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Дата изменения: Mon Mar 31 23:17:18 2008 Дата индексирования: Mon Oct 1 20:42:48 2012 Кодировка: Поисковые слова: interacting galaxies |
January 2008
Hello again!
Well, it's the time of the year when we can expect the cold and snow, so I'll
keep up the article on dressing for observing in the cold. 2007 has
been great, but it's time to start planning the 2008 spring-summer-fall
observing season. This means now is the time that we start planning things
like Hidden Hollow 2008, and public nights.
Hidden Hollow '08 is Coming! The dates are May 2nd-4th.
Get ready to plan, organize and have fun!
Food, friends and fun, what could be better? Well, clear skies would
help....but we'll have a blast rain or shine!.
Barb Hubal
PS check out our Hidden Hollow 2008 flier here!
Previous Editions of the M111:
M111 Fall 07
M111 Late Fall 07
Well, 2007 has come and gone, and we've finally come to the new year - and January's meeting. Here's a synopsis of what went on and what we discussed.
First of all, Tammy welcomed the new officer & board members and handed out new business cards. She also introduced her two books, hot off the presses. One is the 2008 edition of The Night Sky Companion - a hefty and informative tome on our skies. Also introduced was a book co-authored by Terry Mann - and it's about aurora's. Terry's photos in the book are just awesome! Kudos to both!
And on to the real business! Joe Forester and John Neumann updated all about the new 2008 WRO calendar and the tentatively planned Messier Marathon in March., and Barb Hubal was put in charge of getting the updated calendar up on the website. A tentative Club Roster was circulated, and meeting attendees were asked to make any corrections to it. It will be posted on the RAS website as soon as editing of it is completed. The status of our tax-exempt status was also discussed. Tammy & Barb have agreed to confirm that our status is up-to-date, get a replacement for our lost "Letter of Declaration" and confirm what tax forms need to be completed by the club for the 2007 tax season. It was also noted that John Neumann, as our new Observatory will be RAS's official liaison with Friendly House. He will also take care of all financial matters between RAS and Friendly House.
And of course Hidden Hollow 2008 was discussed! The date for the star party - May 2nd - 4th - was confirmed, and that means the club has to spring into action, because the date is rapidly approaching. Ken Hubal has kindly offered to contact potential vendors and to begin soliciting door prizes - something that both Ken and Tammy will be working on. Tammy will also be concentrating on getting speakers together for the event. Phil Creed, from the Wilderness Center Astronomy Club had proposed emceeing an astronomy trivia competition - Astronomy Bowl. The idea was well-accepted and Phil, Tammy & Barb will be in contact for setting up the exciting new contest. Kudos to Phil for his great idea.
As the new secretary, Barb will be gearing up to publicize the event. Tammy has asked her to contact S&T and Astronomy magazines. As Barb has also been assisting our webmaster Tammy, Barb will be working on updating our website about the Hidden Hollow event - our speaker's pages, contest, FAQ, and registration pages. New for 2008 is the option to register online! Barb will also be preparing a flier (in PDF format), which will be emailed to all astronomy clubs in Ohio, PA, MI, WV and IN.
Look for all sorts of new stuff on our website!
And remember, we bring the universe down to earth!
Barb
Winter
has a beautiful sky (when it's not cloudy) and low humidity - a recipe
for good observing. But it can also be bitterly cold - especially
since observing tends to be a rather sedentary activity. Yet
observing can be done comfortably, if you dress for the weather.
Let's review some common tips for warm winter dressing.
Wear
layered clothing that's loose-fitting. Loose clothing traps air
inside, which helps insulate you from the cold. In extreme cold,
be sure
to protect all uncovered skin. However, the most common mistakes people make are wearing layers of cotton
on top, tight-fitting jeans below, and shoes that leave their ankles exposed
causing cold feet. Layers are important, but they must be the right layers, made
out of the right fabric.
In cold weather, you should never wear cotton next to your skin. That
goes for ALL underwear & socks! The reason? Cotton doesn't hold in heat
very well even when dry and it absorbs moisture, so once it's damp, the
moisture conducts heat right through it. If there is any wind, you'll feel a
chill, making it worse. Once it's wet, it takes forever to dry. So the layer
right next to your skin should be a synthetic fabric, such as a treated
polyester. Since polyester is incapable of absorbing moisture, it won't lose its
insulating properties when wet and will dry rapidly.
There actually is a natural fabric that will work next to your skin and
women have known about it for a long time: Silk. It's extremely . . . well
silky, won't absorb moisture and allows other layers to easily slide over it.
It also feels great next to your skin. The warmth it provides given its weight
is amazing.
So the first layer next to
your naked body should be underwear made of either treated poly or silk. The
second layer should be a long sleeve top, bottoms, sock liners for your feet
& glove liners for your hands. These last two items should be lightweight
to make room for additional layers. If you get cold easily, put on a short sleeve
crew neck poly shirt on top of this layer. This will help keep your chest &
back warm. The next layer could be a heavier layer of polyester, or a poly
turtleneck, depending on the weather and your own comfort level.
Thinking wool for that outer layer? Think again. Wool is a much better insulator than cotton, but
wool will absorb moisture and when it does, it will lose all of
its insulating ability. It also takes forever to dry so don't allow it to get
wet. idea for the outer layer on top is a
fuzzy fleece pullover or jacket. They also have pockets. If it is made of polyester, it won't absorb
moisture and will trap heat very well. Look for one that has large enough pockets on
both sides to hold your hands with gloves on. If
you get cold easily, wear a poly or down vest underneath this layer.
The outer layer can also be a nylon down jacket or a full length coat
that extends below your rump. Realize that even down will lose it's
insulating
ability when wet or compressed too much. It needs room to puff out.
Finally keep in mind that this
outer layer will need to be large enough to accommodate the layers beneath. You
need space for trapped air in these layers and so you can move.
Next, let's talk about your legs. If you layer up your chest well, but
only wear cotton jeans, you'll freeze. Why? First, your rump & legs
have more surface area than your trunk. Two, cotton doesn't insulate very well
and the warm blood that leaves your core will loose its heat as it travels down
your legs to your feet and back again, where your core has to warm it up again.
You'll be alright for awhile, then you'll start to get cold and then you'll
start to shiver. Third, once you reach this point, your body will constrict the
blood vessels going to your legs & feet to maintain your core temperature,
making the situation worse. Fourth, jeans don't block the wind.
So what to do? Silk bottoms under jeans is a first step. Adding poly bottoms between the silk
ones and your jeans is another. Wearing flannel lined jeans is another option.
Get them roomy enough so you can layer underneath them if need be. Or forget
jeans altogether and go with nylon insulated bib overalls, like those you ski
in. These have the advantage of covering your lower back when you sit or bend
over, so that no skin is exposed. Or you can wear sweat bottoms made of fuzzy
polyester and wear plastic or nylon raingear or snowpants over them. This
combination works well because it allows you to move, it traps warm air, the
nylon shell keeps wind from cooling you off, and the suspenders don't constrict
your waist like a belt does. With your rump & legs covered like this,
you'll be very comfortable for long periods of time and your feet will stay
warm.
Now about your feet... Protect them well; if they're cold, the rest of you will be cold too! How to keep your feet warm? Layer them. First a very light long sock made of either
polyester or silk. Next, a heavier sock that will cover your calves. Next, you need a shoe that is large enough to let
you wiggle your toes and trap heat. If your shoes are too small for these
layers, you'll compress the insulation making it less effective and your toes
will be jammed together, so they'll get cold. Insulated after-ski boots work
well as they also cover your ankles. Regular shoes leave your ankles exposed
and you'll loose critical heat. Plus cold air always sinks and that's where
your feet are. Whatever boots you decide on, don't over tighten them. Also, in extreme cold, hard ground seems to rise up through your boots
if you stand there for long periods. Even a simple throw rug or doormat can
help insulate you from the cold ground.
Let's move on up to your
hands. Layering works well here also. Start with a lightweight poly or silk
glove liner, then an intermediate glove if you need it and finally a ski glove.
Don't make the mistake of trying to cram your hand with these additional layers
on into a glove that's too small. Your hands will be cold and uncomfortable and
then you will. You need airspace around your fingers to keep them warm. Since
we have to focus, change eyepieces, turn on flashlights and such, many will
want to use gloves. But if your hands get cold easily, insulated mittens with a
nylon shell over them are warmer because your fingers are all together and
mittens have less surface area by far exposed to the cold than gloves. Another
tip for keeping your hands (and feet) warm is to apply a little greaseless
lotion to them first. It'll act as an additional insulation layer. Matter of
fact, you can do this to your entire body (including your back) if you get cold
easily. A little goes a long way here; you don't want to be sticky.
Finally, we come to your neck & head. A polar fleece neck gaitor (it
looks like a short, wide tube that's open on both ends) will cover your neck
and prevent heat loss, which can be substantial in this area of your body. If
you wear a turtleneck, pull it up all the way under your chin as a first layer
over your neck then put the neck gaitor over it. For your head, there are many
choices. If you get cold easily, you should wear a silk or poly balaclava then
a ski cap or the hood from your jacket (if it has one) over it. A balaclava
looks like a sock, sized for your head, with a oval hole in the side for your
eyes. It covers your head, ears, nose, mouth and neck. Even a lightweight one
will keep you very warm
Think you're overdressed? Remember, if you're going out on a walk, you can get away with less, because your muscles will generate heat as you exercise. For non-aerobic activities, you might have to add a layer here or there. And a few last things to remember:
As for the other Board Members? Well, it was determined that Mike Allen was indeed a Board Member (Rumor has it that that was news to him!). Ken Hubal was elected, and Dan Everly was re-elected. They join our other Board Members, Dave Hartsel and Joe Forester.
John Neumann Robert Payne
to index...Hidden Hollow Star Party was October 12-14th 2007. We had some of the finest guest speakers available - Phil Harrington, Terry Mann, Brent Archinal, Jason Shinn, Tom Whiting, Phil Creed and Ron Ravenberg. It was a bit of a cool weekend (lows in the lower forties...), but well worth the chill...because the convention was hot!
Fortunately, we had a good group of volunteers on Thursday and setup went quickly. There were trash cans to put out, a food vendor to locate, furniture to move and rearrange, a speaker's auditorium to set up, and registration packages to prepare.
and then the party began...
WANT TO SEE MORE PICTURES?? CLICK HERE!
BD Hubal 18-Jan-2008