[CMAS] {Spam?} RE: Late Summer & Fall Events, Club Liaison Report

Tue Aug 7 18:35:30 EDT 2018

Dwight you are awesome thanks for the information.Lenny 

Sent from my U.S. Cellular® Smartphone
-------- Original message --------From: "Dwight M. Lanpher" <groupcmas at lanpherassociates.com> Date: 8/6/18  4:25 PM  (GMT-05:00) To: CMAS <CMAS at maineastro.com> Subject: [CMAS] Late Summer & Fall Events, Club Liaison Report 
To:Acadia Astronomical Society (Mt. Desert Island)Amateur Telescope Makers of BostonAroostic County Astronomy Club (Presque Isle)Astronomical Society of Northern New England (Kennebunk)Central Maine Astronomical Society (Whitefield, Lincolnville & Damariscotta)Downeast Amateur Astronomers (Pembroke)Gloucester Area Astronomy Club (Gloucester, MA)New Hampshire Astronomical SocietyNorth Shore Area Astronomy Club (Andover, MA)Penobscot Valley Star Gazers (Bangor)Southern Maine Astronomers (Portland)
Hello All,

Now that we are well beyond the Summer Solstice, the ever earlier twilight and improving fall dry weather is greeted by a whole slew of festivals. For those
of you asking about the Acadia Night Sky Festival, which is now just a month
away, the signup poll and more information will be distributed in the next day
or two. So get ready for this busy fall schedule:

---Dwight

Coming up at
the end of this week:

Stellafane Convention,
August 9-12
Springfield Vermont.  Need I say more?

Maine State Star Party, August 10-12If you're not headed to Stellafane, my favorite summer event is the Maine State Star Party at Cobscook Bay State Park in Edmunds, Maine. No reservations are necessary and the event and camping at the group site is free. The Downeast Amateur Astronomers will again be hosting the 12th annual Maine State Star Party. It's a long ways there for almost all of us, being located in the easternmost part of Maine, but the skies are some of the best I've ever viewed under (SQM value 21.57.) There will be many guests at the camp ground this year to see the Persieds and join us for observing. For more information see https://www.facebook.com/Downeastaa/ and below. 
MARS, August 11-17
Maine Astronomy Retreat and Symposium: "A
star party like no other"
From their website: "This gathering will provide activities for
amateurs, to deep-sky observers and astrophotographers. Enjoy engaging
presentations given by J Kelly Beatty (Sr. Editor, Sky & Telescope), Bruce
Berger (Amateur astronomer, telescope builder and Director of the Amateur
Telescope Makers of Boston Research and Imaging Observatory (ARIO), and Babak
A. Tafreshi (Founder of The World at Night or TWAN program and a photographer for
National Geographic)." Bruce Berger announced  on
July 21 that there was only one slot left for MARS. Maybe there's space
still available Check their website at http://www.astronomyretreat.com.
Acadia Night Sky
Festival, September 6-9
One of the National Park System's largest astronomy events returns for
it's 10th annual Acadia Night Sky
Festival. Last year's attendance at the main star party on on Cadillac
Mountain was 45 telescopes, 3 binocular stations, 61
astronomers from
10+ clubs and 1800 visitors. Check for a full listing of events at: http://www.acadianightskyfestival.org/events/ More to come tomorrow.
ASNNE Starfest, September 14-16
The Astronomical Society of Northern New England, in Kennebunk, Maine, will be holding their annual Starfest weekend festival Friday and Saturday at
their Starfield Observatory. The observatory has both a 16" Meade
LX-200 and an 8" Zeiss-Jena refractor. During the day it's equipped with
a Daystar H-A filter for solar observing. There are also nice concrete pads for
setting up your own scopes. A great "Star-B-Que", presentations,
astronomy games and auctions and free camping on site are fun for the whole
family. For more information, to checkout the full schedule click on Monthly
Events and September 14 at their website: http://www.asnne.org.
NEFAF,
New England Fall Astronomy Forum  September
14,15

At the University of New Hampshire Observatory, Spinney Ln, Durham Campus.
Co-hosted by the New Hampshire Astronomical Society. Free, Keynote speaker: Dr. Fran Bagenal, Planetary Physicist & co-investigator and tema leader on NASA's New Horizon's mission to Pluto and beyond sand the Juno Mission to Jupiter.  Observing Friday
and Saturday evenings. Saturday educational activities and tent
talks. For more information, https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=nefaf,  http://www.nefaf.com.
Stars Over
Katahdin, October 6, 7 rain date
The new Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument will be
offering their fourth annual  Stars Over Katahdin Program with an evening
of campfire stories and activities before observing in what are the darkest
skies in Maine. See this Light Pollution Map from the Baxter Clear Sky Clock: http://www.cleardarksky.com/lp/BkrSPMElp.html?Mn=photoshop
One of the organizers, Nancy Hathaway, is putting out a special request
for amateur astronomers for this event. If you bring a telescope, arrangements can be
made for free space in a cabin after the night's viewing. Contact Nancy at hathaway.n at gmail.com for
more information. 

 Club
Liaison report: If you don't have an event or meeting happening in your
immediate area, there may be another club not too far away with a presentation
or star watch. Most clubs welcome the general public to their programs and even
if it's a members only event, one of their members often are willing to sponsor
a fellow amateur astronomer from another club.	I always look forward to visiting the many clubs around
New England and despite a few spates of cloudy weather, it's been a busy spring
and early summer. I feel very fortunate to be able to participate in some of
the quality events that happen in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Beginning on my home turf in the spring, Acadia Astronomical Society hosted a
star party for students of the College of the Atlantic. Not long after
returning from NEAF, Southern Maine Astronomers provided a school outreach
event for the Greeley Middle School in Cumberland where I was able to try out a
newly acquired eyepiece. This was followed a couple weeks later, in May, by a
Downeast Amateur Astronomers outreach star party at the
Pembroke Elementary School.	I joined with my own home club of Penobscot Valley Star
Gazers for a star party at  a new member's dark sky location in Herman a
week later.  Onward to a Central Maine Astronomical Society's star
Party at their Brower Observatory at the beginning of June. I had
recently joined an observing reporting group and did a sketch of a faint galaxy
in Draco while at that star party. With the sun setting ever later in
June, Downeast Amateur Astronomers turned to solar viewing and had great fun
showing large crowds views of the sun at the Margaretta Days Festival in
Machias. After returning home, the weather forecast was excellent
so I packed my scope into my car and headed up Cadillac Mountain for a
late night solo viewing session and sketching of this months object,
the Whirlpool Galaxy. While waiting for it to get dark, views of several
planets were offered to enthusiastic tourists waiting to view the Milky
Way.	A work project that was getting in the way of my fun,
didn't stop me from a road trip to the Gloucester Area Astronomy Club for
their July meeting. There I attending a fine Double Star presentation by
Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston's past president Bruce Berger. A couple
weeks later I was back on the road again to Concord, for the New Hampshire
Astronomical Society's meeting. Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory grad student Tarraneh Eftekhari presented on her
radio telescope work of detecting astrophysical transients. 	And this last weekend, I
was at the Southworth Planetarium where author Jonathan White discussed his book Tides for a
special joint meeting of Southern Maine Astronomers and the Astronomical Society
of Northern New England. 	Add in some misc. business meetings at AAS,
ASNNE, DEAA and PVSG and it was indeed a busy four months. 	If you've never taken the opportunity to visit another
nearby club, most warmly welcome guests. As well as making new friends, you
might get a few ideas that you could take back to your club.

-- Celebrating the starlit skies of Maine & New England --

Dwight M. Lanpher, Club Liaison
P.O. Box 472, 1 Summit Road
Northeast Harbor, ME 04662

President: Penobscot Valley Star Gazersmember: IDA, IES, AAS, ACAC, ASNNE, ATMoB, CMAS, COG, DEAA, GAAC, NHAS, NSAAC, PVSG, SMATelephone: (207) 276-5350, FAX 276-4067               "Good friends are like stars. Although you may not see them you know they're always there." -Christy Evans
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE MAINE STATE STAR PARTY 2018Friday/Saturday
August 10/11, 2018Cobscook
Bay State Park, Edmunds, MaineHosted
by the Downeast Amateur Astronomerswww.downeastaa.comWashington
County’s own Astronomy Club Friday August 10  (can arrive anytime after 1 p.m.) Set up
camping gear, telescope Friday evening
observing if clear Saturday August
11 Solar observing throughout the
day (weather permitting) several solar telescopes will be set up for viewing 3:00 p.m Astronomy Jeopardy (winner will receive prizes donated by
Downeast Amateur Astronomers) 7:00 p.m. (Guest
Speaker)Jim Cormier,
veteran amateur astronomer and astrophotographer“The night sky is ripe for exploring
under the dark skies of Cobscook Bay State Park.  Join veteran amateur
astronomer Jim Cormier in Observing the Summer Milky Way with Binoculars. The
talk will include binocular selection, use, and observing techniques to fully
appreciate the wide-field vistas not ordinarily obtainable with telescopes.
 After the evening talk Jim and other attendees will accompany you on a
tour of the Milky Way's finest showpieces. ““The Summer Milky Way shines with a
peerless light, often elusive, but always most beautiful and intriguing. 
Nothing matches the rich-field views with a good binocular under dark
skies.  As an astrophotographer Jim has come to grips on how he wants to
spend his time under the starry done.  When conditions are good, he is
often reminded that the views exceed any photograph and the desire to capture
takes a back seat.  The greatest show still requires only our eyes and a
desire to see.” Saturday evening
observing!  (Weather permitting)For more info, contact Charlie Sawyer at 207-214-1846 or e-mail at
csawyer7 at roadrunner.com Water fountain near by as well as Park toilets. Showers also
available in park. Each individual/party bring your own food. There is a small
grocery store about 4 miles west on Rt. 1  1.  Once again the
camping is free for campers who stay on the star party site. Anyone who
comes to the park for the event but chooses to get his or her own campsite in
the park would have to pay for the site.2.  The star party
site is usually for tents but anyone with a camper can find room to park.3.  There is a water
fountain on the star party site location and out houses near by. There is a
shower builkding near the entrance. A small grocery store is about 4 miles to
the west. Each individual/group brings your own food. The closest restaurant is
about 15 miles east or 20 miles west.4.  Cobscook Bay
State Park is about 90 miles downeast on Route 1 from Bangor. Or travel down
Route 9 and turn right to Machias in Wesley and then east on Rt 1 for another
20 miles.
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