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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.
General
Meeting
Friday, July 10 @ 7:00 pm |
WMU Rood Hall - Room 1110
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.
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Public Observing
Session
Saturday, July 11 @
9:00 pm | Kalamazoo Nature Center |
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.
Highlights of the
night are Jupiter, the Waning Gibbous Moon, and some Delightful Double Stars.
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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Public Observing
Session
Saturday, July 25 @
9:00 pm | Kalamazoo Nature Center |
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.
Highlights of the
night are Jupiter and some Pleasant Planetary Nebulae.
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!
General
Meeting
Saturday, August 15 @ 6:00 pm
| Kalamazoo Nature Center
Mark your
calendar. Pray
for good weather. It's time for the big social event of the year
for the
KAS. So get ready to party! Here are the details:
 The KAS will provide the hot dogs, hamburgers,
and veggie burgers (by
order). You will be required to bring your own beverages, table
service,
lawn chairs, bug spray, and a dish to pass. Condiments will be
provided
by the KAS.
 While dinner is cooking we will have solar
observing available through the
12" LX200 in Owl Observatory and other KAS member telescopes.
Feel
free to bring any type of outdoor games or toys to pass the time while
we wait
for dinner.
 Stargazers should be prepared to observe the
deep sky delights of the summer
Milky Way and maybe even a few left over Perseid meteors. This
gathering
will take place rain or shine, so be prepared for whatever Mother
Nature throws
our way!
Please Note: This
activity is for KAS Members and invited guests
only. If you'd like to attend then JOIN
the KAS today! Our
regular meetings will resume in September. The observing session
following the picnic is open to the public.
General Meeting Page | Directions
to KNC
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Public Observing
Session
Saturday, August 15 @
8:30 pm | Kalamazoo Nature Center |
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.
Highlights of the
night are Jupiter and some leftover Perseid Meteors.
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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Public Observing
Session
Saturday, August 29 @
8:30 pm | Kalamazoo Nature Center |
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.
Highlights of the
night are the gas giant planets Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune.
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!
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 (C 2).
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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Public Observing
Session
Saturday, September 12
@ 8:00 pm | Kalamazoo Nature Center |
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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Kiwanis Star Party
Saturday, September 19
@ 8:00 pm | Kiwanis Conservation
Area |
The KAS and Battle Creek Kiwanis Club jointly sponsor another public
star party at the Kiwanis Conservation Area on September 19. The
Conservation Area is located on 15th Ave, 3.6 miles north of
Turkeyville in Calhoun County (near Bellevue).
The
Moon won't cause any interference, so we'll be able to enjoy the wealth
of summer deep sky objects unhindered. Visitors
will also be able to gasp in awe at Jupiter and its four Galilean moons.
Guests
are encourage to bring a pair of binoculars or a telescope; especially
if you need help. Veteran stargazers will be on hand to provide a
helping hand. There will also be a guided tour of the visible
constellations.
Please contact us if you have any questions
or need further information.
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Public Observing
Session
Saturday, September 26
@ 8:00 pm | Kalamazoo Nature Center |
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!
General
Meeting
Friday, October 4 @ 7:00 pm |
Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center
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.
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Public Observing
Session
Saturday, October 10 @
7:00 pm | Kalamazoo Nature Center |
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 the Galaxies of Autumn.
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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Public Observing
Session
Saturday, October 24 @
7:00 pm | Kalamazoo Nature Center |
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.
Highlight of the
night is The Great Square; an
asterism made from stars in the constellations Pegasus and Andromeda.
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!
General Meeting
Friday, November 6 @ 7:00 pm
| Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center
Women have played a large
part in the hobby and profession of astronomy. They are included in
folklore, found
in Universities, professional and amateur observatories, walking in
space, astronomy clubs and many other areas of this science. While you
may find more men in professional astronomy, you can see how women were
an accepted part of historical astronomy and are still prominent in the
field today. Gods or Goddess, Kings or Queens, amateur or professional,
we all help hold the sky up.
About the
Speaker:
Terry
Mann is
President of the Astronomical League, an organization with
approximately 18,000
amateur astronomers. She’s also a JPL Solar System Ambassador,
advisor for the
Meade 4M community, and is on the United States committee for the
International
Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009). She also works with the IYA Dark Sky
Awareness Group. Terry has received the G.R. Wright Service Award and
the Hans
Baldauf Award for significant contributions to amateur astronomy. Her
astrophotography has appeared in local art galleries, newspapers, and
television newscasts. As much as she enjoys observing, she has always
devoted a
large amount of her free time to education and public outreach.
Annual
Meeting
Friday, December 4 @ 6:30 pm
| Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center
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!
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Private Observing
Session
Sunday, December 13 @
8:00 pm | Kalamazoo Nature Center |
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!
Please Note:
This session is for KAS Members and invited guests
only. If you'd like to attend then JOIN
the KAS today! Our
regular Public Observing Sessions will resume in April.
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