Observing is the Heart of
Amateur Astronomy

The American Association of
 Amateur Astronomers

Serving the Amateur Astronomy Community
ONLINE
Since 1996

AstroMax
The AAAA Online Store

Home ] Up ] Explore AAAA ] Table of Contents ] Site Index ] Welcome to the AAAA ] Astronomy Links ] AAAA News Page ] AL Observing Programs ] C.L.A.S.S. ] Light Pollution ] FAQ Index ] News and Activities ] AAAA Observing Reports ] AAAA Partnerships ] AAAA  Newlsetter ] Constellation Home Page ] Solar System Data Page ] History of Astronomy ] SWRAL ] Astronomical League ] Search AAAA ]

Home

Search AAAA

The AAAA Universe
Start Here

AstroMax
The AAAA Online Store

Membership
Join the AAAA

Control Center
Site Table of Contents

AAAA Members
  Reports and Activities

FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions

Links
to Astronomy Sites

Fight Light Pollution
Be Part of the Solution

Observing Programs
from the  Astronomical League 

News from the AAAA
Press Releases and News Updates

Overview of Astronomy
A Concise Guide to the Universe

The Solar System
Planetary Data Page

The Constellation 
Home Page
Data, Myths and Background
Arp Peculiar Galaxies
A CCD Image Gallery
The American Astronomer 
The AAAA  Newsletter Online
Partnerships
Members of the AAAA Team

The American Association of Amateur Astronomers 
AAAA Mission Statement

AL Observing Programs in PDF Format
FREE
AL Observing Programs in Adobe Acrobat PDF Format


FREE
Join the AAAA's FREE Online Discussion Group, Hosted by Yahoo's eGroups Service

AAAA 
P.O. Box 7981
Dallas, TX 75209-0981

http://www.AstroMax.com
a4@AstroMax.org

 

Learn the Constellations
The First Light Astronomy Kit from David Chandler Company
Buy it Now or
Find Out More

AAAA News and Activities

2nd Annual Lake Whitney 
National Astronomy Day 
Star Party

April 27 & 28, 2001

Home
Up
Summer 2004 - Lake Whitney Summer Star Party
Spring 2003 - Lake Whitney Spring Star Party
Summer 2002 - Lake Whitney Summer Star Party
Spring 2002 - Lake Whitney Astronomy Day Star Party
Spring 2001 - Lake Whitney Astronomy Day Star Party
Summer 2000 - Lake Whitney Summer Star Party

Home
TSP 2005 Observing Programs
TSP 2004 Observing Programs
TSP 2003 Observing Programs
TSP 2001 Observing Programs
TSP 2000 Observing Programs
TSP 1999 Observing Programs
Texas Star Party 2007
Texas Star Party 2005
Texas Star Party 2004
Texas Star Party 2003
Texas Star Party 2002
Texas Star Party 2001
Okie-Tex Star Party
Eldorado Star Party
Lake Whitney Star Parties
McDonald Observatory on Mt. Locke
McDonald Observatory Visitor Center

by Ed Flaspoehler, AAAA Vice-President

My participation in National Astronomy Day included a trip to Lake Whitney State Park, about 70 miles south of Dallas, near Hillsboro/Waco, TX. (And not that far from Crawford, TX, either, just 30 miles south of Lake Whitney! GW did NOT attend!)

I was invited down as guest lecturer for the National Astronomy Day Star Party event organized by Thomas Williamson from North Richland Hills, TX, a suburb of Fort Worth. He has been doing regular public star parties at the state park for a couple of years, and has a lot of support for the park staff.

There were about 50 people present for my lecture, which was a 45 minute slide show and discussion of the Messier objects, mostly galaxies, in Ursa Major, Canes Venatici, Leo, and Coma Berenices. I was able to use my own photographs of the many beautiful galaxies and other objects in these constellations. About half of the audience was kids, and I am pleased to say that not only was I able to keep their attention for the entire time, but they asked a lot of good questions which I was mostly able to answer.

Afterwards, we had a public star party and telescope viewing, and even more people from the park came by. Thomas estimated a total of nearly 100 people attended either the telescope viewing or my presentation. And many people attended both. One man and his son even flew in from Ft. Worth in their private plane! The son, John, helped me during my slide show by changing the slides while I talked from the front of the room.

M51 Canes Venatici. Photo Copyright Ed Flaspoehler
The  Whirlpool Galaxy
M51 (NGC 5194/5195)
Canes Venatici

M3 Canes Venatici. Photo Copyright Ed Flaspohler
M3 (NGC 5272)
Globular Cluster
Canes Venatici

One of the exciting things for me was to see how interested people were to view  the galaxies and other objects that I discussed in my presentation through a real telescope. The most popular objects to view on the telescope field were galaxy M51 and globular cluster M3, both in Canes Venatici, and the pretty double star Alcor and Mizar in Ursa Major. Unfortunately, the bright moon washed out many of the dimmer galaxies, and made even the brighter ones somewhat difficult to find. But I was pleased to find that, after my talk, everyone was easily able to spot the constellations I had mentioned.

Since the moon was fairly bright, I only brought my Celestron Short Tube 80mm f/5 spotting scope, but people were very excited to see Alcor and Mizar so clearly through it, and were interested to see how well such a small instrument can perform. Most people, including the kids, were able to make out the fact that Mizar is a double within the double!

I also was able to meet several AAAA members during the event, including Glen L. Johnson and his son, from Denton, TX. Glen is a graphics designer at Motorola in Plano, TX. I discovered that, since I had given a lecture in this same park last summer, several people had become AAAA members as a result of my presentation. That's cool!

I brought handouts that the AAAA provided, which were the Packet of Observing Programs from the Astronomical League we make available on the internet and through AstroMax. The packet includes the flyers for the Binocular Messier, Binocular Deep Sky, Double Star, Lunar, and Urban club programs. A lot of people picked up flyers.

Grinding Telescope Mirrors 

One of the outstanding features of the Lake Whitney events is the opportunity either to observe or participate in the grinding of a telescope mirror. During the Friday and Saturday of this event, organizer Thomas Williamson again coordinated a project to grind a mirror for a telescope to be donated to the state park for use at public observing sessions. Over the course of two days, they ground an 8" inch mirror, polished, and null tested it. They also ground a 12.5" blank to #180 grit, and null tested Tom McCommon's 12.5" mirror. Harry Bearman ground a 6" blank. 

Touring the Sky

During the observing event outside after dark, Dr. Paul Derrick gave a tour of the sky with his star pointer, and used the 8" scope that was worked on at the August star party last Summer to show  a wide range of deep-sky and other objects to the nearly 100 attendees. These included the Moon and Jupiter, the galaxies NGC 3945, NGC 4565, NGC 4631, and NGC 2362, as well as Messier objects M42-43, M81-82, M97, M108, M109, M101, M106, M51, M64, M104, M3, M13.

Thomas also passed out  several membership forms for the AAAA over the two day event. He says he received  a phone call from Univision in Miami. They want info for their youth program, and he will send along some tips and recommend the AAAA.

The Lake Whitney National Astronomy Day Star Party was a wonderful event, I met a lot of nice people, and we got the AAAA out in front of the public a bit more. I am invited back again in August. I hope to see you there!


April 28, 2001

International Astronomy Day is dedicated to taking astronomy to the people. It is celebrated on the Saturday near the first quarter moon between mid-April and mid-May. Check out the night sky tonight!

Entry forms for the Sky & Telescope Astronomy Day award are available by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Gary Tomlinson at the address below. Deadline for entries is June 13.

New Handbook

To receive your copy of the new Astronomy Day Handbook, 4th edition, revised and published by Sky and Telescope magazine, send a check made out to the Astronomical League for $3.00, $4.00 outside North America, to our new address:

Gary Tomlinson, 
Astronomy Day Headquarters, 
Public Museum of Grand Rapids, 
272 Pearl NW, 
Grand Rapids, MI 49504 USA
(616) 456-3532, 
(616) 456-3873 FAX 
gtomlins@triton.net
www.astroleague.org/
astroday.html

The Stars at Night 
Are Big and Bright
Deep in the Heart of Texas!

The Lake Whitney Astronomy National Astronomy Day Star Party was free and open to the public except for park fees of $2.00 per person. The organized presentations and speaker lectures were held at the Recreation Hall in the State Park. The Recreation Hall has recently been air conditioned. 

T-Shirts for the Lake Whitney Star Party were available. The shirts are black with a single face-on galaxy in silver printed with the slogan, " I Explored The Universe, Lake Whitney Summer Star Party." At the lower corner of the galaxy in small letters will be the phrase, "All men find that for which they seek- Arab proverb." 

Lake Whitney is a Texas State Park located near Hillsboro, TX, on State Highway 22, west of I-35.

Contact event organizer Thomas Williamson at 817-656-0901, or via e-mail at distglow@hotmail.com

Contact Lake Whitney State Park at lwsp@digitex.net

The park information web site is http://www.digitex.net/lakewhitneystatepark

Tell Your Friends the Benefits of Joining 
the American Association of Amateur Astronomers!

Observing Awards. Quarterly Newsletter. Astronomy News and Special Publications. Full Membership in the Astronomical League. Club Discounts on Astronomical Publications.

Join the American Association
of Amateur Astronomers.

Use your credit card or send your name and address along with your check for $20.00 ($25.00 family) made payable to AAAA, to:

AAAA
P.O. Box 7981
Dallas, TX 75209-0981

 



AAAA
P.O. Box 7981, Dallas, TX 75209-0981
www.AstroMax.com

Formerly Corvus.com

Hit Counter
Counter reset October 2005

Copyright © 1996-2016 by The American Association of Amateur Astronomers - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED