CIAS Newsletter March 2015

What a great evening we had at Red Sky At Night ! The Facebook Page has a few photos – I'm still recovering from the paparazzi explosion of camera flashes as Miss Cayman made her appearance. So much for eyes adapting to night vision. We collected  CI 325 (and a used ticket for a curry) with the campaign “ $1 a look to see the Universe!” 

Moving on with our Outreach activities next week is the UCCI STEM Carib Conference entitled "the Next Big Thing" - running from Tuesday evening March 17th to Friday March 20th. The latest Conference “Schedule At a Glance” can be found here http://stem.ky/prog/schedule.shtml Tickets are CI 50 for the day or $125 for the whole conference   http://www.stem.ky/reg/fees.shtml.As one of the key Sponsors of the event (paid in blood and sweat and toil) the CIAS  has as in previous years a booth which needs to be manned at various times throughout  the conference. 

If you are a member and want to help out please let me know ASAP – if you can help out you will also be able to attend the events for that day. In particular I need help on the Tuesday evening session and on the Friday afternoon session when members of the general public are also invited to attend. I also could do with some help “sticking things up” prior to the event too- . Anyway/Anyone  please let me know if you can help. Phone 925 7657 - or email cpcooke@aol.com. I have a new phone so please be patient  There’s lots of Science and Astronomy as usual from International Speakers- http://stem.ky Lots of local talent too including from myself a  breakout session on Satellite Watching and one from Bill Hrudey  who will be giving a beginners guide to Celestial navigation too. So do come! It will be a great conference 

As next week progresses on Friday March the 20th we are  very close to the Spring Equinox iand is also a new Moon. Even more exciting  there's going to be a Solar Eclipse- though not visible here - it will been seen as a partial eclipse  throughout most of Western Europe. The line of totality bodes for the hardy type of solar eclipse chaser - passing through the Faroe Islands and also Svalbard in Norway (where the polar bears are not to be trusted!) Following the path further North as the Sun rises out of the long winter darkness at the North Pole - it will be also seen in Eclipse (wow! and followed by brrrr!)

For those most likely to be in the UK – here’s a map of the totality. Do take caution and remember even at 99 percent cover the sun can still damage your eyes https://www.facebook.com/TheInternationalAstronomyShow/photos/a.348503165249546.61524.278027365630460/629019430531250/?type=1&theater 

Much closer to home on the following evening of March 21st visible from Cayman  will be  a lovely sight of Venus - beneath which will be seen a thin crescent moon and Mars. More on this event here . http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury

 

 

Our next meeting is also due about 3 days after the new Moon  22nd or 23rd but as yet I'm undecided as to location and date. Earth Week starts the week after I do notice the National Trust are having an Earth Hour event on Saturday 28th March . Last year the National Trust came to us to support an evening of “Dark Sky Awareness” which also coincided with Earth Week .  Ive put some feelers out to see if they would like us to visit them this year in return at Camana Bay. So far the response is positive and I'm waiting for further details – so again if you think this might be fun and more importantly thinking of attending let me know as well. They have a great poster too

 

Clear Skies Everyone!

Chris Cooke
Cayman Islands Astronomical Soceity
925 -7657
cpcooke@aol.com

CIAS Newsletter Feb 2015

The next meeting of the Cayman Islands Astronomical Society will be on Friday 20^th February at St Pedros Castle, starting at 7:00 PM

All are welcome. On arrival please dip headlights. In the event of more than 50 percent cloudy cover the meeting will be cancelled. If in doubt ring 925 7657 (no text messages please. Please confirm if you are coming so I can anticipate numbers and the appropriate scope(s) to bring

We have a busy month ahead – I have another evening session on the following evening at the Marriot on Saturday 21^st – if any member would like to help please let me know,

On February 28^th – the following Saturday we will be down Astronomical Avenue at the “Red Sky At Night Festival” . Again volunteers are needed to help out and hopefully raise some money. If you are not aware of this event it is surely one of my favorites in Cayman each year. I liken it to Caymans “Glastonbury Festival”. We have a limited number of tickets for helpers. Typically over the past two years we have had hundreds of visitors over the course of the evening see http://www.artscayman.org/cayfest for more details.

Next month has the UCCI STEM Conference “The next Big Thing” 17th -20^th March . There are some great speakers this year- the keynote speaker is Dr Hakeem Oluseyi – see next newsletter for more details but heres the schedule. http://stem.ky/prog/schedule.shtml

Finally before we get down to viewing – its now February and we are looking for renewal of membership fees please. Some people have paid up and some escaped in the dark from last month’s meeting! Subscriptions can be renewed either at the next Public meeting or by dropping them off at Kirks Stationary to Myriam Madaigan – cash or a cheque made out to the CIAS. Alternatively you can post the cheque to me Chris Cooke PO Box 1601 GT KY1 1110
The next new Moon is called apparently a Black Moon. Ive not heard of this one before but as you know we are in an interesting sequence of lunar and solar eclipses at the moment.  The slightly worrying name seems to describe one of three possible events – in this case the 3^rd Super moon of the season. We might have some slightly higher tides than normal but nothing of the occult to  write home about – unless you are Black Sabbeth of course- ( I believe Black Moon is a track from one  of their earlier albums)
We are in for a real treat at the meeting on Friday – the 2 day old Moon will be very close to Venus and Mars – a real nice line up – get those binoculars out! And on Saturday Venus and Mars pass within ½ degree of each other – the closest since Sept 2008 . The planet Uranus is close by too . Although at magnitude 6 it will be found 1 degree to the Moons west (bright) side
Jupiter on Sunday 22^nd reaches opposition (peak visibility) at magnitude -2.5  and will be a great an easy target in the evening sky. That leaves Saturn (in Scorpius) and Mercury (low in the East) now in the early morning sky Clear Skies everyone

Chris

Tel 925 7657 –cpcooke@aol.com

The following chart is from Chris Peats excellent site “Heavens Above” is for Saturday 21^st at  8 PM

CIAS January 2015 News Letter

Happy New Year all

The next public meeting of the Cayman Islands Astronomical Society will be at Pedro St James Castle on Wednesday 21st of January starting at 6:30 PM weather permitting.
 

The meeting will be canceled if there is more than 50 percent cloud cover.
If in doubt ring me on 925 7657 and please remember to dip head lights on arrival
Im also asking for members to let me know if they will be coming or not as that will dictate the agenda of the evening and scopes involved.
The meeting is scheduled a little earlier than our "3 days after a new moon" rule as there are other events at the Castle that following weekend.

In the evening sky at the moment we have a lovely couple - Venus and Mercury just after sunset. The shear brightness of Venus is an easy guide to the fainter more elusive Mercury.Venus will be around for some months this Spring - so watch OUR space! As for other planets Mars isn't far away in the evening Western sky too. So that's three planets.Later on Jupiter rises at around 10 PM in the East - not a bad haul.

On this coming Friday evening 16th January there is a Iridium flare predicted at close to magnitude -8.1 That is really bright! The Flare will occur at around 18:41 PM and will be close to overhead (slightly to the NE)In fact looking at the predictions the closer you get to Spotts beach the brighter it will become.
Alternatively if you are at a barbeque or pool party this is a neat trick to pull off.

Finally don't forget Comet Lovejoy later on in the evening - not far from The familiar constellation of Orion. Although at magnitude +3.8 you will probably still need binoculars and it appears as a large "fuzzy ball".
Ive been following the comet for some nights now, becoming a regular part of my dogs last walk for the nightIt is a little further from Orion than you think but here's a link to a finder chart. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/spot-comet-lovejoy-tonight-122920141/
If you are still struggling by the 17th you probably need new binoculars or worse new glassesIts then located not far from the Pleiades- to the Western side.
It will make a nice object to see at the public meeting too on the 21st

Clear Skies!
Chris

CIAS December News Letter: A Star in the East for Christmas

Meetings

The next  public meeting of the Cayman Islands Astronomical Society will be at St Pedros  Castle on Sunday 28^th of December starting at 6:30 PM – weather permitting. The meeting will be cancelled if there is more than 50 percent cloud cover .

 If in doubt ring me on 925 7657 Please remember to dip head lights on arrival

If anyone would like to help me set up that night please come along early at around 6 PM

On that night we will be treated to TWO passes of the International Space Station.(ISS)

The time will vary a little on the night due to the age of the predictions made at the time of writing (19^th Dec)  Worse- the ISS may have made a maneuver to correct its orbit too!

So add a few minutes leeway each way.

Date	Brightness	Start			Highest point			End			Pass type
	(mag)	Time	Alt.	Az.	Time	Alt.	Az.	Time	Alt.	Az.
27 Dec	-3.0	19:18:34	10°	NNW	19:21:10	51°	NNW	19:21:10	51°	NNW	visible
28 Dec	-2.3	18:27:50	10°	NNW	18:30:40	27°	NE	18:33:30	10°	ESE	visible
28 Dec	0.1	20:05:58	10°	WSW	20:06:57	11°	WSW	20:07:55	10°	SW	visible

Im also at the Marriot on the Saturday evening 27^th – if anyone would like to help out please ring 925 7657 I will be there from 7:00 PM till 8:30PM. Theres’ a really good crossing of the ISS that night too.

Christmas and Telescopes

 It usual to mention that people buying telescopes  as Christmas presents this time of  the year should try and avoid those bargains as seen in “Cost-U-More” . If you need advice please contact me although I admit it’s a little late now if you have already bought something. This is a good article http://www.scopereviews.com/begin.html and I agree with two things – 1) don’t rush    and  2) even a cheap pair of binoculars is a good place to start. If you need some help in setting up let me or Bill know – phone numbers below

Events Next Year

In January starting on the 6^th of Jan and running for 8 weeks there will be a joint UCCI/CIAS course at the UCCI Observatory entitled “Astrophotography Essentials” The lion’s share of the course will be taught by Bill Hrudey and will be very modestly priced. Last we talked it was about 125 CI. Let me or Bill (whrudey@candw.ky) know if you are interested in coming and for further details.  You will need a camera (obviously) and ideally an SLR.  A T-adapter will also be needed – (we have some for Canon models only).You won’t necessarily need a telescope but you will have the opportunity to use different types on the course.

For the third year running we will be hopefully at the Cayman National Cultural Foundations “Red Sky At Night Festival” on February 28^th 2015 down Astronomical Avenue.

The CIAS will be involved in some capacity at the upcoming UCCIs “STEM CARIB 2015” conference too – Ill certainly list all the speakers attending next year – the conference always has a high level of Astronomy related topics. Dates are March 17-20. One key note speaker is Dr Hakeem Oluseyi

Events This Month

The Winter Solstice is on December 22^nd and is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The evenings even here drawn in early although surprisingly to some the latest sunset occurs in late November!

Its sometimes really nice to spot something quite normal in the sky for this time of the year but the moment when its seen itself makes it very special. The run down (?!) into Christmas for some of us seems very frantic with far too many things to do against a running clock... and for the third visit to a supermarket in as many hours tonight (Friday 19th) it was wonderful to see Orion rising in the East as I  drove to Savannah. Do try and grab a few moments with the old fella!

Planet wise- below is a sky map for the ISS crossing at 18:27 on the 28^th of December

Venus and potentially Mercury will be visible in the West after sunset – Venus will become much more visible in the evening sky in the next few weeks

Jupiter is around too – but not really rising until around 10 :30 PM as a really  brilliant star in the East. Jupiter was known as Jove in Roman times and was a key deity – in fact king of all the gods.

I do like the idea of a star in the East this time of the year. The Internet is of course full of people trying to connect the name of Jove to Jehova too. Im not into that but what I will say is that Jupiter is quite a sight in the late evening and just maybe one of the many options we have for the  phenomenon once seen as The Star of Bethlehem. For example it would be a great star for navigation purposes

Whatever your religion have a great break and hopefully see some of your before the New Year.

Clear Skies!!

Chris Cooke 925 7657 cpcooke@aol.com

Chart below is for Sunday  28^th December 2014  Time (local) 18:27 ISS crossing – remember the times may be out by a few minutes. The Chart is taken form the website http://www.heavens-above.com/ with the site authors permission.