Welcome to the first issue of the Montauk Observatory newsletter. This publication is being sent via email to all of our registered members, and will detail such things as public observing nights, lectures, topics of special interest and details of one - off observing events that may arise from time to time. Starting in June, we plan to offer a public observing night every Friday starting at sunset, weather permitting of course!

Come and see the wonders of the summer sky through our state-of-the-art telescope and be guided through the evening sky by professional astronomers. Bring the family, and don't forget to bring any binoculars or telescope that you may have. Details and dates of the events can be found in the Observing Section of this newsletter and on the Montauk Observatory website www.montaukobservatory.com.

Best wishes and clear skies!

Dr Mike Inglis

Susan Harder: What is the title of your new work/play and the subject matter?

Dava Sobel: The title is "And the Sun Stood Still." It tells the story of how Copernicus was convinced to publish his crazy idea [that the earth was not fixed and was not the center of the universe, but instead the sun is fixed and the earth rotates around it].

Susan: When/why did you decide to write a play rather than a book?

Dava: I've wanted to write this play for more than thirty years, but was afraid to try playwriting. The crux of the story is the visit paid to Copernicus by a brilliant young mathematician from Germany, who convinced him to publish, then stayed with him more than two years to help him complete the manuscript. The visitor also delivered the manuscript to a printer in Nuremberg and supervised most of the printing process. Since no one knows exactly what the two said to each other, the substance of their dialogue had to be made up. I'm amazed that in five hundred years no one else has written this play!

Susan: Were you inspired by a particular playwright's work?

Dava: No, just by the story, which seems perfectly suited to the stage.

Susan: When and where do you anticipate the play will open?

Dava: The second draft of my play will have a reading at the Manhattan Theatre Club in New York, probably on July 17. After that, MTC has six months to decide whether to mount a full production. Of course, I hope that will happen, but if not, I'll be looking into other possibilities.

Susan: Are you going to write another play?  On?

Dava: Yes. I'm very interested in the women who worked as human computers at the Harvard College Observatory in the early 1900s. They were called "Pickering's Harem," after their boss, Edward Charles Pickering, and "Pickering's Harem" will probably be the title of the play.

Montauk Playhouse Gets Turned Into A World Of Deep Space

-Patria Baradi Pacis-
Reprinted with permission Montauk Pioneer

David Cohn inside his portable Planetarium

What a beautiful way to start the Memorial Day Weekend! Last Saturday, May 26, was a perfect day. Not too hot, not too cold, just right for the debut of the huge, black, inflatable, portable planetarium. Originally scheduled at our Montauk Library's auditorium, the venue was changed to the Montauk Community Playhouse Center upon realizing that the gymnasium of the playhouse would have more room for the "igloo like" building to be placed in.

Knowing that this event would be another first to experience, something magical like the unveiling of our new Meade 20" RCX400 telescope last April 20, at the Montauk's Historic Third House, I decided to bring my whole family including my 97 year young Mom and a couple of friends for the first showing at 4 p.m. We were met by David Cohn, Director of Educational Projects Network, a non-profit Outreach and Consulting firm and his helpful, nine year old daughter Sabrina. Both are experts in bringing the planetarium to the people. We were even shown the regular size suitcase the building fit in and the air blower connected by a hose to keep the dome upright. That's what modern technology can do.

After looking for a folding chair for Mom and finding a regular, cafeteria chair instead, my husband and I could not figure out how to carry the bulky chair through the small opening of the planetarium entrance. Thanks to the smart and "way beyond her age" Sabrina, she figured out a "way to get the chair in by simply lifting one of the planetarium's side wall and sliding the chair through. Except for the four children on the floor and one adult, the rest of the audience, nine in total, sat on child-size plastic stools behind Mr. Cohn's projector and laptop computer. We were then reminded to be careful, not to step on the protruding lip of the nylon wall.

Mr. Cohn, who wore a flashlight gadget on his forehead to guide us in the dark room, turned his projector on and wowed us by showing what the stars actually look like that same day and what the sky will look like that evening.

Unfortunately, because of the cloudy skies, the Star Party could not take place at the Third House as originally planned. Mr. Cohn also superimposed the stars by outlining them with its corresponding familiar, horoscope signs. Gemini- the twins, Cancer-the crab, and Leo-the lion. He showed us Venus, the brightest planet. When one of the stargazers asked where Sirius was, Mr. Cohn explained that Sirius is a winter star and could not be seen presently since it is spring. As the audience faced south, Mr. Cohn showed us where the Big Dipper Constellation was. When asked where the Little Dipper was, Mr. Cohn made a minor adjustment on his laptop by turning the audience 180 degrees around. Now we were facing north so we could see the Little Dipper. This was accomplished by tracing a line from the two end stars of the Big Dipper to the Polaris star, which is the end star of the handle of the Little Dipper. To a novice stargazer like me, I forget that the stars are constantly in motion and I sometimes wonder why I can't find them.

Before we knew it, the half hour show was over. I am glad that the Montauk Observatory Group was persistent and succeeded in making our Montauk one of the best places to meet and be able to see the beautiful stars above!

During the Summer months, June , July and August, the Montauk Observatory will hold a free public observing night every Friday, weather permitting beginning June 22nd. Held at the Theodore Roosevelt County Park and starting at sunset there will be a variety of telescopes to use, from a 10- inch Dobsonian, up to the 20 - inch Meade RCX. On some dates, a public lecture/planetarium show will be held at the Montauk Library/Montauk Playhouse, starting at 6.00 pm, to be followed by the observing session at the park. Note that the August 12 - 13th Perseid meteor shower night is actually on a Sunday night, and not Friday. This will be in addition to the usual Friday night observing session.

June 22nd, 2007 --  David Cohen - Planetarium Show
July 6th, 2007 --  To be decided
July 20th, 2007--  Dr Mike Inglis - "Mars, Water and the Search for Life"
August 3rd, 2007 --  Sean Tvelia- " Lunar Folklore: Science, Myth, and Religion"
August 12 th - 13th, -- 2007 Perseid Meteor Shower night

Key Dates for June-July

June

• 14th - New Moon

• 18th - For those of you who may be travelling abroad, Venus will be occulted by the Moon. (Visible from the U.K.)

• 21st - Summer Solstice

July

• 7th - Earth is at aphelion, 152 097 000km from the Sun.

• 14th - New Moon.

• 16th - 6:00pm Moon is 0.1° south of Saturn.

• 22nd

  • First Quarter.

  • 5:00 am Moon is at apogee.

• 30th - Full Moon.

If you would like to make a contribution to this newsletter please send your article or essay to montaukobserver@montaukobservatory.com.

Montauk Observatory Board of Directors

David Larkin, President
Terry Bienstock
Susan Harder
Sean Tvelia
John Imperatore
Eva Growney, Architectural Consultant
Robert Young, Architect of Record

Board of Advisors

Dava Sobel, Author
Dr. Mike Inglis, Astronomer, SCCC
Dr. Dean Peterson, Astronomer, SUNY Stony Brook
Joe Malave, Science Teacher, Montauk Public School
David Cohn, Director, Educational Projects Network
Donna McCormick, President, Custer Institute
Robert Deluca, President, Group for the South Fork