Contact Us
You can contact the ICAC with questions by email: info at icastronomy dot org. Or you can enter a question or comment below.
Most questions are best answered in person, and anyone is welcome to Iowa City Astronomy Club monthly meetings (and star parties)! Please feel free to come and ask our very knowledgeable club officers questions you have about astronomy. Meetings are held on the second Monday of each month, at the Iowa City Public Library. Check with the information desk for room location.
Comments»
Update on the Lunar Eclipse:
I was having a cold and figured I rather stay inside than become even more sick by going outside and observing the lunar eclipse. But then I woke up at 5:30am and looked out of the window and saw a beautiful full moon. Thus, I decided to observe the spectacle from inside through the window. I also took an image. See:
http://haraldstauss.com/Astronomy/lunareclipseondecember122011.html
Through binoculars the eclipse was very prominent and visible. Unfortunately, there were trees in the way and I could not get very good views from the more ecliped phases.
Anyone else observed the eclipse?
Regards,
Harald
Hi:
Any chance we can see the lunar eclipse on Saturday from the Iowa City area? Are any observing sessions planned for this event?
Regards,
Harald
Does anyone know about eye pieces? I’m looking for the apo triplet type of eye pieces that are comma and color corrected as opposed to the junk ones that usually come with a telescope. I’m thinking of getting a apo triplet and don’t want to blame the scope for the eye piece blurring, color fringes etc. also, are there any adaptive optics that fit between the eye piece and the star diagonal that I can use for seeing instead of ccd astro photography? Some adaptive optics are for air turbulence, are there any that will correct for the ridges in the primary mirror? Also I’m interested in getting starlight scope electronics mounted in the same place so that I can amplify the light when using the scope at super high power. lastly, I’m interest in the 125 mak cassegrain someone has for sale. How much weight will that mount take?
Tonight, Saturday, October 29, Kumar and I will be in Kent Park for some observing. Anyone want’s to join in?
Regards,
Harald
Thank you very much.
I am looking forward for the interview.
Hello, my name is Maikol Concepcion and i’m a student at University Heights High School. For our science project we have to inter view somebody in the field of science. i was wondering if you could refer me to an astronomer or answer me some questions. thank you very much.
Harald,
I am glad that you are planning to make it on Aug,20 @ Sokum Ridge park ! Eager to meet you and this is my first observing session, so quite excited !
Have a great day !
Hi Kummy and Mark:
Thank you for the compliments on my photographs. I plan to attend the observing session this coming Saturday (August 20) and I probably will bring some of my equipment. It would be great if we could meet there.
Regards,
Harald
Harald Stauss - I am thoroughly enjoying your pictures ! Though quite astonishing, these pictures have cultivated a deep interest in me for astronomy. Thanks for the pictures ! Next time, I wish to join you for the Meteor watching on Aug-12, if you plan to do that ! Do let me know.
Harald,
My compliments on your photography. I have been a long time amateur photographer and have always wanted to get into astronomy at some level. Also, we have a lake next door and the waterfowl are beyond the limits of my 10×50 binocs. I have read up on digiscoping and astrophotography and am ready emotionally to jump in. Being practical minded, I was thinking, why not combine the two. I have seen some reference to a few people using a Meade ETX 125 for both purposes. You obviously have experience with several scopes and cameras, what do you think? I would love to come to a meeting but am in TX doing reserve duty at the time. Thanks.
Hi:
I just uploaded a few of my images from RMSS 2011 at:
http://www.csastro.org/forums/modules.php?set_albumName=RMSS-2011-Images-by-Harald&id=MilkyWay_OneShotFinal&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php
The Rocky Mountain Star Stare is always a great event with a very dark and clear sky.
Enjoy,
Harald
Hi Antyonae:
Sorry, most of these objects will not be visible on that date and time. First at 10:00pm it will not yet be very dark. You may be able to see Saturn low in the West. Pluto will be low in the south (not far away from the moon) but at magnitude ~14 you won’t see Pluto with your naked eyes (Pluto is difficult to find even with a telescope). Orion is a winter constellation that can’t be seen in summer, but you will be able to see Cygnus.
For planning your observing sessions I suggest to download the free open-source software Stellarium from:
http://www.stellarium.org/
Clear skies,
Harald
On July 15, 2011 from Des Moines, Iowa at 10:00 p.m. will I be able (with the naked eye) see Venus, Mars, Mercury, Moon, Cygnus, Orion, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto from this location?
Hi:
Sorry, I missed you tonight (May 28) at the observing session. I was at a park in West Branch (off of 2nd street) that I thought was the observing site. However, no one else was there, so I must have been at the wrong site.
My wife joined me tonight and we had our small ETX-80 with us. So we just used the Guided Tour of the GOTO computer to show us what’s up tonight. The site at West Branch was somewhat better than what I thought. We could even see M81/M82 and M51. Not bad for a small 80mm refractor.
Clear Skies,
Harald
Hi:
Just wanted to report from my observing session yesterday night. I arrived at the park around 8:20pm, setup my equipment and took some light frames. Around 9:30pm it was pretty dark and the sky was very clear. In a distance there were lighnings from a thunderstorm (probably over Muscatine). At around 11:00pm clouds and the thunderstorm moved in, so I ended my observing session put my equipment in the car and headed home. So I had about 90 minutes of very good observation time. I took some images of M81/M82 and of some galaxies in the Virgo Galaxy Cluster. Here are the links to my images from yesterday:
http://haraldstauss.com/Astronomy/m81andm82.html
http://haraldstauss.com/Astronomy/galaxiesinthevirgocluster.html
http://haraldstauss.com/Astronomy/fisheyeviewofspringconstellations.html
Regards and Clear Skies,
Harald
Hi:
I will go out to Sokum Ridge park tonight (May 21). It seems like it will be a mostly clear and dark night. Anyone wants to join in?
Clear Skies,
Harald
I service Spitz A-4’s. Need any work done? I have over 15,000 hours on an A-4.
Hi:
After many weeks without clear skies, yesterday, Saturday April 30, the Clear Dark Sky forecast predicted a nice clear sky. Therefore, I packed my gear and drove to our observing site at Sokum Ridge Park. The sky was truely spectacular. I only took my small 4.25 inch reflector along but with the clear and dark sky at Sokum Ridge Park I could see DSOs that I would never see from my backyard in Iowa City. I also took some images (M13, the leo triplet, and the whirlpool galaxy). Especially the Whirlpool Galaxy came out quite nice. Feel free to check it out at:
http://haraldstauss.com/Astronomy/index3.html
Clear Skies,
Harald
Hi Ken:
Please keep on your “webguy hat”. The web site is very well done!
I can’t wait for the weather getting better. There were not many (any?) clear nights lately. So I certainly didn’t miss anything last Saturday because the sky was overcast anyway.
I thought there might have been some special event (a meteor shower or something like this) on Tuesday and you might have scheduled a special observing session.
Keep up the great work on the web site.
Harald
Hi:
I just read on the web site that the next observing session is on April 26. Is there a special reason why it is on April 26 (Tuesday) instead of a Saturday?
Regards,
Harald
Hi:
Where has everyone been yesterday (March 26) for the observing session in West Branch? I know, initially the sky was overcast but at 8:30 pm the sky was nice and clear. When I arrived at the park in West Branch at 9:15 pm nobody was there. Furthermore there were several street lights at the parking area and further back in the park the light pollution from West Branch was still considerable. I don’t really like this observing site. I then went to the Hoover Park and discovered some nice dark observing sites (around the site of the shelters). However, I did not know when the park closes and I did not want to be locked inside the park. Maybe we should talk with the park officials and see if they allow us to hold observing sessions in the park area. Finally, I went home and put up my telescope on the deck in the backyard and took an image of the galaxies in leo (M65, M66, NGC 3628). Here is a link:
http://haraldstauss.com/Astronomy/galaxiesinleongc3628m65andm66.html
Best regards,
Harald
Hi:
I went out to Kent Park yesterday (Saturday, January
evening thinking that there might be an observing session. I should have checked the web site before going out. Anyway, it was a very clear night with a crescent moon that set at about 8:30-9:00 PM. I took an image of the Orion Nebula and another one of the Rosette Nebula. If you are interested, I uploaded the images to:
http://haraldstauss.com/Astronomy/index3.html
I am looking forward to the meeting in the public library tomorrow and of course to the next observing session (when?).
Regards,
Harald
in dubuque, ia what is the best time to view the meteor shower on dec. 13th
I uploaded 4 images from the last observing session on October 30, 2010 to:
http://haraldstauss.com/Astronomy/index2.html
The last 4 images on this web site are from the observing session. Unfortunately, I was not able to take a photograph of the transit of Jupiter’s moon Europa in front of Jupiter that Dan was able to show me in his 10 inch telescope. Ganymede also transited in front of Jupiter this night but this second transit only started shortly before Kent Park closed. So we did not see it. However, we saw Uranus which was amazing.
I’ve got a skyquest xt6 that has been out of collimation for several years - bought the laser collimator and gave it a shot - to no avail. Wondering where a best opportunity to get the scope collimated might be.
Hello,
I thought that I would again offer to present some information about the Iowa Space Science Center initiative that I am heading up. If any members or browsers are interested, I could either present at the upcoming regular Monday Library or I could host a meeting at my house, where people could get a close-up view of my Spitz A4 planetarium projector.
Thanks
I just uploaded a few images taken during the observing session yesterday (July 10, 2010) to:
http://www.haraldstauss.com/Astronomy/index2.html
The last 7 images are all from the observing session.
Regards,
Harald Stauss
I’m a newcomer to astronomy in the sense that i very recently bought a telescope; I’m curious if anyone has advice about where i can set a scope up in the country without being harassed. At home i can only get a fix on eastern and western skies.. and haven’t had any luck with anything other than planet viewing. Any help would be great.
Any plans for an observing session for the partial lunar eclipse in the early morning on June 26?
Sorry for the late inquiry.
Has anybody had a chance to see comet McNaught yet?? How far outside of Iowa City do you need to go to view it if so?
Greetings.
I would enjoy meeting members of your group and give
those interested a brief description of the Iowa Space
Science Center initiative. Looks like I might be unable
to attend the June regular meeting due to a family committment.
So perhaps I should shoot for the 2nd monday in July?
If anyone is interested in seeing a Spitz model A4 projector
up close, you’re welcome to stop by our house (on Teg Dr,
just across from the relatively new Kiwanis Park). Just give
send a note to my work address: charles-miller@uiowa.edu
(or I’m also in the phone book).
The ISSC plan is to create something fresh and distinctive relative
to what’s usually thought of as a science museum, stressing
higher level content and building design more amenable to a learning
environment. I was one turned onto science in the 60’s and 70’s
by the richer civic environment that gave science more consideration;
I still remember planetarium presentations at Augustana College
and St Louis’s old Goto “Saturn” projector.
Thanks. I hope we can meet up some time soon.
I have what is probably a silly query. Having qualifed that I will ask anyway. The other evening I was out looking at the stars and wondered what effect if any to our planet if another one in our solar system was destroyed by a natural disaster. Say a meteor hit Mars or any other planet in our system and it was strong enough to impact the whole planet to a degree that it was vaporized. Would that in anyway change our system or have a direct impact on earth? I know probably an inane question but I was curious. Many thanks to anyone who may have an answer..
Hi. I was driving tonight and there was a HUGE, shooting-starish light. I just needed to know what it was. Did anyone see it?
This is for Howard Cox:
I would like to use your photo of Comet Holmes in a NASA mathematics problem set for teachers and students. It would be properly cited, and you can see other examples of how it would appear by visiting Space Math @ NASA
http://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov
Would you be interested in granting NASA permission to use your image in a pdf file?
Dear Iowa City Astronomy Club members,
I am pursuing the possibility of developing a “space science” center for the Iowa City / Coralville area and have been laying some groundwork by contacting civic entities. The most large-scale proposal would call for a large new building that offered exhibit, lecture, and classroom space, in addition to a planetarium. The most scaled down version would simply be a planetarium.
If members are interested, I’d be happy to meet up with your group and, if desired, present a powerpoint show about the proposal.
While the economy is in terrible shape, it is an excellent time to plan. I have much to do (IRS filings for a non-profit, business-plan documents, etc.) before “going public”, so outreach to parties that might have special interest is important right now.
I should mention that I own a Spitz A4 planetarium projector and a home-built projector and have experience with making a segmented projection dome.
I hope to help forming a larger group of “grass roots” supporters (people who either enjoy astronomy and related topics and/or see a need for improving informal science education via this angle.)
Thank you,
Charlie Miller
Coordinator,
Iowa Space Science Center project
Hi.
I’m updating the list of local organizations kept by the Iowa City Public Library. Would you look over the following information and let me know what information has changed?
[club info redacted
-Webguy]
Thank you,
John Hiett
Is the October 3rd star party open to the public/people interested in joining the club?
I am building a Dobsonian 8″ reflector telescope and cannot figure out from the plans how the primary mirror is secured at the bottom? I have the furring nails in place with the four pieces of wood attached to the tube. Can anybody help me figure this out?
Hi. I was wondering if any legislature has passed in Iowa regarding light pollution or “full-cutoff” lighting. I found a proposed bill from 1999 but I cannot find any info since then.
My family is from a small town in northwest Iowa and the town is replacing all of the old streetlights with horrible globe-like lights. Now downtown at night looks almost as bright as downtown during the day. I used to be able to see the Milky Way from my backyard!
Are there any telescope dealers in Iowa? or do most people buy over the web? (Orion Mas-Cassegrain is current top pick)
Hello,
My name is Tyson Wirth, I’m a recent UI grad working in a home with individuals with disabilities.
One of the guys I work with, Kevin, enjoys weather and I am wondering if he might enjoy your club. Could you tell me when your club meets (what time on the second Monday of each month), what specifically happens at these meetings, and what any membership costs and/or fees might be? Is there a relatively new indoor observatory nearby that you folks use? Any other info would be appreciated.
Don’t hesitate to contact me at 319-530-XXXX or XXXX@gmail.com if need be. Thank you very much for your time!
Tyson
Where is a good place to view the Perseid meteor shower this year? I am getting a group of friends together to view it, but we are unsure of where to go. We are willing to drive a short distance outside of Iowa City, but don’t know where the least light pollution is, or where we could observe without trespassing after hours. Any recommendations?
Thanks,
Leslie
What are you doing to allow us to see the meteor showers , or aren’t they visible in this part of the world?
Hi. Last night, my husband and I (who live in the older part of east IC) noticed man-made lights in the sky–like one associates with Hollywood (three synchronized, moving spotlights). We wondered who would be so obnoxious to use such a thing–so we investigated.
We live on Bradley Street, which is a short side street of Muscatine, between 7th and Creekside Park (a few blocks from the east side Hy-Vee). We could see these lights all the way from their source–El Dorado Mexican restaurant in Coralville, off the strip!
The lights they used came from a machine called “Sky Searchers”–a slight insult to astronomers, no?
Anyway, I wondered if you knew if a permit must be obtained to use such a thing–and how long it could be used. Perhaps your club could write an informative but succinct piece to the owners of that restaurant, explaining how use of such lights cause light pollution?
Thanks for your time and thoughts.
Sorry, I meant October 13th, not the 8th.
Hi. I was wondering if your club will be following Mars’ closest approach to Earth? I would love to see Mars as close up as possible through a telescope? Would you be looking at Mars on your October 8th observing run at Kent Park?