Dec04news

At the November Meeting......
Jerry Truitt brought the meeting to order at 7:15 with 25 members and guests attending.
New Members
Bill Mckibben, Elkton MD
Outreach Opportunities
Elkton Central Library Newark Road Elkton
Astronomy at the Library (Elkton) Friday, November 19, 2004
Time: 6:00PM - 8:30PM EST (GMT-05:00) Astronomy at the Library. Contact Jerry Truitt
Bombay Hook
Star Gazers are scheduled to do a program at Bombay Hook Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center this Friday night November 19 from 6:00 PM to 9 PM.
Please bring your scope/binos and help us make this a success. Preliminary weather forecasts were for clear and cool...the mosquitoes have flown south.
You may want to come early to see the geese and deer as they find their way at sunset.
Prime Hook Wildlife Refuge
Scheduled for December 9 at 7:00 PM----- not 11/18. They had 78 people for their last event.

From the President’s Desk
November 17, 2004 Tis the season for reflections and for hope, for thanksgiving, recognizing our past successes, and for renewed energy to continue
our efforts to improve the future. Tomorrow! Tomorrow! Rah, Rah, Rah and Right, Right, Right.
So what is on your short list for Christmas stocking stuffers? My list includes Naglers (always #1 on the list and only once did a Nagler actually find it’s way
into my stocking), filters, flashlights, warm socks, a digital setting circle controller, and various other “observing aids”. Sometimes I wonder why we need so
many of those aids...I remember fondly the days of a single scope, 2 eyepieces, a set of star charts and 1 red light. Believe it or not, I actually starhopped
my way through the night and enjoyed the exercise. Now, I probably spend more time loading, unloading, reloading, & unloading than I do observing.
Do I have too many “observing aids”? Heck no! All the astro magazines are stuffed, cover to cover, with items that invoke a galactic force and cause the
faint fuzzies to line up and waltz across my eyepiece’s field of view. Just call and give them your credit card # and a shipping address. It’s so easy to get the observing aids you must have for the next session. Now what are you waiting for?

Our next meeting is Tuesday, December 7. Our topics will include Handy Gadgets & Stocking Stuffers, Plans for the Exploration of Mars (ref is S&T 1971 &1972), the Star of Bethlehem, and the Monthly Sky Chart (what’s up) section. We continue to meet in the First Presbyterian Church at 7:00 PM the first
Tuesday of the month. I hope to see you at the meeting. Please bring your favorite information relative to astronomy and we will add it to the agenda.

The Club has purchased a supply of planispheres and Baader Solar Film. The planispheres are $3.00 each and the solar film will be
sold for $5.00 per 5”X5” section. Both will be at the next meeting and at the Christmas Party.

Our Annual Christmas Party is Saturday, December 4, from 1:00 PM until we wind down. It will also be at the First Presbyterian Church.
Please contact Kathy Sheldon for the particulars. The most important particular is that you and your spouse/significant other, and children come to the Party.
The food will be great and the fellowship ain’t bad. It is a great way to begin the Holiday Season.
Some astronomical events for December:
The Number One Attraction is the Great Orion Nebula; and now is the time to observe this wonderful object. Catch it before it crosses the meridian
and use all the aperture and power you have. This one is bright and has so many different features to explore – spend some time exploring the Nebula
and I am sure you will be amazed by its complexity.
Number Two on the list for this year is the Geminid Meteor shower December 13 They begin when the sky darkens and this year there will not be moonlight
interference. Cross your fingers and hope for clear skies.If you are a morning observer, there will be an abundance of planets well placed
for viewing. Jupiter and Saturn are in the best position. Venus is bright just before sunrise; Mars is very dim and small and Mercury can be found in the
morning sky by month’s end.

For the Occultites, there will be an occultation of Jupiter and the crescent moon in the early morning (4 am) on Dec 7. We will remind you of this event
at the Dec meeting. And of course, we experience the Winter Solstice on December 21st. Brrrrrrr! Turn the heat up for a couple of months.
Christmas season? Oh this will be a moonlit Christmas since the moon will be “full” early on the 26th.
I want to take this opportunity to wish each Star Gazer and his/her family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Stay safe.
See you at the meeting, the Christmas Party, or at Tuckahoe.
Don...

Club Resources
With the recent demise of the Laurel Highlands Star Cruise, an Interesting dialogue arose on the Yahoo Pages concerning finite club resources and the art
of not having too many eggs in one basket. I submit the 2 letters in the the thread (titled Finite resources) which are self-explanatory. F.Sheldon
James T. Morgan wrote:To all -
One of the first things that I do when I give a presentation to an amateur astronomy group is to hand out some sheets that I have some
questions on and I ask each person in the audience to answer them as best they can. One of those questions gets to the heart of an amateur
astronomy club’s problems.
Here is the question:
If for some reason you must eliminate one activity that you are currently doing because of a lack of resources which one would it be?
The answers sometimes surprise me but it does bring about a discussion that is crucial to all clubs.
Resources (funding, manpower, members, equipment) are finite. How best to manage those resources by placing priorities on all of a club’s activites
is important to do. It may point out some things to think about in the future. Below, is an example of what I am talking about.
I am sure that when they started the Laurel Highlands Star Cruise, they never would believe that it would have to be cancelled at some time because
of a lack of resources. I wonder about the Observatory and what the implications are about building it.

Bob Bunge responds
For a number of years, I was involved with a small club in Ohio that built a large and wonderful observatory using a large grant from a local
businessman. It followed this accomplishment by staffing a good sized regional star party at the observatory. The club - about 25 members,
perhaps 10-15 active - managed this schedule for about five years before the burnout occurred.
A number of people attempted to get the core members to transfer many of the party duties to people in other clubs in the region, but were
generally unsuccessful. To add to it, there was a sense that every year, the party needed to grow and "out do" the past year's party... in the complexity
of the events, the speakers, etc. This made it harder and harder to put on.
That's one reason I've liked the approach the Delmarva group has taken... not to attempt to out do themselves each year and to run a no-frills event
and just keep "to the core" business of getting amateurs together under the stars.FYI, I'm planning to head out tonight.
Bob
                                                                              Club Activities
Club Meetings- We meet in the First Presbyterian Church in Smyrna, DE (653-8000) on the first Tuesday of each month from 7-9 PM. From US 13,
turn west at Wendy's and go one stoplight on Commerce Street; the church is on the right directly across from the Fire Hall.
Future Meetings..The annual meeting dates for 2004 are: January 6, February 3, March 2, April 6, May 4, July 3 Picnic at Don’s house, August 3 No inside
meeting;event to be scheduled, September 7, October 5, November 2 and December 7.
The regular meeting format includes discussion of club activities, observing highlights and an advertised presentation.We solicit suggestions for topics and
presenters.
Club Observing... Observing is (usually) scheduled for the Friday nearest the New Moon to maximize the hours of deepnight without the moon in the sky.
Unless otherwise stated, the monthly observing site will be at the baseball field in the camping area at Tuckahoe State Park.The observing days for 2004 are:
January 16, January 23, February 20, March19,. April 14-18 ( Stargaze X), April 23, May 14, June 18, July 16, August 13, August 20, September 15-19 (No Frills IX), October 15, November 12, and December 10                                               The cloud or rain date for the monthly Friday observing will be the following Saturday, but don't trust the weather man!   Go outside and look for yourself or check the CNN weather link on our web page. If you still can't decide, call Don Surles (302) 653-9445 or Lyle Jones (302) 736-9842.

Sun and Moon Data for December 2004 Tuckahoe MD 
38.98°N  75.93°W  5hrW Standard Time  Astronomical Twilight 
             Sun                         Moon
      Date    Twi.  Rise  Transit  Set    Twi.  Rise  Transit  Set    %
  12/1/2004  5:29a  7:04a 11:53a  4:42p  6:17p  8:42p  3:30a 11:12a  80
  12/2/2004  5:30a  7:05a 11:53a  4:42p  6:16p  9:44p  4:18a 11:44a  72
  12/3/2004  5:31a  7:06a 11:54a  4:41p  6:16p 10:46p  5:03a 12:12p  63
  12/4/2004  5:32a  7:07a 11:54a  4:41p  6:16p 11:48p  5:47a 12:37p  53
  12/5/2004  5:32a  7:08a 11:55a  4:41p  6:17p  *****  6:29a  1:00p  43
  12/6/2004  5:33a  7:09a 11:55a  4:41p  6:17p 12:51a  7:12a  1:22p  33
  12/7/2004  5:34a  7:09a 11:55a  4:41p  6:17p  1:56a  7:56a  1:46p  24
  12/8/2004  5:35a  7:10a 11:56a  4:41p  6:17p  3:04a  8:43a  2:12p  15
  12/9/2004  5:36a  7:11a 11:56a  4:41p  6:17p  4:17a  9:34a  2:42p   8
 12/10/2004  5:36a  7:12a 11:57a  4:41p  6:17p  5:33a 10:30a  3:20p   3
 12/11/2004  5:37a  7:13a 11:57a  4:42p  6:17p  6:52a 11:33a  4:08p   0
 12/12/2004  5:38a  7:14a 11:58a  4:42p  6:18p  8:09a 12:39p  5:09p   1
 12/13/2004  5:38a  7:14a 11:58a  4:42p  6:18p  9:16a  1:47p  6:21p   4
 12/14/2004  5:39a  7:15a 11:59a  4:42p  6:18p 10:11a  2:52p  7:39p  10
 12/15/2004  5:40a  7:16a 11:59a  4:43p  6:19p 10:54a  3:51p  8:57p  19
 12/16/2004  5:40a  7:16a 12:00p  4:43p  6:19p 11:28a  4:45p 10:11p  29
 12/17/2004  5:41a  7:17a 12:00p  4:43p  6:19p 11:56a  5:34p 11:21p  39
 12/18/2004  5:41a  7:18a 12:01p  4:44p  6:20p 12:21p  6:19p  *****  50
 12/19/2004  5:42a  7:18a 12:01p  4:44p  6:20p 12:44p  7:03p 12:28a  61
 12/20/2004  5:43a  7:19a 12:02p  4:45p  6:21p  1:07p  7:46p  1:33a  70
 12/21/2004  5:43a  7:19a 12:02p  4:45p  6:21p  1:31p  8:30p  2:36a  79
 12/22/2004  5:44a  7:20a 12:03p  4:46p  6:22p  1:57p  9:15p  3:40a  86
 12/23/2004  5:44a  7:20a 12:03p  4:46p  6:22p  2:28p 10:03p  4:43a  92
 12/24/2004  5:44a  7:21a 12:04p  4:47p  6:23p  3:05p 10:53p  5:46a  97
 12/25/2004  5:45a  7:21a 12:04p  4:47p  6:23p  3:48p 11:44p  6:46a  99
 12/26/2004  5:45a  7:21a 12:05p  4:48p  6:24p  4:38p  *****  7:41a 100
 12/27/2004  5:46a  7:22a 12:05p  4:49p  6:25p  5:34p 12:35a  8:30a  99
 12/28/2004  5:46a  7:22a 12:06p  4:49p  6:25p  6:34p  1:26a  9:11a  96
 12/29/2004  5:46a  7:22a 12:06p  4:50p  6:26p  7:36p  2:14a  9:45a  92
 12/30/2004  5:47a  7:22a 12:07p  4:51p  6:27p  8:37p  3:00a 10:15a  86
 12/31/2004  5:47a  7:23a 12:07p  4:52p  6:27p  9:39p  3:44a 10:40a  78