Cape Fear Skies The Cape Fear Astronomical Society Newsletter - Editor Ric Longren This Month's Meeting will be: Sunday, March 6th, 2006 (Webmistress note: Terry Herrin will bring in an episode from the BBC series Horizons - Parallel Universes which discusses String Theory in quantum physics.) Gastronomy! Join us before the meeting for dinner at Golden Corral on New Center Drive, at 5:15 pm. Meeting Minutes for February 12, 2006 - by CFAS Secretary Letisha McLaughlin President Ron Hawes called the February business meeting of the CFAS to order at 7:05 PM with over 16 members in attendance and no guests present. Officer's Report: Vice President Terry Herrin initiated the business portion of this month's meeting by announcing that Glenn Brensinger would no longer be able to facilitate the club's email list due to his returning to school. Instead he will be outsourcing his entire server, which includes ours, to another system. Fortunately this change will have no financial impact on the club. According to Terry, the service "should be the same, just running on different hardware." Ronnie, along with the rest in attendance, congratulated Newsletter Editor Ric Longren on the successful distribution of the club's first electronic newsletter. As members may have noticed, it follows the same layout it always has, with a couple of welcomed personal touches from the editor. Old Business: The president reminded everyone that dues must be paid before the next monthly meeting or all club privileges will be dropped until full membership is paid. New Business: This year's rent payment on the Yamacraw viewing site was called into question as members recognize a lack of use of the land for sky watching. Voting to discontinue payment was suggested, but delayed to allow one more CFAS viewing there in order to decide whether or not to keep it. The date for this session will be announced later. Club member Susan B. reminded the group that the annual fee of $27.00 to maintain the CFAS website was soon to be due. Once renewed, the site will be allowed web space until April of 2007. Next, a motion was passed to renew the website for another year. Also, club member Hal Schutt suggested a new design for CFAS apparel. Instead of t-shirts and sweaters, this year the club could opt for a more formal embroidered polo tee. Details of the new design are to be developed later in the month. The Charlotte Amateur Astronomers Club will host the 20th Annual Southern Star Astronomical Convention in the Blue Ridge Mountains on April 28-30, 2006, according to member Tom Jacobs. Information concerning this event can be found at the CAAC website at http://www.charlotteastronomers.org/sstar.htm. Once the business portion of the meeting was closed, WECT's forecast meteorologist George Elliott presented the CFAS with a look at his career of "predicting the future" through weather. Beginning with a degree in meteorology from Northern Illinois University in 1982, he pursued many different television jobs across the country until finally calling Southeastern North Carolina home twelve years later as WECT's chief meteorologist. Mr. Elliott finished his presentation by answering many interesting member questions, including those posed concerning weather satellites and the myth of heat lightning. Wrapping up February's meeting, President Ronnie Hawes thanked guest speaker George Elliott for his presentation. He then inquired about next month's feature, to which V.P. Terry Herrin suggested bringing his video BBC Horizon - Parallel Universes. The meeting was adjourned after agreeing to this presentation at approximately 9:00 PM. News Cluster Ric Longren has just acquired a new Celestron CPC11 XLT. Just as advertised, SkyAlign Technology is amazingly simple and works the first time out. A really nice piece of equipment. Please pay membership dues this month. Dues must be paid in March or club member status will be terminated. Event Calendar Mar 01 - Jupiter passes 3 degrees north of Librae Mar 3/4 - CFAS Group Viewing Session Mar 06 - First Quarter Moon, 3:16 pm Mar 06 - CFAS March Meeting – Presentation Parallel Universes Mar 12 - Moon at apogee, 8:45 pm (252,450 miles) Mar 14 - Full Moon, 6:35 pm, penumbral lunar eclipse Mar 20 - Spring begins at the equinox, 1:26 pm Mar 22 - Last quarter moon, 2:11 pm Mar 28 - Moon at perigee, 2:13 pm (223,177 miles)            New Moon, 5:15 am, Solar eclipse – Africa, Europe, and Asia Mar 31/Apr 1 - CFAS Group Viewing Session All times are EST What's Up Down Under? (News from our Sister Society in Albury-Wodonga, Australia) Digital Projector - John Hills informed members that as a result of the Society's previous approval (Meeting 2nd November 05) to purchase a digital projector he expected that he would be able to purchase a suitable projector before the 1st March 06 meeting at the estimated cost of $1,000.00. Meade DSI Pro Imager - Carl Rainer informed members that John Gurkin's and his research revealed that a computer and 'tracking' telescope is required for the Imager to work effectively. The Imager has limited use with manual telescopes and therefore was considered to be of little use to the Society. Rob Bruce, Nebula Filters - Rob Bruce presented an extremely interesting digital image presentation of his Company's recently developed nebula filters. The 2" and 1-1/4" models are available and all filters screw into existing common-threaded eyepieces and diagonals. Models available are equivalent to UHC, O111 and Hb and are professionally manufactured to exacting optical grade specifications. Orders from members can be placed with Rob now. Well done, Rob Bob Price, Astronomical Crossword - Bob Price tested our knowledge of matters astronomical by breaking us into groups of 4 and providing a quite difficult and 'testing' 24 across and 24 down crossword. There is no doubt that you keep us on our toes, Bob. Motions of the Earth - Alan Hilburn The earth has to be considered as being in motion three major ways: (1) the daily rotation around its axis at a surface speed of approximately .3 miles per second (18 miles per minute) (1,080 mph) at the equator; (2) annual revolution around the sun – (18.5 MPS), (1,110 MPM)(66,600 MPH); (3) a similar speed accompanying the solar system on its voyage toward Hercules (toward the star Lambda in Hercules that is). Another type of motion also must be considered, a revolution around the center of our galaxy – in the Archer – at a speed of about 134 miles per second (482,400 MPH). It this motion that is really responsible for the 3rd motion, because the stars in the neighborhood of the sun are also revolving around the center of the galaxy, but with different orbits and with different speeds. (Editor: kind of makes you dizzy just thinking about it!) ____________________________________________________________ All content unless otherwise stated Copyright (c) 2002-2006 CAPE FEAR ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY. All Rights Reserved.