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Southern Maine Astronomers

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    • Outreach / Star Parties / Solar Viewing

       

      SMA is a community of interested professional and amateur astronomers, exchanging ideas and information at meetings, through Google Groups and the Night Sky Network. As a member of the International Dark Sky Association and Dark Sky Maine, SMA is actively involved in fighting light pollution and preserving our dark Maine skies.

       

      SMA Club members provide advanced astronomical equipment and mentor-ship to members, students and the general public interested in astronomy. We also plan for star parties where naked eye, binocular, and telescope viewing take place with the support of trained volunteers.

       

      SMA’s monthly meetings feature lectures by experts in astronomy, discussions of current events among members and member presentations.

       

      All regular monthly meetings will be by ZOOM, until further notice.

      Contact us for ZOOM details.

       

      Cumberland 48-hour Astronomical Observing Forecast : https://www.cleardarksky.com/c/StMnAtObMEkey.html?1

       

      SMA Google Group Mailing List
    • Events

      Outreach and other public events

      You can also see our events calendar on the NASA's Night Sky Network!

      SMA Monthly Club Meeting with Guest Speaker Dr. Morgan MacLeod(ZOOM Only)

      Upcoming- Thursday, June 1st, 2023, 7pm. Social "half-hour" starts at 6:30pm.

      We have a very exciting meeting planned for Thursday, June 1, 2023. Literally, hot off the presses. Our speaker, Dr. Morgan MacLeod, will speak about his research in finding the first evidence of a planet being devoured by its host star. Dr. MacLeod was co-author with Kishalay De of MIT on a new paper that was recently published in the prestigious journal Nature. The paper describes observations of an aging star that has departed the main sequence and consumes one of its Jupiter-sized planets. This has been predicted behavior, but now we have direct observational confirmation. Morgan provided the theoretical model that squared with the observations.

       

      The Zoom link will be sent out to our Google Group. Please use the "Contact Us" form or join our Google Group for the Zoom link, if you don't have it!

      Come join us for an afternoon of solar observation!

      Upcoming- TBD

      Topic: Come enjoy naked eye, binocular and telescopic views of the night sky and laser pointer tours of constellations, with knowledgeable observers. Free and open to the public. Rain or Shine (if inclement, astronomy talk and telescope demos to be held indoors).

       

      Date: May 20th

      Time: 8-10PM

      Location: 179 Neptune Drive, Brunswick

      Phone: 207-751-4651

       

      Hope to see you there!

    • Gallery

      Photos & videos from members.  Click each image for a larger view and description.

      M63, The Sunflower Galaxy, By Ara Jerahain
      M31, the Andromeda galaxy,  by Ara Jerahain
      Wizard Nebula, by Ara Jerahain. NGC 7380 is a young open cluster of stars in the northern circumpolar constellation of Cepheus, discovered by Caroline Herschel in 1787. The surrounding emission nebulosity is known colloquially as the Wizard Nebula, which spans an angle of 25′. German-born astronomer William Herschel included his sister's discovery in his catalog, and labelled it H VIII.77. The nebula is known as S 142 in the 1959 Sharpless catalog. It is extremely difficult to observe visually, usually requiring very dark skies and an O-III filter. The NGC 7380 complex is located at a distance of approximately 8.5 kilolight-years from the Sun, in the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way.  The cluster spans ~20 light-years (6 pc) with an elongated shape and an extended tail. Age estimates range from 4 to 11.9 million years. At the center of the cluster lies DH Cephei, a close, double-lined spectroscopic binary system consisting of two massive O-type stars. This pair are the primary ionizing source for the surrounding H II region, and are driving out the surrounding gas and dust while triggering star formation in the neighboring region. Of the variable stars that have been identified in the cluster, 14 have been identified as pre-main sequence stars while 17 are main sequence stars that are primarily B-type variables.
      Full Moon - 02/27/2021
      IC 342 - The Hidden Galaxy
      NGC 1333
      M106 and Surrounding Galaxy Field
      Iris Nebula and its surrounding dark clouds.
      Heart Nebula
      NGC 7000 - Cygnus Wall
      NGC 281 - Pacman Nebula
      Pelican Nebula
      M45 - Pleiades - The Seven Sisters
      A stack of 15x 90 sec. exposures of the Heart and Soul nebulae.
      Comet alert! David Thibeault took this photo of Comet NEOWISE from the Eastern Prom before 4 am.. Shot at f4 for 2 seconds, ISO 400 with a Rokinon 135. The comet may be visible with the unaided eye, but it would help to have a pair of binoculars. To find it look near the constellation Auriga.
      Lynds Dark Nebula 1251 (Ara Jerahian)
      California Nebula
      M51 - Whirlpool Galaxy
    • Membership

      Support your local club and become a member of Southern Maine Astronomers!

      Click Here to learn more about membership benefits

       
    • Wish to donate to SMA?

      Your donation will go to support the club including our outreach and educational efforts in the communities we serve.

      SMA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation so all donations to it are tax-deductible.

    • Committees

      We've got a top notch team! While each of these committees is staffed by Club Directors, any member can join and assist these committees in their club objectives. We welcome participation! Support your Club!

      Membership

      This committee is focused on increasing membership and improving member experience.

      Purview includes club meetings, greeting members and guests, following up with new people, providing refreshments. It will be the point of contact for club clothing and such. This committee will coordinate with the Program Committee to ensure we are offering speakers and topics that square with the needs and desires of members. It will also liaise with other clubs, including student organizations, and encourage developments between clubs.

       

      Director Member: Al DiSabatino, Kevin Kane

      Outreach

      Acting as the point of contact for the public, for things like star parties, speakers, etc., and for coordinating the club’s response.

      This committee responds to groups looking for star parties and such events; would determine if it’s a request the club can accommodate; would organize club members willing to attend/staff the event. This committee also provides formal notice to news organizations and public bulletin boards and other third parties of club meetings and events.

       

      Director Member: Kerry Kertes, Carson Hanrahan, Maame Andoh, Russ Pinizzotto

      Club Member: Ron Thompson

      Program

      Planning for meetings, finding speakers, coordinating publicity.

      This Committee seeks speakers in contemporary topics of astronomy and space exploration that are of interest to the membership. The Committee ensures other engaging content to appeal to beginners as well as seasoned amateurs to improve their knowledge of the night sky, telescope equipment, observing techniques and astrophotography.

       

      Director Member: Russ Pinizzotto, Maame Andoh

      Equipment

      Managing club equipment, purchased and donated, to fulfill the club's outreach and educational mission.

      Club assets include purchased and donated equipment. This committee determines what best suits club needs and then seeks to sell or otherwise dispose of excess equipment with funds received used to support the club. This committee also manages the Club's Equipment Lending Program that makes more sophisticated equipment available to club members for use.

       

      Director Member: Kevin Kane, Ara Jerahian

      Dark Sky Advocacy

      Liaising with Dark Sky Maine, IDA, and other groups interested in controlling light pollution.

      Advocating for dark sky-friendly zoning and other regulations to control and reduce light pollution. This Committee hope to develop a recognition program for organizations and municipalities who undertake improvements in light pollution control.

       

      Director Member: Rob Burgess, Howie Marshall

      Club Member: Paul Howell

      Finance

      This Committee is responsible for administration of club finances.

      Responsibilities include management and reconcilement of club finances and bank statements, tax filings, club insurances, etc. Recently, the club decided to undertake fundraising. This new venture will examine club short and long term goals and then find sources and develop strategies to support those goals, including the establishment of an endowment fund.

       

      Treasurer & Chair: Bob Dodge

      Fundraising Subcommittee: Rob Burgess, Bob Dodge, Russ Pinizzotto

      Executive Committe

      Director Members: Rob Burgess, Bob Dodge, Russ Pinizzotto, Ara Jerahian

    • Drop Us A Note

      Don't be afraid to reach out. You + us = awesome.

       

      You can also join our Google Groups mailing list and
      stay super informed of our club activity :)

      179 Neptune Drive, Suite 300
      Brunswick, ME 04011
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    When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer

    By Walt Whitman

     

    When I heard the learn’d astronomer,

    When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,

    When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,

    When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,

    How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,

    Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself,

    In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,

    Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.

     

     

     

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