The Next ASLC Meeting is:
May 23, 2008 @ 7:30 pm
Speaker: Tony Gondola
Topic: "The Ins & Outs of Real-World Optical Quality: Everything You Wanted to Know but were afraid to ask!"
Dona Ana Community College
(Main Branch)
Room 77 (map)
Astro Tid Bits Group meets at 7 pm
Contact the Club President for additional information
Upcoming Observing Opportunities:
Monthly Dark Sky Viewing
(Upham Site)
Sat., May 3rd (dusk)
Astronomy Day
(Leasburg Dam S.P.)
Sat., May 10th (dusk)
Quick Links
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Join ALSC for Astronomy Day Activities at Leasburg Dam S.P. on May 10
 Astronomy Day (May 10) is celebrated internationally to make the public more aware of activities conducted by amateur astronomers around the world. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, ASLC will conduct solar observing at several locations around the city including the Mesilla Plaza, the Corbett Center on the NMSU Campus, and the downtown Farmer's Market. Participants can safely view sunspots and prominances (see the image, below) on the suface of the sun.
 The day will culminate with a dark sky observing session at Leasburg Dam State Park (a short 15-20 minute ride from Las Cruces). Club members will bring out a battery of telescope (up to 22 inches) for the public to observe through. Participants will be able to see spectacular star clusters, nebulas and galaxies such as M81 and M82 (pictured) that cannot be seen well from the city.
A storyteller will be present to share some tales about the constellations, and there will be other fun and educational activities for participants of all ages. All observing activities are free (LDSP fees apply - $5 per carload). An informative flyer may be downloaded here (pdf format, 288k).
Mid-May is a Great Month to View Mercury
Fewer than one in a thousand people ever see the innermost planet in their lifetime. It's not so hard to see (it's often brighter than Saturn), but you have to know when and where to look. Mid-May turns out to be a great time to see the planet. It's in the Western sky at sunset and sets well over an hour after sunset during much of May. On May 14th (Mercury's maximum Eastern Elongation), the planet will set almost 2 hours after sunset.
 To find Mercury, note where the Sun sets along the horizon. About 30 minutes later (8:30ish), you should be able to see a star-like object straight up from where the sun set and between 10 and 15 degrees above the horizon. To gauge the distance (above the horizon), stretch your index and little finger apart and hold them at arm's length away from you. Your fingers will span around 12-15 degrees which should make finding Mercury a snap. Binoculars will really help you find the planet in the twilit sky.
If you have access to even a modest-sized telescope, you can see the shape of the illuminated portion of the planet change each evening. It will appear about half illuminated on May 5th. The lit portion will become more crescent-like each subsequent night. Please remember to limit your binocular and telescope viewing to after sunset - direct sunlight viewed through binoculars or a telescope will harm your eyes.
Happy hunting!
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The Astronomical Society of Las Cruces is a proud member of the Astronomical League
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ASLC supports the eradication of light pollution by its participation in the International DarkSky Association
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ASLC works with local teaching professionals using instructional resources provided by Project Astro
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ASLC is a proud Alliance Member of the Meade 4M Community supported by Meade Telescope, makers of LX90GPS Astronomical Telescopes
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