By Joan Mieritz | San Juan Stargazers
Tonight, Thursday, Nov. 2, is the monthly educational meeting of the San Juan Stargazers at the Community United Methodist Church at 434 Lewis St.
Use the parking lot and nearby side door because we leave the front doors locked. A social hour will begin at 6 p.m. with coffee, tea and treats. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m., and the educational program will start sharply at 7:10 p.m.
Dr. Andy Green will give a fabulous presentation on his work at the Australian National Observatory, about the amazing telescope he used and about the formation of galaxies, which is his area of expertise.
Then we will return to Earth and our neighboring Chimney Rock for a remarkable presentation by Tom Hanchett, of mission control at the Johnson Space Center, explaining the major lunar standstill, which recently began and happens every 18.6 years.
It is what made Chimney Rock special for the ancient people and it is the only natural location on earth marking this unique lunar event. Hanchett has created an amazing model and when we leave we should be able to explain to everyone exactly how it happens.
What a night of learning. Students are always welcome.
Anniversary celebration and dinner set for Nov. 10
On Friday, Nov. 10, from 5 to 9 p.m. will be the 11th Anniversary Celebration and Dinner for the San Juan Stargazers.
It will be at our regular meeting location, the Community United Methodist Church. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. It is not a Potluck. It is free for members, but an RSVP is necessary.
To begin, for hors d’oeuvres we will be having Rex Kemp’s literally world-famous hummus dish which he perfected while living in Saudi Arabia. We will be having several different kinds of lasagna and a fresh green salad. For dessert, we hope to be having everyone’s favorite pie with whipped cream or ice cream.
To RSVP by Thursday, Nov. 9, please leave a message or send a text to (303) 995-2888 with your name, number of people coming and your three most favorite kinds of pies.
Dessert is being provided by the Chimney Rock Interpretive Association (CRIA) in appreciation for the work we do on the night sky programs at Chimney Rock National Monument.
CRIA volunteers who helped out on the night sky programs but aren’t Stargazers are welcome to join us for this celebration of completing the summer serving almost 300 visitors at nine events.
This will mostly be a social gathering, but we will spend time getting excited and mind-boggled looking at and discussing some of the recent fabulous discoveries of the James Webb Space Telescope. Ninety-three percent of the galaxies discovered by the Webb have never been seen before.
December meeting
Looking ahead at our December meeting, it will be on Dec. 7 and it will be a working meeting for all members.
In 2022, we gave summer tours of the night sky so we could all become the astronomer of our dreams. I’m sure you have always dreamed of standing outside on a dark night and pointing out the constellations, noting the special stars, planets and anything else of importance.
In 2022, new and renewing Stargazer members received a special blue plastic notebook with the needed information to educate and maybe impress your friends, relatives, neighbors and yourself about the night sky.
At the December meeting we will be adding missing months with maps and narratives with additional information for every month of the year. Judith Jubb has been working very hard gathering material from several sources and, most importantly, leaving out the extraneous sources of confusion. She did this work for the presentations she gave during the summer months at the Chimney Rock night sky programs. Now she has completed material for the Stargazers for all months of the year.
I don’t think there is anything quite like this booklet, being concise, easy to read, direct and uncomplicated. Of course, you have to do some preparation, but we’ve tried to make it as simple as possible. Since there is material for each month, you can study a few pages and then forget it until next year, when you can look it up again.
You must find the notebook you were given and bring it with you to work on.
After completing the notebook, we will go over how to use this fabulous tool. You will go home one step closer to achieving being the astronomer of your dreams with the only step left — get out and do it.
You may want to practice before you put on a show and get a red-light flashlight and a green laser pointer.
Please look for the notebook you were given because it is too expensive to give people a second notebook. This is a priceless tool to use for the rest of your life and pass down to your grandchildren. We need everyone working together to complete this great project.
About the Stargazers
If you would like to join the San Juan Stargazers, you will also receive Reflector Magazine, which is the publication of the National Astronomical League of which you automatically become a member.
To join both groups and get an excellent astronomy magazine, annual membership is only $25 per family. You can join the club at any of our events, or now you can join using PayPal at sanjuanstargazers.org.
Check out our recently improved website with much more information and fabulous pictures. If you join at our December meeting it will be the last chance to get a copy of this very special notebook to become the astronomer of your dreams.
We invite you to learn about and appreciate our unbelievable universe.
