TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S PG 2 EDITORIAL

THE JANUARY 6, 2017 GENERAL MEETING STEVE GOLDBERG: TEXAS STAR PARTY: WHERE IS IT? WHAT IS IT?

All over America, the search for dark skies is becoming a subject of great interest

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and concern for amateur astronomers. In

UPCOMING EVENTS

many places when amateurs get together

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to observe the stars, they compare their

SOCIETY DIRECTORY

skies to those they once saw on a remote Texas ranch … Little wonder! The skies in

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the Davis Mountains of West Texas are

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

among the darkest found anywhere in

PG 6 ANNOUCEMENTS PG 7 SHALLOW SKY OBJECT PG 8 ARTICLE|BIG SCIENCE IN S M A L L PA C K A G E S PG 9 A B O U T T H E G U I D E S TA R P G 10 ABOUT H.A.S. P G 11 PARKING AT UH

ABOUT THE COVER M42 in the Constellation Orion. Taken by HAS member Rob Morehead at the dark site near Columbus, Tx in January 2016 through a Celestron 8 inch SCT with a modified Canon T2i DSLR camera. The exposure time was 2.5 minutes at ISO 400.

North America. For 38 years, the Texas Star Party, held on the Prude Ranch outside of Fort Davis, Texas, has been a place to go for some of the best skies for the amateur astronomer. Steve Goldberg will provide an introduction into the Texas Star Party, the time, location and activities. Steve joined the HAS after moving to Houston in 1977. He has been very active in the Society since, serving as President in 1980 and 1981, serving on the Board for several years, and currently Assistant Observatory Chairman. Active in Outreach activities.

RE M E MBER TO R ENEW YOUR MEMBER SHIP IN HA S HAS annual membership period is from Jan 1 to Dec 31. With the advent of the New Year – its time for you to renew your membership for 2017!!!! As a renewing member you will continue to be part of one of the most active astronomy clubs in Texas and continue to have access to our member benefits including: • Supporting our active outreach programs which show the night sky to school children and the public, and encourages interest in STEM activities • Our safe - controlled access dark sky observing site in Columbus • Active Novice Astronomer programs including Nite Sky Labs at our Dark Sky site which teach you how to use your telescope and navigate the night sky • Our growing library of online videos of presentations of interest to both Novice and Sea‐ soned Astronomers alike • Being part of the most fun Astronomy club in Texas! AS ALWAYS THERE ARE THREE WAYS TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP: • Pay online with PayPal ‐ Login to your account at http://www.astronomyhouston.org/mem‐ bers/renew. We greatly appreciate if you pay by PayPal because it automates the process. With over 600 members, it saves us a lot of work. • Pay using cash or check at a monthly meeting. • Mail a check the old-fashioned way to Treasurer, Houston Astronomical Society, PO Box 800564, Houston, TX 77280. DUES AMOUNTS: • Regular ‐ $36/year • Associate - $6 (lives at same address as regular member) • Student ‐ $12 (full‐time student) • Sustaining ‐ $50 or more (if you want to give a little extra to keep the club strong) We hope that you will continue to support HAS and look forward to seeing you at our next meet‐ ing or event at the Columbus dark sky site HOUSTON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

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E D ITOR IA L | B OB WI ES N ER

HAPPY NEW YEAR! NEW DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS IN HAS There have been some changes in the directory - new names are now Directors and Officers. Glance at the page so you're sure who to contact in case you have any questions or comments about HAS in general or a particular part of HAS. DUES Please read the article reminding that your dues are due. Resolve to continue or start your membership with HAS and expand your knowledge of the universe. PRESIDENT'S LETTER Read Rene's article on the women's achievements and initiatives in HAS. ASTRONOMY OBJECTIVES FOR THE YEAR - SOME IDEAS Read about the Telescope Loaner program and get involved so you can take advantage of one of the best programs HAS has to offer. Make the commitment to finish the Texas 45 this year. Rene can help you with that. Get out to the dark site more often and get some help in learning the sky. Pick a program from the Astronomical League list. Choose from the many based on your skill level. There are 15 for beginners, 16 intermediate programs, and 21 advanced programs. Just go to https://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/LevelObservingClubs.html for your ideas. Read the Shallow Sky Object articles (start with the one this month on Aldebaran) and observe for yourself the items that Bill highlights in his article

HOUSTON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

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U P C OMING EV EN TS CALENDAR JAN 3

9:00 a.m. Quadrantid meteor peak

JAN 5

1:47 p.m. First Quarter

HAS MEETINGS FEB 3

10:19 p.m. First Quarter Moon 7:00 p.m. HAS Novice Meeting,

Moon

U of H

JAN 6

8:00 p.m. HAS General Meeting,

7:00 p.m. HAS Novice Meeting, U of H 8:00 p.m. HAS General Meeting, U of H

JAN 12 5:34 a.m. Full Moon 7:00 a.m. Venus at greatest elongation east JAN 17 7:00 p.m. Vesta at opposition

U of H FEB 10 6:33 p.m. Full Moon FEB 17 1:00 a.m. Mercury at greatest illuminated extent FEB 18 1:33 p.m. Last Quarter Moon FEB 25 Prime Night, Columbus

All meetings are at the University of Houston Science and Research building. See the last page for directions to the location and more information. NOVICE MEETING 7:00 P.M. room 117 Science & Research 1 Bldg GENERAL MEETING 8:00 P.M room 117 Science & Research 1 Bldg

Moon

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING The Houston Astronomical Society holds its regular monthly General Membership Meeting on the first Friday of each month, unless rescheduled due to a holiday or a conflict with other events at the University of Houston.

OT H E R ME E T IN GS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING HAS board meetings are scheduled regularly. All members are invited to attend, but only board members can vote on issues brought before the board. Meetings are held at the HAS Observatory on the date and time specified in the calendar.

JAN 19 4:00 a.m. Mercury at greatest elongation west

FEB 26 8:58 a.m. New Moon

4:13 p.m.Last Quarter SEND CALENDAR EVENTS TO DOUG MCCORMICK JAN 21 5:00 p.m. Novice Lab [email protected] meeting at Dark Site FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION JAN 27 6:07 p.m.New Moon ON CLUB EVENTS, GO TO JAN 28 Prime Night, Columbus ASTRONOMYHOUSTON.ORG 11:00 a.m. Leadership Planning Meeting

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY | jscas.net Meets in the the Lunar and Planetary Institute on the 2nd Friday of each month. FORT BEND ASTRONOMY CLUB | fbac.org/club_meetings.htm.  Meets the third Friday of the month at 8:00 p.m. at the Houston Community College Southwest Campus in Stafford, Texas. NORTH HOUSTON ASTRONOMY CLUB | astronomyclub.org Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 4th Friday of each month in the Teaching Theatre of the Student Center at Kingwood College. Call 281-312-1650 or E-mail [email protected]. BRAZOSPORT ASTRONOMY CLUB Meets the third Tuesday of each month at the Brazosport planetarium at 7:45 p.m. The Brazosport planetarium is located at 400 College Boulevard, Clute, TX, 77531. For more information call 979-265-3376.

Houston Astronomical Society

GuideStar_HAS STARLINE

832-go4-HAS0

HOUSTON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

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H OU STON A S T R ONOMIC A L S OC IE T Y D IREC TO RY D I REC TO R S AT L ARGE

NOVICE DEBBIE MORAN

URBAN OBSERVING STEVE MUNSEY

WALT COONEY

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

H:713‐774‐0924 C:713‐562‐7670 WOMEN’S SIG

BILL KOWALCZYK

OBSERVATORY MIKE EDSTROM

RENE GEDALY

[email protected]

observatory@ astronomyhouston.org

AMELIA GOLDBERG

MARK FERRAZ [email protected] DEBBIE MORAN [email protected] BRAM WEISMAN

P: 832‐689‐4584 IDA REP DEBBIE MORAN PROGRAM JUSTIN MCCOLLUM [email protected] PUBLICITY BRAM WEISMAN [email protected]

[email protected]

A DVISOR S DR. LAWRENCE PINSKY University of Houston

[email protected] TELESCOPE ALLEN WILKERSON

O F F IC E R S

[email protected]

PRESIDENT RENE GEDALY

P: 832‐ 265‐4773

[email protected] VICE PRESIDENT DON SELLE

AD-HOC C OMMITTEE CHAIR PER SONS

[email protected]

AL COORDINATOR DOUG MCCORMICK [email protected]

SECRETARY ROB MOREHEAD [email protected] TREASURER JESSICA KINGSLEY [email protected]

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS AUDIT SCOTT MITCHELL [email protected] EDUCATION & OUTREACH DEBBIE MORAN & JOE KHALAF [email protected] [email protected] FIELD TR./OBSG STEPHEN JONES [email protected] MEMBERSHIP [email protected]

AUDIO/VISUAL MICHAEL RAPP [email protected] GUIDESTAR BOB WIESNER [email protected] TEXAS 45 COORDINATOR RENE GEDALY [email protected] WELCOMING EVELYN PENILLA [email protected] HAS BOOKING STEVE GOLDBERG [email protected] VIDEOGRAPHY MARIO MORENO [email protected] WEB TECHNOLOGY MARK FERRAZ [email protected] HOUSTON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

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P R E S ID E NT ’S LE T T E R | B Y R E N E G EDA LY

The January letter is the one I most look forward to. I’m writing this in mid-December so it’s natural to look back wistfully at the previous year and with renewed excitement for the coming one.

MY PROMISE IN 2016 Last January, I used my column to write about the woman amateur astronomer and my intention to make HAS programs more accessible to our female members. Over the year, we’ve seen the birth of a women’s special interest group, student members who are young girls, two women speakers in one year, the construction of a new bunkhouse with separate rooms for women and families ... and a proud member shared news about his daughter, the professional astronomer. Capping it off, a high school student—a brand new member—approached me after the December membership event about her senior thesis. It would be in astronomy, her passion, but it being such a large field, “a candy store” to choose from, she asked if I’d be her field advisor to help direct her. Maybe these changes were inevitable with a female president. But I’m not the first. Maybe some of you remember Margaret Nuñez. She was president in 1995. Fast-forward to 2017, and we have seven committees chaired by women and three female members of the board, two of whom are officers of the society. As pleased as I am personally, it’s bittersweet making note of these changes considering the post-gender society many assumed we’d be living in by now. I’m not being political here, just pragmatic. I have two granddaughters interested in science who love visiting the Observatory. Now we’re ready for them—and for your sons and daughters and spouses and friends and student interns—almost every would-be member. Without the dedication of many men and women amateur astronomers, HAS would not be as inclusive as we are now. Thank you.

WHAT’S NEW FOR 2017 What’s new for 2017? I can hardly wait to find out myself. What I do know about is a new program from our Telescope Committee Chair, Allen Wilkerson. Catch Allen’s article in this GuideStar. The Publicity Committee is taking another look at our communication model. Ditto for Web Technology and our move to Google G Suite. The Observatory Committee is always up to something—in a good way. As for E&O, don’t forget about their Great Winter Outreach Challenge. And in February, thanks to Audio/Visual, our meeting speaker will present to us via Skype. The other new programs introduced in 2016 were wildly successful so be watching the calendar for upcoming FT&O and WSIG events. (E&O, FT&O, WSIG? Check the HAS Directory on p. 4 of this GuideStar.) At the January 6, 2017 meeting, we’ll nominate a member who lives in San Antonio to fill a vacancy on the board and we’ll also be voting on a new HAS Advisor. There’s more to be unveiled at the Leadership Planning Retreat, and you’re invited. As always, see www.astronomyhouston.org for the latest. I have one final project that I’d like to make happen this year, my last as president. A full weekend star party complete with lectures, hands-on equipment tutorials, swap meet, HAS t-shirts, and, of course, food. I didn’t mention observing. The only thing I can’t order up is good weather. Unless… Would you be willing to attend a Flash Mob Star Party based on observing conditions? Ideas about how this could work later, but do let me know your thoughts. Happy 2017!

HOUSTON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

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A NNOU NC EM EN TS LOA NE R T EL E S C O P E P ROG R A M C H ANGES

First and foremost, thank you to everyone who

by Allen Wilkerson | HAS Loaner Telescope Chairman

mounted) available to members to borrow so they can “try

support and promote the Loaner Telescope program. The

it before they buy it”. This will be the advanced level of

changes that will be made this year could not have happened

telescopes that will require the member to demonstrate they

without your help.

understand the setup and operation of these telescopes.





The HAS membership has grown large enough that

It is hoped that by teaching novices a few basic

a major overhaul of the Loaner Telescope program needs

skills that they will feel less intimidated by the prospect of

to happen. With so many new members needing the basics

learning the sky. This program in conjunction with the novice

of telescope care and use we are reworking the Loaner

star parties held at the darksite will help novices enjoy the

program. With the help of HAS members we have identified

hobby more.

how to make the Loaner program more useful to novices and



experienced members.

to the date, time, and location of this training. The first 10



people to respond will be confirmed and given preference in

Note: all members, regardless of experience level

There will be an announcement on the netslyder as

will be eligible to borrow the binoculars.

the training. While only 10 members are the focus of these



meetings, if any other member wants to attend to “observe”

The starting telescope for novices will be a

newtonian dobsonian in the 6” or 8” size on an alt/az mount.

they are welcome. We only ask that they not interfere with



the training.

First, for the novices (everybody starts here and

some of us are still here), we are instituting a program to



give members the basic skills to pursue astronomy as a

Steven Jones, is an excellent way to learn the sky. This is

hobby or more. We will have a training session that will be

highly recommended for all users, regardless of their level

held separate from the HAS monthly meeting every quarter

of expertise. Experienced observers know that everyone

initially and restrict the participation to no more than 10

navigates the sky in different ways and may see or use stars/

members.

constellations differently. (And it is a great way to share



knowledge and make new friends)

An experienced member will teach them how to

The “novice” star parties, held at the darksite by

locate an object on a star chart and then star hop to the object. Members will be taught how to use the Pocket Sky Atlas and a telrad to find the object they want to see.

An experienced member will teach the basics of

collimation, this will be a hands on lesson. Members will be shown how to collimate a newtonian telescope with a laser collimator and then demonstrate on a newtonian telescope what they have learned.

An experienced member will teach how to transport,

setup, and store a newtonian telescope. This will help minimize the damage that can (and does) happen despite the best efforts to prevent this.

This training will be held in town using a dobsonian

telescope so this will be a practical demonstration to the members. After successful completion of this training novices will be eligible to checkout the novice level telescopes in the loaner program.

There will still be advanced telescopes (GOTO, polar HOUSTON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

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S H A LLOW SKY OBJE C T OF T H E MONT H | B ILL P E L L ER I N ALDEBARAN – THE EYE OF THE BULL Object: Aldebaran (SAO 94027) Class: Orange giant star Constellation: Taurus Magnitude: .87 R.A.: 04 h, 35 m, 55 s Dec: 16° 30’ 30” Size/Spectral: K5 (4100k temperature) Distance: 65 ly Optics needed: Unaided eye When you see the constellation Taurus and the nearby and popular constellation of Orion you know it’s winter. Well winter officially began at 4:44 a.m. (Central time) on December 21. Those of us who live in the southern United States are now having days of cool temperatures and days of warm temperatures while the weather figures out what season it wants to be. If it’s too cold for you to get outside and set up your telescope for an extended observing session there are still plenty of objects to admire with a quick visit to the back yard. The object this month is a very bright star, obvious to the unaided eye in the constellation Taurus. Aldebaran stands out for both its brightness and its color, a bright orange / red that’s not duplicated by any nearby stars. Not too far away, though, is Betelgeuse, which is a redder, M class star. So, what are we looking at here? Aldebaran is slightly variable, from .75 magnitude to .95 magnitude, but this change in magnitude is not easily visible to anyone making visual observations. A photometric observer could detect this change, but a quick check of the AAVSO (American Association of Variable Star Observers) finds no data for this star submitted. Aldebaran is close enough to the ecliptic that there are times when the Moon occults (moves in front of) the star. It would also be true that the Sun can occult the star, but it would be impossible to observe this occultation for obvious reasons. There’s an occultation of Aldebaran on March 4, 2017 beginning at 7:53:22.9 Central time and ending on March 5, at 00:04:50.5 Central time. For this occultation, the Moon will be at first quarter. This is a long duration occultation because the star goes almost directly behind the moon. Usually, when a star is occulted by the Moon it simply winks out. It’s there one instant and in the next instant it’s not there. Aldebaran is .02 arc-seconds on the sky and has been reported by observers to not wink out in the same way that other stars do, perhaps taking as much as .02 seconds to disappear. Can you see this? In the finder chart associated with this article, note that the ecliptic (blue line) is north of Aldebaran. As we all know,

The Moon just before occultation of Aldebaran on March 4, 2017. (The red line is one of the constellation lines for the Taurus constellation) Star charts generated by TheSkyX © Software Bisque, Inc. All rights reserved. www.bisque.com

the Moon’s path through the sky is close to, but not on the ecliptic. What else can we see while we’re waiting for the occultation? When we observe Aldebaran with binoculars or a wide field telescope we’re looking into the Hyades cluster, considered by some to be the ‘sister’ cluster to the nearby Pleiades cluster. Aldebaran is not a member of the Hyades cluster, however. The cluster is about twice as far from us as is Aldebaran. It’s very pretty to see this cluster on a dark night. Our understanding of stellar evolution tells us that Aldebaran has evolved and is no longer on the main sequence, the mid-life of stars. This means that hydrogen burning is no longer taking place at the core of the star, and helium is now powering the star. A hydrogen shell is still burning at an outer layer of the star, however. Whether Aldebaran is the host star for a planet, or a planetary system, is still under discussion. Some wobble has been detected in the star, and this wobble could be associated with the tug of a planet, but it is also believed that that some of this wobble may be intrinsic to the star going through the transition from a main sequence star to a red giant.

Finder chart. Star charts generated by TheSkyX © Software Bisque, Inc. All rights reserved. www.bisque.com

HOUSTON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

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NA SA S PAC E P LAC E A S T R ONOMY C LU B A R TI C L E This article is provided by NASA Space Place. With articles, activities, crafts, games, and lesson plans, NASA Space Place encourages everyone to get excited about science and technology. Visit spaceplace.nasa.gov to explore space and Earth science!

BIG SCI ENC E I N S M A L L PAC K AGES

By Marcus Woo Astronaut Tim Peake on board the International Space Station captured this image of a CubeSat deployment on May 16, 2016. The bottom-most CubeSat is the NASA-funded MinXSS CubeSat, which observes soft X-rays from the sun—such X-rays can disturb the ionosphere and thereby hamper radio and GPS signals. (The second CubeSat is CADRE — short for CubeSat investigating Atmospheric Density Response to Extreme driving built by the University of Michigan and funded by the National Science Foundation.) Credit: ESA/NASA

About 250 miles overhead, a satellite the size of a loaf of bread flies in orbit. It’s one of hundreds of so‐called CubeSats—spacecraft that come in relatively inexpensive and compact packages— that have launched over the years. So far, most CubeSats have been commercial satellites, student projects, or technology demonstrations. But this one, dubbed MinXSS (“minks”) is NASA’s first CubeSat with a bona fide science mission. Launched in December 2015, MinXSS has been observing the sun in X‐rays with unprecedented detail. Its goal is to better understand the physics behind phenomena like solar flares – eruptions on the sun that produce dramatic bursts of energy and radiation. Much of the newly‐released radiation from solar flares is concentrated in X‐rays, and, in particular, the lower energy range called soft X‐rays. But other spacecraft don’t have the capability to measure this part of the sun’s spectrum at high resolution—which is where MinXSS, short for Miniature Solar X‐ray Spectrometer, comes in. Using MinXSS to monitor how the soft X‐ray spectrum changes over time, scientists can track changes in the composition in the sun’s corona, the hot outermost layer of the sun. While the sun’s visible surface, the photosphere, is about 6000 Kelvin (10,000 degrees Fahrenheit), areas of the corona reach tens of millions of degrees

during a solar flare. But even without a flare, the corona smolders at a million degrees—and no one knows why. One possibility is that many small nanoflares constantly heat the corona. Or, the heat may come from certain kinds of waves that propagate through the solar plasma. By looking at how the corona’s composition changes, researchers can determine which mechanism is more important, says Tom Woods, a solar scientist at the University of Colorado at Boulder and principal investigator of MinXSS: “It’s helping address this very long‐term problem that’s been around for 50 years: how is the corona heated to be so hot.” The $1 million original mission has been gathering observations since June. The satellite will likely burn up in Earth’s atmosphere in March. But the researchers have built a second one slated for launch in 2017. MinXSS‐2 will watch long‐term solar activity— related to the sun’s 11-year sunspot cycle—and how variability in the soft Xray spectrum affects space weather, which can be a hazard for satellites. So the little mission‐that‐could will continue—this time, flying at a higher, polar orbit for about five years. If you’d like to teach kids about where the sun’s energy comes from, please visit the NASA Space Place: http:// spaceplace.nasa.gov/sun‐heat/ HOUSTON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

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A B OU T T H E GU I D ES TA R The H.A.S. GuideStar is published

MEMBER PROJECTS SPOTLIGHT

monthly by the Houston Astronomical Society. All opinions expressed herein are those of the contributor and not necessarily of Houston Astronomical Society. The monthly Meeting Notice is included herein. GuideStar is available on the HAS web site to all members of H.A.S., and to persons interested in the organization’s activities. Contributions to GuideStar by members are encouraged. Electronic submission is helpful. Submit the article in text, unformatted MS‐Word format via email GuideStar@astronomyhouston. org. Copy must be received by the 15th of the month for inclusion in the issue to be available near the end

Image courtesy of wikimedia.org

We want to spotlight the astronomical projects and observations that you are working on.

Send us an email at [email protected] and tell

us. Whether it be a specific research project in astronomy that you’re working on, an astro league observing program, an astrophotography project, or something else, let us know so we can let the rest of the society know.

of the same month. Or, bring copy

GUIDESTAR A DVERTISIN G POLIC IES

to the General Membership Meeting

PERSONAL ADVERTISEMENTS

and give it to the Editor, or phone to

• Members in good standing of the Houston Astronomical Society (HAS) may request

make special arrangements. Contact

that an ad be placed in the GuideStar for personal items (for sale or wanted).

the editor for writting guidelines. EDITING & PRODUCTION: Bob Wiesner | 713‐240‐7059 [email protected]

• Items offered for sale must be of interest to amateur astronomers. • No more than two telescopes may be advertised within any calendar year. • Ads will not run for more than 3 consecutive months • Ads will be run on a space-available basis. • Ads must be provided to the editor in electronic format (email, text file) by the 15th of the month preceding the month-of-issue. COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENTS • Advertisement sizes: o Full page = 6.875”w x 9”h o Half page = 6.875”w x 4.25” h o Quarter page = 3.31” w x 4.25” h (allows for column gutter) • Commercial advertisements will be run in the GuideStar at the following fee schedule: Size

One time

One quarter (3 consecutive months)

Full page $100.00 $250.00

T H E G U I D E S TA R I S T H E WINNER OF THE 2012 ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE MABEL STERNS N E W S L E T T E R AWA R D

Half page

$50.00

$125.00

Quarter page

$25.00

$62.50

• Artwork provided must be in electronic format (image file, PDF, etc.) and must be in the correct proportions to fit the space provided. Contact editor with questions. • Artwork may be in color or in black and white. • Items or services advertised must be of interest to amateur astronomers • Payment for advertisements must be done in advance (pay to the ‘Houston Astronomical Society’) HOUSTON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

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A BOU T THE H OU S TON A S T R ONOMIC A L S O C I ETY THE HOUSTON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY welcomes you to our

HOUSTON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

organization.

P.O. Box 800564 Houston, TX 77280‐0564

are observers, but some are armchair astronomers.

The Houston Astronomical Society is a non-profit corporation organized under section 501 (C) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code. The Society was formed for education and scientific purposes. All contributions and gifts are deductible for federal income tax purposes. General

The HAS is a group of dedicated amateur astronomers, most of whom The benefits of membership are: - Access to our 18 acre observing site west of Houston ‐‐ a great place to observe the universe! - A telescope loaner program ‐‐ borrow a HAS telescope and try observing for yourself! -A monthly novice meeting, site orientation meeting, and general meeting with speakers of interest. Access to meeting videos on the HAS web site. - Opportunities to participate in programs that promote astronomy to the general public (such as Star Parties at schools)

membership meetings are open

- A yearly all‐clubs meeting for Houston area organizations

to the public and attendance is

- Meet other amateurs and share experiences, learn techniques,

encouraged.

CH E C K T HE W E BS IT E ASTRONOMYHOUSTON.ORG The HAS website not only has news and information about our society, but also a variety of features to manage your membership and connect with other club members. Current members can post photos, trade gear, pay dues, manage discount magazine subscriptions, swap stories in

and swap stories You’re invited to attend our next meeting. You’ll have a great time! All members have the right to participate in Society functions and to use the Observatory Site. Regular and Student Members receive a subscription to The Reflector. The GuideStar, the monthly publication of the Houston Astronomical Society is available on the web site. Associate Members, immediate family members of a Regular Member, have all membership rights, but do not receive publications. Sustaining members have the same rights as regular members with the additional dues treated as a donation to the Society. Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazines are available to members at a discount.

the forum, and more.

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Questions about the site? Need a hand

You can join (or renew at the organization web site, www.astronomyhouston.org. Click

to get your account set up? Contact 

the ‘Join HAS’ Tab. Send funds to address shown on last page of GuideStar. Attention

[email protected].

- Treasurer, along with the following information: Name, Address, Phone Number,

The HAS web site is the winner of the

Special Interests in Astronomy, Do you own a Telescope? (If so, what kind?), and where

2012 Astronomical League award for

you first heard of H.A.S.

excellence

E V E NT N OTIFIC ATIO N O R CANCELLATION HAS uses RAINEDOUT.NET to communicate late breaking updates about our various events. . Message delivery is via text messaging and e-mail. There are several ways to subscribe. If you would like to receive these notices via text messaging directly to your phone, subscribe to any of the sub-groups which interest you.

RainedOut notices will also automatically be sent to our e-mail list. Note that

regular e-mail list conversations are not part of RainedOut communications and will not be sent to your phone as part of this service. Instructions to sign up for the e-mail list (a great way to keep your finger on the pulse of the club) are found here: http://www.astronomyhouston.org/about/email-list.

To receive text messages, send any or all of the following (one at a time) to 84483 OUTREACH Public Outreach Events STARPARTY Members only star Parties URBAN Urban Observing Events MEETINGS HAS Meetings You will receive a confirmation message back for each successful enrollment. For more information, please visit www. RainedOut.net.

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PARKI NG AT TH E U NIV E R S IT Y OF H OU S TON MA IN CA M P U S DIRECTIONS TO MEETING From I‐45 going south (from downtown) - exit at Cullen Boulevard - turn right on Cullen - turn right on Holman Street; the parking lot is past the Hoffeinz Pavilion - Science and Research is across the street (2nd building back) From I‐45 going north (from NASA/Galveston) - exit at Cullen Boulevard - turn left on Cullen - turn right on Holman Street; the parking lot is past the Hoffeinz Pavilion - Science and Research is across the street (2nd building back)

PARKING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON MAIN CAMPUS For the monthly Houston Astronomical Society Meeting The map below shows the location of the 15C parking lot, west of Cullen Boulevard on Holman Street. The map is from the University of Houston web site and identifies the lot that is available for parking while attending the Houston Astronomical Society monthly meeting. This parking is available from 6:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. on the Friday night of the HAS meeting (usually the first Friday of the month). This parking is free. If you get a notice from the UH campus police on the night of the meeting, call the UH Security office and let them know that this area has been made available on HAS meeting night by the Parking Department.

HOUSTON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

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