Old Glass, New Tricks

Digital sensors and image processing software have revolutionized astronomy and astrophotography, but we still depend as much as Galileo on collecting photons. In our world of cooled cameras and image stacking, how much do we need the latest and greatest telescopes? MAS member Dan Bush will share his results from a recent experiment in combining new and old technology to image a familiar target, and perhaps spark some ideas about taking advantage of your older gear!

Dan Bush is a recent astrophotography hobbyist and longtime astronomy enthusiast. Many years ago he was a physics/astronomy major, interning at the Space Telescope Science Institute and getting very sick on an observing trip to Kitt Peak...

Imaging Quasars and Other Insanely Distant Objects

Have you ever wondered what lies beyond the visible night sky? I want to take you on a tour of some of the more distant and enigmatic objects in the known universe including quasars, blazars, black holes, and other extreme objects. I will also discuss the equipment, process and challenges involved while attempting to image each of these objects.

Bio: My name is Terry Genske. I am member of the Madison Astronomical Society (MAS) and more recently, the Astronomical League through MAS. My wife and I live in a condo on the north side of Waunakee, WI. I have always loved looking up at the night sky, but only recently entered the world of astrophotography...

Wisconsin’s Meteorites: Visitors from Space

Thousands of meteorites strike Earth’s surface each year, but most go unnoticed because they land in the ocean or in large, uninhabited areas of land. Wisconsin has only 15 known meteorite falls or finds, ranging from the Algoma meteorite recovered in 1887 to the witnessed fall of the Mifflin meteorite in 2010. Carrie will share the geological and historical stories behind some of these notable finds, as well as provide an update on the museum’s latest acquisition: the Vienna meteorite, Wisconsin’s 15th meteorite and Dane County’s first ever.

Carrie Eaton has been the Curator of the UW Geology Museum since 2009...

My Solar Astronomy Journey

My interest in solar astronomy started when I got the opportunity to look through a solar hydrogen alpha telescope at the 2017 eclipse. I was captivated by what I could see on the Sun. In this discussion, I’ll go through how I started my solar astronomy journey, equipment I’ve used, things I’ve tried, custom equipment I’ve built, equipment I’m currently using, and processing techniques I’ve learned to create dramatic, high-resolution solar mosaic images. I’ll talk about how the Sun has changed over the last 7 years of my observations. The dramatic rise in solar activity in ’24 approaching solar maximum and what the next couple years may have in store. I’ll share images and stories of my eclipse experiences...

Lunar and Solar Image Processing: Under the Hood

At the January 10, 2025 MAS meeting, member Bob Hamers will give a special talk titled:

While commercial programs do a good job of processing most images. To get the very best result, it can be helpful to use additional tools to analyze, process, and visualize the process. In this talk, I’ll discuss some of the challenges of solar and lunar image processing and demonstrate some freeware tools that can be used to help get the most out of your data. As examples, I’ll walk through the processing of high-resolution, full-disc RGB imaging of the Moon and continuum imaging of the Sun, and I’ll briefly introduce the freeware tools ImageJ and Python.

Bob Hamers is a UW-Madison Professor of Chemistry and MAS member...

The Evolution of the Smart Telescope

A special presentation by MAS members Jack Fitzmier, Bonnie Tiedt, and Carol Santulis.

Recent smart telescopes are an evolutionary advancement in astrophotography yielding unprecedented ease of use. This is a three-part discussion about the advent and significance of the SeeStar technology among amateur astronomers. Jack will explore how new technologies have transformed amateur astronomy in the last 15 years, setting the stage for smart telescopes. Bonnie will discuss the SeeStar’s “out of the box” ease of use, and Carol will present more advanced aspects of the technology.

This meeting doubles as our Solstice Celebration. Feel free to bring a holiday snack to share with the group...

Astronomy Instrumentation and Detectors

Description: Astronomers rely on scientific instruments to get good quality data to explore the unresolved questions about our universe. One way to get better data is to improve our scientific instrumentation. This is what makes new instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope so exciting. I will discuss some of the technological advancements in some popular science instruments and also talk about my research on next generation X-ray detectors.

Bio: My name is Miriam Marino (she/her) and I am a third year PhD student at UW-Madison in the Astronomy department. I work in Professor Dan McCammon’s research group and my research focus on fabrication next generation high energy resolution X-ray detectors for space based applications...

History and Tradition in the MAS

In 1990-91, the Madison Astronomical Society confidently celebrated its 60th anniversary with a slate of special events and public outreach. Everyone knew that the club had formed in 1930. That had been the conventional wisdom for decades and there appeared to be documentary evidence to back it up. But conventional wisdom is not always wise and mistakes do happen. What IS the club’s actual birthdate?

Anniversaries, birthdays and other traditions are important. Honoring the past preserves those traditions and helps us focus on who we are and where we’re headed. MAS anniversaries and traditions are meaningful and we’re fortunate that much of our story has been preserved...

MAS Member Discussion Roundtable

Due to a conflict created by our Moon Over Monona Terrace star party on Sept. 13th, the regular September monthly meeting will take place on Friday, September 6th. There will be no guest speaker presentation at this meeting. Rather, we will have a moderated discussion among all those present. Topics can include:

Preparing for a large public event: Our upcoming “Moon Over Monona Terrace” event is one of the largest star parties in the midwest. Are you ready for hundreds of people wanting to look through your telescope?

Back in the Astronomical League: MAS recently rejoined the AL 30 years after quitting. Do you have thoughts?

Welcome of new members and visitors: have you only recently joined the MAS? This is a chance for us to meet new member...

Astronomy With the Highest Energy Light in the Universe

Major breakthroughs have been made in astronomy by expanding observations to far longer and far shorter wavelengths than we can see with our eyes. The shortest-wavelength photons are gamma rays, the highest energy photons in the Universe. Some of these photons are trillions of times more energetic than the human eye can detect. There is a surprising variety of astronomical sources glowing or flashing in these very-high-energy gamma rays. They are powered by some of the most extreme objects in the Universe: exploding stars, white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes...