Upcoming Events
Join us for the Grand Opening/Open House of the Eastern Iowa Observatory and Learning Center on Saturday, May 10, from 1 – 4 p.m. for an afternoon of tours and presentations. Download flyer (268kB pdf).
Public Observing Nights
A young observer peers through the CAA's Celestron 16 telescope.
One Saturday eveninge each month the CAA hosts a Public Observing Night featuring a guest speaker followed by an evening of celestial viewing. After the presentation, society members will be available to answer questions and provide everyone with an opportunity to look through the Society's telescopes and those of our members.
Public observing nights are held at the Eastern Iowa Observatory and Learning Center at Palisades-Dows Preserve through a generous agreement with the Linn County Conservation Department. For directions, please visit our maps page.
A schedule of Public Observing Night dates is available for download as an Adobe pdf (680 kB) or Word doc (604 kB). As soon as the complete list of speakers is arranged, the schedule will be upated to include each evening's presentation topic.
The 2008 Schedule
January 12, 7:30 p.m.
When Worlds Collide
Presenter: Adjunct Professor Brent Studer, Kirkwood Community College and Cedar Amateur Astronomers
Astronomers aren't exactly sure when it will happen, but be assured
that some time in the future our Milky Way galaxy and the Andromeda
spiral M31 will collide. Learn about the largest member of our Local
Group of galaxies and what astronomers predict will be the fate of M31
and the Milky Way.
February 9, 7:30 p.m.
Journey to the Center of the Milky Way Galaxy
Presenter: Assistant Professor Cornelia Lang, The University of Iowa
The center of our Milky Way galaxy lies some 25,000 light years from
the Sun in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius. Along our
line of sight to the center, gas and dust absorb visual light emanating
from this region. How are we able to study this region of the Galaxy?
What lurks in this central region? How do we know whether there is a
super-massive black hole, similar to the galactic centers of other
galaxies? In this presentation, Dr. Lang will answer these questions and
present a visual tour of the central regions of our Galaxy.
March 8, 7:30 p.m.
Spectroscopy: The Cosmic Finger Print
Presenter: Jerry Warner and Gary Clinch, Cedar Amateur Astronomers
What is a spectrum and what does it tell us about the stars and the
cosmos around us? In this colorful presentation, members Jerry Warner
and Gary Clinch will introduce us to spectroscopy, its foundations and
applications for astronomy, and demonstrate how amateurs are applying
spectroscopy today. A rare opportunity to view spectroscopic
instruments will be available. The program will conclude with live
demonstrations of stellar spectra and other cosmic objects conducted in
our observatories.
April 5, 8 p.m.
Saturn: Jewel of the Solar System
Presenter: Douglas Slauson, Cedar Amateur Astronomers
Saturn is a planet of superlatives with 60 moons, and a fascinating, complex ring system 175,000 miles in diameter. The planet is the only planet less dense than water (it would float!). Join Doug Slauson as your guide tonight as we examine Saturn, revisit the discoveries and observations of the ring system by Galileo and his contemporaries, and see the latest close-up images from the current Cassini spacecraft mission. If weather permits, we will see Saturn and its larger moons up close in the observatory telescopes.
May 3, 8:30 p.m.
The Harvard Computers
Presenter: Adjunct Professor Brent Studer, Kirkwood Community College and Cedar Amateur Astronomers
At a time when electronic devices contained vacuum tubes and electronic computers were decades in the future, astronomer Edward Pickering and a group of dedicated women set out to solve the mysteries of the stars that is encoded in their spectra. Tonight you’ll learn about the challenges they faced, the remarkable work they did, and the debt we all owe them for deciphering the mystery of starlight.
June 7, 9 p.m.
Seeing the Universe
Presenter: Adjunct Professor Brent Studer, Kirkwood Community College and Cedar Amateur Astronomers
Just how are those beautiful images of star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies made? Until recently it was a complicated process requiring special software but today the process has been streamlined and made available to everyone. With some basic knowledge of astronomical data, digital photography and Adobe Photoshop, you too can create stunning astronomical art. Tonight you’ll learn about the different types of astronomical images and see some examples of what can now be created on a personal computer.
July 26, 8:30 p.m.
The Size and Shape of the Milky Way
Presenter: Professor Steven Spangler, The University of Iowa
July nights are a great time for studying the Milky Way. Professor Spangler will describe the quest to know the shape of this huge system of stars, as well as how big it is. He will also mention some of the objects,such as globular star clusters, that provided important clues to solving this problem, and which are visible on summer nights. Dr. Spangler will finish by showing the best current estimate of what the Milky Way would look like to a viewer from outside, millions of light years away.
August 23, 8 p.m.
Presenter: Carl Bracken, Cedar Amateur Astronomers
September 27, 7:30 p.m.
October 25, 7:30 pm.
Presenter: Adjunct Professor Brent Studer, Kirkwood Community College and Cedar Amateur Astronomers
November 22, 7:30 p.m.
December 20, 7:30 p.m.
Athens Star Party
Visit the Athens Star Parties web page for detailed information about this semi-annual event held at the Battle of Athens State Historic Site in Revere, Missouri. The dates of this year's events—sponsored and coordinated by the Cedar Amateur Astronomers—are April 26 and October 4.
2008 ALCON Convention
Plan on attending the Astronomical League's annual convention in Des Moines, Iowa, July 18–19 at the Marriot Downtown Hotel. Co-sponsored by the Des Moines Astronomical Society, check the 2008 ALCON website (which is currently under construction) for more information.
