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The Official Publication of the Amateur Astronomers Association of Princeton
Director Bill Murray (609) 298-1179 strgazr@comcast.net Assistant Director John Church (609) 799-0723 j.church@mindspring.com Treasurer Program Chairman Michael Mitrano OPEN (609)-737-6518 michael.mitrano@worldnet.att.net Secretary Editors Larry Kane Bryan Hubbard and Ira Polans (609) 273-1456 (732) 469-7698 and (609) 448-8644 kane@princetonastronomy.org editors@princetonastronomy.org

Volume 38 From the Director

June 2009

Number 6

Well first I would like to thank John Miller and Ludy D'Angelo for their service as Director and Program Chair, respectively, for the past two years. The programs that Ludy has organized for our monthly meetings have been fascinating to see and hear and John's enthusiasm has been a great boost to the AAAP. All in all, a tough act to follow. Second I would like to put out a call for HELP! We are still without a Program Chair for the 2009-10 season. This is a critical job for the AAAP. The Program Chair recruits speakers for our monthly meetings and hosts the pre-meeting dinners. Both Ludy and I will be willing to assist anyone willing to take this position. If you're interested contact me and we can discuss the details further. Over the next few months there are several ongoing projects that were started last year that I would like to see completed. For years the roof over the back of the observatory has been leaking and this has caused some of the timbers supporting the back wall of the observatory to rot. The board is currently reviewing a proposal to do a comprehensive fix of this problem and we will be allocating funds for this at a meeting this fall. Additionally, the door on the AAAP observatory at the UACNJ complex at Jenny Jump needs to be replaced and the observatory needs a paint job. This observatory houses the AAAP's venerable 12.5" Simpson reflector, still a great visual scope. I will work to get this done this fall. Here are some events (and dates) to keep in mind as you are enjoying the long, hot days of summer: Occultation of Antares by the Moon For the observers in the club the 1st magnitude star Antares in Scorpius will be occulted by the nearly full moon on the evening of Saturday, June 6th between 10:50 PM and 11:30 PM EDT. Although a small telescope is the perfect instrument to view this event even a pair of binoculars will show it. If you've never seen an occultation before check this out if the weather is clear. It's always fascinating to see this demonstration of the moon's motion through space. AAAP Picnic Our last meeting before our break for summer will be the annual AAAP Picnic at the Nature Center at Washington Cross-

ing State Park (just up the road from the Simpson Observatory). The picnic will start at 4 PM on Saturday, June 13th. Bring some food to share and join us.

The deadline for the Midsummer issue is: Friday July 17, 2009 Send your submissions to: editors@princetonastronomy.org
Stellafane I will be attending this year's Stellafane Convention (Aug. 13-16) in Springfield VT. If you have never been to Stellafane give a thought to going. This is the oldest amateur astronomical get together in the country (started in 1926). The array of unique telescopes exhibited there is matched only by the history of the place itself (this is where amateur astronomy was born). The quality of the speakers and raffle prizes is superb as well. If you're interested in going this year contact me. Stellafane was an AAAP tradition in years past. Maybe we can revive the tradition again. Jersey Starquest 2009 Starquest will be held at on Oct. 16-18. Since last will be perfectly clear (kn Mark your calendars! This year's Jersey the Hope Conference Center in Hope, NJ year's Starquest was rained out this year's ock on wood!) Bill Murray, Director

Membership Meeting Minutes May 12, 2009
1. Election of Board of Trustees: (Held before the meeting's speaker). John Miller read the slate, which was compiled by Nominations Chairperson John Giles. John Miller described each position and asked for nominations for the positions of Director and Program Chair. Outgoing Program Chair, Ludy D'Angelo gave a description of his duties. No one in the audience volunteered


June 2009 for the position. John Miller then called for a vote on the slate for the Board of Trustees. It passed, unanimously. The Board of Trustees are: Director: Assistant Director: Treasurer: Secretary: Program Chair: 2. 3. 4. Bill Murray John Church Michael Mitrano Larry Kane Open (Will be worked on over the summer.)

Amateur Astronomers Association of Princeton Day School. This will be our fifth attempt to have this event; let's hope for their sake it happens this time. Thus far, I have John Giles and Dave Letcher signed up, but more are always welcome. If you would like to help out with this event, please let me know. This most likely will conclude our outreach year ­ there is much less activity during the summer when the observatory is open. That doesn't mean you can't contact me to indicate your interest in helping out in the future. I maintain a mailing list of volunteers; if you would like to get emails when new events are scheduled, contact me at jbernardis@comcast.net or 609-466-4238. Jeff Bernardis, Outreach Coordinator

After the speaker, outgoing Director, John Miller, called the meeting to order. Treasurer Michael Mitrano gave the Treasurer's report which is included in another section of the Sidereal Times. Observatory Repairs: John Miller reported that we are awaiting a line-item estimate from John Church's contractor. A discussion was held on how to hold a membership vote to authorize the expenditure. John Miller suggested that everyone go to our website to look at the constitution and by-laws to find out how this vote can be conducted. Bill Murray suggested that we could do a non-electronic mailing to the membership The June meeting will be a picnic and will be held on the 13th at 4:00 pm. We will try to hold it at the W.C. Park Nature Center. Public Outreach: Jeff Bernardis announced that there two activities on the calendar. The event in Plainsboro will be held Wednesday or Thursday of next week. On Saturday, May 30, a boy scout troupe will be at the observatory. Sidereal Times: Next due date is May 29. Simpson Observatory: There is a problem with parking the 14 inch SC. John Miller re-stated that when the software session is complete, the operator should not save the program as normal. One way to manage this problem is to delete all the "normal.dat" files and let the program re-assign them when it initializes. Larry Smith announced that he was at Jenny Jump and determined that the door to our observatory needs to be replaced and the rest of the observatory requires other maintenance. John Miller suggested that Larry put this in writing and email it to him. John will then send it out to the membership and put together a work party. The new door may have to be cut down fit the observatory.

Treasurer's Report
There has again been little financial activity during the last month. Our surplus since July 1, 2008, is about $3,200 or $900 higher than budget mainly because spending on the observatory so far has been low. The AAAP's cumulative surplus remains slightly over $18,000. Michael Mitrano, Treasurer

5. 6.

From the Program Chair
Greetings to all! We hope that for the last 9 months your knowledge of the universe has been expanded. And even more by all the invited guest speakers we have had. As always, we are in constant lookout for future speakers. So any suggestions and/or comments are welcome and appreciated. Have a certain subject you'd like covered? Know someone who is doing really interesting work in the field of astronomy? Send your suggestions to Bill Murray, who will give them to the next program chair. During the summer, work will be done to invite speakers for our next season starting in September.

7. 8.

9.

10. Star Quest: Planning will continue until we hear from UACNJ. Some people bought items at NEAF for SQ door prizes. John Miller suggested that we try to approach vendors for donations. Larry Kane, Secretary

Community Outreach
We only had one event this past month ­ On May 21, John Giles, Dave Letcher, and Dave Viscio had a glorious evening to show Saturn - and other sights - to the students of Millstone River Elementary School in Plainsboro. As mentioned last month, we still have one event on our calendar: on June 5 (Friday) we will be having a star party for Stuart Country Page 2


Amateur Astronomers Association of Princeton Newsletter Now that the season is wrapped up, its time for a party! This year's annual AAAP picnic will be at our observatory in Washington Crossing State Park on June 13th at 4 PM. We will meet under the pavilion at the Nature Center next to the observatory. The club will provide basic food and drinks. We encourage everyone to bring a salad or desert and your family and friends. After the picnic, and if it is clear, we will continue by opening the observatory for an evening of relaxing observation. We will need volunteers to bring a grill or two, cook, and help set up and clean up. Please RSVP to me if you will be attending. See you there! Ludovicio D'Angelo, Ludy@princetonastronomy.org

June 2009 Farewell to Hubble, Obama Calls, Astronauts Testify to Congress as Shuttle is Set to Land http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/ 00001958/ Hubble Astronauts Boldly Go Where No One has Gone Before! http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00001954/ Hubble Spacewalks: 2 Down, 3 to Go, Never Routine http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00001945/ Atlantis Astronauts Rocket into Space and Grab Hubble http://planetary.org/blog/article/00001943/ One-on-One Chat with Ed Weiler on Hubble and the Future of Mars Exploration http://planetary.org/blog/article/00001940/ Atlantis Launches on a Final Mission to Hubble http://planetary.org/blog/article/00001938/ Fueling Atlantis! T Minus 6 Hours and Counting http://planetary.org/blog/article/00001936/ "Go" at T-2 days from launch--Hubble Science Instruments Preview http://planetary.org/blog/article/00001934/ Astronauts Fly into Cape. Countdown Clock Ticking for Mission to Save "The People's Telescope" http://planetary.org/blog/article/ 00001932/

Interested in keyholder training?
Contact: kane@princetonastronomy.org or by cell phone (609-273-1456)

Other News...
Shuttle Atlantis and Astronauts Return to Earth after Upgrading Hubble I recently returned from a wonderful experience witnessing the May 11 launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis direct from the Kennedy Space Center Press Center. That is as close as humans are permitted to observe. I obtained NASA press credentials and was reporting for The Planetary Society and Spaceflight magazine on Atlantis mission to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope for the 5th and final time. Altogether I published 13 reports so far online at The Planetary Society covering the entire Hubble repair mission, NASA's soon to launch new lunar probe, LRO, which I observed up-close in the clean room, and my interviews with top NASA officials on Hubble, Shuttle and the Future Exploration of Mars and Saturn. Space Shuttle Atlantis and her crew of 7 astronauts glided in to a smooth and triumphant touchdown on Sunday, May 24 at 11:39 AM EDT at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The high stakes flight of STS-125 completely renovated and rejuvenated the iconic Hubble Space Telescope and enables a new chapter of breathtaking science discoveries. Popularly known as `The People's Telescope', Hubble is now at the "Apex of its Capabilities". NASA ordered a diversion in Atlantis return trip from the primary landing site at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to the alternate landing strip at Edwards AFB due to poor weather at KSC. For complete mission details, please read my reports online covering the flight from start to finish with numerous pictures at The Planetary Society here: Atlantis and Crew Return Safely to Earth after Rejuvenating Hubble http://planetary.org/blog/article/00001962/ Memorial Day: Remembering the fallen who gave their lives exploring space http://planetary.org/blog/article/00001963/

NASA's Final Servicing Mission to the Hubble Space Telescope http://planetary.org/blog/article/00001931/ Please contact me by email for more info or presentations kremerken@yahoo.com

Ken Kremer and Space Shuttle Atlantis at Launch Pad 39 A on the day before Blast-Off to the Hubble Space Telescope. Read my mission reports online at The Planetary Society. Credit: Ken Kremer Submitted by Ken Kremer

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June 2009

Amateur Astronomers Association of Princeton

20 Years Ago In Sidereal Times...


Amateur Astronomers Association of Princeton Newsletter

June 2009


June 2009

Amateur Astronomers Association of Princeton

The best way to get to the observatory is to take Interstate 95 South towards Pennsylvania. Then take Scotch road at Exit 3 and proceed north (this amounts to right). Then, at the third traffic light take a left onto the Washington CrossingPennington road (County Route 546). Take this road to the first traffic light and take a right onto Trenton-Harbourton road (County Route 579). Take this road to the first driveway on the left, this is the Phillips Farm/Soccer Field entrance to the park. There is a series of three gates with club combination locks. If the gates are not open, you will need the lock combination to open the gate or be accompanied by a Keyholder member. The Simpson (AAAP) Observatory's phone number is (609) 737-2575.