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Upcoming Star Parties

May 2012

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TSP Roundup
 
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Basic Observational Astronomy Course Part I
 
 
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Basic Observational Astronomy Course Part II
 
 
 
 
 
Club Star Party
 
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May 19, 2012, 2:00PM: Club Star Party

On Saturday 19 May HAS will hold a Members only star party at the Columbus Observatory site.

All HAS members and their family members are invited to attend.

Gates will be opened at 2:00pm on Saturday.

For those who have not yet been to the site, at 3:00 pm a caravan will depart from the Chevron Station on the NW corner of the I-10 feeder road and Business 71 in Columbus (main Columbus exit). Please email me off list if you will be using the caravan - I will make a list so we don't miss anyone!

The Observatory light policy will be observed with 10 min (give or take) light windows called at 12:00am and 2:00am (we are on daylight savings time) See observatory site guide on the HAS website for further info

A camp dinner (stew with potatoes, salad, tea and water) will be served at 5:00pm

Bring your red flashlight, snacks and drinks for the observing field.

Please email Don Selle, the club Star Party Coordinator to indicate your interest to caravan, and RSVP for dinner.

We had about 25 people respond for our clouded out date in March - lets see if we can top that number!

June 05, 2012, 4:00PM: Transit of Venus

On June 5, 2012, Venus will cross the solar disc as seen from Earth, and it won’t happen again until 2117. Don’t miss your chance to see it—join HAS in Bear Creek Park!

Start time: 4:00 PM with introduction
Transit: begins at 5:05 PM (but you should be in place early to see the beginning)
Sunset: 8:20 PM – transit in progress at sunset

Bring your telescope and a solar filter. There is still time to buy a solar filter. You can also find easy instructions online for making a safe filter.

If you don’t have a telescope, come anyway and look through someone else’s.

Many great astronomers in history never saw this...

  • Johannes Kepler made the first prediction of it in 1627, but he didn’t live to see it in 1639.
  • Sir Edmund Halley predicted the next one in 1761, but he didn’t live to see it.
  • Captain James Cook traveled to Tahiti to observe it in 1769.
  • The last one happened in 2004, but you had to be in Asia to see that one.
  • YOU can see this one right here in Houston!
  • The next pair won’t happen until 2117 and 2125, and you may not be around for those.

Click here for map and directions via Google Maps