Believe it or not, the internationally renowned Dobsonian telescope mount originated from a collection of salvaged parts and pieces at the Vedanta Monastery in Sacram ento. It was there that John Dobson, living a monastic life, began grinding his own mirrors and building his own scopes.
In 1967, after 23 years as a monk, John emerged to dedicate the remainder of his life to public service astronomy. Since then, he founded the Sidewalk Astronomers and has taught telescope-making and astronomy at the Randall Museum, the Jewish Community Center, and the California Academy of Sciences. John still teaches at CAS.
The Dobsonian mount, which John declined to patent, has made large user-friendly telescopes accessible and affordable for the general public. Thousands of amateur astronomers, many TVS ATMs included, have made their own sturdy, low-cost Dobsonian telescopes. Please join TVS for an extraordinary evening with John Dobson on April 10. Newcomers and guests are particularly invited to this very special meeting.
Amateur telescope making is alive and well! Many club members and friends have expressed interest in making their own telescopes, including making their own mirr ors. In response, for the sixth year running, the club will sponsor an Ama teur Telescope Making workshop. Club members with experience in mirror grinding and telescope fabrication will show you the tricks of the trade. You'll grind, polish, and figure a 6" f/8 mirror. Then you'll build a Dobsonian mount, add a secondary mirror, focuser, and finder, to create a complete telescope.
So come join us! No special skills or equipment are necessary, only perseverance. It will require a time commitment of about 30-40 hours, and will cost $300-400. The following estimated costs and class details explain a little more about the workshop.
Estimated costs
| Workshop fee | $ 50 |
| 6" mirror blank, Pyrex | $26 |
| 6" tool, plate glass | $15 |
| Abrasives, pitch | $15 |
| Focuser | $70 |
| Secondary mirror | $41 |
| Secondary holder | $30 |
| Misc. hardware | $40 |
| Reflex finder | $40 |
| Eyepieces | $35-70 |
| Coating | $30-70 |
Meeting Arrangements
The Nunes Family,
TVS members,
have offered the use of a building on their property in Sunol as a grinding shop.
We will meet Monday and Wednesday evenings from 7 to 9,
and a few Saturday mornings from 8:30 to 12:30.
Although the first meeting was held March 16th,
we still welcome new ATMs as TVS "grit pushers".
Feel free to contact me if you have questions.
Rich Combs (510 ) 846-1906, home (510) 423-8987 work e-mail: timesink@pacbell.net (home)
On that date,
our current financial status was:
Checking account: $3,906.25
CD #1 3,276.27
CD #2 2,519.67
CD #3 2,023.53.
Our largest annual operating expenses, excepting newsletter mailing, are the leases at the church and the observing site. They have both been paid for this year. Magazine subscriptions collected from members have been forwarded to the respective publi shers. TVS particularly thanks members Dave Scimeca and Denis Morse for their contributions made this year. Thanks for keeping the club in mind!
One unusual expense was approved at the March planning meeting. Mike Rushford provided the club mirror site for a Webcast of the February eclipse. At the February general meeting he had requested club help with the international phone connections that would enable live transmission. Although Mike ultimately received donations to cover those costs, he did incur unexpected charges for the high number of hits the site enjoyed. The board approved a reimbursement, not to exceed $200, in the event Mike does not receive donations to cover his Web expenses on behalf of TVS.
Interested members can choose a favorite astronomy topic for the party at which they wish to speak. The LARPD newsletter will even feature the TVS member and his or her topic. For all the details, contact Jim at (209) 836-3836, or e-mail him at jim911@pacbell.net.
School Star parties
Phil Waide,
our school star party coordinator,
has received two requests for April star parties.
You may contact Phil at (510) 455-6039.
April 2,
Arroyo Mocho School in
Livermore
April 7,
Granada High School in
Livermore
Future parties have been requested by: Susan Schatz, Kennedy Elementary School in Newark, and Ron Wurtz, Jackson Avenue School in Livermore.
Public star parties are coordinated by Jim McIntire,
who announces the following events:
To reach Jim call 209 /836-3836.
The White Mountains club star party is set for
Thursday,
July 23
through Sunday,
July 26.
Dave
Rodrigues will announce deadlines and costs at a future meeting.
Despite the worst February observing weather in anyone's memory,
intrepid astronomers continued to join us last month.
Please help welcome the Larry and Elena Hood family,
the Brent and Veronica Scott family,
and Ron Frank.
Our membership total,
with each family counted as two,
now stands at 151.
Late renewals,
of course,
are still welcome.
Two members have addressed detailed letters to the board.
They are filled with suggestions for Sky Shack uses,
upgrades and improvements.
We welcome all input,
and members are always invited to the monthly planning meetings.
(Dates are listed in "What's Up") The observatory and dark sky site are
important agenda
items for the April planning meeting,
so please send your suggestions or come in person.
Mark your calendars for the Saturdays May 16 and July 18 if you want to be part of the fun.
Meet where Tesla Road turns the corner onto Mines Road about 10 minutes before 6 o'clock on the evening of the open house.
We will caravan from that spot at 6 PM,
leading TVS cars through the gates and parking so that those who do not overnight can leave without backing up.
Entry to the site costs $3 per car,
and exact change is required.
A club officer will show you how and where to pay when you arrive.
April 10 May 8 June 12
Board
Observatory Director
Chuck Grant
925 449-1500
Membership: 151
C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp)
Comet Hale-Bopp slowly dims deep in the southern sky.
It is still displaying a short tail.
Meanwhile,
Comet Meunier-Dupouy continues its travels in the morning sky.
Both comets are about three astronomical units away.
COMET HUNTING NOTES: Of the 100 comets visually discovered since 1975,
only one was found without the use of a reflector,
refractor or binoculars.
It was Merlin Kohler's comet discovery on Sept.
3,
1977.
He used an 8"
Dynascope Schmidt Cassegrain.
This discovery took about forty hours of sweeping.
Mr.
Kohler is now retired and still living in Quincy,
California.
water,
and Saturn 's Titan may mimic the chemistry of an early Earth.
In this show,
participants will explore these moons and learn how radio astronomers are listening for messages from the stars.
For RTMC details,
point your browser to
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/hrmeyer/rtmchome.htm
Sky Shack name change ballot
Dark sky site opinion poll Rank your preferred uses for the club's
observatory and dark sky site,
with #1 as your highest choice.
Please attach a separate sheet if you would like to send detailed comments.
____
Astrophotography,
using the club scope
________
____________
____________
____________
_______
________
____________
____________
____________
_______
June 20,
Sycamore Grove Park in
Livermore
June 26-28,
Camp Shelly at Lake
Tahoe
August 15,
Sycamore Grove Park
in Livermore
August 21-23,
Camp Shelly at
Lake Tahoe
September 4-6,
Glacier Point at
Yosemite
Project ASTRO note
Sierra Nevada Field Campus,
a program of San Francisco State University,
is offering an Astronomy 216 course this summer (July 19-24) "Practical Observational Astronomy from the Sierra Nevada." The course fee is $165.
Sierra Nevada Field Campus is located just east of Sierra City near the base of the spectacular Sierra Buttes.
For more information check out
http://thecity.sfsu.edu/snfc.
or contact: Nicole S.
Taddune Bay Area Project ASTRO Coordinator Astronomical Society of the Pacific
390 Ashton Avenue San Francisco,
CA 94112 (415) 337-1100 ext.
101 //aspsky.org.
Brave new members
Observatory happenings
Observatory director Chuck Grant is researching the question of an
equitorial-vs-fork mount for the Sky Shack 17.5" telescope.
Chuck would appreciate hearing from members with experience in welding and
machining.
He is also trying to discover local facilities where club members could perform
such work on a new mount,
as our time and budget allow.
If you possess either of these skills,
or have access to welding or machining equipment,
please call Chuck at 510 449-1500.
Calling 9-2-5
You may be aware that the Tri-Valley telephone area code is changing.
During this period of "permissive dialing" (Pac Bell's turn of phrase,
not ours!),
your callers may use 510 or 925.
Come mid-September,
the 925 code will replace 510 permanently.
We will notify you of TVS changes.
Open what...?
The soon-to-be-renamed Sky Shack will be open for club members and their escorted
guests on selected dates over the spring and summer.
The board balances Patron member benefits with other club commitments in choosing
these dates,
and for that reason,
only the first two have been set so far.
Circle these dates
Remaining 1998 general meetings are set for the second Friday of each month as follows:
July 10 August 14 Sept.
11
Oct.
9 Nov.
13 Dec.
11
Newsletter deadline notice
Due to the editor's travel schedule,
Prime Focus
deadlines are slightly changed for the May and June editions.
Material for the May edition must be received by April 10,
5:00 PM
For the June newsletter,
submissions are due not later than May 9,
5:00 PM
You may send e-mail or faxes per the information in the box on page two.
Typed copy must be delivered to: Circle Wing,
184 Airway Blvd.,
Livermore,
CA 94550.
Thanks for your cooperation.
We should be back to normal (the 15th) for the July edition.
SAA Web page
The Stockton Astronomical Society is pleased to announce that it now has a web page.
Point your browser to Stockton Astronomical Society
http://www.jps.net/pleman/sas/index.htm
President
Dave Anderson 510 661-4249
Vice President
Chuck Grant (925) 449-1500
Secretary
Bill Burnap (510) 449-4552
Treasurer
Gene Nassar (510) 462-7843
Alane Alchorn, Dennis Beckley, Rich Combs, Rich Green, Kathleen Kelly,
Russ Kirk, Dave Rodrigues, Debbie Scherrer, Jim Zumstein
Editor Alane Alchorn
510 455-9464 fax: 510 455-9466 circlewing@aol.com
Librarian
Chris Cody (707) 747-6550
Eyes on the Skies Mike Rushford
http://www.hooked.net/~tvs/eyes/
Website Chuck Grant
http://www.hooked.net/~tvs/
Meeting Location
Unitarian Universalist Church in Livermore 1893 N.
Vasco Rd.
3/4 mile north of I-580
Tri-Valley Stargazers
P.O.
Box 2467
Livermore, CA 94551
Comet Comments
by Don Machholtz
Ephemerides
C/1997 J2 (Meunier-Dupouy)
Date (00 UT) R.A. (2000) Dec El Sky Mag
04-02 21h53.6m +31° 35 48° M 11.7
04-07 21h58.8m +31° 27' 50° M 11.7
04-12 22h03.6m +31° 20' 51° M 11.6
04-17 22h08.2m +31° 13' 53° M 11.6
04-22 22h12.3m +31° 07' 55° M 11.6
04-27 22h16.1m +31° 01' 58° M 11.6
05-02 22h19.5m +30° 55' 60° M 11.6
05-07 22h22.5m +30° 49' 63° M 11.6
Date (00 UT) R.A. (2000) Dec El Sky Mag
04-02 05h02.4m -53° 06' 79° E 9.3
04-07 05h05.3m -52° 32' 78° E 9.4
04-12 05h08.5m -52° 01' 78° E 9.5
04-17 05h11.9m -51° 33' 77° E 9.5
04-22 05h15.7m -51° 07' 76° E 9.6
04-27 05h19.6m -50° 45' 76° E 9.7
05-02 05h23.8m -50° 26' 75° E 9.7
05-07 05h28.1m -50° 10' 75° E 9.8
Object: Hale-Bopp Meunier-Dupouy
Peri.
Date : 1997 04 01.13 47 1998 03 10.43 65
Peri.
Dist (AU): 0.914008 AU 3.051015 AU
Arg/Peri (2000): 130.5787 deg.
122.6755 deg.
Asc.
Node (2000): 282.4653 deg.
148.8429 deg.
Incl (2000): 089.4268 deg.
091.2731 deg.
Eccen: 0.99 5085 1.00 0760
Orbital Period: ~250 0 years Long Period
Ref: MPC 30738 MPC 30738
Epoch: 1997 12 18 1998 03 08
Absol.
Mag/"n": -1.0/4.0 4.0/ 4.0
Chabot Observatory and Science Center events
Jose Olivarez,
director of astronomy announces programs that include viewing the night sky through the magnificent Chabot telescopes,
weather permitting.
Chabot Observatory is located at 4918 Mountain Blvd.,
Oakland.
Tickets are available in the Starry Nights Gift Shop on site.
To make reservations or for more information call 510 530-3480.
(Prices: adults: $5.00,
seniors $4.50 and youths,
6-17,
$3.50.)
Worlds Unnumbered - The Search for Extrasolar Planets
Special guest lecture and book signing by astronomer and author Donald Goldsmith,
Ph.D.
April 24 7:30 PM
For centuries,
humans have speculated about the planets that may orbit distant stars.
Through four decades of space exploration and ever-better telescopes,
astronomers had searched in vain,
unable to find even a single planet orbiting any sunlike stars.
All of this changed in October 1995,
when astronomers announce d the first planet discovered orbiting another sunlike star.
Since then,
many other planets have been discovered,
providing firm evidence that planetary systems exist in abundance.
Dr.
Goldsmith 's lecture discusses the charact eristics and significance of these new worlds.
The Search for Extraterrestrial Life
May 1 through June 13 7:30 PM
The search for the "stuff of life"
among the planets of our solar system continues,
and so does the quest for an intelligent message from the stars.
In our solar system,
Jupiter 's moon Europa may harbor an ocean of
SETI: Science Fact,
Not Fiction
Special guest lecture by Astronomer Jill Tarter,
Ph.D.
June 19 7:30 PM
Aliens abound on movie screens,
but in reality we are still trying to discover whether we share our universe with other sentient creatures.
Intelligence is very difficult to define,
and impossible to directly detect over interstellar distances.
Therefore,
SETI,
the search for extraterrestrial intelligence,
attempts to detect evidence of another distant technology.
Liquid Nitrogen Show
June 26 and 27 7:30 PM
At -320 F,
liquid nitrogen is one of the coldest things you 'll ever experience.
See what happens to common objects when they come in contact with liquid nitrogen.
We will also explore hydrogen,
the most abundant element in the universe.
Learn where these elements were produced and witness a mini "Big Bang"!
SkyWatch Tours
Tuesdays and Thursdays,
8 PM,
beginning June 16,
by group reservation.
See the constellations in the planetarium and learn about celestial objects visible in the summer sky.
Riverside Telescope Makers Conference (RTMC)
The 30th annual RTMC is set for Memorial Day weekend,
May 22-25,
at Camp Oakes,
Big Bear California.
Located 50 miles northeast of Riverside,
in the San Bernardino Mountains,
this site offers space for camping,
several dormatories,
18 three-sided shelters,
a meeting and dining hall,
and the Charles Walker Observatory.
The camp sits at an elevation of about 7,600 feet.
Rocks in Space
Eleanor Helin,
Ph.D.
is the keynote speaker for this year 's theme,
"Rocks in Space".
Dr.
Helin 's talk is titled "Detecting Asteroids and Commets with a NEAT System."
Her presentation is scheduled for Saturday,
May 23,
at 4:00 PM
in the meeting hall.
Beginner 's Corner
The popular Beginner 's Corner will continue as an RTMC feature.
This is an excellent opportunity for the novice astronomer to learn about the hobby through talks,
demonstrations and workshops.
The session was particularly created to stimulate interest in amateur astronomy and telescope making.
Nearly new moon
day
Moonrise Moon set
Friday,
May 22 3:39 AM
4:27 PM
Saturday,
May 23 4:20 AM
5:36 PM
Sunday,
May 24 5:03 AM
6:45 PM
Sky Shack opinion poll and observatory name ballot
Please complete the opinion poll and ballot below.
If you have not already renewed your 1998 membership,
please complete that
as well.
Family members should photocopy this form as needed.
Send your response to the post office address on page two.
Results will be published in the May
Prime Focus.
The board will select the final name from the top five finishers in this balloting.
Protecting the privacy of our leased site is the top priority for TVS.
____
Pine Shack Obs.
____
Hidden Hills Obs.
____
Red Mountain Obs.
____
Cedar Ridge Obs.
____
The Dark Site
____
Lick Obs.
East
____
Eastern Mt.
Hamilton Obs.
____
San Antone Valley
Obs.
____
Mines Road Obs.
____
Jack's Obs.
____
Sweetwater Obs.
____
Keck III
____
Middle of the Ranch Obs.
____
Celestial Temple Obs.
____
Other ________
____________
____________
_________
____
Astrophotography,
using your own instruments
____
Deep sky observing
____
Solar system/planetary observing
____
Comet hunting
____
Open house/star party events
____
Research/profess ional quality observations
____
Visual astronomy,
using the club scope
____
Visual astronomy,
using your own instrument
____
Unaided eye/binocular observing
____
Social observing events with other amateurs
____
Other,
as noted below
Tri-Valley Stargazers Membership/Renewal Application
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