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Astronomy Education Building Update
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Astronomy Education Building Update:John Waechter is going to hold a training session for the observatory and planetarium this spring to try to get some more people to help out at the public observing nights. He has a couple people signed up already. Please let John know if you are interested in this training. John will contact everyone who is interested in March month to set an acceptable date.
The wall sculptures are finished! The Kent State University art students installed their sculptures in December 14th. The cinderblock walls of the foyer now grab your attention as you enter. thanks to the Kent State students for their creativity and ArtsInStark, who funded the program. Check it out the next time you come down.
Observatory Report - We need a new Observatory Coordinator. Brian Gray is taking on a new job that will preclude him from attending the public viewing nights. Let Gene or Brian know if you are interested in helping out.Public Viewing Nights - Now starting at 8:00 pm year round.
We need more volunteers with Public Viewing Nights. Come on down if you can help. We need volunteers with the scopes in the observatory and others to bring their scope to set up in the parking lot. We also need volunteers to help with greeting guests and crowd control (no experience or training with TWC equipment necessary).Clouds AND rain for the May Star Watch kept us inside. John Waechter gave the Night Sky Network show titled "Exploring the Universe" to 14 guest. Thanks to Rick Breehl, Norma Breehl, Bill Castro, Gene Rickenbrode and John Waechter for helping.
Clouds again for the April Star Watch kept the crowd of 49 inside. Rick Breehl and Brian Gray presented 2 constellation sky shows. Volunteers included Rick Breehl, Norma Breehl, Bill Castro, Brian Gray, Gene Rickenbrode and Ron Wallick.
The March star watch was canceled due to a winter storm advisory and snow.
The weather was cold and icy for the February Star Watch. Both school groups that had planned to attend canceled. John Waechter did a sky show for 6 guests in the planetarium. Other members who came down to help were Gene Rickenbrode, Ron Wallick, Ken Craddock and Mike Trucinski.
For the January Star Watch we had another good crowd (60 guests) under mostly clear skies, just a few patchy clouds floating by now & again. John Waechter presented 2 shows in the planetarium, giving his "Exploring Mars" show and a constellation sky show for each group. Gene Rickenbrode, Fred Grosse & Ken Craddock manned the telescopes in the observatory and Ron Wallick set up his scope in the parking lot. The primary target was Mars along with the other bright winter sky objects.
Clouds forced us to use the indoor program for the December Star Watch. John Waechter gave a planetarium show to 8 guests on Comet 17P/Holmes and constellations that would have been visible in the sky if the clouds weren't there. Many thanks to our volunteers who braved the cold and showed up. Volunteers included Rick Breehl, Josh Breehl, Bill Castro, Gene Rickenbrode and John Waechter.
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L, John Waechter points to comet Holmes, R. comet Holmes via TWC camera during November Star Watch.For the November Star Watch comet 17P/Holmes took center stage on a beautiful starry night. The Center's telescopes and cameras were all working showing the 100 guests views of comet Holmes, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), the Dumbbell Nebula (M27), the Ring Nebula (M57), the Wild Duck Cluster (M11), globular clusters (M15/M2) and more. Fred Grosse, Ron Wallick and Dave Ross brought their own telescopes out to help with the crowd. Members took images through the centers scopes, cameras and their own equipment. Stay tuned to this page for postings of their pictures. John Waechter gave the planetarium show "Explorers' Guide to the Solar System" from the Night Sky Network to a standing room only crowd at 8:00 and again for an encore presentation at 9:00. Thanks to Rick and Norma Breehl, Bill Castro, Brian Gray, Fred Grosse, Phil Hoyle, Dave Ross, Ken Schneller, Mike Trucinski, John Waechter and Ron Wallick for volunteering.
We were honored to host seventy-five guests including a handful of Girl Scouts at the October Star Watch. The skies were partly cloudy, but we were able to tease out views of Jupiter, the Ring Nebula, the Owl Cluster, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the Blue Snowball. At one point the International Space Station and an Iridium flare were visible at the same time. John Waechter premiered his Exploring Mars program for two shows in the Planetarium. Volunteers included Phil Creed, Gene Rickenbrode, John Waechter, Phil Hoyle, Brian Gray, and Ken Craddock.
For the September Star Watch, mostly cloudy skies limited observations to some views of Jupiter. John Waechter presented the Night Sky Network's Black Hole Survival Guide to forty guests. Many thanks to our volunteers: Bill Castro, Ron Wallick, Gene Rickenbrode, John Waechter, and Brian Gray.
The August Star Watch was shortened by clouds and lightning but the ninety guests were treated to views of mighty Jupiter, colorful Albiero, the Ring Nebula, and the Dumbbell Nebula. A bright Perseid meteor supplied some fireworks during a break in the clouds. Mike Trucinski, Fred Grosse, Ken Schneller, Bill Castro, Gene Rickenbrode, John Waechter, Rick Breehl, Norma Breehl, and Brian Gray provided valuable assistance. JohnWaechter dazzled the guests with two showings of his You Used To Be Stars program in the planetarium.
For the July Public Star Watch, the planets Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter made early appearances for the fifty-five guests who visited the Astronomy Education Building. The skies remained clear after sunset and many clusters, nebulae, and some galaxies were viewed through the scopes and displayed on the video monitor with the Stellacam. John Waechter presented two showings of the Night Sky Network'sOur Galaxy, Our Universe. Thanks to our volunteers: Bill Castro, Ken Schneller, John Waechter, Norma and Rick Breehl, Ron Wallick, John Weiss, Fred Grosse, Brian Gray, Gene Rickenbrode, Phil Hoyle, and Mike Unsold.
The rain gave way to hazy skies for the June Public Star Watch. John Waechter gave a planetarium show to about 20 guests. The observatory was open and the Moon, Venus and Saturn dominated the sky. Even with the bright moon up the Stellacam showed us great images of deep sky objects such as globular clusters M13, M5 the Ring Nebula M57, the Black Eye Galaxy M64 and the Sombrero Galaxy M104. Jupiter made an appearance for those who stayed late. Thanks to Rick and Norma Breehl Bill Castro, Brian Gray, Gene Rickenbrode, Ken Schneller, John Waechter and Ron Wallick for helping.
Partly cloudy skies could not deny the eager crowd of about 100 guests the glorious views of Saturn at the May Public Star Watch. Dave Gill gave an encore presentation of The Art and Science of Saturn. As the skies darkened, the scopes showcased some old favorites such as the Whirlpool, Sombrero, Spindle, and Black Eye galaxies; globular clusters M3 and M13; and the Ghost of Jupiter nebula. Thanks to John Waechter, Dave Ross, Dave Gill, Gene Rickenbrode, Brian Gray, Mike Trucinski, Ron Wallick, Fred Grosse, and Norma and Rick Breehl for their help.
The April Public Star Watch was very cold and very cloudy. Dave Gill gave his planetarium show titled, The Art and Science of Saturn to 13 guests. It had NASA Cassini-Huygens Saturn mission updates from JPL Solar System Ambassadors group. Thanks to Rick and Norma Breehl, Bill Castro, Dave Gill, Brian Gray, Gene Rickenbrode and John Waechter for helping.
For the March Public Star Watch the weather was mostly clear and the Moon dominated the sky. The forty guests enjoyed the views of Saturn, the Moon, globular cluster M79, the Eskimo nebula, the Orion nebula, and open clusters like M35, M41, the ET cluster and the Christmas Tree cluster. John Waechter talked about the Moon and the upcoming lunar eclipse in the planetarium, and Brian Gray and Gene Rickenbrode wrangled the scopes in the observatory.
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-UPDATED- Telescope Committee - The Keller slow motion control switches have been replaced and now work again. The club has purchased a pair of 7 x 50 hand held binoculars for use in the observatory. We also just purchased an OIII and UHC filters to use with the new 2 inch eyepieces in the observatory. (The new eyepieces are Meade 36, 30 and 26 mm QX wide angle.) The club received an other new 2 inch diagonal for use with the other LX200 telescope. We have purchased The Night Sky Observers Guide volumes 1 and 2 for use in the observatory. They are NOT loaner books. Contact Brian Gray if you want to be trained and checked out with any equipment in the observatory.
-UPDATED-Planetarium - We again have received a wonderful grant from Jane Mahoney. We are looking at making more improvements inside the planetarium. Sound insulaton/deadening on the walls and internet connection is being investigated. Also, it is requested that nobody be allowed into the planetarium once the planetarium show starts.
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