General Meeting - Saturday, May 25 at 6:30 PM in Royall Hall - UMKC
6:00 - 6:30 Astro 101
6:30 - 7:00 Meet and Greet*
7:00 - Planning for Comet ISON
The Astronomical Society of Kansas City’s May general meeting program will feature a presentation on Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) discovered September 2012 by Russian amateurs Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok. It will reach perihelion, less than 2 million kilometers from the Sun, on Thanksgiving Day, 2013, and its closest approach to Earth will be on the day after Christmas. For several weeks late this year it may be the brightest comet to appear in Earth’s sky in more than three centuries. If all goes well, it will be among the most watched astronomical events of our time. The presentation will cover how best to observe it and communicate the significance of the event to your friends and neighbors.
June’s meeting will be June 22, 2013, and July will be July 27, 2013.
Check back for details.
Astro 101
Your New Telescope Part 2 - Star Hopping
Now that you know which end of the telescope to look through, how do you find things you can't see naked eye? With the help of a star map and some familiarity with something called "Field of View" we will discuss how to find faint objects by first finding bright objects and then using stars and a map to find what it is your looking for. Using this technique you can find almost anything except where you left your car keys. A demonstration of Stellarium will also be given.
*MONTHLY MEET-AND-GREET
We've added an informal meet-and-greet from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Board members and club members will be available to answer questions, chat about news of the day and in general get to know faces in the light, rather than voices in the dark. Treats will (probably) be available for the meet-and-greet before meetings and after meetings. Also after general meetings and weather permitting, you are invited to the roof of Royall Hall to look through some of the instruments inhabiting the Warkoczewski Observatory.
