NorthWest Florida Astronomy Association

Hurlburt Field does not get to host an open house very often and by the time we saw the newspaper article announcing a 2012 event, it left little time to arrange participation.  We made a quick call to our Hurlburt Field Library contact hoping she could find us a contact point.  She did.  After several emails to Capt. Duncan explaining who we were, what we wanted to do and why, we received permission to join the event. 

Saturday morning started with a few low clouds and a quick pass through security.  But by the time we checked in with Capt. Duncan, the clouds had cleared.  He pointed out our display location on the ramp at the end of a long line of gray painted aircraft.  It was an excellent site;  no building shadows or trees (long story).  We set up the pop-up and before we even got the scopes setup, we had guest observers.

Dave discusses the differences between Hα and white light views of the sun.

Tom discusses the NWFAA with a potential member.

Dave Halupowski brought his classic Unitron to demonstrate solar projection viewing along with a 60mm Coronado solar telescope borrowed from club member Dennis Hausch.  Tom Haugh brought his 6″ Meade with a white light filter to provide another way to safely view the sun.  The sun provided a couple of sun spot groups as well as several prominences along the solar limb.

Even though there was no flying scheduled the crowd was large and a steady stream of viewers kept us busy all day.  Ken Leone stopped by and lent a hand, but we decided that he didn’t need to unload and haul all his gear out on to the flight-line. 

The open house was a well run event and we had a great time.  We would like to thank Sabrina for the footwork getting us a contact name.  We would also thank Capt. Duncan for his effort so late in the timeline getting us into the event.

Tom Haugh briefed the October guest observers on the library’s telescope, basic observing skills and what to expect when using the 4.5 inch Orion Starblast.  With the upcoming Orionid meteor shower the  focus of this months workshop was meteor showers.   The presentation started with an explanation of the difference between meteoroids, meteors and meteorites.  Tom then explained the relationship between comets and meteor showers; in this case Comet Halley and the Orionids.  He then discussed how and where to observe the meteors.

Finally, Tom provided a list of astronomical events and satellite passes that would be visible/occur before next month’s workshop and finished off with a brief question and answer period.

The last Henderson Beach Sky View of the year was, as usual, a great success.  NWFAA members turned out in force for the event with Frank Atchison, Dennis Hausch, Matt Spidell, Tom Haugh, Tony Russo, John E.  and Chuck Lynch bringing equipment.  As usual, sky maps were handed out with Tom going from group to group explaining how to orient them to the sky until it got too dark to see.

Without any bright planets or Moon visible, deep sky objects were the targets of choice for the evening.  The gulf skies obliged with the darkest night we have had during our sky views out at the beach.  Lyra objects Epsilon (the Double Double star)  and the Ring Nebula were just past the zenith and obvious targets as Vega was the first star visible.  Numerous other Messier objects as well as star clusters and Neptune were viewed.  Jupiter just made it over the eastern horizon late in the evening but did not make it high enough to be clearly visible before the crowd eventually waned.

We would like to thank the staff and park rangers of Henderson Beach State Park for hosting the 2012 Star Views.  We had a great time at each event and we look forward to next year.

After some initial confusion as to why the NWFAA was arriving at the state park was cleared up, we proceeded to our normal observing site and setup a number of telescopes.  Frank, Dennis, Bob, Chuck, Tom and Tony all brought optics for the evening’s guest observers.  One couple was already waiting for us. 

Since the 22nd was coincidentally “International Observe The Moon Night” , the moon was our first target of opportunity.  The Orion 4.5″ Starblast, Dennis’s dob and Chuck’s binoculars were all brought to bear while everyone else started aligning the more complicated scopes.  The moon was high in the southern sky as darkness fell and was an easy and bright target.  A lunar map app was used to identify craters along the terminator.  The club’s updated information handout and “The Evening Sky Map”s were distributed and briefed.

As the skies darkened and more observers arrived, the goto scopes came on line and deep sky objects were added to the sky tour.  One eagle-eyed guest observer spotted a satellite passing overhead and a quick check showed that it was the Hubble Space Telescope on one of it’s 96 minute orbits.  Stephen finally cleared work and arrived with his massive refractor.

Along with manning the NWFSC’s 12” SCT, Tony provided running commentary and constellation background information.   Numerous star clusters and nebulae were observed, but some sky glow hampered the dimmest views.  Neptune was available for those checking off that block, and the Great Andromeda Galaxy finally rose high enough over of the eastern tree line to be seen.

But, by 10 P.M. we finally ran out of guest observers and wrapped up the evening’s festivities.  As usual, we had a small but enthusiastic crowd and we look forward to the last Topsail Hill sky view of 2012 on Saturday the 17th of November.

With over 16 inches of rain in August, the skies have not been very kind to Northwest Florida astronomers.  However, they cleared enough during the monthly meeting to provide our visiting observers with plenty of targets to view.  Frank Atchison set up his 8″ SCT and Prof. Tony Russo had opened the dome and started the cool down process in anticipation of the evenings guests.  While the equipment acclimated, the meeting was brought to order and the normal club business was taken care of. 

Members and guest observers await dark skies.

Professor Russo brings the meeting to order.

Tom Haugh presented his postponed ASCOM talk and by then the skies were dark and the meeting was adjourned.  While the guest observers went outside, Tony aligned the college 18″ Criterion and brought the system on-line.  The guest observers then made the rounds between the 8″ outside and the classroom where Tony was displaying the near real-time objects that he was imaging.  One of the first, was The Ring Nebula (M 57) in Lyra.