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Welcome Back : September 19th "What I Did During the Summer Break" –All

"Whats Up": - Greg Lee Volume 51, No. 6 September, 2006 (OUR 50TH YEAR) FROM THE EDITOR – Marc Hutton

Welcome back from our summer break. Hopefully

everyone had an enjoyable summer that included some time to enjoy the wonders of the summer night sky. This month is our annual "What I did during the Summer Break" program. In order for this to be successful we need for you to bring in and share your photos and stories of your summer adventures. While it would be nice, of course, if there was some relevance to an astronomical theme, it is not one hundred percent necessary. So dig out those pictures and we will see you at the meeting. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE – Hank Bouchele I am boundlessly optimistic that this will be a good year for the Delaware Astronomical Society. There is much to do and much to celebrate. It is my great honor to be its president. I personally cannot imagine a greater vote of confidence. And it matters that this is our Fiftieth Anniversary. I ran for president promising changes, but this is an organization with a long history. It is the nature of all things to change, and yet to remain the same. Change brings the opportunity for advancement, improvement, and breaking out of whatever constraints we have created for ourselves. Things stay the same in the ways that we bind ourselves to traditions, and the ways that we value the past that brings us together. We begin our first meeting of the new season with what has become a tradition for the DAS, a program composed of the contributions of its member as they share their activities since last we met in the spring. Come join us! To make it easy to share, Max Peterson has offered to be our audiovisual guru. If you need any help to make sure your slide or digital presentation goes off without a hitch, you can call him at 369-6982, or reach him by e-mail atobstacle02@gmail.com.

DAS Member Among Top Finishers for National Service Award. - Marc Hutton One of the Delaware Astronomical Society's most

active youth members, Max Peterson, was recently announced as being among the top four finalists for the Astronomy League's 2006 Jack Horkheimer Award for Exceptional Service by a Young Astronomer. The Jack Horkheimer Award recognizes exceptional service

by Astronomy League astronomers under the age of 19. The award is based upon service directly to the Astronomical League, or to any of the Astronomical League's member societies. This service can be in many different forms ranging from public educational outreach, knowledge and skills at public star parties, or other astronomical service. The award is sponsored by Mr. Jack Horkheimer who is better known by many as "The Star Gazer" of the show by the same title which is aired on many PBS stations nationwide and can also be found on the World Wide Web. According to Max's mother, Julia Dooley who is shown with him in the photo accompanying this story, Max learned that he had finished as fourth runner-up for the award in a letter from the president of the Astronomical League Bob Gent. The letter stated that Max had been selected based on his outstanding accomplishments and that they plan to publish an article

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about him in an upcoming issue of the Astronomical League's quarterly magazine, Reflector. In fact, that has already occurred in the September issue. Max also received a one year gift membership in the International Dark-Sky Association as part of the honor.

IOTA TO MEET AT MT. CUBA - Greg Lee

The International Occultation Timing Association (IOTA) will

hold its annual meeting at Mt. Cuba this year on Saturday and Sunday, Sept 30 - Oct 1. In addition to the meeting there will be an excellent local

observing opportunity on the following Monday evening Oct

2nd. The 8.8 mag star SAO 108610 will be occulted by the asteroid (25) Phocaea at about 8:52 pm in a north-to-south path that passes almost directly over Mt. Cuba. This is one of the better occultations that will take place during the rest of the year and we are lucky that we might have a chance to see it. Paul Maley, VP of IOTA, has offered to run a training session on Saturday morning for anyone who would like to learn the process of how amateurs can contribute useful data to science by observing and timing occultations of stars by asteroids or the Moon. (You don't have to attend the full meeting). If you're interested in attending the training session on Saturday and/or tagging along with an experienced observer on Monday let Greg Lee know: greglee28@hotmail.com or 302-762-5358. DAS Board Introductions- Hank Bouchele The DAS Board of Directors is composed of its four officers, the Board members elected at large from the membership, and the Chairs of the standing committees. Among the privileges and pleasures accorded the president of the DAS is the opportunity to make appointments of the standing chairs or other vacancies as they arise. The Board is composed of thoughtful, intelligent, and personable individuals, and it is an honor for me to have the opportunity to work with such good people. It is my hope that this spring’s election will inaugurate an era of increasing communication between the Board and the membership, extending and welcoming the opportunity for members to become more involved in the Society. In that regard, I would like to

take this opportunity to introduce the Board members to the membership, though most of them are known to you in some capacity. President: Hank Bouchelle For most of the time that I have been a member of the Society I have run the Colonial School District‘s planetarium. My particular interest is observational astronomy, and the way that direct observation can advance an understanding of astronomical concepts, whether on the part of the K-12 students I serve in my district, or the University of Delaware students that I teach in the evenings. I also have a keen interest in antique clocks, and for some years had a clock shop. I live in Welshire, north Wilmington. Vice-president: John Case John is a professor of computer science at UD., specializing in theoretical computer science. He lives with his charming wife in Bear, DE. His particular interest is in observing the sky, especially with the aid of interesting tools and gadgets. Treasurer: Bob Mentzer Bob is a retired physics teacher in the Colonial School District. He has been a member of the Society and has served as its treasurer for many years. He lives in Bellefonte. Secretary: Lynn King Lynn works as a word processor for a major company in Wilmington, and lives in Edgemoor Gardens. She is very active in the Brandywiners and various other groups. Her particular interest is observing, especially with binoculars. She has offered programs on binoculars, and is active in the Messier Club. She is also well-know for her ability to channel Caroline Herschel. Board Member at Large: Bill Hanagan Bill is president and owner of Lab Automation, Inc. He has a background in chemistry, atomic spectroscopy, optics, and instrument design. He lives near Hockessin. His particular astronomical interests are observing, telescope making (including the design, fabrication, and testing of optics), and astrophotography. He is leader of the Society’s telescope making and astrophotography special interest groups. Board Member at Large: David “Gus” Swartout Gus lives in Bear, DE and is employed by a management company in northern Delaware as a software consultant, for which he travels extensively. He has a 10" Schmidt-Cassegrain on a permanent mount, located in his tomato garden, and an 8" F6 Newtonian with a Dobsonian mount, which is great for observing the planets and the Moon. His particular interest is Messier Objects. Gus spends his summers visiting the beach and sailing small boats. Board Member at Large: Emil Volcheck Emil, retired from the DuPont Company (after 34 years in R&D), has been a faithful servant of the Delaware Astronomical Society, being in on its founding and serving as its third president. His other major interest is computers which he supports

NEW MEMBERS THIS MONTH -- WELCOME JEAN WILLIS WILMINGTON DE 19808 FRANK BELLOMO WILLMINGTON DE 19803

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by running a computer club and giving regular seminars to seniors and others. He currently serves as manager of MCAO. Observatory Committee Chair: Tom Sidowski Anyone familiar with the Society’s Sawin Observatory on the grounds of the MCAO is aware of Tom’s long-time commitment to it. Tom goes out of his way to make himself available to host star parties and generally advance participant interest in observing. His duties as Observatory Chair include the security and maintenance of the Society’s equipment, including the Society’s loaner telescopes. Library Committee Chair: Glenn Bentley Glenn works at the Chester County Planning Commission reviewing subdivision plans and performing other state-mandated reviews. He lives West Grove, PA. His particular interest is in cosmology, but enjoys all aspects of astronomy. His other interests include motorcycle road racing, photography, and music. Glenn’s responsibilities as Library Chair include acquisition and maintenance of the Society’s library resources. Education Committee Chair: Bob Karcha Bob is a chemistry and physics teacher at Dickinson High School, and lives in the Stanton/Milltown area. His interests in astronomy are backyard observing, the history of astronomy, and the chemistry/physics of stars. He is the father of two teenagers, who keep him very busy. His duties as Education Chair include responsibility for the educational activities of the Society. Publications Committee Chair: Marc Hutton Marc is a relatively new member to the DAS, joining us just a little over a year ago. He works as a coatings and paint chemist with Ciba Specialty Chemicals in Newport. He lives in the Pike Creek area. Marc’s interests in astronomy are wide ranging and include basic observing, astrophotography and telescope making. As Publications Chair, Marc prepares and arranges for the publication and distribution of the Focus, as well as other written communications as needed. Observing Committee Chair: Greg Lee Greg retired from Marsh USA as a risk management consultant specializing in workers compensation issues. He lives north of Wilmington, just off I-95 where the lights from the Marsh Road interchange pretty much eliminate any view of the southern sky. He enjoys "real-time, out-under-the-sky, photons-on-the-retina" observing. He has ground an 8" mirror and is working with the ATM SIG on a scope for it. He can often be found in his woodshop or working as his daughter's handyman/gardener. As Observing Chair, Greg is responsible for informing the membership of astronomy-related phenomena and events.

OBSERVER'S HANDBOOK ORDERS - Bob Mentzer I am now taking orders for the 2007 Observer's Handbook. The price will be $16.50. I will take orders through the October meeting. E-mail me at robmentzer@comcast.net or via mail, phone, or meeting. STAR PARTIES AT MT. CUBA – Tom Sidowski The schedule for DAS star parties at Mt. Cuba for the remainder of 2006 are as follows: Friday September 29th 8:00 pm Saturday October 21st 8:00 pm Saturday November 18th 7:30 pm Friday December 15th 7: 30 pm BRANDYWINE CREEK S. P. OUTREACH PROGRAMS -- Lynn King Mark your calendars. The DAS is teaming up with Brandywine Creek State Park for their celebration of National Park Lands Day. Date: Saturday, September 30, 2006. Time: 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Bring scopes, binoculars, your eyes. When you arrive, let the ranger know you are from the DAS and are there to help. You will get in free.

DAS 50TH ANNIVERSARY HISTORY – Lee Kaser As most of you know, the DAS will be 50 years old this November. The committee is working on a celebration worthy of 50 years of the DAS, and wants display some relevant documents, letters, and reports from the past, the older and more significant the better. We will also include items which aren't highly important if they concern activities of members in the past. If you have a file on DAS in its past years, please let Lee Kaser know (kaserlo@msn.com, 302-995-6251) so he can arrange to look at and possibly borrow your items. You can also mail items to him at 25 Glenbarry Drive, Wilmington, DE 19808. Thanks for your help. DAS 50TH ANNIVERSARY PLANNING - Emil Volcheck Planning for the DAS's 50th year of operation is still underway. To insure that we have a celebration that will involve as many folks as possible, we'd like to have YOUR INPUT on what kinds of activities might be appropriate for this event. If you have an idea or suggestion, please do not hesitate to pass it on to me or any member of the Board. Email mtcuba@udel.edu with those ideas.

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LIBRARY NEWS – Glenn Bentley Fall is almost upon us and Orion is being sighted in the east earlier and earlier. I hope everybody had a good

summer and enjoyed warm evenings under the stars. I

experienced several evenings of black transparent skies in the Wenatchee Mountains in Washington in early August.

The Milky Way was magnificent. This year marks the

DAS’s fiftieth year. We have a new President and new programs and activities are under development. Just one of the new ideas related to the Library is to convince DAS membership to submit astronomy book reviews, and/or reviews on associated topics for publishing in the Focus. Members are warmly invited to stop by the DAS Library after the next meeting to browse the shelves. LOANER TELESCOPES -- Emil Volcheck Spring's mild weather months will be a good time to get out and try your hand with a scope. So, if you are new to the club and/or do not have a scope, you can get the loan of either: 1) a Celestron 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain or 2) an Orion 6" Dobsonian reflector The loan is for at least a month (depends on how long the waiting list is). To get on that list, promptly, contact Emil Volcheck, 610-793-5156 or 302-654-6407. MCAO PUBLIC NIGHTS – Emil Volcheck

The Mt. Cuba

Observatory Public Nights continue year round! In addition to learning about many aspects of the heavens, you'll have a chance to visit and view our all-digital full-dome planetarium! You can pick up a schedule when you next come to a meeting - or get the latest updated version off the website at: http://mountcuba.org. DAS Astrophotography Special Interest Group (AP SIG) – Bill Hanagan

The DAS Astrophotography Special Interest Group meets on Friday nights at 7:30 PM every other month at Mt. Cuba regardless of weather. The SIG also meets for photo shoots scheduled on 1-2 day notice to synchronize with the weather.

The monthly meetings are informal and typically include the presentation of astrophotos taken by the members along with an extended question and answer period. Objects commonly photographed include constellations, auroras, lunar eclipses, and planetary photos, as well as a wide variety of deep-sky objects such as nebulae, galaxies, star clusters, etc. The topics discussed cover the entire gamut of astrophotography,

from how to get started with a minimum of equipment, to polar aligning your telescope, all of the way to the fine points of using auto-guiders and post-processing digital images.

If you are interested in joining the AP SIG, just email your name, address, and phone number to me at hanaganw@comcast.net. SAWIN OBSERVATORY REMINDER -- Tom Sidowski

DAS members who are interested in becoming users of the Sawin Observatory and/or the Big Red DOB, should contact me at 302-239-1844 to arrange for some hands-on training in using the facility. DAS AMATEUR TELESCOPE MAKING SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP (ATM SIG) -- Bill Hanagan

The DAS Amateur Telescope Making Special Interest Group meets on evenings and weekends according to the availability of the members and the particular projects that are underway. The general range of activities of the ATM SIG includes all manners of telescope making, mirror making, and the making of accessories for telescopes and observing.

Anyone interested in joining us should email their name, address, and phone number to me at hanaganw@comcast.net.

ASTROPHOTOGRAPH OF THE MONTH - Bill McKibben

The image of the Trifid Nebula was taken with a Canon 20D (standard) DSLR camera at prime focus through a Vixen ED 80 f/7.5 refractor. The mount was a Celestron CG5 ASGT Mount. The final image was made up of 14 exposures at 120 seconds each at ISO 800. The exposures were stacked in Registax 3.0 and touched up in Photoshop CS2. The image was taken from my back yard in Elkton, MD on an exceptionally transparent night on August 12, 2006. This was the first image taken through the Vixen ED 80. I got the scope, in large part, for its wide field of view and I am very happy with the early results. The two minute

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exposures pushed the limits of the mount as I rejected roughly 40% of the raw images. However, if I am able to count on a 60% success rate without guiding, I like the math considering the reasonable price-tag of the mount. Now for some more clear skies! Editors Note:- I am very interested in making this a recurring feature of the Focus, but that is only possible with your help. Please, send in your best efforts along with a brief description of the equipment and conditions, along with any commentary, and share it with the whole club. DAS FORUM/E-MAIL SITE ON YAHOO --Don Shedrick

This is a restricted e-mail service for use by DAS

members for DAS purposes. To use this site, go to http://groups.yahoo.com; search for delawareastronomicalsociety; and click on the link that comes up. To join, you must have a Yahoo ID and

password; if you don’t, you can register at this time by following Yahoo’s instructions. You will then be allowed to “Join the group” upon clicking in that box. You must then register for the DAS group and add your profile by clicking on “add

new profile” and completing the form. When adding or editing your profile, you will need to enter your actual name in the "Real Name" box so you can be identified as a DAS member so Don Shedrick can approve your application to join the DAS group, and everyone will know to whom they are communicating. Finally, specify your desired e-mail address for delivery of messages. Note you may choose to not have your name and email address displayed to anyone other than DAS members who are members of the Yahoo DAS email group. For more detailed instructions, go to the DAS web site under DAS Resource Links. OBSERVING CLUBS – Dave Swartout

As a member of the DAS, you are also a member of the Astronomical League. One of the benefits of this membership is that you are able to participate in any of their 27 Observing Clubs. These clubs are designed to further develop and award your observing skills through the use of instruments, or just your naked eye. The observations you make are an individual effort that uses the honor system. Some clubs have different levels of accomplishments and there is no time limit to complete. Upon finishing the required number of observations, the Astronomical League will review your logs, document your name along with our astronomical society, and will then issue you a certificate and pin to be awarded at our

next monthly meeting. If you are interested and would like to participate, just log into http://www.astroleague.org/ and click on the button Observing Clubs. Follow the rules and regulations and you will be on your way. In the following list you will find that there is something for everyone. There are even clubs tailored to children to spark a budding interest in the night sky. Contact me for more information.

MEMBERSHIP EXPIRATION NOTICES:

If the mailing label on the envelope containing your FOCUS is marked with Red Marker, your membership is expiring or has expired. To continue to receive the Focus, Sky and Telescope, and Reflector, send the renewal form below with your check to:

DAS, c/o Robert Mentzer 605 River Road Wilmington, DE 19809

Or give it to Bob at a meeting. Thank you.

Call any of us with your concerns!

DAS CONTACTS Membership: Any of the following: President: John Case ------------------------ 302-836-4888 Vice President: Vacant until June, 2006 Secretary: Lynn King ------------------------- 302-764-8816 Treasurer: Bob Mentzer---------------------- 302-764-1926 DAS/MCAO Advisor: Emil Volcheck----- 610-793-5156 Education Chair: Bob Karcha ------------ 302-999-9509 Messier Club: Lynn King -------------------- 302-764-8816 Observing: Greg Lee --------------------- --- 302-762-5358 Youth Coordinator: Sarah Baird ---------- 302-292-8950 Archivist: Rene Van Caneghem ---------- 410-392-3718 Board Members at-large: ATM and AP SIGs: Bill Hanagan --------- 302-239-0949 Chairman, Observatory Committee and DAS Monthly Star Parties: Tom Sidowski ----------------------- 302-239-1844 By-Laws: Henry Bouchelle ---------------- 302-983-7830 Light Pollution Strategist; Greg Weaver 302-239-1338 Library Chair: Glenn Bentley -------------- 610-869-0706 Ad Hoc Star Parties: Sheila Vincent - --- 302-322-4739 Elections Comm. Chair:Costas Krikelis 302-478-9099 Awards Comm. Chair – David Swartout 302-836-4618 DAS PowerPoint Adviser–Max Peterson 302-369-6982 MCAO Web Page: www.mountcuba.org DAS Web Page: www.delastro.org Focus Editor: Marc Hutton Phone 302-351-3415 E-mail Huttonm@comcast.net

WEB SITES OF THE MONTH International Occultation Timing Association - www.occultations.org

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MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION OR RENEWAL FORM If you have questions, call any of the member representatives listed above. Otherwise, just check the appropriate boxes and complete this form. Cut it off and send it with your check to Bob Mentzer at his address given on page 5. The magazine prices are group rates to DAS members. Thanks, and welcome to the DAS if you’re just joining us for the first time. New Member Senior/Family Membership $20.00 Renewal Junior membership (16/under) $10.00 Sky and Telescope Magazine $33.00 Astronomy Magazine $34.00

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