SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER EVENTS
THE SAN JUAN STARGAZERS HAVE SHIRTS WITH WEBB TELESCOPE PHOTOS
BOB MITCHELL WHO WORKED ON THE WEBB WILL SPEAK ON SEPTEMBER 29
The San Juan Stargazers are very happy to offer everyone in Pagosa the opportunity to buy our 10th Anniversary San Juan Stargazers T-shirts, long & short sleeve & sweatshirt hoodies. All these shirts will have fantastic newly-released photos from the James Webb Space Telescope on the back with a picture of the telescope on the front. Four different photos are available, including the Phantom galaxy, M74 in the Pisces constellation , Stephan’s Quintet which is a very popular galaxy group seen with a good telescope around 4AM, a section of the famous Deep Field & the very latest photo released of Exoplanet HIP65426 which is the first photographed planet outside of our solar system. They will be unique to wear & a timely special gift. The shirts come in several colors & are in sizes: small, medium, large & extra- large. The prices are: short-sleeve t-shirt $22, long-sleeve t-shirt $25 and sweatshirt hoodies $31. We are asking people who want to order to call 303-995-2888 & leave a message with your name, phone number & possible order. Someone will get back to you later to discuss & confirm your order & set up payment. The deadline for the order is September 19, 2022 & the shirts will be passed out at our 10th Anniversary dinner & star party on Friday, October 7, 2022, & can be picked up by everyone not attending the following week.
Our newest program on the James Webb Space Telescope Photos that started on August 11, was wonderful & we are highly encouraged to continue doing it. But, we realize that our lives on planet Earth rightly take precedence over “fabulous discoveries in the Universe.” Since the 2nd week in September is the start of the new school year we will not have the program this month, but will continue with it on the 2nd Thursday in the future & will be a regular event of the Stargazers. The James Webb is already changing Astronomy & it will be amazing to learn detailed information about future discoveries. Dates & times will follow.
On September 22- 24, will be a huge celebration of the 10th Anniversary of Chimney Rock becoming a National Monument. There will be a free all- day celebration at the site on Saturday, September 24, starting at 10AM. Of course, the San Juan Stargazers will be taking part since Astronomy was an important part of life for the ancient people. Our special contribution will include making 2 comets, one in the AM & one in the PM. We can’t launch them, but you will be able to watch as the ingredients come together & there will be a tail. This will be in honor of Haley’s Comet that covered ¼ of the night sky over Chimney Rock in 1066. I hope that you will enjoy this free event put on by the National Forest Service, the Chimney Rock Interpretive Association, the San Juan Stargazers and there will be many native Americans who trace their ancestry back to Chimney Rock who will be selling their special artwork & jewelry & possibly dancing. (which may or may not be viewed by the public) Native Americans will have special time when the Monument is closed to the public, so they have an opportunity to honor their ancestors.
Because of the Chimney Rock celebration, the regular club meeting for the San Juan Stargazers will be postponed one week & held on Thursday, September 29, at the Community United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall on 434 Lewis Street. Please use the parking lot door so the front doors may remain locked. At 6 PM there is a social time with coffee, tea, etc. This month’s program beginning at 7PM sharp, is Bob Mitchell who worked on the James Webb Space Telescope. He did his first presentation to us on the James Webb in 2013. He will be speaking again just about the wonders of the actual telescope. It is perhaps the most perfect “machine” ever produced by humans. It is now one million miles from Earth & cannot be visited by astronauts as the Hubble was on several occasions. It had to be “perfect” before it left Earth & its performance so far is flawless. It had 344 single points of failure that would have scrapped the entire mission. It is an amazing story of how humans achieved “perfection.” Bob Mitchell is an engineer & amateur astronomer, so his talk will be about the development & construction of the actual telescope & the problems that had to be over-come. All students are encouraged to attend. The presentation will NOT be too sophisticated for people to understand.
Covid is not over & we are encouraging people to wear masks for our meeting. Let’s be safe, not sorry.
As of July 1, we started a Stargazer Rewards Program where members will receive coupons for attendance, speaking, special preparation etc. at club meetings & activities. The more you participate the more coupons you will receive. Then at our 10th Anniversary Dinner & Party on Friday, October 7th, a coupon will be drawn for a fabulous 10th anniversary t-shirt with a photo from the James Webb Space Telescope. The San Juan Stargazers have been waiting for years for these photos.
If you would like to join the San Juan Stargazers, our new membership year began July 1. You will also receive Reflector Magazine which is the publication of the National Astronomical League of which you automatically become a member. To join both groups & get an excellent astronomy magazine, annual membership is only $25/ family. This year there is a fabulous special gift for new & renewing members. It will help you become the astronomer you have always dreamed of being. You will LOVE it! You can join the club at any of our events or on our web-site.
The San Juan Stargazers Club is part of the Astronomical League celebrating its 75th year of service which includes over 250 clubs from all over the US. Our local group also has a web-site—www.sanjuanstargazers.org. CHECK IT OUT for more information & beautiful Hubble and Webb photos. We welcome everyone to learn more about our AMAZING UNIVERSE. Hope to see you soon!