(Many of) The Best Things in Astronomy are Free
By Bill Pellerin, GuideStar Editor
Houston Astronomical Society
The autoguiding software that I use for my variable star imaging works great and you can get it on the Internet for free. (I made a donation to the creator of this software because I like the software very much, and to encourage further development.) The software I use to get images from the camera to the computer came with the camera at no additional charge. The image processing software that I use to dark subtract and to stack images was downloaded from the camera manufacturer’s web site at no charge. The software does everything that I need done.
The software used to analyze the images and determine star magnitudes resides somewhere in cyberspace and is available to me because I’m a member of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), so it’s almost free.
More stars. Less light. Participate in GLOBE at Night!
Calling all Earthlings! Take a few minutes to get involved in the GLOBE at Night campaign to preserve dark skies!
GLOBE at Night is a citizen-science campaign open to people all over the world to raise awareness of the impact of light pollution by inviting citizen-scientists to measure their night sky brightness and report their observations to a website from a computer or smart phone. Light pollution threatens not only our “right to starlight”, but can affect energy consumption, wildlife and health. Through 2011, people in 115 countries contributed 66,000 measurements, making GLOBE at Night one of the most successful light pollution awareness campaigns to date. Please join us to participate in the 2012 campaign an hour after sunset til about 10pm January 14 through 23, February 12 through 21, March 13 through 22, and April 11 through 20. For information and resources, visit us at www.globeatnight.org.
Constance E. Walker, Ph.D.
End of the World - December 21, 2012
There are fanciful stories floating on the Internet claiming that the Earth will face destruction in December 2012, more specifically on the winter solstice date of December 21. There are three general causes given, none of them have any validity and none of them make much sense.
What's Up with the Astronomical League December 2011
In this issue:
Christmas greetings Page 1
Keck Observatory Page 1
Awards deadlines Page 1, 2
ALCon 2012 (general) Page 2
NYAA/Horkheimer applications
Pages 3, 4, 5, 6
By Carroll Iorg
Dec 2011
What are Outreach Downloads? (New posters added Oct 28)
“What telescope should I buy?”
“How can I learn my way around the night sky?”
“What can I see with my telescope?”
Outreach is all about connecting with the public. The Astronomical League has developed a series of downloadable outreach materials that do just that. They help answer questions commonly posed by the public and help spark curiosity about our fascinating hobby. These materials can be displayed at club activities and astronomy events such as Astronomy Day, school sessions, star parties and amateur conventions, and club meetings.
Simply download the pdf files on a CD and take it to a local printing shop (e.g., Kinkos). Many shops will print the materials in black and white on 20 lb paper for as low as $0.75 per square foot. Color printing will likely cost substantially more, which is why most layouts are designed in black and white. At some shops, the maximum paper width is 36 inches with no restriction on length. Indeed, banner posters many feet long can be printed. If your home printer allows banners, they can be printed on banner or “doodle” paper found in craft stores (e.g., Michael’s).
The aspect ratio (width to height) is given in the description of each poster. Therefore, the printed size can be any proportion of that ratio with no unintentional cropping as long as the maximum width doesn’t exceed 36 inches. For instance, a poster with a 2:3 aspect ratio that is originally designed to be 20 inches by 30 inches can also be enlarged to 24 inches by 36 inches.
