Meeting

July meeting: A visit to the Very Large Array!

James Guilford , , ,

The July 12, 2021 membership meeting of the Cuyahoga Astronomical Association (CAA) will take place via the Zoom online service beginning at 7:30 p.m. Join Alan Studt and Gale Franko as they relive their visit to the Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico. The site of these giant, moveable radio telescopes is where the movie Contact, was filmed.

Attendees may join the Zoom meeting beginning at 7:20 p.m. the nights of CAA scheduled meetings, and meetings begin at 7:30.

The evening will begin with introductions and a program by the featured speaker. The talk will be followed by the monthly membership business meeting, typically concluding at about 9 p.m. Guest attendees are welcome.

To attend:

You can 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:  954 8268 6049

Zoom Video with video and audio, on your web browser. (No camera required)
https://zoom.us/j/95482686049

Or download the desktop application from: https://zoom.us/download#client_4meeting

May 10 Membership Meeting to feature Sky & Telescope editor

James Guilford , , , ,
Kelly-Beatty-casual_ss-1
Kelly Beatty

The May 10, 2021 membership meeting of the Cuyahoga Astronomical Association (CAA) will take place via the Zoom online service beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The evening’s speaker will be Kelly Beatty, Senior Editor of Sky & Telescope magazine, whose talk is entitled “Darkness in Distress”

Light pollution, simply put, is any unnecessary or excessive outdoor illumination. Sadly, it has become a pervasive and ugly consequence of modern 24/7 society. Light pollution robs us of the night sky’s beauty, negatively affects the ecosystem, and creates an in-your-face waste of energy. But a new mindset and new technology are poised to slow — and perhaps reverse — this bane of modern life. Learn how you can safely light up your home, business, and community without wasting energy, disturbing your neighbors, or creating an unhealthy environment for humans and wildlife.

Beatty has been explaining the science and wonder of astronomy to the public since 1974. An award-winning writer and communicator, he is a Senior Editor for Cambridge-based Sky & Telescope magazine. He enjoys sharing his passion for astronomy with a wide spectrum of audiences, from children to professional astronomers, and you’ll occasionally hear his interviews and guest commentaries on National Public Radio and The Weather Channel. He served for a decade on the Board of Directors for the International Dark-Sky Association.

Here are some websites Beatty recommends:

Globe at Night
https://www.globeatnight.org/

Dark Sky Map
https://www.darkskymap.com/

Light Pollution Map
https://lighttrends.lightpollutionmap.info/

International Dark-Sky Association
https://www.darksky.org/

 

April 12 Membership Meeting

James Guilford , , , , ,

The April 12, 2021 membership meeting of the Cuyahoga Astronomical Association (CAA) will take place via the Zoom online service beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The evening’s speaker will be Joe Kolecki, retired NASA Scientist, speaking on “Physics and Experience, it’s all relative!” Kokecki said, “I am mostly going to focus on observable effects. The merging of physics and geometry will be approached from the perspective that scientific facts arise from measurement (metros, Gk.) and that time and space measurements are interconnected in relativity through the speed of light. Thus united, time and space can be dealt with as geometry.” An aerospace engineer, he retired from NASA in 2006. His work included developing orbital flight systems for generating and processing electrical power in space. Kokecki has worked in the United States and abroad on flight systems for Earth orbit and for interplanetary exploration. He also identified and developed mitigation strategies for electrostatic charging of vehicles and astronauts moving about and working of the surface of Mars. His interest in relativity came about early in life when he discovered an article on Einstein and set out to see what his work was all about. Relativity became a life-long passion and he has written books on the mathematics involved with the theory.

Attendees may join the Zoom meeting beginning at 7:20 p.m. the nights of CAA scheduled meetings and meetings begin at 7:30.

The evening will begin with introductions and the featured speaker followed by the monthly membership business meeting, typically concluding at about 9 p.m.. Guest attendees are welcome.

To attend:

You can 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:  954 8268 6049

Zoom Video with video and audio, on your web browser. (No camera required)
https://zoom.us/j/95482686049

Or download the desktop application from: https://zoom.us/download#client_4meeting

December 14 meeting features talk on cosmology

James Guilford , , ,

Glenn StarkmanDecember 14: The December 14 meeting of the Cuyahoga Astronomical Association (CAA) will feature a fascinating talk on cosmology, rounding out this most unusual year for the club. COVID-19 isolation restrictions on group gatherings, and closed meeting facilities caused the club to take its meetings online via the Zoom cloud service. Normally the club hosts a December dinner in lieu of a year-end meeting but since the dinner cannot be held, there will be a December “virtual” meeting complete with speaker.

Professor Glenn Starkman, co-chair of physics and astronomy at Case Western Reserve University will present “The Big Bang and Beyond.” Dr. Starkman will take us to the beginnings of space and time, and show us what we know, what we think we know, and what we wish we knew. Attendees may join the Zoom meeting beginning at 7:20 p.m. the nights of CAA scheduled meetings and meetings begin at 7:30.

The evening will begin with introductions and the featured speaker followed by the monthly membership business meeting, typically concluding at about 9 PM. Guest attendees are welcome.

To attend:

“Doors open” at 7:20
You can 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)