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2012
Febrary 2012
1 Febuary 2012 - Ranny Heflin's image portfolio updated.
1 Febuary 2012 - Image of the Month: Moon Baby by Myron Wasiuta. 
January 2012
28 January 2012 - Backup star party held.  Members only.  Location Belmont Observatory. Sunset 5:27 PM, Moon Q1 28% setting 11:08 PM. Jupiter Uranus, Venus visible. Send Scott an EMAIL if you plan to attend.
23 January 2012 - January meeting minutes posted.
22 January 2012 - Spectroscopy presentation by Robin Leadbeater. Link posted on Documents page. Similar to Tom Fields January presentation, which was not posted due to presence of copyrighted material.
21 January 2012 - CANCELLED due to weather.  Star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 5:20 PM, Moon Q4 3% rising 5:51 AM. Jupiter Uranus, Venus visible.
11 January 2012 - Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Headquarters Branch, Cable Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Meet & greet 6:45 PM; Meeting starts 7:00 PM. Program "Spectroscopy" by Tom Field (Internet Video Link). Business session follows.  Meeting ends 9:00 PM.
1 January 2012 - Image of the Month: Jupiter by Jerry Hubbell.
1 January 2012 - 2012 RAC officers: Jerry Hubbell - President; Glenn Holliday - Vice President; Tim Plunkett - Treasurer; Bart Billard - Secretary.
2011
December 2011
21 December 2011 - December meeting minutes posted.
18 December 2011 - RAC 2011 Annual Report posted.
17 December 2011 - CANCELLED due to weather.  Star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 4:51 PM, Moon Q4 50% rising 1:24 AM. Jupiter Uranus, Neptune visible. No backup.
14 December 2011 - Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Headquarters Branch, Cable Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Meet & greet 6:45 PM; Meeting starts 7:00 PM. Program "Pluto" by Glenn Holliday. Business session follows.  Meeting ends 9:00 PM.
1 December 2011 - Image of the Month: The Hunter by Ranny Heflin.
November 2011
26 November 2011 - CANCELLED due to weather.  Members only backup star party.  Notification will be done on Saturday AM only by rac_group email; there will be no web posting.  Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 4:51 PM, Moon Q1 3% setting 6:22 PM. Jupiter Uranus, Neptune visible.
19 November 2011 - CANCELLED due to weather.  Star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 4:55 PM, Moon Q4 38% rising 1:26 AM. Jupiter Uranus, Neptune visible.
19 November 2011 - November meeting minutes posted.
9 November 2011 - Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Headquarters Branch, Cable Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Meet & greet 6:45 PM; Meeting starts 7:00 PM. Annual Pizza Dinner, no program; 2012 officer elections. Meeting ends 9:00 PM.  Elected: President Jerry Hubbell, VP Glenn Holliday, Treasurer Tim Plunkett, Secretary Bart Billard.
1 November 2011 - Club News:  On Oct 24, David Abbou gave two well received  astronomy presentations at Park Ridge Elementary School to about 120 total students.  Recently Jerry Hubbell's astrophoto gallery was updated with images from his spectroscopy captures. Click for sample.
1 November 2011 - Image of the Month: Waxing Gibbous Moon by David Abbou.
October 2011
29 October 2011 - CANCELLED due to rain. Outreach public star party at Lake Anna State Park. Sunset 6:14 PM, Moon Q1 11% setting 8:39 PM. Uranus, Neptune near meridian, Jupiter rising.  Details on Outreach page. Directions on Star Parties page > Locations & Directions.
22 October 2011 - STAR PARTY IS ON! Star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 6:23 PM, Moon Q4 24% rising 3:34 AM. Uranus, Neptune near meridian, Jupiter rising.
20 October 2011 - October meeting minutes posted.
4 October 2011 - Note date change; this is a Tuesday meeting. Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Headquarters Branch, Cable Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Meet & greet 6:45 PM; program 7:00 PM: "NASA Mercury Mission Update" by Brenda Conway; business session follows, 2012 officer nominations; end 9:00 PM.
3 October 2011 - September meeting minutes posted.
1 October 2011 - Image of the Month: Hale-Bopp Comet by Mark Slade
1 October 2011 - CANCELLED due to weather.  Outreach solar observing and star party at historic Stratford Hall, Monross, Virginia!  Join RAC for an afternoon and evening of observing of the heavens.  Setup will be on the Oval, in front of the Great House.  Solar observing will begin at 4:00 PM, with sunset at 6:53 PM and star party to follow. Moon is Q1 24% illuminated, setting 9:54 PM.  Details on Outreach page. Directions on Star Parties page > Locations & Directions.
September 2011
24 September 2011 - CANCELLED due to clouds.  Star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 7:04 PM, Moon Q4 11% rising 4:47 AM. Uranus, Neptune in east. At this event we will join Caledon in celebrating National Public Lands Day!
14 September 2011 - Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Headquarters Branch, Cable Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Meet & greet 6:45 PM; program 7:00 PM: "The Evolution of Stars" by Joseph Francis; business session follows; end 9:00 PM. New: RAC Library Books & DVDs now at meetings for checkout.
3 September 2011 -   Club picnic at Belmont Observatory. (Rescheduled from August 27.)  RAC Members and Guests Only.  Directions are on the Star Parties page. Start time is 3 PM, with food on the grill at 4 PM and prize drawings at 6 PM.  There will be solar observing in the afternoon and a star party afterward, weather permitting, with sunset at 7:47 PM.
3 September 2011 - CANCELLED due to Park closure from Hurricane Irene damage.  Outreach star party at Westmoreland State Park. Sunset 7:37 PM, Moon Q1 38% illuminated setting 11:08 AM. Uranus, Neptune up.
1 September 2011 - Image of the Month: Ring Nebula M57 in Lyra (Sketch) by Myron Wasiuta
August 2011
27 August 2011 - Club picnic at Belmont Observatory. RAC Members and Guests Only.  Postponed due to Hurricane Irene.  Rescheduled to Sept 3. 
1 August 2011 - Image of the Month: Swan in the Desert by Ranny Heflin
1 August 2011 - July meeting minutes posted.
July 2011
30 July 2011 - CANCELLED due to cloudy skies. Star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 8:22 PM, Moon new. Saturn setting.
23 July 2011 - CANCELLED due to clouds. Outreach star party at Westmoreland State Park. Sunset 8:28 PM, Moon Q4 30% illuminated rising 12:35 AM. Saturn setting.
13 July 2011 - Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Headquarters Branch, A/V Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Meet & greet 6:45 PM; program 7:00 PM: "About Light Pollution" by Scott Busby; business session follows; end by 9:00 PM.
2 July 2011 - CANCELLED due to clouds.  Star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 8:37 PM, Moon Q1 2% illuminated setting 9:35 PM. Saturn west.
1 July 2011 - Image of the Month: Hercules Cluster M13 by Jerry Hubbell. (Processing by Scott Busby)
June 2011
26 June 2011 - June meeting minutes posted.
25 June 2011 - CANCELLED due to cloudy skies. Outreach star party at Westmoreland State Park. Sunset 8:37 PM, Moon Q4 30% illuminated rising 2:03 AM. Saturn in west.
13 June 2011 - RAC supports annual Conway Elementary Space Day event with solar observing program.
12 June 2011 - Jerry Hubbell's Image Portfolio has been updated with a number of new images (123456789) showing off his skills as an astro-photographer, his setup and the technical effort he puts into insuring the quality of his work.
4 June 2011 - CANCELLED due to weather. Backup star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 8:29 PM, Moon Q1 8% illuminated, setting 10:57 AM. Saturn near meridian.
3 June 2011 - Image of the Month: Sun & Sunspots by George Clarke.
May 2011
28 May 2011 - CANCELLED due to weather. Star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 8:25 PM, Moon Q4 16% illuminated, rising 3:03 AM. Saturn near meridian. Backup date June 4 is at Caledon.
19 May 2011 - May meeting minutes posted.
14 May 2011 - Usage patterns for RaClub.org web site and rac_group Yahoo Group defined and posted.
11 May 2011 - Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Headquarters Branch, A/V Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Meet & greet 6:45 PM; program 7:00 PM: "Effects of Vacuum on Materials" by Leigh Gettier; business session follows; end by 9:00 PM.
7 May 2011 - CANCELLED due to weather. Backup star party at Belmont Observatory. RAC members only; not open to the public. Directions may be found in the applications area of RAC's Yahoo group. Sunset 7:08 PM, Moon Q1 18% illuminated, rising 12:16 AM. Saturn near meridian.
2 May 2011 - Image of the Month: Venus & Moon by Ranny Heflin.
2 May 2011 - April meeting minutes posted.
April 2011
30 April 2011 - Star Party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 8:00 PM, Moon Q4 6% illuminated, rising 5:01 AM. Saturn near meridian. Backup date May 7 is at private location.
13 April 2011 - Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Headquarters Branch, A/V Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Meet & greet 6:45 PM; program 7:00 PM: "Landing on a Sunspot" by Brenda Conway; business session follows; end by 9:00 PM.
9 April 2011 - CANCELLED due to weather. Outreach star party at Lake Anna State Park. Sunset 7:40 PM, Moon Q1 31% illuminated, setting 1:33 AM. Saturn in east. Start time 8:30 PM.
2 April 2011 - CANCELLED due to weather. Backup date for RAC's annual Messier Marathon star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 7:32 PM, Moon Q4 1% illuminated, rising 6:31 AM. Saturn in east. No April backup star party date. Challenge Objects (PDF) updated for April.
1 April 2011 - Image of the Month: Purbach Walter Stofler by Jerry Hubbell.
March 2011
17 March 2011 - March meeting minutes posted.
15 March 2011 - RAC joins JPL's Night Sky Network! Visit our NSN page.
9 March 2011 - Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Headquarters Branch, A/V Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Meet & greet 6:45 PM; program 7:00 PM: "How to Set Up & Use RAC's Loaner Telescopes"; business session follows; end by 9:00 PM.
7 March 2011 - Glenn Holliday's December 2010 program, Astronomy Camp Trip Report, posted.
5 March 2011 - CANCELLED due to weather. RAC's annual Messier Marathon star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 6:07 PM, Moon Q1 1% illuminated, rising 7:00 AM. Saturn rising late. No March backup date.
3 March 2011 - Image of the Month: Orion Belt & Sword by Rob Friedel.
3 March 2011 - Several new postings on the Documents page: February meeting minutes; Bart Billard's February program, The Kepler Mission; and two papers by Jerry Hubbell, A Study of the Southern Lunar Highlands and ATIK 314e CCD Camera Performance Review.
February 2011
9 February 2011 - Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Headquarters Branch, A/V Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Meet & greet 6:45 PM; program 7:00 PM: "The Kepler Mission" by Bart Billard; business session follows; end by 9:00 PM.
5 February 2011 - Backup star party at Belmont Observatory. RAC members only; not open to the public. Directions may be found in the applications area of RAC's Yahoo group. Sunset 5:37 PM, Moon Q1 6% illuminated, rising 2:44 AM. Jupiter, Uranus in western sky. CANCELLED due to weather.
2 February 2011 - Image of the Month: Rosette Nebula by Scott Busby.
January 2011
29 January 2011 - RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 5:29 PM, Moon Q4 18% illuminated, rising 3:51 AM. Jupiter, Uranus in western sky. RAC's list of Challenge Objects (PDF) updated for February! CANCELLED due to weather.
26 Janury 2011 - January meeting minutes posted.
12 January 2011 - Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Headquarters Branch, A/V Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Meet & greet 6:45 PM; program 7:00 PM: "Building a Home Observatory" by Dave Bentz; business session follows; end by 9:00 PM.
8 January 2011 - CANCELLED due to weather. RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 5:06 PM, Moon Q1 17% illuminated, setting at 9:33 PM. Jupiter, Uranus & Neptune in western sky. Add a little spice to your observing session with RAC's list of Challenge Objects (PDF) for January! (No backup date in January.)
3 January 2011 - January Image of the Month: Great Nebula of Orion M42 by Jerry Hubbell.
2010
December 2010
25 December 2010 - December meeting minutes now online.
17 December 2010 - RAC 2010 Annual Report posted (PDF).
11 December 2010 - Backup RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 4:50 PM, Moon Q1 33% illuminated, setting at 10:48 PM. Jupiter, Uranus & Neptune near meridian. CANCELLED due to cloudy skies.
8 December 2010 - Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Headquarters Branch, A/V Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Meet & greet 6:45 PM; program 7:00 PM: "Astronomy Camp at Univerity of Arizona" by Glenn Holliday; business session follows; end by 9:00 PM.
3 December 2010 - December Image of the Month: Pleiades M45 by Ranny Heflin.
3 December 2010 - RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 4:50 PM, Moon Q4 5% illuminated, rising at 6:05 AM following morning. Jupiter, Uranus & Neptune in western sky. CANCELLED due to cloudy skies.
November 2010
17 November 2010 - November meeting minutes now online.
13 November 2010 - Backup RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 4:59 PM, Moon Q1 50% illuminated, setting at 12:02 AM. Jupiter, Uranus & Neptune in eastern. (Cancelled because primary party was held.)
11 November 2010 - RAC announces outreach star party at historic Stratford Hall, set for 1 October 2011!
10 November 2010 - Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Headquarters Branch, Cable Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Meet & greet 6:45 PM; business meeting and club elections 7:00 PM; end by 9:00 PM. 2011 officers elected: President: Michael Masters; Vice-President: Joseph Francis; Treasurer: Tim Plunkett; Secretary: Bart Billard. No program.
5 November 2010 - RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 6:13 PM, Moon Q4 1% illuminated, rising at 7:04 AM. Jupiter, Uranus & Neptune in eastern sky.
3 November 2010 - October meeting minutes now online.
2 November 2010 - November Image of the Month: Leonid Meteor Shower by Jeff Grossman.
October 2010
30 October 2010 - October monthly meeting program "Black Holes" (PDF) by Joseph Francis now online.
25 October 2010 - Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Headquarters Branch, A/V Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Meet & greet 6:45 PM; program 7:00 PM: "Black Holes" by Joseph Francis; business session follows; end by 9:00 PM. Meeting rescheduled and relocated due to library renovations.
22 October 2010 - David Abbou conducted an educational outreach for 4th grade students at Park Ridge Elementary School.
22 October 2010 - Fun Sun Facts handout (PDF) added to Documents page for use during daytime outreach events with club Personal Solar Telescope. New video tutorial links added to Telescope Help section of Links page. (Thanks to Don Clark for finding these videos.)
13 October 2010 - Monthly meeting previously planned for this date has been rescheduled to October 25.
9 October 2010 - Backup RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 6:41 PM, Moon Q1 5% illuminated, setting at 7:39 PM. Jupiter, Uranus & Neptune near meridian. CANCELLED due to success of Oct 2 party.
2 October 2010 - RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 6:51 PM, Moon Q4 34% illuminated, rising at 2:05 AM. Jupiter, Uranus & Neptune near meridian.
1 October 2010 - October Image of the Month: International Space Station by David Abbou.
September 2010
29 September 2010 - September meeting minutes now online.
29 September 2010 - David Abbou's Image Portfolio updated. David's Jupiter images made the Channel 9 and 4 TV weather segments last week!
18 September 2010 - Public Outreach star party at Stafford County's Curtis Memorial Park.
11 September 2010 - CANCELLED due to cloudy skies. RAC star party at Skyline Drive, meet at Milam Gap parking area 1.5 miles south of Big Meadows. Sunset 7:24 PM, Moon Q1 15% illuminated, setting at 9:05 PM, Jupiter, Uranus & Neptune in eastern sky.
8 September 2010 - Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Headquarters Branch, A/V Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Meet & greet 6:45 PM; program 7:00 PM: "Measuring the Universe: Modern Methods", by Michael Masters. Business session follows, adjourn 9 PM.
4 September 2010 - RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 7:35 PM, Moon Q4 20% illuminated, rising at 3:12 AM. Jupiter, Uranus & Neptune in eastern sky.
1 September 2010 - September Image of the Month: Solar Prominences by Glenn Faini.
August 2010
29 August 2010 - August meeting minutes posted.
14 August 2010 - Backup RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area (if needed). Sunset 8:05 PM, Moon Q1 28% illuminated, rising at 10:31 PM. Jupiter & Uranus rising late, Neptune in eastern sky. CANCELLED due to successful primary party August 7.
7 August 2010 - Annual RAC club picnic at Caledon Natural Area, members and guests only. Short club meeting, no program. Start 5 PM.
7 August 2010 - RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 8:13 PM, Moon Q4 9% illuminated, rising at 4:22 AM. Jupiter & Uranus rising late, Neptune in eastern sky.
1 August 2010 - August Image of the Month: Jupiter Without Southern Band by Scott Busby.
July 2010
18 July 2010 - July meeting minutes posted.
17 July 2010 - CANCELLED due to cloudy skies. RAC public outreach at Westmoreland State Park. Sunset 8:32 PM, Moon Q1 41% illuminated, sets at 11:56 PM. Venus & Mars setting, Saturn in west, Neptune rising late. See announcement Outreach page.
14 July 2010 - Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Headquarters Branch, A/V Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Meet & greet 6:45 PM; program 7:00 PM: "Measuring the Universe" Part I, by Michael Masters. Business session follows, adjourn 9 PM.
10 July 2010 - CANCELLED due to rain. RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 8:35 PM, Moon Q4 2% illuminated, rising at 5:34 AM. Venus & Mars setting, Saturn in west, Neptune rising late.
2 July 2010 - July Image of the Month: Mare Nectaris by David Abbou.
June 2010
26 June 2010 - June meeting minutes posted.
19 June 2010 - RAC public outreach at Westmoreland State Park. Sunset 8:36 PM, Moon Q1 50% illuminated, setting at 1:22 AM. Venus prominent in west, Saturn and Mars west of meridian. See report on Documents page.
12 June 2010 - CANCELLED due to cloudy skies. RAC star party at Skyline Drive. The recommended setup location is the Milam Gap parking area, about 1.5 miles south of Big Meadows. Sunset 8:34 PM, Moon new. Venus prominent in west, Saturn and Mars west of meridian.
9 June 2010 - Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Headquarters Branch, A/V Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Meet & greet 6:45 PM; program 7:00 PM: "Mercury" by Brenda Conway; business session to follow; end by 9:00 PM.
5 June 2010 - CANCELLED due to cloudy skies. RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 8:30 PM, Moon Q4 43% illuminated, rising at 1:49 AM. Venus prominent in west, Saturn and Mars high in sky.
1June 2010 - Image of the Month: Ring Nebula M57 by Myron Wasiuta.
May 2010
22 May 2010 - Public Astronomy Program at Curtis Park (directions), Stafford County, 7-9 PM. Conducted by RAC Past President and former university lecturer Myron Wasiuta. Sponsored by Stafford Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. CANCELLED due to rain.
21 May 2010 - May meeting minutes posted. Summary of Scott Busby's "Webcam Astrophotography" posted.
15 May 2010 - CANCELLED (May party held 8 May): RAC backup star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 8:14 PM, Moon Q1 3% illuminated, setting at 10:22 PM. Venus prominent in west, Saturn and Mars near meridian.
12 May 2010 - Monthly meeting. This meeting has been moved to Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Salem Church Branch, 2607 Salem Church Road. Meeting Room B (turn left inside main entrance). Meet & greet 6:45 PM; program 7:00 PM: "Webcam Astrophotography" by Scott Busby; business session to follow; end by 9:00 PM.
8 May 2010 - RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 8:08 PM, Moon Q4 27% illuminated rising at 3:24 AM. Venus prominent in west, Saturn and Mars near meridian.
May 2010 - Image of the Month: Atlantic Sunspot by Michael Masters.
April 2010
25 April 2010 - April meeting minutes posted.
24 April 2010 - King George Parks & Rec's annual daytime Earth Day celebration at Caledon Natural Area, 10 AM - 1 PM, announcement on Outreach page. Contact Michael Masters if you can participate. RAC participation CANCELLED due to clouds, preventing use of club solar scope.
17 April 2010 - RAC backup star party at Caledon Natural Area (if needed). Sunset 7:48 PM, Moon 11% Q1, Saturn rising, Mars near meridian, Venus and Mercury setting. CANCELLED; April star party was held on the 10th.
14 April 2010 - Monthly meeting. Note that this meeting has been moved to Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Salem Church Branch, 2607 Salem Church Road. Meeting Room B (turn left inside main entrance). Meet & greet 6:45 PM ; program 7:00 PM: "Outfitting the Compleat Astronomer" by Michael Masters; business session to follow; end by 9:00 PM. (May 12 and October 13 meetings will be held at this same location.)
10 April 2010 - RAC's annual Messier Marathon star party held at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 7:42 PM, Moon Q4 near new, Saturn rising, Mars near meridian, Venus & Mercury setting. Download and print a 2-page data sheet or a 26-page list and set of charts.
April 2010 - Image of the Month: Mars Collection by Scott Busby
March 2010
27 March 2010 - March meeting minutes posted.
20 March 2010 - RAC backup star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 7:22 PM, Moon 22% Q1 in Pleiades, Saturn in east, Mars near meridian early.
15 March 2010 - Club Vice-President Joseph Francis has accepted the role of loaner equipment coordinator. Loaner equipment is available only to members, for a period of one month, and must be returned at the next club meeting. (If no one else wishes to borrow it, the item may be used again on a month by month basis.) Equipment and loan procedures are described on the Library and Loaner Equipment page.
13 March 2010 - CANCELLED due to weather. RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 6:15 PM, Moon near new, Saturn in east, Mars near meridian early. This was to have been our annual Messier Marathon party. The backup date for the Marathon is now 10 April.
10 March 2010 - Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Main Branch, A/V Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. 6:45 PM meet & greet; 7:00 PM program: "Radio Astronomy and SETI" by Robert Taylor; business session to follow; end by 9:00 PM.
March 2010 - Image of the Month: Rising Moon by Mike Williams.
February 2010
13 February 2010 - CANCELLED due to adverse conditions. RAC backup star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 5:46 PM, Moon new, Mars in eastern sky.
10 February 2010 - CANCELLED due to Snow. Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Main Branch, A/V Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. 6:45 PM meet & greet; 7:00 PM program, business session to follow, end by 9:00 PM. The program, "Outfitting the Compleat Astronomer!" by Michael Masters, will be rescheduled.
6 February 2010 - CANCELLED due to snow. RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 5:38 PM, Moonrise 2:31 AM, Mars in eastern sky.
Febuary 2010 - Image of the Month: Horsehead Nebula by Mark Slade.
January 2010
18 January 2010 - January meeting minutes posted.
16 January 2010 - CANCELLED due to cloudy skies. RAC backup star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 5:15 PM. Moon set 6:45 PM, Uranus setting, Mars rising.
13 January 2010 - Monthly meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Main Branch, A/V Room, back-left of new wing,1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Meet & greet at 6:45PM; bring your "grab and go scopes" for a "show and tell" at 7:00 PM; business session to follow; end by 9:00 PM.
12 January 2010 - New Observing the Night Sky page added to the web site. This page links to atlases, star charts, catalogs and observer's guides available in print and on the web. Also included are observation data sheets.
9 January 2010 - CANCELLED due to cold weather. RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 5:07 PM. Uranus setting, Mars rising, Moon Q4 rising 3:30 AM.
1 January 2010 - RAC Beginner Coordinator Leigh Gettier's tutorial about choosing a first telescope is now online.
1 January 2010 - Scott Busby's 2009 RAC Year End Report now online!
January 2010 - Image of the Month: Great Nebula of Orion by Myron Wasiuta.
2009
December 2009
22 December 2009 - December meeting minutes posted.
19 December 2009 - RAC backup star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 4:50 PM. CANCELLED due to weather.
17 December 2009 - Club member David Abbou conducted an astronomy outreach session at the Dahlgren School in Dahlgren, VA. About 40 kids were present along with a few teachers. David handed out NASA outreach info in addition to RAC flyers. The presentation went very well, with many good questions from the kids and teachers!
13-14 December 2009 - The Geminid meteor shower peaks when Earth passes through debris from extinct comet 3200 Phaethon.
12 December 2009 - CANCELLED due to cloudy skies. RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area. Sunset 4:50 PM. Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune visible in the western sky.
9 December 2009 - RAC meeting at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Main Branch, 1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. Revised 2010 star party schedule and planned meeting program speakers and topics. Pizza Hut has closed their large rooms and will not reopen them in the foreseeable future.
December 2009 - Image of the Month - Saturn March 2007 by Scott Busby.
November 2009
21 November 2009 - Cancelled due to weather: RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area.
17 November 2009 - Cancelled due to clouds. On this weeknight Tuesday Caledon Natural Area will be open to observers of the peak of the Leonids meteor shower. Join Ranger Sam at 8:00 PM for a view of Caledon's "Lions in the Sky" event!
15 November 2009 - November meeting minutes posted.
14 November 2009 - Cancelled due to weather: RAC primary star party at Caledon Natural Area.
11 November 2009 - Beginning December 9, RAC meetings will return to the Audio/Visual Room at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Main Branch, 1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg. The A/V room is at the back left of the wing on the left side of the main CRRL building. Pizza Hut is closing their large rooms and will not reopen them in the foreseeable future.
11 November 2009 - RAC meeting 7:00PM at Pizza Hut, 1224 Powhatan St., Fredericksburg VA. Election of 2010 club officers: President - Michael Masters, Vice-President - Joseph Francis, Treasurer - Tim Plunkett, Secretary - Bart Billard. No program presentation.
November 2009 - Image of the Month - Christmas Eclipse by Glenn Faini.
October 2009
30 October 2009 - October Meeting Minutes posted.
24 October 2009 - Backup star party at Caldeon Natural Area cancelled due to cloudy skies.
23 October 2009 - Club member David Abbou provided astronomy and space program outreach presentations to 100 fourth graders at Park Ridge Elementary School.
17 October 2009 - RAC star party at Caledon Natural Area cancelled due to cloudy weather.
14 October 2009 - RAC meeting 7:00PM at Pizza Hut, 1224 Powhatan St., Fredericksburg VA; Nominations conducted for 2010 club officers: President - Michael Masters, Vice-President - Joseph Francis, Treasurer - Tim Plunkett, Secretary - Bart Billard. Glenn Holliday and James Bingham received award certificates and gifts for service to the club. Glenn's award was for his long time service and excellent contributions as a teacher of astronomy to scouts, and James' award was for his work with the club web site.
11 October 2009 - Scott Busby's paper, "Light Pollution: Classical Argument Position Paper", has been posted in the Programs & Articles section of the Documents page.
10 October 2009 - RAC primary star party at Caledon Natural Area CANCELLED due to cloudy skies. The backup date is next Saturday, 17 October. The previously planned visit to Westmoreland State Park was cancelled due to construction at the observing site.
3 October 2009 - The RAC Image Gallery has been extensively revised. The new format features individual thumbnail index pages devoted to the portfolios of each contributing member. Images are also linked from the Members page if the photographer has one. A Site Index page has been added and is linked at the bottom of each page.
October 2009 - Image of the Month - Dumbell Nebula M27 by Myron Wasiuta.
September 2009
28 September 2009 - September Meeting Minutes posted.
27 September 2009 - Two program presentations, Collimating Newtonian Reflectors and How We See The Sky, are now available in PDF format in the Programs section of the Documents page
25 September 2009 - RAC's Glenn Holliday conducted a highly entertaining and well-received public outreach astronomy talk for Women's Wellness Weekend at Westmoreland State Park.
19 September 2009 - Scheduled RAC star party Saturday at Skyline Drive CANCELLED due to cloudy skies. Some members did go anyway and enjoyed an occasional view through the clouds!
12 September 2009 - Scheduled primary RAC star party Saturday at Caledon Natural Area CANCELLED due to cloudy skies.
12 September 2009 - RAC's David Abbou conducted an astronomy outreach for Girl Scouts at Camp Coles in Stafford, Virginia.
9 September 2009 - RAC meeting 7:00PM at Pizza Hut, 1224 Powhatan St., Fredericksburg VA; program: DVD on science of the "Star of Bethlehem."
September 2009 - Image of the Month - Hale-Bopp Comet by David Abbou.
August 2009
26 August - Minutes for the RAC August meeting posted.
22 August 2009 - RAC annual picnic held 1:00 PM at the Caledon Natural Area covered shelter. Club star party that night was cancelled due to rain.
15 August 2009 - RAC star party Saturday held at Caledon Natural Area, Rt. 218, 540-663-3861.
12 August 2009 - RAC meeting program: "How We See the Sky: The Physics and Physiology of Visual Astronomy" Part 2, by Michael Masters.
9 August 2009 - The new club website is now open for business. As with the old site, it is accessible at http://www.raclub.org. The old site has been deactivated but all files have been saved in case we missed anything!
August 2009 - Image of the Month - Andromeda Galaxy M31 by Scott Busby.
July 2009
25 July 2009 - Backup star party at Caledon cancelled.
8 July 2009 - RAC club meeting program: "How We See the Sky: The Physics and Physiology of Visual Astronomy" Part 1, by Michael Masters.

Club News - Pre August 2009
July 23 2009 - July Minutes
The minutes from the July 2009 monthly club meeting are posted.
July 18 2009 - Boy Scout Astronomy Merit Badge Clinic
On July 18 Rappahannock Astronomy club presents a Boy Scout Astronomy Merit Badge clinic at Caledon Natural Area. Download the PDF flyer here. Materials for the clinic are here.
Jun 10 2009 - June Minutes
The minutes from the June 2009 monthly club meeting are posted.
May 13 2009 - May Minutes
The minutes from the May 2009 monthly club meeting are posted.
April 8 2009 - April Minutes
The minutes from the April 2009 monthly club meeting are posted.
March 11 2009 - March Minutes
The minutes from the March 2009 monthly club meeting are posted.
Backup Star Party has been Cancelled. Next Party is March 21.
February 15 2009 - February minutes
The minutes from the February 2009 monthly club meeting are posted.
January 20 2009 - Created a Beginner's Section
The beginner section contains information useful to people who want to know more about Astronomy. Visit Here.
January 20 2009 - January minutes
The minutes from the January 2009 monthly club meeting are posted.
January 6 2009 - 2009 Club Officers
The 2009 club officers were elected at the November 2008 meeting.
President - Scott Busby
Vice-President - Michael Masters
Treasurer - Tim Plunkett
Secretary - Barton Billard
January 6 2009 - December minutes
The minutes from the December 2008 monthly club meeting are posted.
January 6 2009 - New Star Party and Outreach Program dates are posted!
View the latest schedule here.
2008
November 22 2008 - Meeting minutes
The minutes from the November 2008 monthly club meeting are posted.
October 22 2008 - Meeting minutes
The minutes from the October 2008 monthly club meeting are posted.
September 23 2008 - Meeting minutes
The minutes from the September 2008 monthly club meeting are posted.
August 24 2008 - Meeting minutes
The minutes from the August 2008 monthly club meeting are posted.
July 26 2008 - Meeting minutes
The minutes from the July 2008 monthly club meeting are posted.
 July 8 2008 - Meeting minutes
The minutes from the June 2008 monthly club meeting are posted.
May 23 2008 - Want to get more out of equipment you already have?
Our regular star party June 7 at Caledon will also be a free, public teaching evening. Bring out that Christmas telescope that you haven't quite used yet. We'll help you figure out any of your personal gear, and help you start enjoying it.
2007
November 14 2007 - Club Officers
The 2008 club officers were elected at the November 2007 meeting.
President Scott Busby
Vice President Mike Masters
Secretary Glenn Holliday
Treasurer Tim Plunkett
October 28 2007 - New Comet, Photos Coming
Comet Holmes has suddenly and unexpectedly become a naked-eye object in Perseus. I hope you've had a chance to observe it. Several club members have sent new photos of the comet. I hope to have time to put some of them on this Web site soon.
September 22 2007 - New Astrophotos
Club members have been sending me their photos much faster than I can maintain the Web site. I have some new ones in the gallery. Note that the gallery includes thumbnail images, which I have not yet made the time to resize and crop. Some of them appear squashed. When you click on the thumbnail, you get the original photograph in its original, correct size and appearance.
August 10 2007 - Club has Yahoo group
In addition to this Web page and our mailing list, the Rappahannock Astronomy Club has a Yahoo group. Check it out. Among other benefits, it's quicker and easier to get your astro photos up on the Web there.
June 10 2007 - Teaching aids
We get lots of requests to do astronomy with groups in our communities. We have notes for introducing astronomy to Cub Scouts. We hope to produce similar aids based on our experiences with Boy Scout, Girl Scout, and public school groups.
May 5 2007 - New Flyer
We have a new flyer you can duplicate and hand out at public events the club supports. (PDF file, 218 kbytes)
New Bylaws Approved
See them, and thanks to the members who worked to update them for our current needs.
August 11 2007 - Meteor shower this weekend
The biggest meteor show of the year comes when it's nice and warm to lie on the ground watching it. The Perseids are going on now. The shower is predicted to peak Sunday night/Monday morning (August 12-13). We expect to see some good meteors the night before at our regular star party at Caledon (August 11). The forecast is improving, but watch the weather. Clouds will mean we can't see anything, so no party.
March 24 2007 - Weather discouraging again today for Messier Marathon
The weather forecast for tonight's (Saturday March 24) star party and Messier Marathon is not good. Cloudy and chance of rain. You may recall this event was originally scheduled last Saturday, and we postponed it because of weather. That might happen again tonight.
January 4 2007 - New Astrophotos
Club members have been offering lots of great photos of astronomical objects. I've finally got a few new ones in the gallery.
2006
November 8 2006 - Club Officers
The 2007 club officers were elected at the November 2006 meeting.
President Myron Wasiuta
Vice President Dan Lien
Secretary Ruth Braun
Treasurer Tim Plunkett
March 7 2006 - Members make images of new objects
Two unusual "new" objects appeared in the night sky in February. Myron contributes an image by his students of a new supernova, and an image he captured of the visible light following a gamma ray burst (astronomers are investigating if this is also a supernova).
2005
3/8/05 - March Club Meeting
The next club meeting is Wednesday, March 9 at the downtown Library in Meeting Room 2.  The meeting will begin at 7pm.  Myron will be giving a program on the Meade DSI Imager, with images he have taken and advice on using it.
2004
11/04/04 - November Meeting at Pizza Hut
The November club meeting will be Wednesday November 10 at 7:00pm at the Pizza Hut located near College Ave. and Route 1 (across from Park and Shop).  Everyone is asked to contribute towards the cost of the food.
11/04/04 - Nominations for Club Officers
It is the time to think about people who you would like to nominate for club officers in 2005. We will start taking nominations at the November meeting.
9/10/04 - Big Meadows Star Gaze!
The weather look great this weekend for the Big Meadows Star Gaze.   I hope to see you there.
7/29/04 - Big Meadows Star Gaze!
On September 10-11, the club will be hosting the Third Annual Big Meadows Star Gaze, a two night star pary located at Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.   For additional info, please visit our page on the Big Meadows Star Gaze
7/28/04 - List of Mid-Atlantic Star Parties
NOVAC has their 2004 list of Mid-Atlantic Star Parties on their web site.
6/14/04 - July Club Meeting
The next club meeting is Wednesday, July 14 at the downtown Library in Meeting Room 2.  The meeting will begin at 7pm.
4/22/04 - May Club Meeting
The next club meeting is Wednesday, May 12 at the downtown Library in Meeting Room 2.  The meeting will begin at 7pm.
4/25/04 - May Star Party
The May star party is scheduled for Saturday, May 22, at Caledon.  Directions and additional information is listed on the RAC Events page.  As always, the star party will be canceled if the sky is not clear.
4/20/04 - Astronomy Day Outreach
On Saturday, April 24, which is Astronomy Day, the club will have an outreach and bake sale in front of the downtown Library from 1 to 5pm.  Telescopes will be set up for observing the sun.  Please contact Myron at 972-3290 for more information.
4/5/04 - April Club Meeting
The next club meeting is Wednesday, April 14 at the downtown Library in Meeting Room 2.  The meeting will begin at 7pm.
4/5/04 - April Star Party
The April star party is scheduled for Saturday, April 24, at Caledon.  Directions and additional information is listed on the RAC Events page.  As always, the star party will be canceled if the sky is not clear.
3/14/04 - March Star Party
The March star party is scheduled for Saturday, March 20, at Caledon.  Directions and additional information is listed on the RAC Events page.
3/6/04 - March Club Meeting
The next club meeting is Wednesday, March 10 at the downtown Library in Meeting Room 2.  The meeting will begin at 7pm and we will have two programs, one about setting circles and the other about rover images and activites on Mars.
2/23/04 - 2004 Star Party Dates
The 2004 star party dates have been posted on the Events page.
2/22/04 - Library Outreach/Bake Sale
On Monday, April 19, the club will have an outreach and bake sale in front of the downtown Library at 7pm.  Members are encouraged to bring their telescopes for observing (and some bake goods to sell if possible).  Please contact Myron at 972-3290 for more information.
2/22/04 - Border's Outreach Event
The club will have an outreach at Border's in Central Part on Saturday, March 27 at 7pm.  We will be observing the moon, Saturn, and Jupiter.
1/27/04 - 2004 Club Officers
The 2004 club officers elected at the January meeting are:
President Jim Burtle
Vice President   Myron Wasiuta
Secretary Arondo Holmes
Treasurer Tim Plunkett
1/7/04 - January Club Meeting
The next club meeting is Wednesday, January 14 at the downtown Library in Theater Room.  The meeting will begin at 7pm and the program is about how to setup and use a telescope.  Anyone with a new telescope is encouraged to attend and bring your telescope.
2003
10/28/03 - Outreach at Borders in Central Park
Another public outreach event is scheduled at Borders in Central Park on Saturday, November 1 at 6pm.  For additional info, please contact Myron Wasiuta at 972-3290.
10/28/03 - Outreach at Brock Road Elementary
Club members will set up telescopes at Brock Road Elementary School in Spotsylvania at 6pm on Thursday, October 30l.  Here is a map to the elementary school for those who wish to attend.
9/24/03 - BMSG Update
The BMSG will occur.  The park is open from the Thornton Gap entrance at Highway 211 to Big Meadows (visitors must enter the park at the Thornton Gap entrance).  The Big Meadows campground, Lodge, restaurant, wayside store, and visitor center are currently closed since electricity has not been restored.  We do not know if these facilities will be open during the BMSG, but the park is trying to get them operating as soon as possible. (The lodge at Skyland, about 10 miles away, is open.)  We have been told that restrooms should be available for use.  Please call 540-999-3500 for a recording of the current park status and check this page for daily updates on the BMSG.
9/24/03 - BMSG will occur as planned!
The Big Meadows Star Gaze will occur as planned!  The park was closed due to storm damage, but it is now partially open.  However, not all of the park facilities may be available during the BMSG.  The latest news will be posted here as it becomes available.
9/15/03 - 21st Annual NOVAC Star Gaze
NOVAC has their 21st Annual Star Gaze on Saturday, September 20 from 3pm to midnight.  Full details are posted on their web site.
9/10/03 - Outreach at Borders in Central Park
Another public outreach event is scheduled at Borders in Central Park on Saturday, September 20 at 7pm. We will have telescopes set up for the public to observe Mars.  For additional info, please contact Myron Wasiuta at 972-3290.
8/31/03 - Outreach at Borders in Central Park
A public outreach event is scheduled at Borders in Central Park on Saturday, September 6 at 7pm. We will have telescopes set up for the public to observe Mars.  For additional info, please contact Myron Wasiuta at 972-3290.
8/26/03 - Big Meadows Star Gaze!
On September 26-27, the club will be hosting the Second Annual Big Meadows Star Gaze, a two night star pary located at Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.   For additional info, please visit our page on the Big Meadows Star Gaze
8/24/03 - Outreach at Salem Church Branch of CRRL
The club will have a public outreach event at the Salem Church Branch Library of the CRRL of Thursday, September 11 at 8pm. Telescopes will be set up for the public to observe Mars.  For additional info, please contact Myron Wasiuta at 972-3290.
8/24/03 - Star Party and Observing Mars
Updated 8/30/03 - This star party has been cancelled due to bad weather.

The next public star party is scheduled for Saturday, August 30 at Caledon.  The focus will be on observing Mars.  The star party will begin when it gets dark.  As always, it will be canceled if the sky is cloudy.  For additional info, please contact Myron Wasiuta at 972-3290.
7/12/03 - June Business Meeting Minutes
The minutes from the June business meeting are online and can be viewed from the Events or About Our Club pages.
7/5/03 - July Club Meeting
The next club meeting is Wednesday, July 9 at the downtown Library in Meeting Room 2.  The meeting will begin at 7pm and the program is about observing Mars by Myron Wasiuta.  This summer, Mars is the closest it's been to Earth in 50,000 years.
6/16/03 - List of Mid-Atlantic Star Parties
NOVAC has their 2003 list of Mid-Atlantic Star Parties on their web site.
6/15/03 - Club Picnic and Star Party
The club picnic and star party is scheduled for Saturday, July 26 at 4pm at Caledon.  For members, food will be provided by the club.  The picnic will only be cancelled due to rain, but cloudy skies will stop the star party.  For additional info, please contact Myron Wasiuta at 972-3290 or Tom Pendergrass at 775-4758.
6/11/03 - 2003 Star Party Dates
The 2003 star party dates have been posted on the Events page.
6/8/03 - May Business Meeting Minutes
The minutes from the May business meeting are online and can be viewed from the Events or About Our Club pages.
5/22/03 - June Club Meeting
The next club meeting is Wednesday, June 11 at the downtown Library in Meeting Room 2.  The meeting will begin at 7pm and the program is a video about different types of telescopes called "Tools of the Trade" by Alex Filippenko.
5/22/03 - Next Star Party!
The next star party (actually our first one of the year) is Saturday, May 31, at Caledon.  The star party will begin when it gets dark.
4/9/03 - May Club Meeting
The next club meeting is Wednesday, May 14 at the downtown Library in Meeting Room 2.  The meeting will begin at 7pm.
3/8/03 - Meetings and Minutes
Starting in March, the club has a new format for meetings.  We will be having separate public and business meetings.  Public meetings will stay on the second Wednesday of the month and will focus on a program and astronomy discussions.  The business meeting will cover the administrative duties of the club.  A review of the business meeting minutes and all membership voting will be done at the public meetings.  The minutes from the March business meeting are online and can be viewed from the Events or About Our Club pages.
2/22/03 - Outreach/Bakesale at Fundamentals
Updated date and time.  The club is having an outreach and bake sale on Friday, March 14 at 7pm - 9pm at FUNdaMENTALs. Telescopes will be set up for viewing the moon and planets.  Club members are encouraged to stop by and help out.  Please let Myron know if you are able to bring any bake goods to sale.  The outreach is part of FUNdaMENTALs celebration of Einstein's birthday.
2/16/03 - March Club Meeting
Updated 3/8/03 - The meeting room has been changed to conference room 2 behind the theater at the downtown library.  The march program is "Birth of a Star" by Myron Wasiuta

The next club meeting is Wednesday, March 12 at the downtown Library.  The meeting will begin at 7pm.
1/23/03 - Member's Area
Here is a preview of the new Members' Area of the RAC web site.  Any RAC member who wants their own page just needs to follow the directions at the bottom of the Members' Area page.
1/22/03 - February Club Meeting/Outreach/Bake Sale
The next club meeting is Wednesday, February 12 at the downtown Library at 7pm followed by an outreach and bake sale in front of the library at 7:30pm.  Members are encouraged to bring their telescopes and some bake goods to sell.  Please contact Myron for more information.

Note: The outreach will occur even if the weather is bad.  We'll still set up the telescopes along with a display table inside the library.
1/9/03 - RAC Mailing List
A club email mailing list has been created for astronomy and club related messages.  To subscribe, just send an email to majordomo@m31.us with the line "subscribe raclub" in the body of the message.  You will receive an email back with additional instructions.  If you have any problems, you can send an email to me with the address at which you want to receive messages and I will administratively add you to the mailing list.

To send an email to everyone on the mailing list, just send the email to raclub@m31.us and everyone will receive it.
1/4/03 - 2003 Club Dues

Well, it's that time again.  Please either bring your 2003 club dues to a club meeting or mail it to the address below.

    Rappahannock Astronomy Club
    P.O. Box 868
    Spotsylvania, VA 22553

The dues are the same, $15 per family or $7.50 for a student.  Please make the check payable to the Rappahannock Astronomy Club.
2002
12/17/02 - 2003 Club Officers
The 2003 club officers elected at the December meeting are:
President Arondo Holmes
Vice President   Jim Burtle
Secretary Myron Wasiuta
Treasurer Bill Steward
12/17/02 - January Club Meeting
The next club meeting is Wednesday, January 8 at the downtown Library.  The meeting will begin at 7pm.  Myron will present a program on the restoration of an antique 4.5" f/15 refractor.
12/17/02 - Club Christmas Party

Myron sent the following infomation about a Club Christmas Party at his home.  If you need directions, just contact Myron below.

    Just a reminder about our club Christmas party. It will be this Saturday, December 21 at 7pm. It will be held at my house, and all are welcome. We will have Honey-Glazed Ham sandwiches,eggnog,fudge, and my wife's special fruit- punch. If you would like to bring a dessert or covered dish-great, but it's not necessary. Weather permitting, we will observe with my new telescope-an antique 4.75" f/14 refractor made by Wilbur Stone.

    If you think you would like to come-please email or call (972-3290) so we have a rough idea of numbers of guests to expect. Thanks!

12/8/02 - December Club Meeting
The next club meeting is Wednesday, December 11 at the downtown Library.  The meeting will begin at 7pm.  The club will elect new officers for 2003 at the meeting.  Scott Landsdale will present a program on Radio Astronomy.
10/31/02 - November Club Meeting at Pizza Hut!
The November club meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 13 at 7pm at the Pizza Hut located on Rt. 1 across from Park and Shop.  Here is a map to the Pizza Hut.  Due to our limited fund raising events this year, members are asked to donate $5 to cover the cost of dinner.
10/31/02 - Star Party at Caledon
Just a reminder for everyone that we have a public star party at Caledon on Saturday, November 2.  As always, the star party will be canceled if the sky is not clear.
10/10/02 - Outreach at Fundamentals
The club is having an outreach and bake sale on Saturday afternoon, October 19 at 12:00 at FUNdaMENTALs. Telescopes will be set up for solar viewing.  Club members are encouraged to stop by and help out.  Please let Myron know if you are able to bring any bake goods to sale.
9/29/02 - Regional Library Outreach
The club is having an outreach on November 19 at the downtown Regional Library.  This will be a sidewalk event highlighting the lunar eclipse that night!  It begins at 7PM, and we will have the big media room if we need it.  Mid-eclipse is about 8:10 (penumbral).
9/29/02 - Spotsylvania High School Outreach
The club has an outreach on Thursday, November 7 at Spotsylvania HS, with a cloud date on the 14th.  We will have about 100 people (students and parents) and will set up on the soccer field beginning at 6:30.  The topics discussed will be lunar science, and possibly star evolution if dark enough.  They have agreed to turn off the school lights for this event!
9/28/02 - Star Party at Caledon
Just a reminder for everyone that we have a public star party at Caledon on Saturday, October 5.  As always, the star party will be canceled if the sky is not clear.
9/23/02 - VAAS Annual Convention
The VAAS (Virginia Association of Astronomical Societies) is holding its 2002 annual convention at Randolph-Macon College on Saturday, October 5th.  Various presentations are planned throughout the day, along with an afternoon picnic and evening skywatch.  Full details and registration information is on the VAAS web site.
9/16/02 - A Successful BMSG!
The BMSG was a huge success!  The sky was excellent and everyone had a lot of fun.  The people were great and we made some new friends.  I'd like to especially thank Russ Garber (aka the Coffee Man) for all of his help and the use of his generator.  Saturday night we were even treated to an aurora!

I hope to have a web page up this weekend with photos from the BMSG.
9/16/02 - Boy Scout Outreach
Updated 9/25/02 - This outreach has been cancelled due to a schedule conflict for the Boy Scouts.  It will be rescheduled later.

Jim Burtle has volunteered to help the King George Boy Scouts earn the Merit Badge in Astronomy.  Jim will be meeting with the scouts at Caledon on Saturday, October 5th before the club star party.  If you want to help, please contact Jim at 898-3536 or jrburtle@erols.com.
9/16/02 - October Club Meeting
The next club meeting is Wednesday, October 9 at the Library.  The meeting will begin at 7pm.
9/6/02 - See you at the BMSG!
See you at the BMSG!  We should have excellent star gazing conditions!
8/30/02 - BMSG Planning Meeting
Myron Wasiuta sent word about a BMSG planning meeting at his house on Saturday, August 31 at 1pm. If you need directions, please give Myron a call at 972-3290.
8/18/02 - List of Mid-Atlantic Star Parties
NOVAC has a list of Mid-Atlantic Star Parties on their web site.
8/18/02 - September Club Meeting
The next club meeting is Wednesday, September 11 at the Library.  The meeting will begin at 7pm.
8/10/02 - Near Earth Asteroid
A near earth asteroid will pass close enough to be seen with binoculars on Saturday night, August 17.  Here are links to a NASA story and CNN story on this event.  And here is a map labeled with Eastern Daylight time.
8/10/02 - ATM Meeting
The next ATM meeting is Saturday, August 17 from 2-5pm at Jim Burtle's house.  For additional info, please email Jim or give him a call at 898-3536.  Here are directions to Jim's house.
8/10/02 - Perseids Meteor Shower
This year is expected to be a good year for the Perseids Meteor Shower on Sunday and Monday nights, August 11-12. Here are Sky and Telescope and Astronomy news stories about the Perseids.
8/10/02 - Club Meeting
The next meeting is Wednesday, August 14 at the Library.  The meeting will begin at 7pm.
7/30/02 - BMSG Web Site
The web site for the Big Meadows Star Gaze is now online.  Be sure to check it occasionally for updated information.
7/24/02 - BMSG Planning Meeting
We are having another BMSG planning meeting at Myron Wasiuta's house on Friday, July 26 at 6:30pm.  Interested club members are encouraged to attend.
7/24/02 - Club Picnic and Star Party
The club picnic and star party is scheduled for Saturday, August 3 at 4:30pm at Caledon.  For members, food will be provided by the club.  The picnic will only be cancelled due to rain, but cloudy skies will stop the star party.  For additional info, please contact Myron Wasiuta at 972-3290 or Tom Pendergrass at 775-4758.
7/15/02 - July ATM meeting
The July ATM meeting will be at Myron Wasiuta's House on Saturday, July 20.  The topic is the cleaning of optics, both mirrors and lenses.
7/14/02 - Regional Star Party Update
The star party we are having at Big Meadows now has a name - Big Meadows Star Gaze.  The date for the BMSG is Friday and Saturday nights, September 6-7.  We are have a planning meeting at Jim Burtle's house on Wednesday, July 17 at 7 pm. For anyone who wants to attend, the directions to Jim's house are below in the news update for 6/19/02.
7/7/02 - Star Party on July 13
We will be having a star party at Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park on Saturday, July 13.  Anyone who wants additional info, please contact Arondo Holmes.
7/6/02 - RAC Hosts Regional Star Party
The club is pursuing the hosting of a regional star party at Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park.  The star party will probably be in early September and the desire is to make it an annual event.  This will be a major topic at the July 10th club meeting.
7/1/02 - Star Party at Caledon
Just a reminder that we have a star party this Saturday, July 6, at Caledon.  As always, the star party will be canceled if the sky is not clear.
6/20/02 - Dob Telescope parts available

Mark Slade sent in the following message.  Mark can be contacted at mark_slade@cable.comcast.com.

    I've got a 12inch Meade dobson (no optics just the tube, mount and spider) that I am going to trash unless I can find someone who wants it. Can you put something on the page and maybe someone who is thinking about building something that size might want it. I'm going to give it 2 weeks then trash it.

6/19/02 - Club Yard Sale

The club is having a yard sale at Jim Burtle's house on Saturday, July 27 at 8am.  If you have anything you wish to donate to help the club raise money, please email Jim or give him a call at 898-3536.  Below are directions to Jim's house.

    Go west from four-mile-fork (intersection of Courthouse Rd. and Rt. 1). Proceed over I-95, go through the first two lights and to the third traffic light. There will be a Food Lion on your left. Turn left at that light onto Breezewood Drive. Take the third right turn off of Breezewood Drive onto Bradbury Circle. Bradbury Circle is a very small cul-de-sac with five homes on it. My address is 2 Bradbury Circle.

6/18/02 - Big Meadows Star Party Photos
I have uploaded some photos taken at the star party held at Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park on Saturday, June 8, 2002.
6/13/02 - June ATM meeting cancelled
The June ATM meeting has been canceled in order to support the outreach at FUNdaMENTALs and the star party at Caledon.
6/13/02 - Star Party at Caledon
We will be having a star party at Caledon on Saturday, June 15.  The event will begin at dusk.  (Of course, the event will be canceled if we have bad weather or cloudy skies.)
5/29/02 - Event at Fundamentals
UPDATED - 6/13/02  The time has been changed to 1pm.

Club members will set up telescopes for an outreach and bake sale at FUNdaMENTALs on Saturday, June 15 at 1pm.  Anyone who wants to help with the bake sale, please contact Myron Wasiuta.

Stop by and enjoy the fun!
5/22/02 - June Meeting
UPDATED - 5/29/02  The meeting date has been corrected.

The next meeting is Wednesday, June 12 at the Library.  The business meeting will begin at 7pm followed by the program at 7:45.  The program will be by Myron Wasiuta on the history of the Rappahannock Astronomy Club.
5/9/02 - ATM Meeting
The next meeting of the ATM group is scheduled for 2pm - 5pm on Saturday, May 18 at Myron Wasiuta's house.  Anyone who needs directions should call Myron at 972-3290.
5/5/02 - Star Party at Lake Anna Winery
Just a reminder for everyone.  The next star party is this Saturday, May 11 (rain date May 18), at the Lake Anna Winery.  Here are the are directions and map to the Winery.
4/28/02 - Camp Rainbow Outreach
Club members will be at Camp Rainbow on Saturday, May 4 for an outreach.  Camp Rainbow is located on the Mullins Farm about 4 miles west of I-95 on Rt. 3 west.  The entrance is on the right, and is about 1/2 mile after Chancellor Elementary school.  It will be marked by ballloons.  Club members should try to get there at about 6:30pm to set up so the kids can see our stuff in the daylight for awhile.
4/18/02 - 2002 Star Atlas Raffle Winner!
Barbara Brock has sent word that the winner of the 2002 Star Atlas raffled off by FUNdaMENTALs was Arondo Holmes.  Congratulations Arondo!
4/14/02 - Star Party on April 20
On Astronomy Day, Saturday April 20, club members will have a public star party at Caledon.  The star party will begin around dusk.
4/11/02 - Caledon March for Parks
On Saturday, April 20 (which is also Astronomy Day), club members will be setting up a display table at the March for Parks event at Caledon from 10am-5pm.  Telescopes will also be available for solar viewing.  Any members who want to help or have ideas for a display, please email Tom Pendergrass.
4/11/02 - May Meeting
The next meeting is May 8 at the Library.  The business meeting will begin at 7pm followed by the program at 7:45.  As of now, we do not have a program, so if anyone wishes to give one, please contact Myron Wasiuta.
4/11/02 - April ATM meeting Canceled
The ATM meeting scheduled for Saturday, April 20, has been canceled in order to support the Caledon event.
4/6/02 - Star Party tonight
UPDATED - 4/7/02  The star party went well.  Four people attended with five telescopes.  It was great to finally have a star party with clear skies.

I've talked to Caledon and they are expecting the club tonight. The weather forcast is for a clear and cold night. Therefore, we do expect to have the star party tonight (provided it is clear).
4/2/02 - 2002 Star Atlas Raffle
Barbara Brock has sent word that RAC members, or anyone joining the club, can stop by FUNdaMENTALs and get a free ticket for a 2002 Star Atlas raffle.  Tickets will be available through April 15.
4/2/02 - Science Fair at Hartwood Presbeterian Church
UPDATED - 4/4/02    The RAC was asked to participate in a science fair at Hartwood Presbyterian Church (located about 6 miles from I-95 up Route 17 north toward Warrenton) this Saturday, April 6, from 11 am to 1:30 pm.  Any members who are interested in attending (especially those with a telescope and solar filter) should contact Myron at 972-3290 and let him know.
4/2/02 - ATM Meeting
UPDATED - 4/14/02  Canceled to support Astronomy Day activities at Caledon.   The next meeting of the ATM group is scheduled for 2pm - 5pm on Saturday, April 20 at Myron Wasiuta's house.  Anyone who needs directions should call Myron at 972-3290.
4/2/02 - April Meeting
The next meeting is April 10 at the Library.  The business meeting will begin at 7pm followed by the program at 7:45.  The program will be a presentation given by Myron Wasiutaabout examples of professional-amateur collaboration.  He will discuss how amateur astronomers work together with professionals to advance the science of astronomy.
3/28/02 - Brock Road Elementary School Outreach
Club members will set up telescopes at Brock Road Elementary School in Spotsylvania at 8pm on Friday, 19 April.  Here is a map to the elementary school for those who wish to attend.
3/18/02 - Colonial Forge High School on 27 March
Club members will be at Colonial Forge High School in Stafford at 7pm on Wednesday, 27 March (rain date is 28 March) for the Commonwealth Governor's School Star Party.  Here is a map to the high school for those who wish to attend.
3/9/02 - Einstein Tribute at Fundamentals
Club members will be at FUNdaMENTALs tonight from 7-9pm for their Einstein Tribute.  Members are invited to bring their telescopes and set them up.  This event will occur with rain or shine.
3/6/02 - Star Party at Lake Anna Winery
UPDATED - 3/9/02 - Tonight's Star Party is canceled due to bad weather.  However club members will be at FUNdaMENTALs tonight.

Just a reminder for everyone.  The next star party is this Saturday, March 9, at the Lake Anna Winery.  Here are the are directions and map to the Winery.
3/6/02 - Amateur Telescope Making Group
An Amateur Telescope Making (ATM) group has been formed with the goal of providing a forum for sharing telescope making tips and ideas..  If you are interested in joining the group, send an email to Myron Wasiuta.  Additional details will be in the March newsletter.
2/20/02 - Caledon Star Party Dates
The 2002 star party dates at Caledon are on the RAC Events Page.
2/13/02 - March Meeting
The next meeting is 13 March at the Library.  A new meeting format will be used with a business meeting at 7pm and program at 7:45.  The program topic is Camcorder Astrophotography.
2/13/02 - Saturn-Moon Occultation Event
On Wednesday night, Feb 20, at around 7:15 pm a Saturn-Moon Occultation will occur.  Visit this site for a description of this event.  Myron has asked all available club members to either watch or record this event to try to spot Saturn's F-Ring and send him any info you have.  Please send Myron an email if you plan to observe the event.
2/8/02 - Outreach at Children's Hospice
Announcement from Myron:  On February 21, 2002, we will be doing a star party for the Children's Hospice of Fredericksburg. The evening will begin at about 6:30, and Arondo and I have committed our telescopes (the 22-and 16-inch) for some sidewalk astronomy.  Saturn will be the highlight.  The address of the hospice center is 2119 Lafayette Blvd.
1/31/02 - Colonial Forge High School on 6 February
UPDATED - 2/6/02 - This outreach is canceled due to cloudy skies.

Club members will be at Colonial Forge High School in Stafford at 7pm on 6 February for the Commonwealth Governor's School Star Party.  Here is a map to the high school for those who wish to attend.
1/27/02 - New RAC Calendar
A calendar is now available for the club which shows club meetings, events, etc.  If you want to add any events, then email them to me.  If you have trouble accessing the calendar, just refresh your browser window.  You can change the calendar display with the links along the bottom of the calendar.
(Update August 2006: The calendar link is now defunct.)
1/23/02 - Virginia Outdoor Lighting Legislation
Before the Virginia Assembly are several bills that will enable local governments to fight light pollution by granting them the authority to create enforceable outdoor lighting regulations. Read about the bills here.  Also, check out the Virginia Outdoor Lighting Taskforce (VOLT) web site.

Support your right to see the night sky!
1/20/02 - SMAS Observatory
We've all heard Myron talk about a RAC observatory, but it's hard to visualize what we could have.  Well, the Southern Maryland Astronomical Society has finished their observatory.  Here are some pictures of it's construction and here is the completed observatory.

You know, one with Rappahannock Astronomy Club on the side would look great...
1/19/02 - Status of Tonight's Outreach Event
Due to the snowy weather today, tonight's outreach event at Service Merchandise is expected to be canceled. I'll update this post later today when I get the official word.
1/10/02 - February Meeting
The next meeting is 13 February in the Cable TV Room at the Library.  A new meeting format will be used with a business meeting at 7pm and program at 7:45.  The program topic is webcams and their potential use in astronomy.
1/9/02 - RAC Joining the Astronomical League

At tonight's meeting, the club voted to join the Astronomical League.  The benefits for RAC include:

  • Full voting privileges for the RAC.
  • The Reflector quarterly newsletter mailed direct to each RAC members.
  • Liability insurance to protect the RAC and its officers.
  • The Book Service through which RAC members can buy astronomy-related books at a 10% discount.
  • Observing awards for RAC members to work toward, promoting observing and the study of the sky.

All AL member fees will be paid out of the current RAC dues at no additional cost for members.  Additional details will be in the next newsletter.
1/9/02 - New Web Site Design
Welcome to the new RAC web site design. Please let me know if you notice any problems.  I will start converting the other pages to this format soon.
1/3/02 - New Weather and Viewing Page Added
A new page containing current weather conditions/forcasts and viewing info has been created.  The content of this page will continue to evolve.
2001
12/12/01 - Learn How to Use a Telescope

UPDATED - 1/9/02 - The Stafford Wal-Mart date is canceled.
Club members will be at the following local businesses to provide instruction on how to use a telescope.  New telescope owners, or anyone who wants to learn how to use a telescope, are encouraged to stop by.

    Stafford  -  Wal-Mart on Friday, 18 January at 7pm
    Fredericksburg  -  Service Merchandise on Saturday, 19 Jan at 7pm
12/12/01 - Winter Star Parties

Here is the schedule of winter star parties to be held at Myron Wasiuta's home.  Start time is 7pm.  For more information or directions, contact Myron Wasiuta.

    Saturday, Dec 15
    Saturday, Jan 12
    Saturday, Feb 16
    Saturday, Mar 9  (to be held at Lake Anna Winery)
12/06/01 - Meade Telescope Winner!
Joseph Young of Dahlgren, VA, won the Meade telescope donated by FUNdaMENTALs.   Congratulations Joseph!
12/07/01 - December Club meeting at Pizza Hut
The December club meeting will be held at 7pm at the Pizza Hut located on Rt. 1 across from Park and Shop.  Nominations for next year's club officers will be accepted at the meeting.
11/07/01 - Aurora Pictures Added
Two aurora pictures taken by Mark Slade has been added to the gallery.
10/22/01 - Upcoming Meteor Showers
The following info on upcoming meteor showers was sent in by Mike Williams.

Nov 03 - Taurids Meteor Shower Peak
Nov 17 - Leonids Meteor Shower Peak (Potential Meteor Storm)
Dec 13 - Geminids Meteor Shower Peak
Dec 22 - Ursids Meteor Shower Peak
10/22/01 - Bake Sale this Saturday, 27 October
There will be a bake sale this Saturday, 27 October, at 3-9 pm at FUNdaMENTALs in downtown Fredericksburg.  Raffle tickets for the Meade Polaris 4.5" motorized telescope will be available for sale.  Club members are encuraged to stop by and help out.  Contact Myron Wasiuta or Ken Rogers for more info.
10/20/01 - Telescope Raffle!
The Meade Polaris 4.5" motorized telescope will be raffled at the 14 November club meeting.  (See a picture of the telescope here.)  Raffle tickets can be purchased at FUNdaMENTALs in downtown Fredericksburg.  Ticket prices are $3 per ticket or two tickets for $5.

This telescope was donated by FUNdaMENTALs, which is an official Meade retailer.
09/04/01 - Monthly Meeting Topics
Here are the meeting topics for the next three months:

September - A European Observatory Adventure, presented by Jim Warner
October - Building "Ursa Major"-A 16" f4.5 DOB, presented by Myron Wasiuta
November - Buying A Telescope/Telescope Raffle Drawing.  We will be giving away a Meade 4.5" f/8 motorized reflector.
09/04/01 - More Info on Zany Brainy Event
As noted below, RAC members will be setting up their telescopes in front of Zany Brainy in Central Park, Fredericksburg on Friday, Sept. 21st from 5:00 - 9:00pm.  We will be giving the public a view of the moon through our scopes, and answering any questions that they may have.  In addition, we will be selling raffle tickets for a chance to win a Meade 4.5" f/8 motorized reflector telescope.  The drawing for the telescope will be held at the November club meeting.  You do not need to be present at the drawing to win.

If you are a club member, we need your help to make this event a success!  We have made up flyers to hand out before the event.  Anyone who brings one of these flyers to the store during this event will receive 10% off any purchase.  The flyer is in Microsoft Word format, and you can download it by clicking here .  Please make some copies of this flyer to hand out to your coworkers, friends, etc.  It would also be helpful if we could get members to place copies of the flyer in some of the local libraries or other public places.  We can not hand out these flyers during the event, so please help us to get them distributed before Sept. 21st.
08/14/01 - New Meeting Time and Location
Starting in October, RAC will no longer meet at the Lee Hill Community Center.  Meetings will be held at the Central Rappahanock Library in downtown Fredericksburg from 7-9pm. Meetings will still be held on the second Wednesday of each month.
08/14/01 - Club to be at Zany Brainy
Friday, Sept. 21st, from 5:00 - 9:00pm , club members will be with telescopes in front of Zany Brainy. Raffle tickets for a 4.5" reflector will be sold at the event.
07/12/01 - Club Picnic
The annual RAC club picnic, which was rained out last month, will be taking place this Saturday at Caledon Natural Area beginning at 4:00.  Club members and their families are invited.  If anyone has a volleyball net, please bring it!  Also, after the picnic, there will be a star party.  The public is invited to come out and join us in observing the night sky.  Observing will begin as soon as it is dark.
02/13/01 - Star Party Dates for 2001
The dates for the 2001 public star parties have been set. You can find them by clicking on the RAC Events link at the top right of this page.
01/13/01 - Monthly Meeting Topics
I just received word on the topics of discussion for the next 5 monthly meetings. They are as follows:
February : OPEN
March: A Small Backyard Observatory - by Alice Stanley
April: Video Astronomy - by Jeff Gossman
May: Get ready for Mars! - by Myron Wasiuta
June: Astrophotography Roundup! - all welcome
01/13/01 - New Telescope Loan Program
Beginning this year, Myron Wasiuta has offered to allow club members to check out a telescope for use at a club star party. Call Myron at 972-3290 to schedule. He has the following telescopes available:
1. 6.1" f7 APO Refractor
2. 12.5" f6.8 Truss Dobsonian
3. 6" f4 Alt-Az Newtonian
4. Vintage 2.4" f15 Jason Refractor
01/05/01 - Satellite Hunting
By now you've probably heard about the International Space Station being one of the brightest objects in the sky. I've found a website that will give you the date and time that the ISS (and many other satellites) will be passing over your location. You simply enter your latitude and longitude, or just type in the name of your city, and you'll get back a list of dates and times. The site is called Heavens-Above. You can get to it from our Links page, or just click here .
2000
12/17/00 - Winter Star Party Dates

Here is the schedule of winter star parties to be held at Myron Wasiuta's home.  For more information or directions, contact Myron .

Date                Rain Date
Saturday, Dec 23    None
Saturday, Jan 20    Saturday, Jan 27
Saturday, Feb 17    Saturday, Feb 24
Saturday, Mar 24    Saturday, Mar 31
11/02/00 - Meeting Location for November
The monthly newsletter states that the club meeting for November will be at the usual location on the 8th.  This is not correct.  The Cosner Community Center is not available on that evening.  The meeting will take place at the Pizza Hut on Route 1 across the street from Allman's BBQ (near Mary Washington College.)  Sorry for the mix up.
10/5/00 - Sunspots!
Myron Wasiuta has contributed a pair of images showing some of the recent sunspot activity.  You can find them in the gallery .
10/2/00 - Sketches of Some High Surface Brightness Planetaries
The sketches of the planetary nebulae detailed in the October newsletter are now available here .
10/2/00 - New Observing Challenge
This month's observing challenge is the multiple star system HN-40.  Click on the link to the right in the Announcements section for details of this challenge.  Remember, you can share your observations with everyone by sending them to kennethrogers@mail.com .  Your observing reports will appear in the next monthly newsletter.
8/21/00 - New Observing Challenge
We have a new observing challenge for you.  It will appear in the September newsletter, but I've decided to make it available online as well.  You'll find the link for it in the Announcements section on the right hand side of this page.  Thanks to Myron for sending this one in.  We will accept observing challenges from any club member, so if you have an idea for one, please send it in!
8/21/00 - Info on the Club Telescope

This was sent in by Myron Wasiuta on 8/20.

Hi everyone,
The new and improved club scope had first-light last night. As you may recall, I replaced the small altitude trunions with full 12 inch diameter bearings from Birch HVSC plywood laminated with Ebony Star Formica strips. I also lowered the center of gravity of the scope slightly, and added friction control pins on either side of the rocker box. The telescope was colimated, optics cleaned and all wood was finished with a high-quality varnish. the end result is a great looking telescope that also works very well! I found it very stable and user friendly, with no rebalance needed even when going fromn the heaviest to lightest eyepieces!
     Optically, the mirror is good! Once equilibriated with the temperature, it performed very well, and gave pretty good high-powered views of Jupiter and saturn this morning. It was easy to keep the planets in view, although there is a slight amount of overshoot needed at high power to keep the planet in the center. This arises from the friction control pins, but the advantage is rebalance is not needed when changing eyepieces.
     Speaking of eyepieces, I tested all the clubs eyepieces, and compared them to ones I have of excellent quality. The results: 
 32 mm Konig :  Excellent eyepiece. FOV 1.25 degrees. Bright, crisp view.
 25 mm Plossl : Excellent! Compares favorably to Televue 32mm plossl.
                        FOV about 1 degree
 MA9 mm Meade  : Poor-mediocre. Images not very sharp, dim. My 9.7 
                             blows this eyepiece out of the water!
 Coulter 6mm Or. :  Very good high power views! Sharp and bright!

BTW, while observing M11 (the object all my eyepiece tests were done on), I came across a very red star, about 1.5 degrees to the south of M11. I looked it up, and it is one of the brightest carbon stars in the sky. It is Sao 142674, mag. 7.4. The hue compares very close to T lyrae, one of the reddest stars in the sky. However, this star is currently much brighter. Mike-you would like this one!
Myron
7/28/00 - Star Party This Saturday
Our next monthly Star Party is coming up this Saturday, July 29th.  As usual, we will be at Caledon Natural Area in King George.  Come on out and enjoy an evening under the stars.  The skies were favorable last month, and we were treated to some very nice views of summer milky way and all of the sights located within it.  The weather forecast isn't so good this month, so keep an eye on the skies before coming out.  If we are not clouded out, observing will get underway shortly after nightfall.
7/28/00 - Photos From the Fundamentals Grand Opening
Click here to see two photos from the grand opening of Fundamentals in downtown Fredericksburg.  Most of the people pictured are RAC members.
7/13/00 - New Photo of Comet Linear
Click here for an image of Comet Linear from Myron Wasiuta.  This is a composite CCD image.  Linear will be visible in the evening sky later this month.  Click here for more details.
6/26/00 - Star Party This Saturday
A reminder that this coming Saturday, July 1st, we will be hosting a public star party at Caledon Natural area in King George.  For directions to Caledon, see the RAC Events page.
6/23/00 - New Images from Myron Wasiuta
There are three new images in the gallery from Myron Wasiuta.  The first is a shot of the Double Cluster in Perseus in morning twilight.  Next is a close up of the stars Mizar and Alcor, also known as the "Horse and Rider."  The last is an image of the fabulous globular cluster Omega Centauri.  It may not look like much, but that's because Myron was lucky to be able to see it at all from this far north (central Virginia.)  For comparison, look at the image of Omega Centauri taken by Mark Slade from much farther south.
6/19/00 - New Page Design
As you can see, the front page has been redesigned.  My goal was to make the page easier to read, and to organize things somewhat better.  Please let me know if you like it or hate it. :)  Depending on the feedback I receive, I will convert the rest of the pages on the site to match the design of this page.
6/19/00 - Program for July Meeting
At the July RAC meeting, Mike Mathews will be giving a presentation titled "The Unusual Eclipses of Epsilon Aurigae".  The meeting takes place at the Cosner Community Center beginning at 7:30.  For directions, please see the RAC Events page.
6/19/00 - Fundamentals Grand Opening
This was sent in by Myron Wasiuta, who is the point of contact for this event.
"I visited Barbara Brock yesterday to get info on her grand opening. Although physically in her new location (1015 Caroline St.), the grand opening won't be until the last weekend in June. Starting Friday, June 23 through Sunday June 25, she will have plenty of fun activities and extended hours into the evening. More pertinent for us, we are welcome to set up our telescopes in front of the store on Friday and Saturday evening. On Friday, from 7-9 PM, B101.5 will be broadcasting live from her store. This would be an excellent opportunity to get some publicity for our club if we were there with our telescopes! Barbara has told me if we are there, the station would probably do live interviews of us. If you think you can make it, or know of someone else who might be interested, please let me know. I will get back to Barbara with our plans."
6/19/00 - Club Picnic on June 25th
A reminder that the RAC club picnic is coming up this Sunday, the 25th of June.  It will be held at Myron Wasiuta's house.  Directions to Myron's from Fredericksburg: Take Rt. 3 West to Wilderness. This is about 11 miles past Spotsylvania Mall. Just before the junction of Rt 3 and Rt 20 on the right is Fox Chase subdivision. The road into it is 1620 (Fox Gate Ln.) You will know you are getting close when you see the yellow flashing lights warning of a signal at Rt 20. Fox Gate Ln is the next right after seeing the yellow flashing lights. Make a right into Fox Gate, go approx 1/4 mile to "T", make another right. Go approx 3/4 mile to third right (Bugelnote Way). Myron's house is 3rd on the right (13506), a colonial with wrap-around porch and two willow trees in front yard. OK to park in the driveway or in front of the house, but neighbors accross the street request that guests do not park on their side of street. Plan to arrive about 4 PM and bring your scope.
5/31/00

At the June RAC meeting, Myron Wasiuta will be giving a presentation on the human visual system.  Topics covered will include how the eyes adapt to low light conditions, and how this is important to astronomical observation.  It should be a fun and informative presentation.  The meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 14th at the Falmouth Fire Department Bingo Hall.  See the announcement below from 5/25 for directions. 

We are in need of people willing to put together presentations for our monthly meetings.  As of right now, we do not have anyone committed to doing a presentation at the July meeting.  If there is something that you would like to know more about, or you would like to present something yourself (or know of someone that you could invite to do a presentation), please contact Mark Slade or myself as soon as possible. 

Finally, don't forget that on June 3rd we will be hosting a star party at Caledon Natural Area in King George.  This is the makeup date for last weekend's party, which was rained out.  This will be a good opportunity for everyone to come out and participate in this month's observing challenge, which was announced on 5/28.  See the entry below for details.  As always, the public is invited.  Go to the RAC Events page for directions to Caledon.
5/28/00
Today, RAC is launching what will hopefully be the first of many observing challenges to it's members.  Members of the RAC are encouraged to observe the double star Mizar in the handle of the Big Dipper to try and determine what colors the two components are. Use high powers and look carefully. Send results to Myron via email, or bring them to the June meeting where we will discuss the results. After everyone has had a chance to observe this pair of stars, we will send our observations to Sissy Haas of Sky and Telescope. She is writing a column on doubles, and may publish our results in a future issue.
5/25/00
An important announcement regarding the June meeting: 
Due to the June elections, the monthly meeting location has been changed for this one month only.  In June, the meeting will be at the Falmouth Fire Department Bingo Hall - 250 Butler Road, Falmouth. 
From Route 1, Butler Road is the 1st stop light north of the Falmouth Bridge. Turn right onto Butler Road.  The fire station is just past the YMCA, on the right. 
From Route 218, Butler Road is the 1st stop light south of the railroad overpass.  Turn right onto Butler Road.  The fire station is just before the YMCA, on the left. 
Beginning in July, the monthly meetings will be back at the Lee Hill Community Center for the rest of the year.
5/14/00
A new section was added to the links page today.  The "Organizations" section contains links to organizations that amateurs of just about any skill level can participate in and make a real contribution to the science of astronomy.  If you're looking for new observing challenges, check these sites out.  If you know of any other organizations that encourage amateur participation, please let me know.
4/27/00

A reminder that this coming Saturday (April 29th) we will host a public star party at Caledon Natural Area in King George.  Observing gets under way as soon as it's dark.  Club members planning to attend should arrive a bit early to allow time for setup. 

There are some photos of the club telescope in the Photo gallery taken by Mike Williams.  If you are a member and are interested in using the club's telescope, send an email to either address at the bottom of this page and we will arrange a time and place for you to pick it up.
4/15/00
On May 6, 2000, The U.S. Naval Observatory will be holding an open house from 10:00am to 4:00pm.  Admission is free.  For more information, you can go here: http://www.usno.navy.mil/pao/press/Openhouse00.html.
3/14/00
Saturday April 8th, 2000 is Astronomy Day.  On that day, members of RAC will be present outside of FundaMentals on 205 Hanover St. in downtown Fredericksburg.  We will have a few telescopes set up where the public can come and observe the Sun, Moon, Jupiter and Saturn.  We will also be presenting organized programs on buying and using telescopes, as well as information about amateur astronomy here in the Fredericksburg area.  This should be a fun event for the entire family.  Hope to see you there!
2/26/00
Have you ever wanted to try to "run" a Messier Marathon?  What is a Messier Marathon?  Relax, it doesn't involve any running (except maybe from your telescope to your house for some caffeine-laden drinks in between observations.)  A Messier Marathon is the act of observing all of the Messier deep-sky objects in a single night.  We are now approaching the only time of the year when it is possible to do this.  Strategy and tips for having a successful marathon will be presented at the March meeting.  The meeting takes place at the Cosner Community Center on March 8th at 7:30pm.  If you need directions, click on the "RAC events" link at the top of this page.  As always, the public is invited.  Hope to see you there!
1/17/00

The list of books available in the RAC library is now available online.  Just click on the "RAC Library" link above to see the list.  Note that these books are available for members only. 

There is a page here showing some photos of the club's recently acquired silo dome and the team of people who moved it to it's current storage location.  This is the dome that we plan to use on a future club observatory.  Many thanks to the folks who helped move the dome, to Jeff Gossman for allowing us to store it at his home, and especially to the Silver Cos for their donation!
1999
12/15/99
The "Links" page was added today.  This page contains links to many useful astronomy related sites.  Check it out!
12/7/99
Myron Wasiuta has sent in several new images. Click here for some photos taken at the 1999 Mid-Atlantic Star Party.  These are photos of the club members who were in attendance, not astro-shots.  Also, in the photo gallery section, you will find some new CCD images made recently by Myron with the help of Joe Marietta.  Finally, here's something a little different.
11/14/99
There are some new CCD images from Myron Wasiuta in the gallery section.  These are very nice shots of some familiar (and some not so familiar) deep sky objects.  Go to the gallery and check them out!
11/9/99
A reminder about the Leonid Meteor Shower:  Last year's Leonid meteor shower was an impressive display, and according to some predictions, this year could be even better.  The peak activity this year is expected to occur sometime around 0200 UT on November 18th.  Predictions are that the best viewing locations will be in Asia and in Europe, but the US (especially on the east coast) may see an impressive display nonetheless.  Click here for more details from Sky and Telescope.
11/7/99
Are you looking to buy a telescope as a christmas gift for someone this year?  If so, or if you just want to find out for yourself what kinds of telescopes are available, come to our club meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 10th.  We will be describing the various types of telescopes that you can buy, and what you can expect to pay for them.  There will be an example of each of the major types on display, and you can ask the owner questions about their instrument.  We will also describe what to avoid when looking for a telescope.
For directions to the meeting, see the RAC events page.  Hope to see you there!
11/4/99

A new photo today from Myron Wasiuta.  This one is a CCD image of M31.

Also, an announcement.  On the evening of Friday, November 19th, Fredericksburg Academy will hold a star party for their students.  Some of us attended this last year and had a really good time giving the kids a tour of the sky.  If you want to help out, call or email Myron.  The event gets underway at 6pm.
10/18/99

An evening of star gazing has been planned for the Girl Scouts at Coles Trip Girl Scout Camp.  The event takes place at 7:00pm on Saturday, October 23rd, and the Girl Scouts have asked for our assistance.  For more information, including directions, go to the RAC events page.

URGENT:  We need some folks to agree to help with this event.  So far, I have only heard from one person willing to bring a scope.  Several people have other plans that evening, (myself included) so please come and help if you can.  Also, drop me a line if you plan to attend.  (Use the link at the bottom of this page.)
10/12/99

I wanted to repost this announcement for the NOVA Star Party since it is coming up this weekend and the original announcement has been placed in the "Old News" section.

The NOVA Star Party will be held on Oct. 16,1999.  Hosted by the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club.  See http://www.cookstudios.com/nova.htm for more details.  ( http://astro.gmu.edu/~novac/  for NoVAC Home Page)
10/5/99

From the web master: It's been a while since the last update.  I apologize for that.  I've been quite busy at home lately.  Hopefully I'll get back to a more regular schedule this week.

The first item today is another photo from Myron.  This one is of Myron with his 155mm refractor telescope.

Second, (and this will also appear in the newsletter, but it is worth mentioning here as well) the Sheraton on Route 3 is being bought out and completely remodeled.  "So what?", you're asking.  Well, thanks to some fast thinking and negotiations by Myron Wasiuta, the Silver Company has donated the 15 foot silo dome to the club for a future observatory dome.  Then, a brief article appeared in the Free-Lance Star, and Myron's phone hasn't stopped ringing since.  People and businesses around the area have been calling to donate their time and services to help.  Myron will give us an update at the meeting and has also hinted that he will be making a major announcement.  We will keep you posted as to what is happening.

Speaking of the monthly meeting, it will be held on Wednesday, October 15th at the Cosner Community Center.  Things get underway at 7:30pm.  If you need directions, go to the Events page.
9/14/99

Several new photos to share with you today.  The first two are from the club's annual picnic earlier this year.  You can find them here.  Also, we have several new CCD images of deep sky objects taken by Myron Wasiuta.

M10, M12, M13, M22, and M92 - Globular clusters.
M57 - The Ring Nebula
Central region of M8
M27 - The Dumbbell Nebula
9/6/99
Myron Wasiuta updated his CCD image of Saturn from 8/29.  He calibrated the image, producing a much better result.  Check it out!
9/2/99

Two announcements:

1) The NOVA Star Party, Oct. 16,1999.  Hosted by the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club.  See http://www.cookstudios.com/nova.htm for more details.  ( http://astro.gmu.edu/~novac/  for NoVAC Home Page)

2) The 1999 Virginia Association of Astronomical Societies (VAAS) convention will be held on Nov. 6,1999.  See http://members.tripod.com/vaas99/ for details.  It is being hosted this year by the Back Bay Amateur Astronomers and will be held at the Chesapeake Planetarium, 300 Cedar Road in Chesapeake, VA
9/1/99

Myron Wasiuta contributed another image today.  It is a shot of the star cluster M7 and the surrounding Milky Way.
Barnard 287, a dark nebula, shows up nicely in this image as well.

A note for anyone wondering why there is no rain date for the October 2nd star party.  We decided not to have a rain date on the following weekend for this event because that weekend conflicts with the Mid Atlantic Star Party (MASP).  Several of our club members are planning to attend MASP and we did not want to schedule a star party and risk having no club members show up!
8/29/99
Myron Wasiuta added three new photos to the gallery today:  A nice shot of the Omega Nebula (M17), and CCD images of Jupiter and Saturn.
8/26/99
The new web page is up!  Yes, it's true.  As you can see, the site has been totally redesigned to reflect the club's new name.  In addition, the graphics were removed, which should result in much faster load times.  If you find any broken links, errors, or omissions, please let me know!
8/26/99
The Mid Atlantic Star Party, a national star party which takes place in North Carolina, is scheduled for October 7th through October 12th, 1999.  Registration is $15 per person if you register before September 25th, $20 per person thereafter.  For more details, including directions to the site, go to www.masp.org.

                           
For more information or to request a public outreach event, contact RAC's President via email. Telephone contact info is on the AboutRAC page.
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