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Welcome
to my observatory at Roseland! Roseland’s
location in West Virginia makes it an ideal place to locate an
astronomical observatory. High in the sky and free of light
pollution, Rose Hill has many nights when the sky is crystal clear
and the stars sparkle like diamonds on black velvet. My interest in
astronomy began in the 1960's when I built my first telescope and
saw the planet Jupiter and its four Galilean moons on a very cold
night in my hometown of Greensburg, PA. But in the intervening
decades, development of commerce surrounding my home created light
pollution so bad that I could no longer observe unless I loaded the
telescope in the truck and headed for the rural areas, generally a
30 mile drive. My observing opportunities were sharply curtailed.
But then I discovered Roseland during a camping trip in 2000 and was
immediately impressed with the clear skies and wide vistas. There I
discovered the fun of astronomy again. Newer generations of
telescopes and digital electronics are returning me back to a truly
awesome hobby.
Fast
forward to August 2007 when Daniel Watkins gave the green light for
the construction of an observatory on Rose Hill. Daniel provided
the site and built the 12 x 24 platform. With help from friends, I
built a 8 x 12 workroom, a nifty picket fence, and created the
infrastructure for a real working observatory.
My pride
and joy is my Meade LX90 Schmidt-Cassegranian telescope with
computerized GOTO capabilities. This scope is a powerful
instrument that gives virtuoso performances when the sky is dark and
the stars seem so close you can reach out and grab them! But I also
have a few refractors or modest aperture and the several pairs of an
observer’s
best friend, binoculars! And I just got started in digital
astrophotography with a CCD camera. The camera replaces the
eyepiece of a telescope and the output goes to my laptop. The
computer, with the use of powerful software, takes the best of many
images and creates a final image that rivals those taken by huge
telescopes back when photographic film was the medium. I plan to do
several experiments with the camera other than just take pretty
awesome pictures. For instance, I want to measure the height of some
mountains on the moon by measuring the shadow cast on the plain
below. The list of projects includes an animation AVI’s
of Jupiter’s
rotation which will also let me measure it’s
rotational period and that of its satellites Io and Callisto too.
I also
have a great library of books about astronomy, atlases, maps, and
charts. There are loads of DVD’s
on physical science and topics in astronomy. The infrastructure is
here, waiting for people to come to Roseland and share the joys of
the night sky with me. Remember the motto, at Roseland, it’s
all about the view. And the view just gets better after
sunset!
Clear
Skies!
Dr. John
Occhuizzo (aka Doc)
Protocol:
The
Observatory* is under the supervision of Doc. There are two aspects
of The Observatory program; one public and one private.
The
public aspect will consist of observing sessions, daytime and
nighttime outdoor lectures on beginning and advanced topics in
astronomy, DVD viewings followed by discussion, and scheduled events
to coincide with celestial events. You can follow these happenings
at this website where a schedule of public events will be posted on
a monthly basis. Look for
“What’s
happening this month in the sky”.
Things like lunar phases, eclipses, conjunctions, meteor showers,
ISS pass-overs, planetary viewing alignments, as well as The
Observatory event schedule will be posted there. All guests are
invited to participate in the public events. All events are
contingent upon the weather. Most events are festival seating on
the grass around The Observatory. Guests are encouraged to bring
their binoculars and curiosity.
The
private aspect of The Observatory revolves around one-on-one
projects, new or continuing, by guests with serious interests in
specific observing goals, performed with their own equipment or my
observatory tools, and which have been approved in advance of your
visit by Doc. We are talking about serious astronomy here
guys! Do you have a large telescope you would like to bring to
Roseland and use it during your stay? Would you like to get
involved in serious science at The Observatory? Contact me,
Doc John, directly and we can discuss your objectives and schedule
your observatory deck time. Email me at
stargeezer15601@aol.com,
or call me at Roseland, 304-455-4750 and leave a message.
*The
Observatory deck is for science. That means no smoking, no
food or beverages, and clothing is required. When no events
are scheduled or weather is poor, The Observatory gate will be
locked.
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MISSION STATEMENT
With help from Roseland’s
proprietor Daniel Watkins, I have built an actual astronomical
observatory atop Rose Hill. The two quotes reproduced below echo
the motivation behind The Observatory. My hobby of astronomy has
given me much pleasure in the past half century. I built my first
telescope before man walked on the moon! In my retirement years I
finally have the time to pursue full-time my personal quest to
understand the universe in which I live. It is my self-assignment
to advance my knowledge of the universe with practical astronomy and
utilize my natural curiosity about the heavens to amplify the
grandeur I see in creation. It is thus incumbent upon me to share
this knowledge and provide the opportunity for others to explore
these wonders.
Dr. John Occhuizzo
January 2008
“Since
the dawn of history, Man has pondered the riddle of the origin and
structure of the universe. Pondering, however, didn't get man very
far.”
Quote Tim Ferris
“The
most beautiful thing about the universe is the human ability to
comprehend it”...”When
you think about it for a moment, the human comprehension of the
universe is nothing short of miraculous.”
Quote Mario Livio, STSI
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About the
Director
The
Observatory at Roseland will swing into full operation in 2008 as a
working astronomical observatory.
Dr. John
“Doc”
Occhuizzo is creating a curriculum of observing and
learning in return for which he gets to put his telescopes on the
best observing spot on the hill!
Doc John’s
career was education. After obtaining his B.S. in physics and math
from Saint Vincent College, he taught senior high school physics,
astronomy, and computer programming for a suburban Pittsburgh school
district where he became the science department chairman. He was
responsible for the science education of over 8000 student grades
K-12. Doc also taught graduate secondary education courses on three
University of Pittsburgh campuses. It was at Pitt that Doc
earned his master’s
and doctorate degrees.
The
Observatory is a supervised amenity made possible by the
“Doc”
and Roseland owner Daniel Watkins. With his progressive visions,
Daniel sees Roseland growing in many directions, Daniel encourages
the dreams of seasonals and guests. Watch this page for
upcoming events and celestial news year-round.
Below is
a list of Internet links of interest to stargazers.............
THIS MONTH IN THE SKIES OVER ROSELAND
This
spring in the skies (April-May 2008)
Moon
The new moon in April occurs on April 5th and the
full moon happens on Sunday morning April 20th.
This full moon will light up Roseland on both Friday and
Saturday nights, the 18th and 19th. The
full moon this month is know as the
“pink
moon”.
May will sport a new moon on Monday the 18th. The
“flower
moon”
or full moon in May will be on Monday the 19th. That
means the weekend of May 16-17-18 will bright at night so you
can see your way back to your campsite without the need for a
flashlight.
Mercury
Mercury is going to put on a rare show in May. Notably, it is
the swiftest planet when it comes to orbiting the sun. It
circles the solar orb in 88 days with synchronous rotation,
i.e., it always keeps the same side to the sun in a fashion
similar to the way our moon circles the earth. Because the
orbits of the
“inferior”
planets Mercury and Venus are inside the orbits of the earth,
they are only visible for a few hours on either side of sunset
or sunrise. When seen before sunrise, these planets are morning
stars and are west of the sun. Conversely, when seen after
sunset, they are evening stars to the east of the sun. Mercury
and Venus are never visible in the middle of the night since we
are then on the
“outside”
looking outward. The outer planets are visible through the heart
of evening’s
darkness because we are on the
“inside”
looking outward.
Mercury can be seen with the naked eye about an hour after
sunset in May. Look toward the northwest where the sun set.
Nearby will be the Pleiades (The Seven Sisters that look like a
small dipper) and the large orange star Aldebaran of the
constellation Taurus. Mercury reaches greatest eastern
elongation (Furthest from the sun as we see it) on May 14 when
it will be visible for nearly two hours after sunset. If you
have a personal goal of attaining your
“Saw
All Planets”
merit badge, this month is an exceptional opportunity to snag
Mercury.
Venus
Venus is lost from view during this transition period as it
swings behind the sun as seen from Earth. It has been a morning
star all winter and is now approaching conjunction with the sun. It will be up for viewing as an evening star later in summer.
Mars
Mars is just about directly overhead at sunset in the
constellation Gemini. Overhead is a great position for observing
just about anything, but unfortunately Mars is also very far
away and presents a tiny disc upon which detail is difficult to
observe. Look for the Gemini twin stars Castor and Pollux.
Nearby will be the bright orange planet Mars. NASA’s
Phoenix spacecraft should land on the Martian north polar region
at the end of May to analyze the frozen surface in hopes of
finding water sufficient to sustain future astronauts. The
robotic spacecraft Opportunity and Sojourner are still
functioning flawlessly but are hunkered down for the Martian
winter. Ironically, they have survived their maximum life
expectancy and face abandonment because funds to pay the
earthbound controllers have run out.
Jupiter
The King of Planets is on its way to the evening sky and will be
a popular target at Roseland this summer. During April and May,
you might be up very late around the campfire or returning from
the barn and if you look to the east, that biggest, brightest
star is Jupiter. A handsome sight even with binoculars, Jupiter
will show you its four bright moon, Io, Europa, Callisto, and
Ganymede. Jupiter rises around midnight around the end of May
and hangs around the constellation Sagittarius all summer. Its
best viewing will be in late summer.
Saturn
Overhead at sunset this month, Saturn is up for viewing as soon
as it’s
dark. The ringed planet has been tip-toeing through the
constellation Leo for several months. Saturn’s
most beloved feature are its unique rings which are very visible
from earth. But act quickly.....the earth will be passing
through the plane of Saturn’s
rings at the end of summer which means they will literally
disappear from view as we view them edge-on. They will not
strike a pose at maximum tilt again until the year 2010. On the
other hand, Saturn reaches eastern quadrature (forming a 90
degree right triangle with the sun and Earth) on May 22nd
which will allow a great view of Saturn casting its own shadow
onto the rings.
Uranus
(Pronounced YOUR’-en-us)
Uranus is not well placed for observation this spring. It’s
hunkered down in the constellation Aquarius, so it is obscured
by the sun.
Neptune
If you want to add Neptune to youR
“SAP”
list, you need to get up early in the morning. It will be
high enough in the southeast to be visible just before sunrise
in the constellation Capricornus. The Cabana Deck provides the best
viewing opportunity. Look to the horizon across and to the left
of the swimming pool. Telescope or big binoculars required.
Pluto
Pluto is not favorably placed for viewing this month.
LIGHT
POLLUTION
Did You Know:
Seeing the stars at night is a right and pleasure most people
take for granted. Yet in the past half century, human
development has filled the skies with some much pollution that
most city folks have never seen the brilliant Milky Way rich
with Deep Sky Objects such as nebulas, galaxies, and globular
star clusters.
The pollution consists of dirt particles, aerosols, photons
(manmade) and suspended dust. The dirt is a result of any
activity, natural or human, that creates bare earth which the
winds whip up and carry into the skies. Even campfires throw
smoke particles and aerosols into the air as well as creating
thermal agitation (heat waves). The dirt particles OBSCURE
celestial object behind them like a screen. Additionally,
contrast is lost when light (photons) from manmade sources which
are aimed upwards and bounce off the dirt particles back to your
eye. In effect, you are
“blinded
by the light”
reflected back. Artificial illumination is often aimed upwards,
intentionally or not, and figuratively illuminates the
underbellies of airplanes. Aerosols are liquid droplets
suspended in the air. The power plants near Roseland dump
thousands of tons of aerosols into the atmosphere each year.
These are in the form of water droplets, sulphuric and nitric
acid (acid rain is visibly killing many of the trees such as
locust at Roseland), and various automotive tailpipe emissions
such as the blue smoke of a badly tuned engine.
Ideally, you would want to observe the skies in a place far from
human activity, not only lateral distance (like in the middle of
a desert), but vertically (like high on a mountain high above
most pollutants). Is it any wonder that the clearest skies are
in the American southwest in the high desert plains?
If you live in or near a large city, artificial illumination
from shopping malls and car dealerships, billboards (most of
these have arc lights aimed UPWARDS), and civilization in
general is obscuring your view of the night sky. Just like a
movie projector light beam can be readily seen in a smoke filled
room, poorly planned urban light sources send photons upwards to
bounce off the polluting particles and droplets to produce skyglow that obscures the dim but awesome wonders of the night
sky.
Roseland is favorably situated as far as eastern locations can be
described. Far enough from Pittsburgh, Morgantown, and Columbus,
there is very little skyglow here. But make no mistake about
encroachment; when observing at Roseland, light from over-
illuminated campsites and upward directed tree lighting diminish the
view of Deep Sky Object by as much as 75%. Yet there are dozens of
nights during a Roseland season when everything comes together to
produce seeing conditions that rival the southwest U.S.A. Generally
it will be late (after midnight) during the weekdays (weekend
campfires and decorative lighting are pollutants!)
Laws governing light pollution are enforced in the southwest because
astronomy and dark skies play a part in the economy of these
states. In the east where we live, legislation regarding poorly
planned artificial illumination is nascent but growing. April 2008
celebrates Earth Days in many ways and a facet of Earth Day planning
is awareness of light pollution. Even Google got into the act when
it set the background color of its home page to black!
Clear Skies!
Doc
Stargeezer15601@aol.com
04-10-08
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