FROM THE PRESIDENT
MAY 2004
Harmony Dark Sky Festival 2004
Pictured above is the CFAS contingent at the Harmony Dark Sky Festival 2004. Many thanks to Robert Vogel for being the CFAS liaison for the event. About 1000 visitors showed up, and were most appreciative of the chance to view the heavens through an impressive array of telescopes. The OOUs and AAHs from the viewers were almost continuous. The lines at each scope were quite long, and by 11 PM most members were too tired to reset up at the remote site. Skies were dark, but seeing was not good. Still the crescent moon and the bright planets made for a good show. I believe I can speak for all those present , that it was a great event, and all had an enjoyable time. It is nice to see folks so appreciative, and children that were well behaved an interested. I hope many of you will attend our fall picnic on September 11th at a lakeside site at Harmony also. Observing will be held after the picnic. Please mark this date down on your calendar.
On June 4th Venus will make a very rare transit of the sun. The transit will have already commenced at sunrise. In fact only a few hours of the transit will be left. We will co-host a special early bird observing session for this event the Orlando Science Center. This will be an excellent spot since we will be viewing from above tree level, and will catch the sun just as it rises. Details on the event will be posted on our web site, and also sent out via email. I expect the turn out to be large despite the early hour. We intend to video record the event using the TEC 140 and a Hydrogen alpha filter.
Thanks to the efforts of Paul Kronenwetter the Night Sky Network program has been very active. Because of our interest we have been asked to Beta test several new presentations. Several CFAS members have already volunteered to help. Presenting these programs to the public is a very rewarding and enjoyable experience. I hope many more of you will volunteer. Contact Paul Kronenwetter (kronenpj@netzero.net ) if you are interested in participating in this program.
If you have not yet looked at this quarters Astrolog, I encourage you to do so. The Astrolog is available in Adobe format from our Website. The schedule alone is worth printing out for easy access. Our new web master, Tom Chitty encourages recommendations and articles from the membership.
Last month we had an unfortunate conflict at the SCC star range. Unknown to us, the Seminole county Sheriff’s Department had scheduled a night firing exercise that caused us to cancel viewing at the last minute. Since then we have resolved any conflicts with the SCC scheduling authorities. Some viewing dates had to be changed, so please check the new schedule posted by Walt Hamler. Some members, who came late, did set up and started viewing around 11 PM. In the future if the range is in use we are not to use the range at all. Because of the dangers involved, the rules do not allow for any one else to access the range when it is in use for live firing events.
As first reported last month, the Harmony observing site can be used on any night by CFAS members. However you must sign up with Walt Hamler (whamler@bellsouth.net ) if you wish to participate in this observing program.
Our joint UCF/CFAS Robinson visitor night program is over until the Fall. The program will start up again during the UCF Fall semester that begins in September.
As summer approaches our chance for good viewing nights get less and less. However, early this month comet Neat (C/2001 Q4) is visible at twilight, and will be rising throughout the month. As a matter of fact I just went out and could see it to the south of SIRIUS!! However as the skies cloud over it is time to check out the vast astronomy information available on the internet.
GOOD SEEING ALL!!!
Ray Jones