The KAS is one of the most active organizations in West Michigan.  We hold a wide variety of entertaining and educational events throughout the community. Below is a schedule of all of our upcoming activities.  This page is updated regularly, so please visit often.  Unless noted otherwise, all KAS activities are open to the general public.

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| Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |

Today the astronomical marketplace is flooded with telescopes and accessories of all shapes, sizes, and price ranges.  However, even with the wealth of goods now available, there are some gadgets that can only be hand crafted.  It just goes to show that necessity really is the mother of invention and thankfully amateur astronomers are an ingenious lot.  There are also some items that are far cheaper to build yourself.
 
For our next meeting we invite KAS members to trot out the results of their latest brainstorming.  Please feel free to bring any previously seen doodads, doohickeys, and devices from past Gadget Nights as well - odds are they’ll be all-new to someone in attendance.  You won't want to miss this fun and entertaining evening.

In the fading light of a summer evening, we watch the stars appear one by one.  Before too long, twilight's window gives way to the starry curtain, signaling the beginning of a night of stargazing.  The KAS invites you to a pleasant evening under nature's grandest spectacle - the universe itself.

Observing Session Page | Observing Brochure | Directions to Nature Center

Observing Session Page | Observing Brochure | Directions to Nature Center

General Meeting Page | Directions to KNC

Friday, September 11 @ 7:00 pm | Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center

The Self-Guided Spectrometer (SGS) by SBIG appeared on the market about a year and a half ago aimed at a sub group of amateurs. The SGS allows spectra to be obtained with only modest aperture instruments of stars down to 10-12 magnitude.  The resolution and sensitivity of the instrument is such that Dr. Mais has been able to identify the unstable element technetium in certain S and C type stars along with anomalous ¹²C/¹³C ratios as measured by absorption bands of diatomic carbon (C₂). Measurements of certain line intensity ratios in planetary nebula allows for the calculation of both the nebula temperature and electron density.

Dr. Mais' presentation will go into detail on the use of the SGS, its calibration and some of the kinds of measurements that can be made with an amateur sized telescope equipped with such “off the shelf” instrument.  More details can be found on his web site.

About the Speaker:
Dr. Mais has been involved in amateur astronomy most of his life. He recently moved to the Kalamazoo area after spending the past 16 years a stones through from Palomar Mountain. While his biology and chemistry degrees have served him well in his professional life, it is his chemistry background, which he is enjoying as applied to spectroscopy.

Dr. Mais says he is fortunate to have an observatory with a Celestron 14 as his primary instrument, CCD cameras and an Astro-Physics 5.1 inch (which he waited patiently for 2 years to obtain). His primary interest is spectroscopy and its application toward understanding the composition and other physical parameters of astronomical objects. In particular, he is doing a spectroscopic survey of C and S type stars, which often have abnormal heavy metal and/or isotope composition compared to solar system values. In addition, he is interested in quantization of atomic/ionic species in stellar atmospheres.

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In the fading light of a summer evening, we watch the stars appear one by one.  Before too long, twilight's window gives way to the starry curtain, signaling the beginning of a night of stargazing.  The KAS invites you to a pleasant evening under nature's grandest spectacle - the universe itself.

Highlight of the night is the Summer Triangle; an asterisms made up of the constellations Lyra, Cygnus, and Aquila.
 
Sessions will be canceled if the sky is mostly cloudy or overcast.  For cancellation information, please call the Nature Center at (269) 381-1574.  Please contact us if you have any questions or need further information.  Clear skies!

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In the fading light of an autumn evening, we watch the stars appear one by one.  Before too long, twilight's window gives way to the starry curtain, signaling the beginning of a night of stargazing.  The KAS invites you to a pleasant evening under nature's grandest spectacle - the universe itself.

Highlights of the night are Jupiter and some Overwhelming Open Clusters.
 
Sessions will be canceled if the sky is mostly cloudy or overcast.  For cancellation information, please call the Nature Center at (269) 381-1574.  Please contact us if you have any questions or need further information.  Clear skies!

Digital imaging has revolutionized professional and amateur astronomy alike. Traditional darkroom work has given way to computer algorithms, thus creating new possibilities for enhancing low-contrast images and correcting image defects. In particular, the image distortion introduced by wide-angle camera lenses can now be completely eliminated, thus allowing multiple images to be combined into giant mosaics. Using this technique, the author combined 51 wide-angle images, taken over the course of 3 years from various northern and southern hemisphere locations, into a panoramic image of the entire night sky. The talk will feature both the field work in remote areas of California, Europe and southern Africa, as well as the 'digital darkroom' techniques used in creating the mosaic.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Axel Mellinger received his PhD in 1995 from the Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE) in Garching near Munich, Germany.  He is currently an Assistant Professor of Physics at Central Michigan University. Aside from his world-famous all-sky Milky Way panorama, Dr. Mellinger is also the author (along with Susanne M. Hoffmann) of The New Atlas of the Stars.

It's time for the annual KAS Holiday Party!  As usual we will be celebrating at our annual membership meeting on December 4th.  We are planning on starting at 6:30 pm, one half hour earlier than usual.  The evening will begin with the party featuring several rousing rounds of BINGO with exciting prizes.  Then there will be a short business meeting featuring the election of the 2010 KAS Officers and At-Large board members.
 
As in past years, we will have a potluck hors d'oeuvre and dessert extravaganza.  The KAS will provide beverages consisting of soft drinks and hot wassail.  So, bring your favorite goodie to share and join your fellow KAS members for an evening of friendship and fun.  If you are a new member this will be a wonderful opportunity to meet other club members, get acquainted with this year's KAS Board, help elect the new board members for 2010, and find out what the KAS is all about.  Hope to see you there!

Please Note:  The Annual Meeting is for KAS Members and invited guests only. Join the KAS today if you'd like to attend!

Most meteor showers occur when Earth passes through a stream of particles left behind by a rouge comet, but the Geminids are different.  This is the only major shower known to be associated with an asteroid (3200 Phaethon).  An observer may see 80 meteors/hour or more under moonless, rural skies.

The Geminids always put on a great show.  The shower is predicted to peak at approximately midnight on December 14th. Make sure you dress warm if the weather cooperates and don't forget the hot chocolate!