Events Calendar

April 1, 2024
  • VAS Monthly Meeting

    April 1, 2024  7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

    Free and Open to the Public 

    In-person and via Zoom

    Ask for the Zoom link via info@vtastro.org

    VAS Members will be emailed the Zoom link

    The in-person will be at the Brownell Library on 2A near 5-Corners in Essex Junction.
     
    The library encourages masks, but does not require them.  That policy may change over time, so watch for announcements.
     
    The intention is to also stream the main speaker and presentation via Zoom for those who choose to attend remotely. If you don't have Zoom installed, the application will automatically download and install when you click the link.  Or go to Zoom.us to download the interface application.

    Note:
    The meeting starts at 7:30 pm, but you can join starting at about 7:15 or 7:20 PM to give you time to connect and work out any issues.

    April 1

    Prelude to the April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
    (2 parts) Viewing and Imaging

    Info about the Sun, Eclipses and Viewing the Eclipse
    Presented by Jack St. Louis

    This presentation includes descriptions of the Sun including bits about Solar weather and its effects on the Earth and why science is so interested in using the eclipse to study the Sun.  Some basic historical knowledge is included.
    We talk about the geometry of the Moon’s orbit around the Earth and why eclipses are uncommon on any given part of the Earth and that repeating patterns of eclipses occur.  The timing and times of the partial and total phases is discussed.  A scale model demonstration of the Earth-Moon system is given to help visualize why and how solar eclipses happen.
    A major part of the presentation is dedicated to Safe Solar Viewing.  We include pinhole camera technics.  Proper use of approved and appropriate solar filters is covered in detail and information on ISO certification number to look is provided.  We inform the attendees of when it is safe to observe the eclipse without filters.
    A video of the August 21, 2017, total eclipse in Tennessee made by Paul Walker will be shown which includes scenes of the eclipse and scenes of the surrounding area including some of the lesser known effects for which one may want to keep and eye out.
    A question and hopefully answer session is at the end.

    Imaging a Solar Eclipse
    By Paul Walker

    This presentation will deal primarily with imaging a solar eclipse using DSLR's (digital single lens reflex) and the similar "mirror less" digital cameras.  It will also touch upon capturing images of the ambiance whether with DLSR, point & shoot or cell phone cameras.
    A total solar eclipse has 3 main stages, it goes from a partial eclipse, to totality and back to a partial eclipse. The partials are pretty sedate events lasting about 1 hour 10 minutes for this event.  Totality a bit more hectic being only 3 min 32 sec. long at the center line to less than 1 minute if your near the edge of the shadow. But there are 2 other stages, while technically part of the partial phases deserve special attention.  They are the transition from partial to total and total back to partial.  These happen very quickly, about 15 seconds and are the most challenging stages to image.  This talk will cover the differences and challenges for each.

    Bio relating to Solar Eclipes:
    Paul grew up on his family's dairy farm in Cabot in the heyday of the space program.  He has been doing photography and astrophotograph in one form or another since his early teenage years. He took his first images of the partially eclipsed Sun on that family farm on March 7, 1970 using his mother's Kodak Duaflex camera.  He was 13 years old.  It was mostly cloudy and he used a combination of the variable clouds and some over exposed b&w film to filter the Sun.  NOTE: Do not use over exposed b&w film as a visual solar filter or anything other than ISO certified solar filter material.  Other solar eclipses he has imaged from Vermont are an annular eclipse on May 10, 1994 and a partial eclipse on Christmas day 2001 (both through a 10" f/5.6 Newtonian telescope using an Olympus OM-1 film camera and Olympus C-2000 Zoom digital camera respectively). His only total eclipse was the 2017 eclipse where he and his wife traveled to Tennessee.  In all four cases he had to content with varying amounts of clouds.  He observed but didn't image the October 14, 2023 partial eclipse (an annular eclipse in the southwest U.S.


    Following the main presentation, our recurring monthly presentations will include 
    Constellation of the Month  by Terri Zittritsch

    See more details