tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40320906113805386592024-03-13T04:01:01.048-07:00East Central Minnesota Astronomy ClubBringing the skies to your eyes!East Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-49802427005207020282012-07-27T09:32:00.000-07:002012-07-27T09:38:38.158-07:00A Beautiful Afternoon For Some Safe Solar Viewing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The downtown Safe Solar viewing event was a wonderful success. Nearly 100 people came by on their way to the County Fair and took in a filtered, telescopic view of the sun with its one sunspot and numerous individuals tried on the safe solar viewing glasses which allow direct visualization of the sun. Many resources were given away and the event was something that we will definitely plan on doing again. Follow our events on the NASA Night Sky Network calendar on the bottom of this blog's homepage.East Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-49673389992973971252012-07-27T08:58:00.000-07:002012-07-27T09:01:23.826-07:00Get out and see the Perseid Meteor ShowerThis year's annual Perseid meteor shower is supposed to peak on the 13/14 of August. This year should be good for seeing more meteors due to the moon being only a waning crescent at that time. The best time to view any meteor shower is in the pre-dawn hours because the side of the earth rotating towards the sun will scoop up more meteors. The 2009 shower peaked with 170 meteors per hour, and most years the average is approximately 60 meteors per hour. So get out your bug spray, grab a reclining lawn chair and get out there and start tallying! Good luck.East Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-12796905766861440132012-07-19T13:24:00.000-07:002012-07-19T13:24:06.795-07:00Solar Observing in downtown MoraCome out and enjoy views of the sun on Thursday, July 19 at James M. Williams DDS office, across the street from the fairgrounds beginning at 5:00PM. Telescopic views of the sun will be provided pending reasonably clear skies. Additional educational tools will be on-hand as well as hand-outs and giveaways.East Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-85257257314608150372011-11-16T14:34:00.000-08:002011-11-16T14:34:08.944-08:00November astronomy events are heating up!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZG-IwiB4GoU/TsQ6D_wSHkI/AAAAAAAAACg/NioIi5jYaoc/s1600/freezing+turkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZG-IwiB4GoU/TsQ6D_wSHkI/AAAAAAAAACg/NioIi5jYaoc/s200/freezing+turkey.jpg" width="200" /></a>Things will be picking up in tempo over the next week as three events for ECMAC will occur. The first is a NASA Nightsky Network Telecon on Thursday the 17th at 8:00PM with a subject of "Exploring The Lunar Atmosphere." Next, on Friday, is the "Frozen Turkey Star Party" (in honor of Thankgiving the following week) starting at 5:00 PM at the Evenson driveway. One good thing about late Fall is that the mosquitoes will be non-existent!!! Hooray! Then, on Tuesday the 22nd, we will have our monthly club meeting at 7:00 PM at the dental office. See you there!East Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-62249064092347570312011-10-07T20:17:00.000-07:002011-10-07T20:18:09.597-07:00International Observe the Moon Night This Saturday!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5PEqRvc9zL8/To_AR6nOYVI/AAAAAAAAACY/_-Ae4820mcY/s1600/InOMNLogo_rectangleLg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5PEqRvc9zL8/To_AR6nOYVI/AAAAAAAAACY/_-Ae4820mcY/s400/InOMNLogo_rectangleLg.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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Well, I apologize for the lack of posts recently, but as they say, no time like the present to get back into the swing of things. October 8 and 9 are this years dates for the International Observe the Moon Night. I would encourage anyone interested to get out and take a few moments to train your eyes, binoculars, or telescope on our nearest celestial neighbor. If interested look to the Nightsky Network calendar below for information on events in your area.<br />
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Enjoy the views of Luna,<br />
JimEast Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-47064517631400707312011-03-22T22:43:00.000-07:002011-03-23T10:00:53.248-07:00March Club Meeting Highlights<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-uaO1ywteOfk/TYonDCqPnPI/AAAAAAAAACU/mDZcycfTLMg/s1600/IMG_0007_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-uaO1ywteOfk/TYonDCqPnPI/AAAAAAAAACU/mDZcycfTLMg/s200/IMG_0007_3.JPG" width="133" /></a>Tonight we just finished our March Club Meeting and had great fun snacking and learning about the many resources available to the budding astronomer. Books covered such topics as "40 Nights to Knowing the Sky", "Astronomy for Dummies", "Universe", "Mike Lynch's Minnesota Starwatch", "Night Sky Companion Volume 1 and 2", "Sky Atlas 2000" and several others. Members were given the opportunity to peruse these volumes and ask questions and I think some may have been inspired to pick up one or two of the titles. Also, our Youngest member of only 6 years of age, received her "First Observation Club" certificate, patch and sticker. Congrats Jane!<br />
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While the adults had their meeting, the younger members enjoyed coloring pictures of constellations and finding them on the planetarium globe projector and learning about the location and size of several of them. Good times were had by all. <br />
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Additionally we discussed the upcoming Messier marathon and planned a star party around that theme. We are considering hosting a table at the Mora home show and also possibly participating in an astronomy themed evening at the Paradise Theater. We are also finalizing plans to help the local Boy scouts and Girl scouts earn their Astronomy patches. With many things in the works, stay tuned for more astro-fun in the coming months!<br />
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JimEast Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-59926814122289747002011-03-05T19:05:00.000-08:002011-03-05T19:07:47.561-08:00March star party yields several unexpected surprises!!We just got back from a great couple hours in the snow and truly had a ball tonight. To start things off, at about 6:35 the ISS flew overhead and it was so bright and slow moving that everyone got a view of it through the 10" dob!! Very cool. The next surprise was that while we were enjoying a dusky view of Jupiter, the thinnest waxing crescent moon any of us had ever seen appeared. It was remarkable!<br />
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We had 9 club members in attendance and our youngest club member completed her "Young Observers Club" program this evening. She demonstrated her knowledge of constellations, planets, the moon, stars, nebula, and open clusters by showing an example of each to us using a dob equipped with a Tel-rad. We were all proud of this six-year old's achievement!<br />
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The skies were remarkably clear despite the "mostly cloudy" forecast and the temps were in the mid-teens. Conditions could not have been much better for early March, so we took the opportunity to participate in the Globe at Night Observation program determining the visual limiting brightness of the stars from our location. This exercise was both fun and educational for everyone!<br />
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Come out and join us for our next club meeting Tuesday, March 22nd at 7:00 PM at Dr. Jim Williams' dental office.<br />
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It has been a long winter, so get out of the house and be sure to join us tonight at 6 PM to enjoy the evening skies! We'll stay out as long as we can withstand the cold at the Jaycee's ball field on North Grove street in Mora! The Orion nebula will be sure to delight as well as many galaxies in Leo and Virgo.<br />
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See you there!<br />
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JimEast Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-87790579987468046002011-01-26T18:19:00.000-08:002011-01-26T18:32:35.712-08:00Vasaloppet Here We Come!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TUDYsy4KHKI/AAAAAAAAACE/EV-hz24EO7o/s1600/header_image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TUDYsy4KHKI/AAAAAAAAACE/EV-hz24EO7o/s640/header_image.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Each year in Mora there is a cross country ski race called the Vasaloppet and it is occasionally used as an olympic qualifier, so for our small community, it is a very big deal. This year is the 39th anniversary and ECMAC has offered to provide some celestial ambiance for the "friendship tour", a short 2K welcome event at 7:00PM on Friday the 11th of February. We will set up at the downtown library park and hope to show people great views of the first quarter moon and anything else we can pull in with the street lights around us.<br />
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Here's hoping we have decent temperatures and clear skies!<br />
JimEast Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-80951306412839064562011-01-26T11:15:00.000-08:002011-01-26T11:15:09.314-08:00January 25th Meeting on Celestial Targets is a Bullseye!With another fun-filled educational eperience under our belts, the ECMAC bi-monthly meeting covered a very interesting topic: Objects for Observation, presented by club president Jim Williams. Eleven different categories of celestial phenomena suitable for different levels of observation were presented. These covered everything from naked-eye astronomy incorporating meteor Showers, auroral displays, the Moon, planets, and stars, to telescopic and binocular observation of double stars, open clusters, globular clusters, planetary nebulae, diffuse nebulae, supernova remnants, and galaxies. Each subject was briefly discussed and some great questions were asked! We look forward to getting more "in-depth" with each of these individual topics later on. <br />
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Also discussed, was the amazing photo shown below of the partial solar eclipse with a transiting International Space Station present as well. This was truly a remarkable accomplishment by French astrophotographer Thierry Legault.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Come join us at our next bi-monthly meeting onTuesday, March 22nd at 7:00PM. </div>East Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-59613915891261094062010-12-14T21:15:00.000-08:002010-12-14T21:55:04.661-08:00Space rocks land in MoraECMAC has been busy pursuing our mission of spreading the science of Astronomy, and during that journey we have been fortunate enough to ally our club with Nasa's Night Sky Network. One of the wonderful benefits to this partnership is the quarterly educational tool-kits that are sent to those clubs that fulfill the requirements set forth in the guidelines. Well, ECMAC has earned its first tool-kit already and we enjoyed a great evening meeting exploring the Space Rock kit. First, I must say that the thoughtfulness that went into assembling this kit is tremendous, the activities are great for all ages, and the quality is first-rate.<br />
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The central presentation tonight was to run the club through the Space rock/ Earth rock game. Our junior astronomers took to this with ravenous delight and were eager to examine every sample with the magnifying glass and magnet. Our members gained great knowledge on the origins of asteroids, different classes of meteorites, methods for differentiating different rocks, and terrific hands-on experience with actual rocks from space! Thanks Night Sky Network!! This was truly a great time for all ages.<br />
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While the adult members conducted the meeting, the junior members busied themselves playing Space Bingo (and to hear them calling out the astro-terms was a hoot!) . To close the meeting we were extremely proud to present three of our members with Certificates of achievement for completing the First Observation Club, a certificate requiring independent hands-on demonstration of the use of a telescope to locate several different classes of celestial objects.<br />
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Another fun-filled meeting is under our belts, and we are pleased to announce the upcoming events:<br />
Dec 20 lunar eclipse independent observation and astrophotography session<br />
Jan 8, 2011 "Hardy Minnesotans" star party at the Jaycee ball field at 5:30 PM, <br />
Jan 25, 2011 Public meeting featuring more great Night Sky Network educational materials<br />
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Please join us if you can attend!!East Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-7343358173678848072010-12-14T06:44:00.000-08:002010-12-14T06:44:02.590-08:00Club meeting tonight!Please join us at James M Williams' dental office tonight from 7-8:30 for the bi-monthly ECMAC meeting. We will be presenting observation awards to our young astronomers and learning about space rocks and the Universe. <br />
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We hope to see you there!East Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-2617140392639999752010-12-04T09:14:00.000-08:002010-12-04T09:24:42.611-08:00Saturday Dec 4th Party Cancelled<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TPp5QQ_r1QI/AAAAAAAAABo/X0EA_gB3t_Q/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TPp5QQ_r1QI/AAAAAAAAABo/X0EA_gB3t_Q/s200/images.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>Sorry folks, but the weather isn't going to be cooperating for this one, so we will have to cancel. Be sure to join us on Dec 14th for our bi-monthly meeting. We will have some fun topics to share!<br />
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JimEast Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-53206603556173267072010-12-02T16:45:00.000-08:002010-12-02T16:47:23.334-08:00Weather looks questionable for Saturday Star Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TPg95J40xQI/AAAAAAAAABk/ZrlxTPIn5nI/s1600/snow-storm-car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TPg95J40xQI/AAAAAAAAABk/ZrlxTPIn5nI/s320/snow-storm-car.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Hi all! We currently have a star party scheduled for 5:00pm at the Jaycee Ball Field on N. Grove in Mora, MN. Right now, however, the forecast is calling for a 30% chance of snow and mostly cloudy skies. If that is accurate and it doesn't look like it will clear up, I will post to the blog, Twitter, and send out an email by 3:00pm so that you have time to make other plans for the evening.<br />
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Here's hoping the forecast is wrong!<br />
JimEast Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-74520563751913954252010-11-23T18:01:00.000-08:002010-11-23T18:05:07.442-08:00IMAX Hubble is a must see film!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TOxyDsYMrsI/AAAAAAAAABg/xAI9BTOVhEk/s1600/hubble-large_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TOxyDsYMrsI/AAAAAAAAABg/xAI9BTOVhEk/s1600/hubble-large_1.jpg" /></a></div>This past weekend we ventured to the Minnesota Science Museum and took in the new Hubble film on the IMAX screen and we were totally blown away. It is spectacularly filmed and has computer simulations of flying through space that completely exceeded our expectations. Imagine seeing a typical image of Orion and then zooming in a bit on the sword and seeing the great Orion Nebula. Very cool, but wait, now we will begin flying through space and seeing all the stars in this familiar constellation shift as our angle of view alters their apparent position. Then, as our flight continues we descend into the midst of the nebula through layers of gas until we see, at the heart of the nebula, the Trapezium. This stellar nursery sits just an arms length away and the view almost brought tears to my eyes!<br />
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How often have I sat at the eyepiece of one of my scopes and dreamed of traveling this way to see all the gems of our Universe? The few minutes of this simulation were totally worth the price of admission for me.<br />
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The film gives some good background info necessary to acquaint the public with the importance of the work the space telescope has performed, and also has some nice footage of the various servicing missions along with some candid footage of the astronauts. The entire film is only 45 minutes long and I would have sat there gladly for another two hours, but the length was perfect for the children viewing it.<br />
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I would highly recommend this film to anyone with an opportunity to experience it. A+++<br />
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JimEast Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-1288690354805375732010-11-18T19:23:00.000-08:002010-11-18T19:23:05.336-08:00Night Sky Network Teleconference Wrap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TOXtiIHCdWI/AAAAAAAAABY/HGILSK9-UW4/s1600/dinodeath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TOXtiIHCdWI/AAAAAAAAABY/HGILSK9-UW4/s320/dinodeath.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Well what a fun and interesting event we just enjoyed! Dr. Alan Harris of the Boulder, CO Space Science Institute gave a fascinating presentation on near earth objects (asteroids), their detection, their statistical probabilities of collision with earth, and the future of NASA's detection program. The teleconference worked by having the Night Sky Network ECMAC coordinator (aka me) call in and log into the program and then we simply sat back and enjoyed the previously downloaded Powerpoint presentation while listening to the VERY knowledgeable speaker. The topic of neo's was meant to tie-in with the NSN's latest educational giveaway, the space rock toolkit.<br />
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This type of event occurs bi-monthly, and now that we have the first one under our belt, we will be heavily promoting the next event so that as many folks as possible can enjoy the high quality of the presentation.<br />
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Thank you to the good folks running the Night Sky Network!! You are truly committed to excellence in the field of outreach and education.East Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-81708032317347605722010-11-17T11:29:00.000-08:002010-11-19T10:55:06.739-08:00New Feature on the Blog<a href="http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm"><img alt="Night Sky Network: Astronomy Clubs bringing the wonders of the universe to you" border="0" height="80" src="http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/images/banner-nightsky.jpg" width="995" /></a><br />
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ECMAC is now officially part of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's Night Sky Network. As one of the many benefits to our club, we now have a viewable calendar on the bottom of the blog page that will show the current month at a glance. Scheduled club events will be viewable, and by clicking on the event, a new window will open to the Night Sky Network's site where more detailed information will be displayed.<br />
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Check it out!East Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-11669701939041628292010-11-08T16:15:00.000-08:002010-11-08T16:23:15.075-08:00AMAZING new image of the constellation Orion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TNiOvqjNbiI/AAAAAAAAAA4/DGiHPSFtIfI/s1600/Orion2010_andreo2000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TNiOvqjNbiI/AAAAAAAAAA4/DGiHPSFtIfI/s400/Orion2010_andreo2000.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This absolutely breathtaking view of Orion is, for me, one of the most wondrous astrophotos I have ever beheld. The absolute clarity of all the nebulous detail is truly stagerring, and given the size of the wide-field image, this is a sight I never could have drempt of. <br />
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Amateur astrophotographer Rogelio Bernal Andreo captured this panoramic image and you may visit more of his glorious works at his website:<a href="http://blog.deepskycolors.com/"> Deep Sky Colors</a> <br />
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It is because of the hard working professional and amateur astro-photographers that I personally became interested in astronomy, and with more images like this to compel me, the flame of my astro-passion is likely to burn intensely for a lifetime.<br />
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Jim Williams- ECMAC PresidentEast Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-52706404190600838042010-11-06T15:35:00.003-07:002010-11-08T16:50:15.330-08:00Nov. 6th Star Party Tonight!!Join us tonight at 6:30 for the November Public Star Party at the Jaycee's Ball Park on N. Grove in Mora. The weather looks like it should be mostly clear so we hope to get some great views!<br />
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UPDATE: The party was great with clear skies, balmy temps, and enthusiastic learners. Two novice adult members showed their observing prowess by finding objects using a Telrad for the first time, while the kids worked diligently to earn their "First Observation Club" qualifications.<br />
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The evening was thoroughly enjoyable, and we are looking forward to our next event on Dec 4th!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TNiaYtc-ieI/AAAAAAAAAA8/DHTv0C9o3-c/s1600/Nov6Starparty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TNiaYtc-ieI/AAAAAAAAAA8/DHTv0C9o3-c/s320/Nov6Starparty.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>East Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-86149251399579614662010-11-01T08:14:00.000-07:002010-11-01T08:15:58.600-07:00Dec 4th Star Party is a go!Come out and join the ECMAC group for a star party Dec 4th at the Jaycee's Ball Park on North Grove St. in Mora! We will be providing great views of the skies from this moderately dark site. We expect some cool temps so please dress warmly so that you can comfortably enjoy the evening with us. The event time will be determined soon.East Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-23294050954442763342010-10-26T21:23:00.000-07:002010-10-26T21:24:46.991-07:00Next Public Star Party Saturday Nov 6th 6:30 at the Jaycee's Ballpark!We are very pleased to announce our next evening under the stars for the public. Members are encouraged to arrive 30min before the start to assist with the setup. This will be a moonless night, so we hope to showcase many of the fainter deep sky objects not visible at our last star party. You should expect excellent views of Jupiter, the Andromeda galaxy, the Dumbell nebula, and many other highlights of the sky. All are welcome, so join us for some fellowship and education before the deep Winter sets in.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TMeoldJz00I/AAAAAAAAAA0/CQBWZ12YByU/s1600/Star+Party+Setup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TMeoldJz00I/AAAAAAAAAA0/CQBWZ12YByU/s400/Star+Party+Setup.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Members get set up for the October 16th Star Party at Trailview Elementary School.East Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-52544369032150374912010-10-26T21:08:00.000-07:002010-10-26T21:08:16.279-07:00Business Meeting Fun!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TMektUUZOVI/AAAAAAAAAAw/QGnPPQwQQAY/s1600/Members.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TMektUUZOVI/AAAAAAAAAAw/QGnPPQwQQAY/s200/Members.jpg" width="200" /></a> The kickoff meeting for ECMAC was a great time despite the howling winds that ravaged the Midwest today! We had an informative meeting with great discussions, and fun learning about the different types of telescopes. We hope you'll join us for our next meeting when we'll be featuring the Astronomical League's Observing Clubs.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TMekrZ95PFI/AAAAAAAAAAs/ABLNBfikxAI/s1600/Jim+and+scopes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TMekrZ95PFI/AAAAAAAAAAs/ABLNBfikxAI/s200/Jim+and+scopes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>East Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-81514816040635132332010-10-25T11:05:00.000-07:002010-10-25T11:05:46.187-07:00Tuesday October 26th MeetingBe sure to join us at Dr. James Williams dental office (620 S. Union St. across from the swimming pool) in Mora at 7PM, Tuesday, October 26th for the next ECMAC meeting. A brief business meeting will be followed by a presentation by club President Jim Williams on the topic of "Understanding Telescopes." The presentation will cover the basic history and designs of telescopes so that members can more fully understand the differing optical configurations of each style. Refreshments will be provided. We hope to see you there!East Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-61929322128999640782010-10-16T08:11:00.000-07:002010-10-16T08:11:05.138-07:00Beautiful Day for a Star Party!The star party scheduled for this evening at 7:00PM behind Trailview elementary school is definitely a go! See you out there under the stars.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TLnAaAGpgDI/AAAAAAAAAAo/-hix9XwbfhU/s1600/pleiades_fs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TLnAaAGpgDI/AAAAAAAAAAo/-hix9XwbfhU/s320/pleiades_fs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>East Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032090611380538659.post-70994568728804521552010-10-01T13:39:00.000-07:002010-10-01T13:39:53.552-07:00Local amatuers aim for the stars on October 16th!Today we are pleased to announce the creation of the East Central Minnesota Astronomy Club. Several locals have come together to form this group in hopes of sharing and spreading our continued love of cosmic observation. Our club will have regularly scheduled star parties and, to kick things off, we are pleased to announce that on <b>Saturday, October 16th</b> we will be meeting on the soccer field north of/behind <b>Trailview Elementary school in Mora beginning at 7:00pm</b>. Several telescopes will be on-site and visitors can expect views of the moon (Luna), Jupiter, double stars, planetary nebulae, distant galaxies and more! No prior knowledge is needed. Just bring your curiosity and dress warmly in case the event goes into the late evening hours. If you have a telescope and would like to bring it, we would enjoy the addition to the group. If you have a telescope and need assistance, bring it along and we will do our best to get you up and viewing. We hope to see you out there enjoying the views!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TKZE4qqqyPI/AAAAAAAAAAk/-rebMpfAkZc/s1600/0006a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PTLWGdWCxbs/TKZE4qqqyPI/AAAAAAAAAAk/-rebMpfAkZc/s320/0006a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>East Central Minnesota Astronomy Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545792221784476474noreply@blogger.com0