Cape Fear Skies The Cape Fear Astronomical Society Newsletter - Editor Debbi Hayden This Month's Meeting will be: Sunday, July 11, 2004 Will be a "double feature" with Alan Hilburn doing a presentation on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and Terry Herrin with a video on supermassive black holes. It should be a great meeting! Gastronomy! Join us before the meeting for dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings at 5:15pm, behind the Cracker Barrel restaurant! This month's post-meeting movie is the 1958 sci-fi thriller: The Crawling Eye. Meeting Minutes for June 6th, 2004 - by CFAS Secretary Terry Herrin President Ronnie Hawes called the meeting to order at 7:05pm. There were no officers' reports. Under old business, the club t-shirts are done. Please see Joe or Shelley Callahan if you ordered a t-shirt or sweatshirt. The transit of Venus was discussed. We will observe the June 8th transit at the Ft. Fisher monument behind the rocks. Those setting up equipment should plan to arrive around 5:00am. Finishing up old business, Ronnie said his C5 is on the way to California for repair. Under new business, Alan brought in various items for sale, including a framed skymap, a framed picture of Comet Hyakutake, and various books. The July presentation was discussed. It was decided Alan Hilburn will give a short presentation on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Terry Herrin will follow-up with a video on supermassive blackholes. Ronnie and Bob Fetterman gave a presentation at Acme-Delco Middle School, showing constellations and the moon. They were invited back for another presentation in the fall or next spring. Tom Jacobs talked about this year's Southern Star star party. Approximately 125 people were in attendance. There was no rain. Friday night was clear all night. The biggest scope there was a 22" Dobsonian. Ronnie discussed this being the 60th anniversary of D-Day, and the 62nd anniversary of the Battle of Midway. Under viewing reports, a number of club members reported viewing Comet Neat. Several viewing sessions were held at the Holly Shelter site since the last meeting with mixed success. Having no presentation this month, Ronnie asked if there were any other club business, and having none, adjourned the meeting at 8:25pm. News Cluster The Transit of Venus on June 8th was a huge success! Congratulations to all those who were able to witness this rare event! Great job on all of the photos, too! Thank you to those who helped out at the Cape Fear Museum on June 28th with the telescope discussion. A look ahead to August:the Perseid Meteor Shower on the 11th - 12th has a good chance of being a great show this year! More about that next month! We have been discussing an Astronomy Club cookout off and on for quite a while, and I think it's time to actually do one! Please be thinking about a place and date! Also, how about a solar viewing session with a hydrogen-alpha filter? Sky Calendar July 02 - Full Moon at 7:09am EDT July 09 - Last quarter Moon is at 3:34am EDT July 9/10 - CFAS Group Viewing Sessions - Moon rises around 1:30am these nights. July 10 - Mercury passes 0.2° north of Mars at 7pm EDT July 11 - CFAS July Meeting at 7:00pm July 14 - Venus is at its greatest brilliancy, magnitude -4.5, at 9:00pm EDT. July 16/17 - CFAS Group Viewing Sessions July 17 - New Moon at 7:24am EDT July 18 - Moon passes 4° north of Mars at 10pm July 21 - Moon passes 3° north of Jupiter at 9am July 23/24 - CFAS Group Viewing Sessions. First quarter Moon rises around midnight. July 24 - First quarter Moon at 11:37pm EDT July 28 - Southern Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower peaks July 31 - Full Moon at 2:05pm EDT Aug 01 - CFAS August Meeting at 7:00pm ____________________________________________________________ All content unless otherwise stated Copyright (c) 2002-2004 CAPE FEAR ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY. All Rights Reserved.