WELCOME TO OUR 'SPACE'.......
The Plantation Astronomy Club meets regularly on the third Monday of each month at 8:00 pm in Hermitage Hall.
Meetings consist of a one-hour astronomy program presentation and discussion, followed by telescope viewing at Ernie's house.
Membership is open to all Plantation residents. Dues are $2.00 per month or $20 per year.
Guests are welcome to attend meetings.
1/13/12 Reminder: If it's clear out at around 6-6:30 look to your west and you will
see a very bright Star that is Venus, and above you is Jupiter. Both are coming closer together and will lie next to each
other by March 12-14 which is called a conjunction. If it's clear this coming
Monday evening we can do some observing of Jupiter, the Orion Nebula and many other objects.
Astronomy Meeting Monday January 16, 2012
7 PM Hermitage Hall Rm 2
"Using Binoculars and a Small Telescope"
You will learn about how binoculars and
different types of telescopes work, plus their accessories.
I will also cover some important astronomical things to watch for in the coming year.
The early part of the year Venus will be rising higher and getting brighter while Jupiter heads toward it for a conjunction
in March. Mars also comes into opposition (close approach March 3) Saturn will also be coming up this year with it's rings
opening up in a close approach in April.
For February presentation "Observing the Moon, Sun, and the Planets". I will have presentations on our Runaway
Universe, and Monster of our Milky Way. So don't miss it!
In the coming months we will be having presentations from some of the
members of the villages astronomy club, and I will do some presentations at their club. I'm also thinking of having a Plantation
Star party in the near future something we have never had. I've helped with their star parties maybe some of them can join
us here.
If it's clear we will have some great celestial
objects to look at; Jupiter, Orion Nebula, Venus, More nebulas, Open Star clusters like
the Pleiades and so much more.
Any questions
or thought please contact me at 728-1631, Ernie
Rossi
The International Space Station Evolves.....
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Using the Highpass filter procedure brings up dimmer stars, more contrast, and a sharper image.
This works exceptionally well on open and closed clusters. M 57 also known as the whirlpool galaxy is about 30 million light
years away. Total time for imaging and processing was about 7-8 minutes, no flats or darks used.
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M46&NGC2440 and M104 4-6-2011 Leesburg, Florida. C 11, F6.3, Autoguided. M 46 10 x 90 seconds, ISO 1600,
M 104 6 x 110 sec. ISO 3200, Canon 50 D. Processed Deepsky Stacker, Image Plus, and Photshop.
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Saturn taken on 2-26-2011 at around midnight about 60-70 degrees above horizon. You can see the white storm
coming around, plus Cassini division, and inside the ring the Crepe ring. Celestron 11" F/10, CGEM mount, DBK21 color
camera 1,000 avi files, Registax version 5.0, Image Plus. The storm reported can be seen (white line south). This is really
the northern part of Saturn. Saturn's rings are just starting to open up a little so we can now glimpse detail.
| ROSETTE NEBULA 1-11 |
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| PHOTO BY ERNIE ROSSI |
Rosette Nebula NGC 2237 (Emission Nebula) is located in the constellation Monoceros. This image was taken with
a 4" APO refractor F/5.4 focal ratio on a GT-5 mount auto-guided. Long exposures are need because of all the light pollution
in the area. Canon 50 D 14 x 300 seconds at 1600 ISO. Processed using Deepsky Stacker, Image Plus and Photoshop, Leesburg,
Fl. Ernie Rossi
Hubble's variable nebula NGC 2261 taken from Leesburg, Fl. 1-26-11. C 11 at F/6.3, CGEM mount auto-guided.
Canon 50 D camera 12 x 120 sec. at ISO 1600. Processed with Deepsky Stacker, Image plus, Photoshop and Noel Carboni's software.
M 42 the Orion Nebula. This was done last night 1-26-2011 and I thought it came out pretty good.
The seeing was fair, and lots of dew from Leesburg, Fl. C 11 at F/6.3 using a Canon DSLR 10 x 90 seconds, at ISO 1600.
Ernie Rossi
Really fascinating pictures taken from the International Space Station by NASA astronaut Col. Wheelock.
Hubble Photos <-----click here
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Ernie Rossi
I have been interested in astronomy for more than a half century belonging to many astronomy
clubs, writing many articles for several magazines, lecturer, teaching astronomy course in several colleges, avid observer,
owner of more than 30 telescopes, many built by myself, and co-founder of The Plantation Astronomy Club.
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Dr. Terry R. Mitchell
Born in Toledo,
Ohio, and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Terry holds academic
degrees from Florida State University, Catholic University
of America, and International Seminary.
He began a 35-year career with NASA in 1967 at the Kennedy Space Center, where he was a key member of
the Launch Team for the Apollo moon missions, Skylab, and the Space Shuttle. He served as NASA’s Congressional Liaison
in Washington, DC and as Chief of NASA’s Program Planning Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville,
AL. He was responsible for planning and designing many of NASA’s projects including the International Space Station
and numerous space missions. Terry is now an Adjunct Professor of Astronomy and Earth Sciences at Lake Sumter Community College,
and co-founder of the Plantation Astronomy Club. He enjoys
teaching, speaking on astronomy and playing the dulcimer.
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