Astronomy Club Meeting, Minutes, and Problems of the Week

Meeting Minutes

• Game Night with SEDS
• Friday at 7pm in N305
• Sabino Canyon Star Party
• This Saturday
• Meet in the parking lot south of Steward Observatory at 4:30pm
• American Astronomical Society 218th Meeting
• Abstracts due tomorrow!
• Projects
• Extrasolar Planet Project
• Talk to Jake (turner@email.arizona.edu)
• Meet at 6:30pm on Thursday in the computer lab
• Binocular Telescope Project
• Talk to Blythe (bguvenen@email.arizona.edu)
• Outreach Materials (i.e. for Biosphere 2 trips
• Talk to Katie (kljpyro@email.arizona.edu)
• Meet at 3pm on Friday in the club office
• Astronomy Problems of the Week
• Thought provoking questions, see below
• Meet on Friday at 4pm in Steward 450
• Talks
• If you are interested in presenting your research, talk to Tim (tmc1@email.arizona.edu)
• Membership
• Dues are $10 per semester to support projects and club events
• If you have not already, fill out a membership form at http://astroclub.as.arizona.edu/membershipform.html

Astronomy Problems of the Week:

1. What's the final letter in this sequence: B, G, L, S, ...?

2. Imagine you buy some items for $13.59 and you give a $50 bill to the cashier. The two of you stare at each other in amazement. Why?

3. Our Telescope Control Systems display "LST" (local sidereal time). Estimate the value of LST at this very moment (in your head!) using only your understanding of its meaning.

Astronomy Club Meeting and Jake Turner's Presentation

• Club Wildcat Volunteer Opportunity
• Space themed camp March 4-6
• Club social event (bowling or movie night) in early March
• Remember club dues ($10 a semester) and membership forms
• Extrasolar planet project
• Thursdays 6pm in computer lab
• Talk to Jake
• Binocular telescope project
• Will get mirrors from Celestron soon
• Talk to Blythe
• Outreach materials
• Every Friday at 3pm in club office
• Astronomy question of the week every Friday at 4pm
• Steward 450
• Interested in presenting your research? Talk to Tim!
• Presentation by Jake on Titan

Astronomy Club Meeting and Blythe Guvenen's Presentation

Astronomy Club Meeting, Minutes, and Problems of the Week

Meeting Minutes:

• Biosphere 2
• We went to B2 last Saturday for their Science Saturday events
• We had solar telescopes and showed off our local stars model and a star size comparison demonstration
• People donated $27
• Sabino Canyon
• Later last Saturday, we went to the Sabino Canyon recreation area for our monthly star party
• Some people came only to see us
• People donated $25
• University High School
• People are helping put telescopes together right now
• Star party this Friday from 5-10pm at University High School
• Projects
• Extrasolar Planet Project
• Talk to Jake (turner@email.arizona.edu)
• Meet 6:30pm Thursdays in computer lab
• Binocular Telescope Project
• Talk to Blythe (bguvenen@email.arizona.edu)
• Outreach Materials
• Talk to Katie (kljpyro@email.arizona.edu)
• Meet 3pm on Fridays in club office
• Club Office
• In trailer north of Steward
• There are office hours held weekly by key holders
• Schedule is located on the door
• Superb wi-fi!
• Astronomy Question of the Week
• Friday at 4pm
• See questions below
• Talks
• A talk at every Astronomy Club meeting
• If you are interested in presenting your research, talk to Tim (tmc1@email.arizona.edu)
• Membership
• Dues are $10 per semester to support projects and club events
• If you have not already, please fill out a membership form at http://astroclub.as.arizona.edu/membershipform.html

Astronomical Puzzle: February 11, 2011:

Three questions about gravity.

1. Almost everyone in the USA was astonished and concerned when the USSR won the first round of the space race by launching the first Earth-orbiting satellite (Sputnik) in 1957. One area of concern related to the potential mass of the payload. President Eisenhower asked his advisors: "All we know for certain about Sputnik is its altitude and orbital speed. From that information can you calculate Sputnik's mass?"

2. Kepler's Second Law states that the imaginary line between any planet and the Sun sweeps equal areas in equal times as the planet orbits the Sun. If the gravitational force between the Sun and planets were somehow switched off and the planets no longer followed elliptical orbits, would Kepler's Second Law still hold true?

3. As you move away from Earth, its gravity diminishes. Suppose it got stronger? If that fictitious law were so, would it be possible for objects, like the Moon, to orbit the Earth?