January 2, 2014

"Measuring Astronomical Distances - Part 1" - Micheal Starch, Club Member
Club Member Micheal Starch will present a review of the principal measurement techniques used in astronomy. The techniques developed during the modern history of astronomy have followed the steps up the "Cosmic Distance Ladder," from distances of solar system scale out to the far reaches of the visible universe.  The progressive developments have provided astronomers with a growing bag of tools based on principles and discoveries of geometry, astrophysics, and cosmology. Techniques reviewed are those associated with trigonometric parallax, luminosity/spectra characteristics, Cepheid variables, Type 1a supernovae, and Hubble's Law. A little history of progress up the ladder is included, along with idealized examples with numbers to illustrate use of some of the techniques.

February 6, 2014

"Measuring Astronomical Distances - Part 2" - Micheal Starch, Club Member
Club Member Micheal Starch will present a review of the principal measurement techniques used in astronomy. The techniques developed during the modern history of astronomy have followed the steps up the "Cosmic Distance Ladder," from distances of solar system scale out to the far reaches of the visible universe.  The progressive developments have provided astronomers with a growing bag of tools based on principles and discoveries of geometry, astrophysics, and cosmology. Techniques reviewed are those associated with trigonometric parallax, luminosity/spectra characteristics, Cepheid variables, Type 1a supernovae, and Hubble's Law. A little history of progress up the ladder is included, along with idealized examples with numbers to illustrate use of some of the techniques.

March 6, 2014

"Business Meeting Only"
Only the business and announcements portion of the meeting was held due to the meeting room being unexpectedly unavailable.

April 3, 2014

"In Search Of Dark Skies" - John Upton, Club Member
Club member John Upton will describe methods and tools which can be used to find new dark sky observing locations.  He will also cover attributes to look for in a good observing site.  Finally, a method will be presented for estimating just how dark a site may be before actually visiting in person.

May 1, 2014

"Educational Outreach Development" - Club Member Activity
Club members will participate in a group activity to help rough out "static displays" for use at community outreach events when sky conditions prohibit a traditional viewing session.

June 5, 2014

"Astrophotography" - David Ault, Club Member
Club Member David Ault will give his perspective on getting into astrophotography. He will give an overview of the topic and touch on both beginner and advanced aspects of the hobby. Through personal examples David will show how quickly one can become quite adept in a very short time.

July 3, 2014

"Educational Outreach Materials Review" - Multiple Members
Club members will present a staus update (with show and tell) on the development of materials to be used next Fall for educational outreach. At the May 2014 meeting, members brainstormed about demos, poster boards, and other activities that could be used at schools and community events to teach something about astronomy. These can be used as an indoors substitute whenever a planned star party is clouded out.

August 7, 2014

"Refurbishing a Classic Celestron C14" Kristin C., Club Member
Club member Kristen C. will discuss her plans and ask advice for refurbishing an early production model Celestron C14 telescope. The telescope dates from the mid 1970's and is currently in all original (but aged) condition.

September 4, 2014

"More Selected TED Talks" - Bruce Campney, Club Member
Club president Bruce Campney has selected several short videos from the TED Talks (Technology, Entertainment, Design) series of particular interest to amateur astronomers.

October 2, 2014

"Educational Outreach Materials Review" Multiple Club Members
Club members will present a status update (with show and tell) on the development of materials to be used for educational outreach. At the May 2014 meeting, members brainstormed about demos, poster boards, and other activities that could be used at schools and community events to teach something about astronomy. These can be used as an indoors substitute whenever a planned star party is clouded out. This meeting we will look at and give feedback on what has been developed.

November 6, 2014

"Celestial Navigation" Mark Zell, Club Member
Figuring out where you are on Earth, and in which direction your destination lies, is an old problem that has had many solutions applied to it. Landmarks in the sky have assisted navigation for millions of years. Determining location and direction with gnomons, sextants, and other means will be discussed.

December 4, 2014

"Eldorado Star Party Attendee Reports"
Multiple club members will give presentations on their experiences at the Eldorado Star Party.  Some members attend to enjoy relaxed observing under very dark skies while others devote themselves to multi-night marathon imaging sessions.