The FCAS Story - Page 5 of 5

Society efforts to further astronomical education in the community include an annual Astronomy Day, also sponsored by the Museum. That afternoon special events for children and a Planetarium show take place at the main Museum building, and there is an open house at the Observatory with observations of the sun if weather permits. An evening observing session completes the day. Each year we have a topical theme suggested by astronomical events at that time.

In 1984 we had a very special Astronomy Day project. The FCAS constructed a scale model of the Solar System on the Museum grounds. The Sun was represented by a one-foot diameter globe placed on the rail of the front steps of the main Museum building. This placed the inner planets along the walk/stairway down to the parking lot, with Jupiter in the middle of the farm and Saturn in front of the Observatory. Thus one could walk from planet to planet and get a feel for the scale. Jupiter was an aluminum ball a bit over an inch in diameter, and Saturn just about an inch, with its rings spanning 3 inches. All of the planets were placed on top of 2-inch pipe posts set in concrete bases. The smaller planets were represented by ballbearings of the proper size cast into clear plastic. A sign on each post gave details about the planet and its distance from the Sun. The model was a great hit on that Astronomy Day, and remained in place for some months. Teachers found it particularly helpful in exposing their classes to a bit of astronomy that is hard to convey in any other way. Unfortunately the parts of the model were subject to some vandalism and it was taken down.

FCAS members help staff special event open house times, such as during Farm Days or when a bright comet is visible. Halley's Comet and Comets Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp have provided good viewing, with hundreds of people visiting. For Halley's Comet we shared in the preparation of a major exhibit at the main Museum. The theme was Halley's, but the exhibit covered all phases of comet apparitions and history.

In 1973 the FCAS and the Museum hosted a symposium on variable stars attended by 96 registered participants plus families. The panel of speakers was drawn from the Yale Astronomy Dept. and also included the Director of the AAVSO and observers from as far away as Ohio. Attendees came from as far away as central New Jersey and Massachusetts. In addition to the panel of speakers a workshop on observing techniques was held, as well as an open house at the Observatory.

In 1974 and again in 1981 FCAS hosted conventions of the Northeast Region of the Astronomical League. Both were well attended and featured excellent speakers, earning the A.L. Regional award mentioned below.

In the early 1980s the Museum had a NASA sponsored exhibit of models and materials about the Space Shuttle. These included a four-foot long model of the Space Telescope on display at the Observatory. During our contact with NASA they mentioned that they had a 1/3-scale model of the Lunar Lander Module (LEM) that they were about to retire. It was sent to us on semi-permanent loan and now hangs on display in the foyer of the Observatory.

In 1995 on the occasion of the Observatory's 35th year we hosted the Spring Meeting of the AAVSO. Most events were held at the Tara Hotel on Summer Street, with tours of the Observatory evenings. There were about 90 participants from all over the world.

Also in 1995 the FCAS painted all of the public areas of the Observatory's interior using lighter shades of the old colors. The painting of the ceiling of the auditorium white required three coats to cover the original dark green. The dark green had made the place look like a cave, and absorbed much of the light. Once the walls were painted we put in the Mural of the Solar System comparing the sizes of the planets to a nine-inch globe of the Earth. This has been an extremely popular exhibit.

Video cameras have been fitted to the 22-inch telescope with quite good results in videos of the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn. One exceptionally good video is the record made of the occultation of the bright star Aldebaran by the Moon. Timings of the event from our video and others by the International Occultation Timing Association will help refine our knowledge of the Moon. The main video camera is quite heavy and rides on a spar attached to the rear of the telescope. A miniature camera can be inserted in place of an eyepiece on the main telescope, or on its finder or guide telescopes. This will allow us to guide future photos on a video screen instead of through the eyepiece of the guide telescope.

In December 1998 FCAS member Julius "Mark" Marcus donated an SBIG (Santa Barbara Instrument Group) ST-8 CCD camera to the Museum for our use. Difficulties in repeating the internal image of the telescope outside the rear of the telescope caused major delays in implementing the use of the new camera. At last in mid 2000 the mechanism was completed and the FCAS joined the digital age. The new camera is so sensitive that it should make our telescope the equivalent of an 80-inch telescope using film.

The FCAS has produced a number of "graduates" who are well known in the astronomical Community. Perry Remaklus moved south and with a partner founded Willman-Bell Publishing Company, one of the best known publishers of materials for the amateur astronomer. In the early 1960s a junior section had as members Phil Harrington, now an astronomy educator and author of several books on astronomical equipment and observing; Richard Berry who became editor of Astronomy Magazine for many years and is author of a book on making your own CCD camera, and of software for operating CCD cameras; member Rick Sternbach was quite a budding artist, and now works in the movie and TV industry at the highest levels designing backgrounds and sets for science fiction movies. FCJAS member Eugene Major went on to get a Masters degree in astronomy, but later switched subjects before getting his PhD in physics. Designer of our telescope John Gregory moved from Stamford to the central Texas area to work at the McDonald Observatory upgrading their telescopes. He is now retired and works as a consultant for many observatories and universities. FCAS former president Tom Williams got interested in variable stars here and went on to become president of the AAVSO. He is now retired after a career with Shell Oil Co. and is about to get his PhD in the history of astronomy at Rice University.

Member John Griese started here as a highschooler in the 1970s and has gone on to specialize in astronomy. He has worked as an observer and researcher on the Stellar Parallax Program at Wesleyan and Yale Universities for years, and also helps teach some courses there at both undergraduate and graduate levels. He also teaches adult education courses at several school systems around the state including Stamford (that course is taught here). He is a past President of FCAS, and has been a Council Member of the AAVSO.

Former FCAS member John Bortle is well known as an expert on comets and has written a monthly column for Sky & Telescope magazine for many years. He has also been a member of the Council of the AAVSO and has contributed tens of thousands of visual observations of variable stars. He is a sought-after lecturer on comets, having even been invited to Japan, all expenses paid, to lecture there.

FCAS members have been honored by too many awards to list. They include: The Leslie C. Peltier observing award of the Astronomical League (2 members), the Director's Award of the AAVSO, the AAVSO Merit Award (2 members), the Astronomical League Regional Award, and the E. E. Barnard Observer's Award and the Caroline Herschel Observers Award of the Western Amateur Astronomers.

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