Roanoke Valley Astronomical Society Amateur Astronomy News and Views In Southwestern Virginia RVAS NL— September 2016— Pg 1 of 10 Volume 33—Number 9 September 2016 President Dan Chrisman opened our August 2016 monthly meeting at 7:31 p.m., greeting 19 members and 3 guests. Though small in number, the members enthusiastically welcomed our guests, one of whom, John Wenskovitch came prepared to join our Soci- ety, and did so at the meeting. Welcome aboard, John! After acknowledging several members, new and old alike, Dan next asked for observing reports. There were several, primarily involving the Perseids. Alt- hough not present at the meeting, Dave Thomas provided a digital image showing a somewhat fuzzy Perseid streak. Ray Bradley reported seeing as many as 50-60 Perseids per hour from a very good viewing location. Mark Hodges decided that Cahas Overlook would be the best location for viewing the Perseids. By 11:00 p.m., while waiting for the moon to set, about 50-70 people had gathered at the Overlook. Mark took the opportunity to begin an impromptu outreach with his telescope. He report- ed the Perseid viewing to be about average. With his 360 degree camera, Mark also managed to cap- ture a few meteor trails, which he shared with the attendees later in the meeting. Several announcements followed observing reports, with Dan first informing the attendees that the winner of the New Weight Scale voting from the July meeting was Pluto, and that “we are going to make Pluto great again!” After the chuckles subsid- ed, Ray Bradley reported on the upcoming Banff Radical Reels film festival and outdoor activity exposition being held on September 11 th at the (Meeng Connued on page 2) RVAS August Meeting Notes Summer Daze…Less Haze…More Gaze By Bill Dillon, Secretary Recently elected to the office of RVAS Member-at- Large, Ray Bradley addresses the group about the Radi- cal Reels and Expo outreach in September. Photo by Carolyn Baratta
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Roanoke Valley Astronomical
Society Amateur Astronomy News and Views
In Southwestern Virginia
RVAS NL— September 2016— Pg 1 of 10
Volume 33—Number 9 September 2016
President Dan Chrisman opened our August 2016
monthly meeting at 7:31 p.m., greeting 19 members
and 3 guests. Though small in number, the members
enthusiastically welcomed our guests, one of whom,
John Wenskovitch came prepared to join our Soci-
ety, and did so at the meeting. Welcome aboard,
John!
After acknowledging several members, new and old
alike, Dan next asked for observing reports. There
were several, primarily involving the Perseids. Alt-
hough not present at the meeting, Dave Thomas
provided a digital image showing a somewhat fuzzy
Perseid streak. Ray Bradley reported seeing as
many as 50-60 Perseids per hour from a very good
viewing location. Mark Hodges decided that Cahas
Overlook would be the best location for viewing the
Perseids. By 11:00 p.m., while waiting for the moon
to set, about 50-70 people had gathered at the
Overlook. Mark took the opportunity to begin an
impromptu outreach with his telescope. He report-
ed the Perseid viewing to be about average. With
his 360 degree camera, Mark also managed to cap-
ture a few meteor trails, which he shared with the
attendees later in the meeting.
Several announcements followed observing reports,
with Dan first informing the attendees that the
winner of the New Weight Scale voting from the
July meeting was Pluto, and that “we are going to
make Pluto great again!” After the chuckles subsid-
ed, Ray Bradley reported on the upcoming Banff
Radical Reels film festival and outdoor activity
exposition being held on September 11th at the
(Meeting Continued on page 2)
RVAS August Meeting Notes
Summer Daze…Less Haze…More Gaze By Bill Dillon, Secretary
Recently elected to the office of RVAS Member-at-Large, Ray Bradley addresses the group about the Radi-cal Reels and Expo outreach in September.
Photo by Carolyn Baratta
The Roanoke Valley Astronomical Society is a membership organization of amateur astronomers dedicated to the pursuit of observational
and photographic astronomical activities. Meetings are held at 7:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month. See calendar on last page
of newsletter for location. Meetings are open to the public. Observing sessions are held one or two weekends a month at a dark-sky site.
and a crisp, clear image of the Moon (also published
in the August 2016 newsletter. You can find more
of his work at
www.latenightastronomy.wordpress.co. Check it out.
Next on the agenda were two more “GearFest”
presentations. The first was a very interesting
PowerPoint presentation and talk by member Gary
Hatfield on a decade’s old, home built telescope
that he recently acquired. A 6”, f/9.5 reflector,
the scope has a hard cardboard tube with a metal
pipe mount and a rack and pinion focuser. Members
suspected that some parts were cannibalized from
binoculars. The scope’s secondary is a prism, not a
mirror. The primary mirror is about 1 inch thick and
was covered with decades of dust, dirt and grime.
Gary said that his initial concerns regarding the
condition of the primary proved to be unfounded.
When cleaned up, the mirror provided clear, sharp
reflections from edge to edge. A couple of mem-
bers commented that the dirt and grime had proba-
bly provided an effective protective covering over
the years. After seeing Gary’s images of the scope,
several members commented that the scope proba-
bly saw first light back in the 1950’s or 1960’s.
Immediate Past President Michael Good followed
Gary’s presentation with an enthusiastic follow-up
to a presentation he had made at our May monthly
meeting, touting the advantages of using powerful
binoculars versus a telescope for visual observing.
He presented data showing the much wider field of
view (FOV) with his binoculars, as much as 3 de-
grees true FOV versus the 0.56 degrees he would
get with his 14 inch telescope. In Michael’s words,
he wanted “to walk in space”, a feeling he gets
with his 100 mm APM Binocular Telescope and its
wide FOV. Michael promised to bring in his binocu-
lars and new eyepieces (on order) to the next
meeting.
Moving on to an early report on ALCon 2016, Dan
introduced Rick Rader who had attended the event
in Arlington, VA and had taken many digital photos
of the event. The event having just concluded
about 48 hours previously did not allow time for
Rick to organize his images, but those he presented
clearly demonstrated the breadth and depth of the
event, showing everything from vendor tables to
(Meeting Continued from page 2)
(Meeting Continued on page 4)
RVAS member Gary Hatfield speaks to the group about the 1960’s vintage homemade reflector he received and its mirror’s miraculous survival.
Photo by Carolyn Baratta
(Left to right) RVAS Secretary Bill Dillon and Immedi-ate Past President Michael Good examine a piece of equipment that accompanied Gary Hatfield’s telescope acquisition.
Photo by Carolyn Baratta
RVAS NL— September 2016— Pg 3 of 10
equipment displays and attendee tours, especially
the visit to the Air and Space museum. There will
be further in-depth reporting on ALCon 2016 at a
future RVAS monthly meeting. Dan thanked Rick
for making his very timely information and images
available for the August meeting. The ink was hard-
ly dry!
Frank Baratta was next to speak with his “What’s
Up” for September, 2016. Frank opened by re-
minding everyone that “September is the time of
the autumnal equinox and of changing seasons.” The
days are getting shorter, with sunset at 7:04 p.m.
by the end of September. The calendar and cooper-
ation from conveniently timed Moon phases should
provide three weekend observing opportunities on
September 2nd and 3rd, 23rd and 24th and Septem-
ber 30th/October 1st.
Frank reported some notable September celestial
events, including the nearly first quarter Moon,
Saturn, Mars and Antares clustering within a 10
degree square on September 8th; the Autumnal
Equinox, when the Sun reaches the intersection of
the ecliptic and celestial equator in Virgo on Sep-
tember 22nd; and with the help of a dark sky, be-
ginning on September 28th and for the next two
weeks thereafter is the prime time to view the tall,
broad pyramid of the zodiacal light in the east be-
fore dawn.
Frank concluded by showing the sky as it would ap-
pear on September 15th at 8:30 p.m., with the con-
stellations of Spring setting in the west, Summer’s
centrally located and Fall’s rising in the east.
Frank’s “What’s Up” presentation can be viewed in
its entirety on the RVAS website or by going di-
rectly to http://www.rvasclub.org/page23.htm.
With just a few moments remaining in the sched-
uled meeting time, Mark Hodges displayed his Per-
seid images taken with his 360 degree camera,
astrophotography from a unique perspective.
Bringing the meeting to a close, Dan reminded the
attendees of “What’s Next”:
1. September 11th is the Banff Radical Reels
Outreach from 4:00 p.m. to 6 p.m.; see Ray
Bradley to volunteer for this event.
2. September 19th is our next monthly meet-
ing; topics TBD.
3. October 1st is the Annual Club Picnic and
October monthly meeting at Claytor Na-
ture Study Center from 3:00 p.m. until…
4. October 8th is the Virginia Tech Science
Festival in Blacksburg from 10:00 a.m. to
3:00 p.m. at the Moss Arts Center, College
Avenue, Newman Library (event currently
being vetted).
5. October 29th RVAS hosts the VAAS 2016
conference at Roanoke College from 8:30
a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
With no other business to bring before the mem-
bership, Dan closed the meeting at 9:10 p.m.
(Meeting Continued from page 3)
Immediate Past President Michael Good describes the specs to consider in order to obtain that “walk in space” visual experience that binoculars can provide.
Photo by Carolyn Baratta
RVAS NL— September 2016— Pg 4 of 10
Get Connected!
Want to be more in touch with other RVAS members? Join the RVAS Yahoo Group! Share last-minute
observing plans, articles, ideas, astrophotos—you name it. You’ll need to have or create a Yahoo email ad-
dress. Click the link below. Once logged in, provide the information requested, including your real name
since the group is only for members and those invited. You’ll receive an acknowledgement from the moder-
and Other Club Emails? To save having to download newsletters from our website, these and other items of interest are emailed
to members. If you have not been receiving these items by email, please let us know by calling the RVAS
Message Line at 540-774-5651. Please also check whether your spam blocker is intercepting our emails.
RVAS 25 Years Ago
In September 1991, our Society reported 54 mem-
bers on the roles, with almost 30% of the member-
ship having joined since July of 1990. RVAS leader-
ship at the time had hopes of one day counting as
many as 75 members. As members prepared to en-
joy an “astronomy mixer” with food and beverages
provided by the Society for the monthly meeting,
Frank Baratta and Tom Clarke were getting ready
for an “in-town” public observing session at Vinton’s
Fallon Park. The Moon and Saturn were expected to
be the prime viewing attractions.
Astronomy and related topics offered at the Uni-
versity of Virginia were prominent in the Society’s
September Newsletter. An Astronomy course to be
taught by Dr. Philip Ianna and other astronomy pro-
fessors from UVa was being offered around the
Commonwealth “via satellite downlink” beginning in
September. Dr. Ianna was also planning to host the
annual meeting of the Virginia Section of the In-
ternational Dark-Sky Association in October. The
conference hoped “to attract all Virginia IDA mem-
bers, but was open to any individual with an interest
in combatting light pollution”. Lastly, UVa’s Depart-
ment of Astronomy announced the second of 1991’s
semi-annual public events for October 4th. Tickets
were not required for RVAS members.
RVAS 10 Years Ago
Our September 2006 Newsletter opened with an
interesting and atmospherically apropos article ti-
tled, “A Simple Radio Telescope”, by David Thomas.
Based on a NASA program for schools, Radio Jove
“describes how to detect radio bursts from Jupiter
and the Sun.” According to the author of the arti-
cle, “The scope consists of a radio receiver that
can tune to a frequency of 20.1 MHz connected to
an antenna of the correct length to receive signals
at that frequency.” The article goes on to say that
a notebook computer running a program called
“Skypipe” can produce a chart of the graphic repre-
sentation of the signal received. Solar flares can
produce dramatic spikes on the charted signal, and
the good news for Roanoke Valley amateur astrono-
mers, the scope works on cloudy days!
Another interesting article in September 1991 by
Immediate Past President Katherine Hix strongly
encourages members to get more involved in the
Society and its activities. A later Newsletter arti-
cle lists and describes nine different Committees
from Programs to Outreach to Publicity where
members can get involved.
Society president, Mike Overacker, encouraged
members to attend VAAS 2006 being hosted by
The Richmond Astronomical Society (RAS).
By Bill Dillon
RVAS from the Past
RVAS NL— September 2016— Pg 7 of 10
By Dan “faux Bill Dillon” Chrisman
LiTel 494 Days Ago
The Dr. Beth A. Brown Science Foundation present-
ed to the Gainsboro Library for circulation an Ori-
on Starblast 4.5” reflecting tabletop telescope.
Club member John Goss provided the necessary
modifications to make this telescope library-
telescope capable. In attendance at this April 15th
event included Foundation Board Members Mrs.
Frances Brown, Ms. Vivian N. Bratton, Mr. Donald
Peery, Mr. John Goss, Librarian Ms. Randi Wines
and RVAS Secretary Dan Chrisman.
This 2015 event is one of many events that pre-
serve the memory of Dr. Beth A. Brown, a Roanoke
native and a graduate from William Fleming High
School (valedictorian), Howard University (B.S.,
Astrophysics) and University of Michigan in Ann
Arbor (M.S., Ph.D., Astronomy). Dr. Brown blazed a
trail as her department’s first African-American
women to earn an Astronomy doctorate: “X-ray
Emission in Early-Type Galaxies Surveyed by
ROSAT”. Then she served as an Astrophysicist at
Goddard Space Flight Center until her sudden
death in 2008.
To date, twenty-two Gainsboro library patrons
have borrowed the telescope. Based on research
that reports that five-to-six family members and
friends utilize a library telescope during each loan,
then approximately one hundred and thirty people
have benefitted astronomically.
LiTel 39 Days Ago
Extracted from their standard Saturday morning
routine of watching cartoons and eating sugar-
fortified breakfast cereal, a few members of the
club gathered in a garage on the side of Lost Moun-
tain to modify five recently-purchased Orion Star-
blast reflectors, preparing them for eventual dona-
tion to local libraries.
Many of the skills required for the morning’s tasks
had been honed and recorded for posterity during
the May 15 LiTel workshop (see June 2016 newslet-
ter). However, this, the second such workshop, (Litel Continued on page 9)
Augmenting their purpose of “providing scholar-ships to graduating high school seniors who will enter a college or university and major in astrono-my or physics”, Dr. Beth A. Brown Science Foun-dation Board Members, Library staff and RVAS club members celebrate the Foundation’s first donation of a library telescope to the Gainsboro Library.
Photo by Irvin Childress. Mere minutes before diving into modifying five telescopes, the group posed for the camera: (L-R) John Goss, Michael Martin, Ray Bradley, Rand Bowden, Eddie Leonard and Dan Chrisman.
With patience and attention to detail, the members
modified the five telescopes without mishap in rec-
ord time.
LiTel 4 Days Ago
Presaging the many colors at the height of the Fall
season, the many colors and height of the right-
most bars indicates a heavy utilized library tele-
scope program.
[My thanks to Alan Hale for providing the library data. My most profuse and heartfelt apologies to Bill Dillon for appropriating the theme of his won-derful monthly column: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”.]
(Litel Continued from page 8)
Michael Martin, having already disassembled the focuser, carefully unscrews the three primary mirror clips without incident.
Photo by Frank Baratta.
Eddie Leonard taps a new screw hole for a tele-
scope's focuser.
Photo by Dan Chrisman
Adding four telescopes this summer, we have facilitated the circulation of an octet of library telescopes in local libraries. Photo by M. Excel.
RVAS NL— September 2016— Pg 9 of 10
Monthly Calendar
MONTHLY MEETING: Monday, September 19th, 7:30 p.m., Classroom A, 3rd floor, Center on Church,
Downtown Roanoke. Ranging from musings about the curvature of the Universe to what the evening skies
have in store for us to more about gear for connecting with the sights of the season, our September meeting
features a variety of activities led by our President, Dan Chrisman, and several RVAS members. We’ll also
have more on last month’s ALCon, the October 29th VAAS convention, Night Sky Network coordination, a ton
of upcoming RVAS outreach opportunities and the low-down on what members have been up to since our last
meeting. Join us for the fun!
RVAS WEEKEND OBSERVING OPPORTUNITIES: RVAS members observe from various sites. Cahas Knob
Overlook, at milepost 139 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, is the traditional location most frequented. For updates
on members’ observing plans, log onto the RVAS Yahoo Group (RVAS members only) and/or call the RVAS
Message Line, 540-774-5651, about an hour before sunset on the indicated dates.
-- Friday and Saturday, September 2nd and 3rd. Sunset is at 7:46 p.m. Astronomical twilight ends at 9:17
p.m. The Moon sets at 8:36 and 9:07 p.m., respectively.
-- Friday and Saturday, September 23rd and 24th. Sunset is at 7:14 p.m. Astronomical twilight ends at
8:41 p.m. The Moon rises at 12:57 and 1:55 a.m., respectively.
-- Friday and Saturday, September 30th and October 1st. Sunset is at 7:04 p.m. Astronomical twilight
ends at 8:30 p.m. The Moon sets at 7:08 and 7:39 p.m., respectively. (Note: October 1st is the 2016 RVAS
Picnic and Star Party for members and their families at the Claytor Nature Study Center, Bedford,
Virginia.)
-- Future Sessions: October 21st and 22nd; October 28th and 29th. (Note: October 29th is the 2016 Vir-
ginia Association of Astronomical Societies conference. An evening stargaze is scheduled for attendees
that evening at Cahas Knob Overlook.)
ROANOKE CITY PARKS and RECREATION PUBLIC STARGAZE: September’s public stargaze has been
canceled. The next session is Saturday, October 22nd, 7:15 p.m., Cahas Knob Overlook, milepost 139,
Blue Ridge Parkway. Nonmembers must register with Parks & Rec. at 540-853-2236. Members can call 540-
774-5651 for information. (November session: November 19th, 5:45 p.m., Cahas Knob Overlook, mile-post 139,
Blue Ridge Parkway.)
Astro-Quiz It’s well known that of the 88 recognized constellations, Crux, the Southern Cross, covers the least amount of
the sky within its borders. But what constellation is most nearly the average size?
Answer to Last Month’s Quiz: Last month we asked what the dark grey-blue band is that’s visible rising in
the east just after sunset, and what causes it. As member Harry Montoro correctly answered, it’s earth’s
shadow. We see the shadow because our eastward view immediately after sunset is directly along the bounda-
ry between the illuminated and non-illuminated parts of the atmosphere. Take time to observe this atmos-
pheric phenomenon and note the red to orange to yellow changing colors just above its upper edge. Congratu-
lations to Harry for again correctly answering the astro-quiz! Have an answer to this month’s quiz (or a future