator

Chuck Pavlick Bruce Dissette Bill Francis

cpav4565gmailcom bdissettecenturylinknet Bill_Francishotmailcom

(239-560-1516) (239-936-2212) (239-233-0958)

Tony Heiner

veraheiaolcom Equipment Coordinator Club Historian

(941-629-8849) Brian Risley Danny Secary

swfasbrisleyembarqmailcom asecarygmailcom

(239-464-0366) (239-470-4764)

Astronomical League Calusa Nature Center Newsletter Editors

Coordinator (ALCOR) Planetarium Director Ron Madl

John MacLean Heather Preston rmadlksugmailcom

johnmacleancomcastnet heathercalusanatureorg (785-410-2911)

(239-707-3365) (239-275-3435) Chris Rasmussen

neontwisteryahoocom

(239-689-1610)

Southwest Florida Astronomical Society Inc

PO Box 100127

Cape Coral FL 33910

wwwtheeyepieceorg