Black River Astro September 2009 Schedule of Events

We have a busy schedule set for the month of September. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and provide us with an opportunity to get out of the house and spend some time outdoors under clear skies in relative comfort.

First, on Wednesday, September 2nd, @ 7:00pm come on out to our regularly scheduled monthly meeting at the Carlisle Visitor's Center of The Lorain County Metropolitan Park District, on Diagonal Road. Our very own Paul Pernici has prepared a multimedia presentation on Kuiper Belt Objects. (This is a rain or shine event.) The Kuiper Belt is one of our Solar Systems best kept secrets, so join us as we learn more about it. Find out what the buzz is all about in this little known area of the heavens...

Secondly, we will be holding our monthly Board of Directors meeting at the Blue Sky Restaurant in Amherst on Thursday, September 10th @ 7:00pm. This meeting is open to all active club members, and members are encouraged to attend and work with us in deciding what best suits our club goals and meets our memberships' wishes. (This is a rain or shine event.)
Third, on Sunday, September 13th @ noon to 4pm, join us at High Meadows to share magnificent views of our Sun with any guests that show up for the event, or just wander by on a walk through the park.

Most importantly, Saturday, September 19th we will be hosting our 28th Annual Ohio Turnpike Astronomers Association convention at the Birmingham Methodist Church on South Street in Birmingham, Ohio. As usual we will have plenty of door prizes, a swap and shop and lots of new stories and photos for show and tell. Please bring a covered dish to share with the group.
This is the darkest spot in the County, so bring along a scope and camera and get some pictures. See what the Milky Way looks like away from bright city lights. This will be new moon weekend, and any hardy viewers who remain until morning will be greeted with Venus in the predawn sky, who will be happily assisting Regulus in punctuating the backward question mark in Leo. Doors open to guests at 4:30pm, and we ask that members show up earlier to help out with setup.

And last but not least, join us for for a Public Star Party with some nice telescopic views of Jupiter and her moons, as well as Perseus, the Pleiades and the fall Milky Way. This Star Party is scheduled for Friday, September 25th. (This is a weather permitting event.) If cancelled, the rain date is Saturday, September 26th. Watch this page for cancellation notices.

Also, at this time of year anything can happen weatherwise so don't be fooled by the warmth of the day. Temperatures can fall dramatically after the sun sets. To be on the safe side, bring a sweater, jacket, gloves, cap and coat. Then you can add or subtract layers to fit your personal needs.
The Nielson Observatory address is 13630 Diagonal Road LaGrange, Ohio‏. It is located at the Lorain County Metroparks Carlisle Reservation, specifically at the Equestrian Center Entrance. When arriving, be sure to go slow, because the entrance to the Equestrian Center is not lit and is very easy to miss in the dark. Rely on headlights to illuminate the sign. Watch the street numbers for 13630 or enter the address into your GPS.
Upon entering the drive, pass through the gate and proceed down a long winding road through the woods. The road will eventually split, with one fork continuing into the woods and the other branching off to the right. Keep left and go deeper into the woods. (The right fork goes to a service building.) You will soon come to a steep curve, cross a bridge and emerge in a clearing. After driving up a low hill, there will be a parking lot and restrooms to the right. Park in the lot and walk to the observatory across the road along a narrow path. The Observatory is south of the parking lot, or left of the road you just drove in on.

The Nielsen Observatory is manned by the membership of The Black River Astronomical Society, who have been bringing Amateur Astronomy to Lorain County residents since 1949.
To learn more about Black River, visit our website at www.BlackRiverAstro.org