Author: Webmaster

October 12 monthly meeting takes place via Zoom

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Because our regular meeting place is closed in accordance with COVID-19 restrictions, meetings of the Cuyahoga Astronomical Association (CAA) are taking place via the popular Zoom service.

The title of tonight’s talk is “Our Amazing Moon” presented by our local lunar expert Bill Murmann. He will discuss our nearest neighbor in space and the critical role it plays in our lives, and the possible role it may play in our future.

Here is how to attend the October 12 meeting via Zoom when “doors open” t 7:20 p.m. —

Either “Phone in” or watch and participate via “Zoom Video”.

Phone In: Just dial: 1-312-626-6799 (Chicago number)

You will be required to enter our Meeting Number: 987 496 1637

Or….

Zoom Video with video and audio, on your web browser. (No camera required)

https://csuohio.zoom.us/j/9874961637 (No password to enter)

If you are tech-savvy, go to Zoom.com, you can download and install their app on your phone, tablet, or computer, then join our meeting using the Meeting Number given above.

Meeting Agenda

7:20 Meeting will be opened to everyone. (Socializing is welcomed!)

7:30 Opening Announcement will be made (All will be muted)

Introduction of President for commentary

Vice President will introduce our speaker for the evening

Speaker will ‘take the floor’. (No questions during the presentation)

Question & Answer session (Please be patient, it does take time to manipulate)

8:20 (ish) President calls the CAA Business Meeting to Order (All Muted)

At conclusion of the meeting, everyone is welcome to stay to socialize.

A stunning portrait of Andromeda

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The Andromeda Galaxy, or M31, is a favorite target and a challenge for amateur astro-imagers. CAA member Lonnie Dittrick was up to the challenge and produced this impressive portrait of the Milky Way’s immense neighbor.

CAA member Lonnie Dittrick recently produced a stunning image of the Great Andromeda Galaxy, aka M31. Here’s his story:

“The wife and I visited Cherry Springs {state park in Pennsylvania} during New Moon and had one excellent (and cold) night of stargazing and imaging (had taken time off anyways for Black Forest Star Party).  I had just finished modifying my Canon XSi and wanted a redo of M31 (done previously at home in Olmsted Falls) but now under pristine skies! Imaging was done with a Stellarview 70mm Apo refractor, consisting of 77 subs, two minutes each at 1600 ISO.”

By the way, Dittrick made the astronomical imaging modification to his Canon camera by himself — not a job for the fainthearted!

October 3: A brilliant pairing of lights

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Earth’s Moon and Planet Mars will be just over one degree apart at 12:17 AM EDT, Saturday, October 3, as viewed from the Medina, Ohio area. Credit: Sky Safari/James Guilford

The night of October 2 – 3 will see a brilliant pairing of lights in our night sky. Earth’s Moon and planet Mars will shine close together — only a smidgen over a degree apart — in the southeast. As viewed from the Medina, Ohio area, Moon and Mars will be nearest each other at 12:17 AM EDT. Don’t worry if you can’t stay up, the two will be a beautiful pair to behold all night long.

Our Moon will be a day past Full and in its Waning Gibbous phase, so it will be round and bright. Mars, while too distant to be seen as a disc by the unaided eye, is nearing an unusually close approach to Earth during its opposition and will shine like a coppery star. Mars will be nearest to Earth, at 62 million kilometers (38,525,014 miles) distant, on October 6 and it won’t be that close again until 2035.

Opposition refers to a time in their orbits when Mars (or another planet) is opposite the Earth from the Sun — around that time is when the two bodies, on concentric racetrack orbits around the Sun, pass each other and are at their closest and brightest.

When Moon, Venus, and a Beehive got together

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Conjunction of Earth’s Moon and planet Venus with M44 as a bonus! September 14, 2020. Photo by Frank Shoemaker.

CAA member Frank Shoemaker, despite challenging seeing conditions and the early hour, captured a fine image of the September 14 conjunction of Earth’s Moon and planet Venus. As luck would have it, the conjunction occurred in constellation Cancer home of the lovely open cluster M44, the “Beehive”. The technical info.: Canon EOS 6D Mark 2, 100mm, f/4.5, 19 seconds, 5:29 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.