Wednesday, July 14, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 3
Torry Crass, Phelps, Wis., sophomore, adjusts an attachment used for viewing sunspots on a reflector-type telescope. Sunspot activity is cyclical (about every 10 years) and is expected to peak in the coming winter months. Photo Jamie Roper/KANSAN
Searching the night skies from KU perch
Campus telescopes provide stargazers with stellar insights
By John Franey
Kansan staff writer
Although most observatories are located in desolate places on mountaintops far from the light pollution of the city, KU students and the public need journey no farther than Lindley Hall to view their favorite celestial bodies at the Tombaugh Observatory.
Named after Clyde Tombaugh, an early 20th century astronomer who discovered Pluto, the observatory houses an impressive collection of telescopes that are available to the public after dark on the second and fourth Sundays of each month.
"Saturn is quite spectacular through the six-inch refractor telescope," said Torry Crass, a Phelps, Wis., sophomore and president of The Astronomy Associates of Lawrence, as he walked through the rooftop labyrinth that leads from one telescope to another.
The array of telescopes comprises five eight-inch reflector telescopes, 14-inch and 27-inch reflector telescopes, and a six-inch refractor telescope manufactured in 1885.
"Even though this is the oldest telescope we use, it's the best for planetary viewing because of the quality of the optics," Crass said as he trained the long, gleaming brass instrument on the sun to see if there was any sunspot activity.
Two of the eight-inch telescopes are linked to computers that are programmed to track particular objects in the night sky.
The 27-inch telescope, which was built in the 1930s and is no longer in use, is housed in a wooden dome that stands nearly three stories tall.
Crass is working on a bachelor's degree in astronomy, and with more than 10 years of experience with telescopes, he's able to bring many of the distant objects in the sky in to view.
"With the computerized telescopes that we use for our open house, we can easily see over 100 objects in a night of viewing," Crass said.
Among those objects are the
moon, planets, star clusters, nebulae, galaxies and comets if they happen to be passing by. Crass said that, unfortunately, it's not possible to see anything the Apollo 11 astronauts left on the moon, but that it was probably the most frequently asked question from amateur stargazers as they surveyed the moon's surface.
"The moon is a big object," he said. "Looking for a flag on its surface is like looking for a pin." But Crass said that most people were taken back when they got a good view of the moon or the rings of Saturn on a clear night.
Most people who show up to stargaze every other Sunday night are members of the Astronomy Associates, but Crass said the public is more than welcome and he would like to see more of the Lawrence community.
Steve Shawl, professor of Physics and Astronomy and director of the Tombaugh Observatory, agreed. Shawl said that he has seen less interest in the observatory in recent years and that he would like to see more people take advantage of the facility.
"The department is working hard"
TOMBAUCH OBSERVATORY
What you can see: the moon.
What you can see: The moon, the sun and the moon. comet
planets, star clusters, nebulae, comets
The Troubleshooting Guide
Where: The Tombaugh Observatory on the roof of Lindley Hall
When : The second and fourth Sundays of every month after dark
The Hubble Telescope, www.stsci.edu
The Jet Propulsion Lab, www.jpl.nasa.gov
Astronomy Picture of the Day,
of every month after dark Related Websites:
Related Websites:
http://anwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astro
pix.html
Sky & Telescope, www.skypub.com Astronomy Magazine, www.astronomy.com
to move the observatory to a better site," Shawl said. He added that a better site would be one with less light pollution, but he did not say where it would be located.
Even though Lawrence is not situated high in the desert miles away from the light pollution of the city, spectacular views of the planets and stars can still be seen at the Tombaugh Observatory on top of Lindley Hall.
— Edited by Derek Prater
StudEx passes new agenda, now meetings could shorten
By Matthew Friedrichs Kanson editor
Student Senate meetings could be shorter this year thanks to a modified agenda.
The Student Senate Executive Committee approved the new agenda July 7.
Korb Maxwell, student body president, proposed the changes which will be implemented this fall.
The chairmen and chairwomen of the finance, graduate affairs, multicultural affairs, student rights and university affairs committees—the five Student Senate standing committees—will no longer automatically be included on the agenda. Instead, they will have to ask StudEx to be added to the agenda, and if approved, can speak during the other reports section of the agenda.
The issues agenda will also be earlier in the meeting, ensuring that senators will be more attentive and willing to discuss the issues presented. Maxwell said.
ate Executive Committee
Amy Cummins, Senate Em-
member and graduate student senator, opposed the agenda changes. She argued that the Graduate Professional Association should have a permanent spot on the agenda and offered an amendment to add the organization to the agenda.
Maxwell said the amendment defeated the purpose of the new agenda, which was to shorten meetings by eliminating unnecessary reports.
But Cummins said that graduate students would feel neglected by not being included.
Minority,engineering and journalism students are important,but they don't necessarily need to read
SENATE AGENDA
1. Call to order
2. Forum for non senators
3. Approval for minutes
5. Additional
6. Issue agenda
7. Old business
8. New business
- supplemental
agenda
regular agenda
7. Announce-
ments
10. Adjourn
Report at every senate meeting, Maxwell said. "We could go on and on." he said.
StudEx rejected Cummins' amendment and passed the new agenda.
The new agenda could lower the profile and influence of the committee leadersif they speak less often at Senate meetings.
But Maxwell said committee representatives and other student senators with relevant business and not repetitive and unnecessary speeches would be able to get on the agenda.
"Any senator can come to StudEx and get on during the additional reports," he said.
— Edited by Mike Miller
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