Champaign-Urbana Astronomical Society 
Champaign, IL. 61820

Minutes of CUAS Club meeting held on 
Thursday March 8th, 2007  7:00PM 
Parkland College, Staerkel Planetarium 
2500 West Bradley Avenue Champaign , Ill  61820


TELESCOPE CLINIC REVIEW

The Telescope Clinic was determined to be a good success with 6 or 8
people showing up with their new scopes for instruction.


CLUB ITEMS OF BUSUNESS AND DISCUSSION

Possible Viewing Events

03-17-2007 Saturday, members observing at the dome

03-24-2007 Saturday, Public viewing at the dome.

03-29-2007 Thursday.  South Side Elementary School is having an Reading
Night where Dave Leake will be showing the students how to read star
charts.  Guy Hampel has volunteered to have an observing session there
if the weather permits.  Any other members are welcome to help.

04-13,14-2007 Bob Rubendunst has made arrangements for observing at Middle
Fork Waterfowl site just north of the main preserve area at Middle Fork,
near Penfield, Illinois. This would occur on Friday, 4-13-07 with a rain
date of Saturday, 4-14-07.  Bob mentions how to get there:

   To get there from C-U, head east on I 74 to exit 197. Go north (Champaign
   county Route 22, aka County Road 2700E) about 19 miles. Go past the Middle
   Fork Preserve Entrance, and about 100 yards north of the entrance, is
   county road 3500 N. Turn left (West) onto County Road 3500N, and drive
   about 3/5 a mile east, then turn right at the brown forest preserve
   sign. There is an area where 10-20 cars could park.

05-03-2007 Thursday. The Orpheum Children’s Science Museum and Parkland
will host a get together with children’s activities at Parkland Staerkel
Planetarium.  The club might want to consider having an information table
at the event.  The table would need to be staffed and Dave Leake will be
busy with activities in the dome so we would need other club volunteers.
Some suggestions for this event might be:

* It's day after full moon - have a scope outside for lunar viewing
(though observing the full moon isn’t much) and Venus and Saturn

* Handout on what to look for when buying a telescope for kids

* Some sort of kid's activity . . .  Could set-up spectral tube and have
kids look at them with the grating glasses

* Could model moon phases.   Could do a scale solar system.   Could have
star charts, etc, etc, etc.

* Club brochures . . .maybe date of next meeting on them.

* Displays?   Dave still has the light pollution display.  

05-05-2007 Saturday, Allerton Park Observing…more details to come.

October 2007 Staerkel Planetarium 20th anniversary will occur around
October of 2007.  CUAS should probably be involved in this somehow.


Other Items

Fork Mount. Bob Lozar has been emailed a note concerning the old fork
mount’s disposition.  No response yet.  Most probably we will have it
re-cycled…whatever that means J.

Mow List…The grass is growing…..time to get on the mow list.


PROGRAM FOR THE EVENING

The program was presented by Dr. You-Hua Chu, Phd  of the University of
Illinois. Her highly visual, very interesting and detailed presentation
showed us views of the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) in views other than
visible light.  What are called “multi wavelength observations”. The
Helix Nebula takes on a much different view than we see in visible light
and tells us much more about its structure.

There being no further business to be brought before the officers,
the meeting was adjourned at 8:30PM

Michael T. Conron, Secretary