Jim announced that Casas Adobes Rotary will be well represented the Southern Arizona Day of Peace this Saturday, April 6th with 5 members attending. Chris Bjisterveld cannot attend but has sent word that someone can take his place for free since he has already paid.
No count as yet for the raffle tickets but the drawing will be held on April 18th at El Charro Café on Oracle. Hor-d’oeuvers are complimentary with a cash bar.
Hugh Smith has offered a large size golf shirt with the Rotary logo to anyone who would like it.
The 4-Way Speech Contest will be held April 13th. Casas Adobes is sponsoring
Stan Turney announced a tentative change for the date of the golf tournament to September 20th.
Mike Lavor announced that the 8th Grade Program is mostly on track. Counselors at two or three high schools failed to inform eligible seniors about getting in their scholarship applications so he extended the deadline for those students. Doug Woodard will be the master of ceremonies. The scholarship committee will meet April 11th at Charlotte Harris’ home. The breakfast is May 15th at the University Student Union, 5:30 am for Rotarians and 6:30 am for students and parents.
George Darling introduced Rex Smith, an electrical engineer who worked in the aerospace industry. In retirement he took up astrophotography as a hobby which is what he talked about and showed pictures of some of the galaxies and nebulae that he has photographed.
To get good photos requires 5 requirements:
Light pollution filter on his camera/telescope.
Taking many shots of the same target and stacking them.
No moon or taking photos when the moon is in the beginning phase.
“Astronomical seeing” conditions (no clouds, smoke, wind, moisture in the air) have to be good.
The sensor in the camera should be as cold as practical.
Rex’s picture of the Andromeda galaxy taken in October of 2016 required 2hs. 40 minute exposure. The Triangulum galaxy required a 40 minute exposure.
Nebulae have more color and Rex stressed that the colors are real, no photoshop, and are mostly red because 90% of nebulae are hydrogen.
There are 5 types of nebulae:
Emission, example is the Orion Nebula
Reflection
Dark, example is the Horsehead Nebula
Planetary (stars at the end of their life), example is the Dumbbell Nebula
Supernova remnants, example is the Crab Nebula which was first observed in 1054 CE.