January, 2010 Black River Astro Schedule of Events

Happy New Year! 2010 promises to be a great year for astronomy. For those who want to travel there will be a Total Solar Eclipse. For those staying at home there will be a total Lunar Eclipse.

We have three events scheduled for January.First is the monthly meeting, held at the Carlisle Visitors Center on Diagonal Road. Our own Dave Lengyel will be presenting a talk on The Black River Astronomical Society's Meteorite Collection, and will have the collection on hand for you to photograph and see. As usual the meeting will be held the first Wednesday of the month, January 6th, at 7pm.

January 14th will be the date, at 7pm, for our usual, 2nd Thursday of the month, Board of Directors meeting. Come on out and enjoy a meal and discuss some club business with us at the Blue Sky Restaurant in Amherst, on Rt 58, just south of Cooper Foster Park Road in the Plaza.

Last on Friday, January 22nd, join us at the Nielsen Observatory. Mars is at opposition and the polar ice cap really looks prominent, especially in the big telescopes at the observatory.  This is a weather permitting only event and the backup date, in case we get clouded out is Saturday, January 23rd.

Be aware that 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 Niesen Observatory is manned by the members of the Black River Astronomical Society, who have been bringing amateur astronomy to Lorain County Residents since 1949. To learn more about Black River Astro visit our website at
http://www/.BlackRiverAstro.org