Erik Bakke, CWU Astronomy Club Secretary
For the week starting with Sunday, October 16, 2005
Greetings
everyone!!
This is Erik Bakke, your CWU Astronomy Club secretary for Fall
Quarter 2005,
filling you in on news that has been happening
and will be happening with the Astronomy Club.
The
next meeting of the CWU Astronomy Club during Fall Quarter 2005 will
be on
Be sure to
read Bruce Palmquist's column in the Saturday edition
of the Ellensburg Daily Record that is titled "What's Up In The Sky"
so that
you will know what will be available in
the night sky for the coming week.
Be sure to
check out the CWU Astronomy Club web site at www.cwu.edu/~astroclb.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
A. Basic
Astronomy
B. CNN news
and link
C. MSNBC
news and link
D. NASA
news and link
E. Space.com
news and link
F. Sky
and Telescope news and link
G. Last
meeting and minutes (in brief)
H. Announcements
I. Local
Media
J. Close
Music
for the Planets:
Most of the music on The Nine Planets
is taken from
the recording of The Planets op. 32 by
Gustav Holst by the Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra,
conducted by Andre Previn.
Further
information can be found at thislink:
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/musiclist.html
B. CNN news
and link
The launch of the two astronauts
was shown on live TV. This space
flight will probably last about a week
Further
information can be found at this link:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/10/11/china.space.ap/index.html
C. MSNBC
news and link
Scientists and
astronomers are straining to spot the shadow of a black hole
at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy,
and by using a radio telescope array,
they could see the silhouette of the blackhole.
At the center
of the Milky Way Galaxy is a supermassive black hole
that does
not allow light to escape, rendering it
virtually invisible. Astronomers believe
that they will be able to see the overall
shadow of the blackhole within a
few years.
Further
information can be found at this link:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9666793/
D. NASA
news and link
Have you ever
noticed how some things just keep getting smaller and smaller?
NASA's Space
Technology 5 (ST5) Project is building and testing three
smaller satellites called
micro-satellites. These micro-satellites (micro-sats)
will test and validate new technologies for
future space missions.
Building and
testing is underway at Vandenburg AFB in
launch scheduled for February 2006. ST5
is scheduled to operate in space
for 90 days.
Each satellite
will weigh 25 kilograms (55 pounds) when fully fueled, and will
be 53 centimeters (20.7 inches) across
and 48 centimeters (18.7 inches) high.
Further
information can be found at this link:
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/st5.html
NASA's Spitzer
Space Telescope has captured a stunning infrared view of
Messier
31, which is the Andromeda Galaxy.
Andromeda is
the most studied galaxy outside of our own Milky way
Galaxy.
Further information
can be found at this link:
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/starsgalaxies/spitzer-20051013.html
E. Space.com
news and link
With a firm
test plan and a new fuel tank factory back on track, NASA is
targeting May 2006 for the launch of the next
space shuttle mission.
Further
information can be found at this link:
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/051014_rtf_shuttle_update.html
F. Sky
and Telescope news and link
After 50 weeks
of taking data, NASA's Gravity Probe B satellite has run out
of liquid helium, thus ending its mission
to determine the behavior of spacetime
in Earth's vicinity more precissely than has ever beenattempted
before.
Analysis of
the data from Gravity Probe B will take about a year.
Further
information can be found at this link:
http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1609_1.asp
G. Last
meeting and minutes (in brief)
October 10. 2005
Total Meeting time:
AGENDA
Note taker: Erik
Attendees: Tony, Erik, Kathy, Rebekah,
Christa, Eric,
Katie, and
Adrianna
Club and constitution paperwork
The next meeting of the CWU Astronomy Club during Fall
Quarter 2005 will
be on
H. Announcements
The
next meeting of the CWU Astronomy Club during Fall
Quarter 2005 will
be on
The next
activity for the CWUAC is Oct. 17 with
Stump the Astronomer!
Be sure to
look at the CWUAC web pages, as they have been updated,
revised, and revamped (especially the Members,
Calendar, and the Links
pages), with thanks to Kathy.
I. Local
Media
The CWU Astronomy
Club web site can be found at www.cwu.edu/~astroclb ; send any
comments to Kathy.
The
Ellensburg, WA Daily Record can be found on line at www.kvnews.com.
Be sure to
read Bruce Palmquist's column in the Saturday edition
of the Ellensburg, WA Daily Record that is titled "What's Up In The Sky" so that you will know what will be
available in the night sky for the coming week, or view on line at www.cwu.edu/~astroclb or www.kvnews.com.
The CWU
Astronomy Club Newsletter can also be found on line at the CWU Astronomy Club web
site, which is www.cwu.edu/~astroclb/htmls/Newsletter.htm
.
People from
the Astronomy Club also have pictures that can be viewed at the
CWU Astronomy
Club web site at www.cwu.edu/~astroclb/htmls/pics.htm
J. Close
If you want to
be removed from this list, e-mail the club secretary.
If you have
any comments or suggestions about the newsletter, or ideas for astronomy
related topics that you would like to see in the newsletter, please e-mail the
club secretary.
Be sure to
check your junk mail file (and filters) so that your copy of the newsletter is
not deleted and ensure that you have enough free hard drive space in your computer’s
e-mail system for the newsletter
As Fall Quarter 2005 continues, there will be more to talk about and
inform you as to what will be happening with the CWU Astronomy Club.
See you on
Monday night!!
Look to the stars and see what you can see....
Enjoy your fall,
Erik