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R E F L E C T O R

The Astronomical League Newsletter

Vol. XLII No. 2 ISSN: 0034-2963 February, 1990

Quarterly Publication of the Astronomical League

Issued by the Astronomical League in February, May,
August and November. The Reflector is mailed directly to each individual
of its affiliate socities and to members-at-large as a benefit of
League membership. ISSN: 0034-2963


Editor      Ed Flaspoehler

                5027 W. Stanford

          Dallas, TX 75209

        [phone]



Assistant Editor          M. Barlow Pepin

         P.O. Box 295

                Lake Helen, FL 32744

          [phone]



Book Review Editor           Gail O. Clark

  74 Mountain Drive

         Pocatello, ID 83204



Advertising                 Debbie Moran -

Coordinator               see address below

Reflector Deadlines

Fall Issue                September 20th

Winter Issue        December 20th

Spring Issue        March 20th

Summer Issue               June 20th



Written and graphic material from this publication
may be reprinted only for non-profit benefit of interested parties,
provided specific credit is given to the writer(s), the Reflector
and the Astronomical League. Any other use of material, including
graphics and photographs, is subject to express permission from the
Editor and the Astronomical League Publications Director, Rollin P.
Van Zandt.

National Officers

President          Ken Willcox

  225 SE Fenway Pl

                Bartlesville, OK 74006

 [phone]



Vice President            Jerry Sherlin

                 17002 E Prentice Dr

                Aurora, CO 80015

     [phone]



Secretary          Rollin P. Van Zandt

                 7035 N Willow Wood Dr

         Peoria, IL 61614

           [phone]



Treasurer  Debbie Moran

         11832 Sandpiper

         Houston, TX 77035

         [phone]



Executive         Merry Edenton-Wooten

Secretary  6235 Omie Circle

 Pensacola, FL 32504

 [phone]

 Houston's George Observatory

New 36" Public Telescope Invades Alligators

Deborah Moran, Houston Astronomical Society

The Houston Museum of Natural Science opened the doors of the largest
aperture telescope devoted to public viewing on October 12, 1989.
Since then, hundreds of people have flocked to Brazos Bend State Park,
an hour's drive southwest from downtown Houston, Texas, each Saturday
evening to admire the facility and the stellar views it provides.
The 1.2 million dollar George Observatory is largely funded by a $770,000
grant from the George Foundation of Fort Bend County. Its central
36-foot dome houses a 36" research-grade Ritchey-Chretien purchased
from Louisiana State University for $150,000. The 12-ton telescope
is a twin of an instrument at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Included
in the price-tag are a spectrograph, a plate camera, and an off-axis
guider, as well as a hydraulic floor. Flanking the major dome are
two smaller domes which serve the amateur community and researchers
when not in use for public nights.

The realization of this project has been a truly cooperative effort
among many of those involved in astronomy in the Houston area. Dr.
Reginald Dufour of Rice University assisted in the acquisition of
the telescope and continues to oversee the scheduling of the 36".
The Museum has involved the members of several Houston-area organizations,
including the Houston Astronomical Society, the Fort Bend Astronomy
Club, and the Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society, from the
initial planning excursions to LSU to the current staffing and maintenance
of the facility. Indeed, Mat Shapiro, the project manager, is a local
amateur astronomer. In return for our efforts, volunteers will have
use of the observatory for research projects during the week and for
viewing after the public has departed at 10:00 p. m. on weekend evenings.
The Fort Bend Astronomy Club has also raised $24,000.00 for the East
Dome and is in the process of raising funds for a club telescope to
be housed there.

On my first visit to the George Observatory on October 14 for Astronomy
Day, I was immediately struck by the stunning architecture designed
by Fluor Daniel. The telescope domes are perched on top of a lower
level housing a lecture hall, permanent ecology and astronomy exhibits,
and storage areas. To help minimize thermal disturbances at night,
10,000 cubic yards of dirt gently slope up the lower level on either
side of the main entrance, turning it into an artificial basement
reminiscent of the "earth houses" that can be found in the North.
This design puts the telescopes high above the trees and any ground
fog that may develop. Special paint for the dome also helps moderate
thermal differences.

Getting to the telescope is easy. A red-lit trail leads one from the
parking lot over alligator-filled Creekfield Lake to the building.
The official golf cart transports bulky portable telescopes, equipment,
and infirm visitors. Brazos Bend's  location south of Houston is not
conducive to good views of the northern sky, but the southern sky
is excellent, with only farmland and the Gulf of Mexico between the
park and the Milky Way. A typical public night begins with solar observing
in the afternoon followed by views through numerous portable telescopes
as well as those mounted in the domes. It was a delight to hear the
oohs and ahs of those who came to view the Houston-sized brilliant
lunar crater Aristarchus through a C-11 on a near full moonlit night.
The George Observatory opens up entirely new possibilities for real
astronomy only a short distance from an otherwise astronomically hostile
environment.

An Ultimate Fund-Raiser

Don A. Edwards,
 Fort Bend (TX) Astronomy Club

In late 1988, the Houston Museum of Natural Science determined that
the monies budgeted for their new George Observatory would be insufficient
to build the entire complex as originally planned. One of the first
things to go was an "ampi-theater" area adjacent to the Observatory.  When
this cut was also insufficient, it appeared that the two adjoining
small observatory domes (3-4 meter, each) would have to be deleted.

Instead, the Museum asked for assistance from the local astronomy
clubs, as well as from interested individuals. The 3-meter West Dome
was almost totally funded by an individual contribution. And in February,
1989, the Fort Bend Astronomy Club accepted the challenge to raise
the funds for a 4-meter East Dome and also to purchase a telescope
to be placed in the dome. The dome would be the property of the Museum/Observatory.
The scope would be the property of the Club, but would be available
for public viewing each Saturday night. It would also be available
to amateur astronomers on other nights. The Club would provide an
operator for the scope and the dome.

The $24,000 that the Museum needed for the East Dome was raised or
pledged by late summer  through donations by individual club members,
and by various fund raising activities such as a swap meet, bake sale,
car wash, raffles, etc. Now came the task of funding a scope to put
in the dome.

The club wanted a 16-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain which would cost $15,000.
Through the sale of club t-shirts, caps, coats, etc., and through
a raffle for which approximately 50 prizes were donated, the club
had made a good start by mid-fall.

Then FBAC president, Dennis Zwicky, who owns a local astronomy shop,
was able to make arrangements with Celestron to obtain one of the
first Ultima-11 scopes shipped. The Ultima-11 would replace the 8-inch
CAT temporarily in the dome, and with this public exposure, as well
as word-of-mouth, we would sell raffle tickets on it.

We decided on the following plan for selling the raffle tickets: a)
limit the total number of tickets so each purchaser would know the
odds on each ticket (600 to keep the chances "reasonable"); b) no
limit to any individual, since the odds on any one ticket would be
the same regardless of the number of purchasers; and c) $10 per ticket
for 600 tickets to raise $6000. We also decided to keep the number
of tickets small to make sure we could sell them all.

We have just started to sell tickets and will continue until all 600
are sold. At that time, we will have the drawing. If the first group
goes well, and there seems to be more interest, we will do it again.

To  buy a ticket, write Don A. Edwards, 3719 Bellefontaine, Houston,
TX  77025.

A Newtonian View of the Astronomical League

Ed Flaspoehler, REFLECTOR Editor

Every three months you receive your copy of the REFLECTOR, and after
a quick look through, you ask yourself, "Why isn't there anything
in here about my club? It always seems to be somebody else's?"

Or, "Why do they have all that stuff about Texas, when I live up here
in Idaho?"

Or, "Who cares about all that club gossip? I just want to read about
technical things?"

Well, this is the main problem that the editor of the REFLECTOR faces,
how to please all of the people all of the time.

To take first things first, I think I should tell you where all those
articles in the REFLECTOR come from. Can you guess? It's your club's
own newsletter. Each month, I receive from 20 to 30 newsletters from
all over the country. I read through them looking for articles that
I think will be of interest to the most people. Generally, I hope
that, since I am an amateur astronomer too, what is of interest to
me will also be of interest to you.

There is an incredible variety of information out there in your newsletters,
ranging from advanced observational techniques and reports to bad
poetry (just kidding!) and heavenly cake recipes. There is also an
amazing amount of club gossip, which in itself makes for interesting,
if voluminous, reading.

Most of this material is not really suitable for reprinting for a
readership of 11,000 amateurs all over the country. But a lot of it
is.

So how do I pick out what you read? First of all, I look for well
written articles on interesting topics. Glance through this issue
and you will find articles on new observatories, computer software,
observing techniques and craft projects, not to mention club fund-raisers
and convention reports. This is just the stuff I wanted to put in.
There is also the required material like ALCON notices, League sales,
officers list, and so on. But if it looks good, I try to print it.

So why did your club not get mentioned? Most likely it is because
your club did not send me its newsletter. I already get about 30 newsletters,
but there are 178 clubs in the Astronomical League. So far, 148 have
not taken the time to put me on their mailing list. Tell your ALCOR
to make sure the REFLECTOR editor gets a copy of his publication.
(I think I'm about to be inundated!) And if you are willing to spend
the money, keep Barlow Pepin on the list too, since he is assistant
editor.

"So what," you say, "I don't want to read all that club gossip anyway.
I only want to read the heavy Astronomy stuff."

Well, here we get into a discussion of the purpose of the REFLECTOR.
I think the magazine is perfectly named, and not after a Newtonian
telescope either. The REFLECTOR is just that, a vehicle through which
the activities of each part of the League are reflected back to all
the League. Some of these activities are scientific, but there is
a lot of socializing going on out there too. After all, when was the
last time you went to a star party and didn't get your observing done
because you were gabbing with your friends? I feel that it is the
responsibility of the REFLECTOR to cover all League activities, not
just the technical ones. There are bigger and better publications
than this to cover the scientific details of Astronomy.

The telescope simile is probably apt for another reason, too. Just
as a telescope can look at only one narrow field of view at any one
time, so the REFLECTOR can highlight only part of the League in each
issue. It took me almost two years of concentrated effort to look
at every object on Charles Messier's list. Just so, the REFLECTOR
can cover the activities of the League only over an extended period
of time.

I hope I have explained a bit about how I, as a new editor, view my
job. It's both fun and a challenge. I plan to make the REFLECTOR as
attractive and interesting as I can as I continue to learn more about
how to put together a newsletter. I can do that only with your help
and input.

Clear skies, and good observing.

The International Dark-Sky Association

Tim Hunter, President, IDA

Almost all amateur astronomers have been bothered by unwanted, obtrusive
light. Probably the problem had to do either with light trespass (spill
light from a neighbor's yard or a street light), glare (a bright,
direct light close by), or urban sky glow (the pall of light hanging
over most cities). These are major problems with no quick, easy solutions,
especially urban sky glow. Yet they can be solved if enough effort
is devoted to the problem. Here is a brief outline of some specific
things you can do:

1. Talk to the offender. Ask for their help. Be friendly but persistent.
Constantly push without making enemies.

2. Educate people as to what can be done. Learn about quality lighting.
The goal is not to fight nighttime lighting but to insist it be designed
for the task and be of high quality.

3. Learn about the adverse problems of poor lighting: glare, clutter,
confusion, light trespass, energy waste and sky glow. Set a good example
yourself at home and at your place of business.

4. Join IDA as an individual member to receive more detailed information
and to support the cause internationally. Individual membership is
$20 per year.

5. Talk to people individually and in groups. Work for local lighting
codes. You can write to IDA for specific details concerning good lighting
ordinances.

6. Learn the elements of good outdoor lighting: full cut-off shielding,
lowest wattage necessary for the task, timers, and motion sensors
where applicable.

In coming issues of THE REFLECTOR these ideas will be explored in
more detail. Remember, dark skies are compatible with quality lighting.  In
fact, they require it.

IDA Annual Meeting

IDA'S 2nd Annual Meeting will be held on the week-end of Saturday
April 7 and Sunday April 8, 1990 in Tucson, AZ, at the Hotel Park.
The tentative schedule includes a scientific meeting devoted to light
pollution, space debris, and radio pollution on Saturday afternoon,
a banquet that night, and a business meeting Sunday morning. All
interested persons are invited to attend. There will be a $10 registration
fee for the meeting and an additional $20 charge for the banquet dinner.
There will also be informal lunches, a social hour and possible tours
to astronomical places of interest in the Tucson area.

Write to IDA for information and to sign up for attendance. The International
Dark-Sky Association, 3545 N. Stewart Ave., Tucson, AZ 85716


VOYAGER

"The lnteractive Desktop Planetarium"

for Apple Macintosh Computers

Produced by:

Caina Software

830 Williams Street

San Leandro, CA 94577

Price: $99.00 (800K disk and 85 pp. manual)



I've been using VOYAGER for several months now and I am stiIl finding
more and more practical uses for it. The program contains three very
different views of the sky, the Local View, Star Charts, and a Celestial
Sphere which shows an entire hemisphere at once.

The Local View, which I use most, shows you the horizon and sky from
any point on earth. Enter your location (latitude and longitude) through
one of the pull-down menus and the program retains it in memory until
you change it. Pick a day and time and the sky is displayed in a few
seconds. The program is set to the computer's internal clock and will
rotate the sky on command at any reasonable time interval. The default
setting is sidereal rotation.

The 9100 Yale Bright Stars in the display are realistically displayed
in whole-magnitude bins in white on black. They can be reversed to
negative (handy for printing) with one click of the mouse. Magnitude
limits can easily be changed to unclutter the sky. Deep sky objects,
either Messier or a combination of Messier and NGC objects, are displayed
with legible symbols. You can pan around the horizon or look up toward
the zenith at your location simply by using the horizontal and vertical
scroll bars. The positions of all planets, inducing the outer three,
are shown when present, and information on any non-stellar object
or planet is displayed by clicking on the display with the mouse.
Each star in the display can be selected; the catalogue includes all
the standard star data. In addition, VOYAGER contains the Arabic name
when one is known, notes on very interesting stars, and RA and Dec
as well as altitude and azimuth for the minute chosen. (Dobsonian
users take note!) There is also an option which marks all doubles
or variables.

Celestial coordinate grids can be overlaid by selecting from the sidebar
menu, which also offers constellation outlines along with ADD or REMOVE
commands for the planets and deep sky objects. There is also a ZOOM
feature which allows you to choose six closer views of the center
of the screen. Any object can be centered by choosing a FIND AND CENTER
menu option and typing in the name of the object, or clicking on the
object for information and then choosing the option.

Set VOYAGER to start around sunset and select a fast rotation rate.
You can then watch the sun set and note the positions of any planets
visible, and check the rise, transit and set times of any interesting
objects, including the moon. Constellations and major deep sky objects
can be checked for any time of night in a few seconds. And this program
is FAST. The entire sky is rearranged in a few seconds, no matter
how great the change. It is a great way to plan an observing session.

The other main sky form shows star charts in accurate projections,
containing all the information found in an atlas like Norton's but
with the advantage of no fixed borders or pages. The viewer can simply
scroll to any RA and DEC position and the program will show a chart
centered on that point. In either mode, you get what you see when
you do a PRINT SCREEN command. Charts or local views can be printed
with or without selected object information, depending on how you
ask.

The planetary database is fairly awesome, and the ability of the program
to show you orbits of planets, Jovian satellites, and selected comets
and asteroids from any spot in the solar system relative to the sun
is something that astrophysics buffs will really appreciate. If you
enter the classic orbital elements of any known (or fantasy) object,
VOYAGER will put the object on-screen and show you the orbit around
the sun at your chosen speed, with all the planets displayed as well.

The TRACKING function draws paths for any object chosen, and any graphic
so created can be printed as well. This cloudy-night bonus is one
that I haven't fully explored yet, but the occultation of 28 Sagittarii
by Saturn was something I found by zooming in and playing with times.
This function is not even mentioned in the otherwise well-written
and in-depth manual. I'm sure the authors really didn't think of doing
this type of look-up when the program was developed; it is testimony
to the accuracy of the plotting that this event shows clearly in the
graphic display.

VOYAGER is the best practical observing aid I have ever used. Any
amateur astronomer with a Macintosh Plus or higher will find it to
be an excellent, fast program with a multi-role configuration, and
well worth the price.

M. Barlow Pepin -  Assistant Editor

The E-Z Scope Simplified

Merry and Wayne Wooten,
Escambia (FL) Amateur Astronomy Association

We believe every kid should own a telescope - a good one with achromatic
objectives and eyepieces. But most parents are not ready to put out
real money for a kid who isn't really sure he is into astronomy yet.
We also think the kid will enjoy the scope more if he builds it himself,
so it needs to be simple and kidproof.

For the Marine Science/Astronomy Institute that Merry and I taught
at Pensacola Junior College and Ft. Pickens this fall, we revisited
our old copyscope designs and made up this starter kit. It uses a
JML 5.4" f/4.5 copy lens, available in lots of 10 from JerryCo for
$3.75 each (or $4.75 individually). Order item 2702, the Fax-Kowa
Lens, from JerryCo. The Fax-Kowa objective has a clear aperture of
about 30mm, thus gathering about 25x as much light as your eye, and
giving about 5x better resolution than your eye can.

In their new catalog, JerryCo also has what sounds like an ideal eyepiece
for this scope, a 19mm focal length Magnavox lens for only $3.50;
order item 6918.

C&H Sales recently began stocking surplus Olympus microfilm lenses
in a variety of focal lengths that make good eyepieces for Japanese
refractors as well as copy scopes. We especially liked OL 9858, a
14.18mm eyepiece that gives about l0x, and OL 8953, a 26mm lens giving
about 5x. They have a total of ten different lenses in varying focal
lengths, all for only $6 each. Stock up while the supply lasts.

To assemble your E-Z Scope, cut a 3-inch long piece of 2-inch PVC
pipe. Make sure both ends are cut as square as possible. Neatly wrap
3/4-inch masking tape around the bottom of the copy lens until you
match the 2-inch PVC's diameter, then wrap two or three turns of 1.5-inch
masking tape around both lens and PVC pipe.

For the sliding focuser, use a 1-1/4-inch male adapter (Scotty's 694-158,
$.49), wrapping 1.5-inch tape around the large end until you have
the focuser sliding snugly inside of the other end of the 2-inch PVC
tube. It is best to make a 1.25-inch tube for your eyepiece, so it
will later be standard size for use in all telescopes. Cut off the
bottom of a black Kodak 35mm film canister, and wrap 3/4-inch masking
tape around the bottom of the desired eyepiece until it fits snugly
inside the canister. You will probably need a piece of masking tape
on the inside of the adapter to get the film canister to focus smoothly.

You may tap the PVC about 1 inch up from the copy lens with a 1/4x20
hole for attaching the E-Z Scope to a camera tripod.

Parts for Your E-Z Scope

 JerryCo            C&H Sales

 601 Linden Place   PO Box 5356

 Evanston, IL 60202 Pasadena CA 91117

 [phone]     1-800-325-9465

Trends in Amateur Astronomy

 Rodger W. Gordon, Lehigh Vallay (PA) Amateur Astronomical
Society

In 1987 Astronomy magazine conducted a marketing survey of
its paid readership, which at that time totaled 155,000. The results
of their efforts are informative and of enough significance that I
thought they should be shared. Sample errors of these data range from
0.6% to 3% according to Astronomy.

The average Astronomy reader is 36 years old and 90% are male.
Over 80% have attended or graduated from college. Over 32% are aged
25-34, while over 27% are aged 35-44. Thirteen percent are aged 45-54,
but less than 8% are in the 18-24 year category. Total household income
was 44% in the $25-50,000 bracket and 21% in the $50-75,000. Less
than 12% had incomes from $15-25,000. The average household income
from all groups was over $50,000. Statistics for Sky and Telescope
are strikingly similar since over 55% of its 90,000 readership also
receives Astronomy.

Astronomy discovered that 74% of their readers owned telescopes,
with almost 35% of this total being refractors, 30% Newtonian reflectors
and 24% catadioptrics. 52% of these Instruments had apertures 4 inches
or less and nearly 45% of the telescopes were in the range of 5 inches
to 11 inches. Less than 4% of the respondents owned instruments larger
than 11 inches.

These are very intriguing results. They show that the refractor is
still king, with the Newtonian reflector close behind. Catadioptrics
are a distant third in the race. It also gives credence to the fact
that despite the enormous publicity given to larger apertures, smaller
telescopes of 4 inches or less are still the number one choice in
the amateur astronomy community. When the midsize aperture range is
included, these two categories swamp the "aperture happy" crowd who
extol the value of size for its own sake.

Disturbingly, the survey also found that less than 13% of Astronomy's
readership belonged to any organized club or group.

What can be gleaned from this readership profile? First, the average
amateur astronomer is overwhelmingly male and is in his late 30's
to early 40's. Household income is about $20,000 higher than the national
average, which was about $30,000 in 1987. Second, very few young people read
Astronomy, which ironically is geared more to the general public than
Sky and Telescope. Third, there appears to be little support for
organized astronomical activities. Fourth, the small to medium aperture
instruments are still the overwhelming favorites, with refractors still
leading the group.

There are some interesting geographical factors also. New York, New
Jersey, and Pennsylvania, with over 16.24% of the country's population,
have only 15.4% of Astronomy's readership. Alaska, Washington, Oregon,
California, and Hawaii, on the other hand, with only 14.04% of the
national census, have almost 21% of Astronomy magazine's subscribers.
These populous, northeastern states are clearly non-astronomical,
despite several fine amateur societies and numerous professional astronomical
institutions. For example, Pennsylvania's total Astronomy subscriptions
and over-the-counter sales in 1987 was 6478. Its population was 11
million. California, with a little over twice the population, had
almost 3-1/2 times the readership (21,381).

I believe that it will be a real challenge to amateur astronomical
groups to maintain their present numbers. In the future, it may be
the membership chairperson or committee which holds dominance over
the survival of an organization. Publicity about astronomy may have
to be an ongoing activity rather than just a flurry around a space
spectacular or major astronomical event.

I have often said in the past that many amateur societies are having
difficulty recruiting new members, younger members in particular.
The lifeblood of any group is its ability to replace individuals who
pass away, move, or simply lose interest.

There is a vast, untapped reservoir of potential club members out
there. Potential recruitment of new members will have to come from
those groups whose household incomes and educational levels are well
above average. Less effort should be spent on obtaining new members
from the general population. Perhaps we should specifically invite the
management of major corporations in our area to our functions
as well as the general public.

There is some real food for thought in Astronomy's latest reader
survey. How we digest this information may very well spell our future
health as a viable organization.

Things I Learned While Herscheling

David Hasenauer, Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas

I recently completed the Astronomical League's Herschel 400 observing
project and thought I might share some of the things I learned along
the way.

If you are planning on tackling a "formal" observing program such
as the Messier list or the Herschel 400 list, a little advanced prepartion
can help a lot. When I started the Herschel list, I simply worked
my way through the A.L.'s guide numerically via the object's ascending
Right Ascension. However, Randy Lambert, another Herschel certificate
holder, made a suggestion which made my observing sessions a lot more
efficient. He circled all 400 Herschel objects on his Tirion 2000
atlas and filled in each circle after making an observation. I modified
this technique a little and simply erased the circle after I logged the
object.  Spending a little time with pencil and atlas can allow you to log
twice as many objects during an evening while still spending the same
amount of time on each one!

The only finder on my 17.5" Dobsonian is a Telrad. (If you only have
one finder, make it a Telrad). If you place a pair of 7x50 binoculars
so that one half is pointed looking through the Telrad, you end up
with a beautiful red bulls-eye pattern suspended in a 7x magnified
star field! The star field orientation is erect, so star
hopping is quite easy.

The Herschel 400 list includes 230 galaxies, 104 open clusters, 34
globular clusters, 24 planetary nebulae, and 8 diffuse nebulae.  With
such an assembly of objects to look at, I learned that different celestial
objects often benefited from different observing techniques. For example,
open clusters that are located in the Milky Way band can sometimes
be difficult to separate from the backgound star field, especially
with a large aperture telescope. I occasionally would do some mid-week
observing closer to Dallas, and I found that, suprisingly, the brighter
light dome actually helped some of the open clusters to stand out
better compared to their appearance from a "dark sky" site.

I found that planetaries can take on very
different characters depending on the magnification you use. The best
example of this on the Herschel list was NGC 2392, the Eskimo Nebula
in Gemini. At 230x there was very little detail in a fairly round,
whitish shell. At 400x the shell separated into two concentric shells with
visible brightness mottling across the object. There is no denying that the
amount of detail you can see is strongly affected by your telescope
aperture, but whatever size scope you have, try different magnifications.

Galaxies and nebulae are best viewed under skies with excellent
transparency.  At the Texas Star Party in 1988, I was suprised at how the
detail in a galaxy could be adversely affected by a slight, but noticible
reduction in the transparency from one night to another.

Pursuing a "formal" observing program really will improve your observing
skills. I was very suprised by the difference in quality and detail
of some of my early Herschel observations relative to my later ones.  About
half way through the list, I took the time to determine the actual
angular field of view of one of my favorite eyepieces. This allowed
me to make rough size estimates of the various objects.

A good star atlas is indespensible for anyone pursuing an observing
program. For those of you working through the Messier list who are
intimidated by the Virgo Cluster, I strongly recommend the Edmund
Mag. 6 Star Atlas. There is a blow-up of the Virgo region, as well
as the Orion and Sagitarius regions, which makes the task a lot easier. For
those of you Herscheling, the Uranometria is almost a necessity. I
found that while working through the Virgo Cluster with my large aperture
scope, I could actually "galaxy hop" (as opposed to star hop) with
the aid of that atlas. The Tirion atlas often does not have enough
detail to allow you to confirm an observation, especially in a rich
galaxy field. If you use the Telrad trick mentioned above, you'll
find that the limiting magnitude in the Uranometria corresponds
rather well to the limiting magnitude visible in 7x50 binoculars. This
makes star hopping a snap!

For those of you with computers who avoid "formal" observing because
you cannot keep legible observation notes, fear not.  Weems Hutto
wrote an excellent DBASE program that will allow you to record your
Messier and Herschel observations on your computer. If your computer is
equipped with a modem, you can download the program from the Astronomical
League's StarGate BBS, [phone]. Weems' program is called
OBSERVE.ARC.

I hope this potpourri of hints, tricks, and comments are useful. I
strongly recommend a "formal" observing program as a way to improve
your skill and achieve a tremendous sense of satisfaction. Good luck
and clear skies.

Expansion of Herschel Club Activities

Brenda Branchett,
AL Herschel Coordinator

Activities of the Herschel Club at this time include a possible expansion
of the current 400 object observing list. Dave Branchett and I are
observing additional Herschel objects and have almost reached another
400 objects. We want to get a preliminary list out to those interested
as soon as possible and change the coordinates in the current booklet
for year 2,000 when it is ready to be reprinted.

Dave and I can get a simple preliminary listing out for anyone wishing
to continue with the Herschel project after observing 400 objects.
The League is still considering the possibility of issuing another
certificate on completing 800 objects. We are also considering using
the same certificate we use now, only adding a notation that 800 objects
have been completed.

There were originally 100 Herschel Certificates printed  in 1980.
We have awarded over 50 certificates. It appears we are receiving
a higher number per year of amateurs sending in their observations
to me for verification than in the beginning, so I feel that within
the next two to three years, we will need additional certificates
printed. At that time, we might want to change it for the additional
objects observed.

If you are interested in more information about the Herschel Certificate,
write to

Brenda Branchett

Herschel Coordinator

515 Glen Haven Dr.

Deltona, FL 32738

Herschel Certificate Holders

Dave Branchett 4-21-81

Brenda Floyd Branchett  04-21-81

Fr. Lucian.Kemble 10-8-81

Paul Jones 5-21-82

Tom Leiland 6-3-81

Wolf H. Fahrenbach 5-3-82

Rick Clark 2-1-83

Craig Bolton 2-7-83

Wally Brown 3-7-83

John L. Greer 5-18-83

Keith A. Moore 8-1-83

T. C. Hoffelder 8-1-83

Bruce Scodova 10-29-83

Curtis W. Roelle 1-16-84

Todd Hansen 2-15-84

David Knisely 4-5-84

R. Dennis Horvath 4-28-84

John W. Wagoner 9-19-84

Robert W. O'Dell 9-19-84

Daniel J. Sheber, Jr. 9-19-84

Jeffrey E. Hartman, M.D.

Ronald Parmentier

Larry Beatty 9-25-85

Lee Keith 9-25-85

Richard Johnson 11-6-85

Jeffrey Carpenter 11-6-85

Benny Roberts 5-20-86

Michael S. Smith 5-20-86

Gregory L. Bohemier 7-22-86

Michael E. Kittrell 9-24-86

Ben Hudgens 9-25-86

Jeffrey B. Baldwin 11-13-86

Ron Abbott 4-22-87

Keith S. House 4-22-87

David Pessagno  8-28-87

Frank Olsen 12-28-87

Kathy Machin 2-25-88

Michael Planchon 4-7-88

Albert Lamperti 5-24-88

Steve Girard 6-6-88

Randy Lambert 6-14-88

Johnny Elrod 7-12-88

Larry Baden 7-21-88

Daniel Lazar 9-26-88

Weems S. Hutto 9-29-88

Matthew T. Delevoryas 11-8-88

Michael D. Radencich 3-2-89

Ron Smith 3-4-89

David M Hasenauer 3-21-89

Larry Mitchell 3-22-89

Gordon Lynn Brown 3-22-89

Dave Kratz 4-25-89

Frank W. Loflin II 5-11-89

Mark Swanson 5-11-89

Doug Kniffen 7-4-89

The Messier Club

The Messier Club is the primary observing award program of the Astronomical
league. If you are interested in joining the Messier Club, briefly, here is
what you must do.

1. You must belong to a club or society which is currently affiliated with the
Astronomical League or be a member-at-large of the League.

2. You must find and observe the required number of Messier objects.
Observations of 70 or more objects will qualify you for regular membership.
Observations of all 110 of the Messier objects qualify you for honorary
membership.

3. You must keep a log book with information about the
size and type of instrument used, power used, time of observation,
seeing conditions, and a description of how the object looked to you.

4. After you complete the above, have any official in your
local society verify your observations and send a letter of verification
to the Astronomical League Messier Club chairperson. If you are
a member-at-large of the League, you should send a non-returnable
copy of your log book. A copy of the log book is not needed when a
letter of verification is sent by your local society.

The Astronomical League's publication OBSERVE: A guide to the Messier
Objects is highly recommended because it includes a description of
the objects, hints on starhopping to the objects, and a logbook section.

For more information, contact:

Kathy Machin

AL Awards Chairperson

4845 N. Smalley

Kansas City, MO 64119

816/452-2086

New Address
For The
Astronomical League Book Service

Members of the Astronomical League may order any book on astronomy
at a 10% discount through the League's book service.

To order a book, send the title and author of the book, the publisher
and address if known, and a check for the retail price of the book
less 10%. Books currently held in stock are already discounted 10%.

Also give the name of your member society or state if you are a member-at-large,
since this is a service for League members only.

All books are sent postpaid with no handling charges.

 Note the new address and send your order to:



Jerry Sherlin

AL Book Service

17002 E. Prentice Dr.

Aurora, CO 80015

[phone]

A Badly Overlooked League Service

It is an unfortunate fact that only about 2% of the League members
attend the National Conventions. Geography is the main impediment.
It doesn't have to be entirely this way. The best part of each convention
are the speakers and the information they provide, which is substantially
available to you in the form of the annual PROCEEDINGS. All you have
to do is write for a copy.

The content of the PROCEEDINGS is both of excellent quality and largely
slanted for the amateur astronomer. The speakers from within the League
and invited speakers have gone to a lot of trouble to prepare information
they think will be of interest and value to you.

The 1989 PROCEEDINGS, for example, has articles on training the eye for deep
sky observing, drawing at the telescope made easy, how to find novae with
binoculars, aids on how to observe Messier and Herschel objects and the latest
on the spin-cast process which extends the size limits for large mirrors.

The 1988 PROCEEDINGS contained hints for doing better astro-photography and
how to participate in cooperative scientific discussions, as well as input
from ALPO, which participated in the convention that year.

A few copies of these past issues are still available at reduced prices
and can be ordered through the League Sales.

You can now order a copy of the PROCEEDINGS for ALCON 90 when you send in your
registration form. But even if you don't plan to attend the convention, you
can still order your copy by sending a $6.00 payment to the convention
chairman. The PROCEEDINGS will be sent to you postpaid less than two months
after the convention.

Astronomical League Sales

Astronomical League Observe Manuals

"Observe and Understand the Sun"

(Temporarily Out of Print)

"Observe Eclipses" $3.50

"A Guide to the Messier Objects" $3.50

"Observe the Herschel Objects" $3.50

"Observe Comets" $5.00

"Observe Meteors" $5.00

"Math for Amateur Astronomers" $5.00

"Check a Possible Supernova"

40 Photos of galaxies by

Juhani Salmi #1 & #2, each $5.50

Set of #1 & #2 $10.00

Proceedings - ALCON '89 $6.00

Proceedings - ALCON '88 $4.00

JEWELRY - Gold Plated

Lapel Button, clutch back $4.00

Ladies Pendant, no chain $3.00

T-SHIRTS - Fine quality 50/50

Light Blue with emblem,

Med-Large-X-large $5.50

Dark Blue with emblem

Med-Large-X-large $5.50

XX-Large $6.00

EMBLEM PATCHES

Embroidered cloth, 3"

dark blue felt, w/white emblem $4.00

PRESS-ON A.L. EMBLEMS

11" dia., dark blue & white $3.00

3-1/2" dia., dark blue & white $.25

Five 3-1/2" emblems for $1.00

BUMPER STICKERS

"I would Rather See

Starlight than Streetlights" $1.00

POSTAGE AND HANDLING: Orders up to $5.00. please
add 75c. Orders over $5.00, please add 15%, except ALCON Proceedings
which are postpaid.

Astronomical League Observe Manuals may be purchased
in quantity at a discount: 10 to 19 copies are less 25c per copy.
20 or more copies are less $.50 per copy. We pay postage on quantity
orders.

Send check or money order to:

Astronomical League Sales, Four Klopfer Street,
Pittsburgh, PA 15209

1989 NERAL Meeting

Richard Sanderson,
Secretary, Northeast Region

The 41st annual meeting of the Northeast Region of the Astronomical
League took place on August 26, as part of the Connecticut River Valley
Astronomers' Conjunction, a yearly convention held in Northfield,
MA.

The NERAL business meeting was conducted by Chairman Gregory Bohemier
and Regional Representative Betty Hasson, and included the election
of officers for the coming year. Bohemier and Mary Carol Lindbloom
were elected co-chairpersons of NERAL, while other elected officers
included: Jack Megas, vice chairman; Jack Welch, treasurer; Richard
Sanderson, secretary; Betty Hasson, regional representative.

Richard Sanderson presented an update on the NERAL 1990 convention,
which will be hosted jointly by the Amherst Area Amateur Astronomers
Association and the Springfield Stars Club. The tentative location
is Amherst College in Amherst, MA, which is the home of a planetarium
and an 18-inch Clark refractor. Sanderson stressed that this will
be an independent convention for NERAL, rather than a joint meeting,
which has happened much too often in recent years.

The 1989 Astronomers' Conjunction/NERAL Convention featured papers
on a wide variety of topics including the oldest American-made planetarium,
the 1991 total eclipse, sunspots, the Bighorn Medicine Wheel, and
the Great 1989 Aurora.

David Kelly, whose 6-inch Maksutov captured first prize for optical
excellence at Stellafane, brought in a mirror grinding machine and
let it run while he discussed optical fabrication. The renowned astronomy
popularizer John Dobson made a surprise appearance and electrified
the audience with his ideas about telescope making and the Universe.

Comet expert Dan Green of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
outlined many of the important contributions amateur astronomers can
make to the science of astronomy, while Alan MacRobert, associate
editor for Sky & Telescope, discussed some of the unconfirmed reports
of astronomical anomalies that the magazine occasionally receives.

The most exciting moment of the day came when it was announced that
Michael Rudenko, who was sitting in the audience, had discovered his
third comet only hours earlier. Rudenko, who lives in Amherst, MA,
discovered his first comet in 1984 to become the first Massachusetts
resident to discover a comet since 1862.

Field trips included an observing session at Amherst College Observatory
and a trip to the Springfield Science Museum for a look at the oldest
existing American-made planetarium in the world.

Astronomical League Convention

July 31 - August 4, 1990



The Saint Louis Astronomical Society will host ALCON
90, a joint meeting with the Astronomical League and the Association
of Lunar and Planetary Observers, at Washington University in Saint
Louis, Missouri. ALCON 90 will take place from July 31 to August
4, 1990.



Registration: For the five day convention, registration
cost is $30.00 per person, payable by July 1, 1990. Late registration
is $35.00 per person. If unable to attend all five days, a daily registration
fee of $7.50 per person is requested, payable by July 1, 1990.
All checks should be made payable to ALCON 90.



Accommodations will be available in the Elliot Hall
dormitory of Washington University. The rates are $14.00 per day for
a single and $12.00 per day for a double, per person. Additional persons
are permitted in a room at no extra charge, but they must supply their
own bed and bedding. Housing reservations must be made in advance
no later than the registration deadline, July 1, 1990. If you plan
to visit St. Louis longer than the convention, arrangements can be
made in advance to use the dormitory for several days before or after
the convention. Dormitory rooms do not have individual bathroom facilities.



 Meals will be available at a cost of $14.25 per
day, three meals each day. The cost of the Saturday evening banquet
has yet to be determined.



Papers: Those wishing to present a paper should
contact the Papers Chairman, Cecelia Brown, 310 Westminister Dr.,
St. Peters, Missouri 63376. Include an abstract and a listing of the
audio-visual equipment you will need with your request.



TWA, the official airline for ALCON '90 , is offering
a 40% discount on the unrestricted Coach (Y) fare and 5% discount
on excursion fares meeting all of the restrictions. The Phone number
to call for making reservations is: 1-800-325-4933 or [phone].
Reservations can be made Monday through Friday from 7:15 am to 7:00
pm, CST. Give the reservationist the Fare Basis Code: B9912057.

ALCON 90 Registration Form



Name:_____________________________________________

Address:___________________________________________

City:_________________________State:_______Zip:_______

Local Club:_________________________________________

Registration

Number of persons attending ALCON '90_____

Early registration: _____ persons                   at
$30.00 =  $_______

Late Registration: _____ persons                   at
$35.00 = $_______

Day Registration: ____ persons for ____ days at $7.50
=  $_______

Accommodations

Single room for____nights for _____persons at $14.00
=  $_______

Double room for___nights for______persons at $12.00 =
$_______

Meal tickets for____days for______ persons at $14.25
= $_______

Proceedings - ALCON '90 at   $6.00 =    $_______

Total:     $_______

Note: Proceedings will be mailed to you two months
after the convention

Please send your reservation to

Steve Best

6943 Amherst

St. Louis, Missouri, 63130

 ASTRONOMY DAY

 April 28, 1990

Taking Astronomy to the People

Since 1973, Astronomy Day has been celebrated in one fashion  or another.
Today the international event is co-sponsored by 13 Astronomy and
Astronomy education organizations including: the Astronomical League;
the Astronomical Society of the Pacific; the Royal Astronomical Society
of Canada; the American Astronomical Society; the Astronomical Association
of Northern California; the Planetary Society; the Western Amateur
Astronomers; the American Association of Physics Teachers; the National
Deep-sky Observers Society; the Association of Lunar and Planetary
Observers; the American Meteor Society; the Association of Astronomy
Educators; and the American Association of Variable Star Observers.

The Astronomical League has published a handbook to help organizations
host Astronomy Day events. The 120 Page hand-book is divided into
three sections.

The first section details the History of Astronomy Day along with
detailed organizational ideas for hosting special events. In this
same section are the dates for Astronomy Day for the rest of the century.

Section two contains 50 pages of ideas for special events, including
some display techniques, attention getting ideas, and activities that
can be preformed on Astronomy Day. Two of the most important subsections
here are "Light Pollution" and "Astronomy for Teachers". The latter
has several sources for Astronomy Education materials including space
camps, scholarships, teacher training courses and publications for  classroom
teachers.

Throughout the handbook, dozens of names of companies and organizations
are integrated into the appropriate sub-sections. Section three gives
over 200 addresses for these organizations.

Also included in the handbook are rules and entry forms for the Astronomy
Day Award. This award is given annually to the group or organization
that hosts the best events for Astronomy Day.

Cost for the handbook is $7.00 in the United States, $8.00 outside
the United States surface mail or $10.00 air mail. Postage is included.
All payments should be in U.S. funds. All checks should be made payable
to the Astronomical League.

Organizations wishing free rules and entry forms for the Astronomy
Day Award without ordering the entire handbook should send a self
addressed, stamped legal size envelope to:

Gary E. Tomlinson

Astronomy Day Coordinator

Astronomical League

c/o Chaffee Planetarium

54 Jefferson, S.E.

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

616-456-39857

ALCON 89 T-Shorts for sale

(Supplies Limited)

This is your last chance to own one of these colorful collectables!

Send $10.00 (shipping incl.) to

The Spokane Astronomical Society

P.O. Box 8114

Spokane Wa 99203-0114

Membership-at-Large
In the
Astronomical League

What does the League offer YOU, as Member-at-Large?

Full voting privileges.

The PROCEEDINGS of the National Convention.

A subscription to THE REFLECTOR newsletter.

Book Service through which you can buy astronomy related
books at a 10% discount.

A subscription to your choice of one of the three following
publications:
Abram Star Chart
Griffith Observer
Star Date News from McDonald Observatory.

To join the Astronomical League as a member-at-large,
send a check for $25.00 made payable to:

Astronomical League

Subscription Service

Linda Sensenig, M.A.L. Chair

345 Douglass Street

Wyomissing, PA 19610

Reminder
To All
Members-at-Large

To members-at-large whose dues were payable by Jan. 1990: Your renewal
must be received by the end of March to remain on the roll. If you
have any questions, contact Linda Sensenig, MAL Chairperson of the
Astronomical League.

Call for Nominations: Astronomical League Award

The Astronomical League Award will be given to a person who has made
a significant contribution to the science of Astronomy on either a
national or international level. All nominations should be sent to
the Office of the Executive Secretary, Astronomical League, 6235 Omie
Circle, Pensacola, Fla. 32504-7625, and should arrive no later than
March 30, 1990. The qualifications of the nominee should be listed
with a description of his/her activities on behalf of astronomy. Dr
Donald Parker is the current award recipient.

The Astronomical League's

STARGATE BBS

214-578-7618

300, 1200, 2400 Baud

24 Hours - 8,N,1