Welcome to the third in a series of interviews leading up to Upright Egg’s next production VENUS (a play about energy). This week, we’re talking with Ron Schmit of the Minnesota Astronomical Society, a Minnesota-grown group that studies the beautiful Minnesota night sky.
1) What is the MAS – how long has it been around and what is the latest news?
In 1972, Minneapolis-based E&W Optical Company was a haven for Twin Cities amateur astronomers seeking advice and optics for their projects or for commercially produced telescopes and accessories.
That year, then-president of the 3M Club Astronomical Society, Jim Fox, placed a poster at E&W suggesting to readers that “An Amateur Astronomy Club May Be Right For You”. A dozen potential members attended an organizing meeting in November of 1972 at the Science Museum of Minnesota. The ‘Twin City Astronomy Club’ was born.
From this humble beginning grew the Minnesota Astronomical Society. Today, more than forty years later, membership in the MAS exceeds 450 and we are one of the largest and most active amateur astronomy organizations in the United States.
The big news is the addition of a new observatory, just east of St. Paul. The Joseph Casby Observatory has just been completed on the grounds of the Belwin Conservancy, near Afton, MN. It houses one of the largest, finest amateur telescopes of its kind in the midwest. The MAS now has expertly-equipped observatories stationed at all four sides of the metro area.
2) Our show is set on the surface of the planet Venus – what are the conditions like on Venus, and what would some of the biggest problems be with trying to settle a human colony there?
While Venus is often called Earth’s sister planet, the two are very disimiilar. While its diameter is only 400 miles shorter, there is little else they have in common.
The temperature of the planet’s surface is about 870 degrees F, which is hotter that any of the other planets – even hotter than most ovens. Because of the high temperature, plants and animals that live on the Earth could not live on the surface of Venus. Astronomers do not know whether any form of life exists on Venus, and they doubt that it could.
Most astronomers believe that Venus’s high surface temperature can be explained by what is known as the greenhouse effect. A greenhouse lets in radiant energy from the sun, but it prevents much of the heat from escaping. The thick clouds and dense atmosphere of Venus work in much the same way. The sun’s radiant energy readily filters into the planet’s atmosphere. But the large droplets of sulfuric acid present in Venus’s clouds — and the great quantity of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere — seem to trap much of the solar energy at the planet’s surface.
The atmosphere of Venus is also heavier than that of any other planet. It consists primarily of carbon dioxide, with small amounts of nitrogen and water vapor and minute traces of argon, carbon monoxide, neon, and sulfur dioxide. The atmospheric pressure is almost 100 times greater than the atmospheric pressure on the Earth.
No Sun light to grow plants. No breathable air. Crushing atmospheric pressures. Hot enough to cook us. It would be like trying to live in a bathosphere inside a volcano.
3) Venus is unique in the solar system, but also is similar to Earth in many ways – what are some features of the planet that interest you the most?
Of most interest to me are the volcanoes. HUGE volcanos with ancient lava flow.
While 65 percent of the surface is covered by flat smooth plains, there are also thousands of volcanoes, ranging from about 0.5 to 150 miles in diameter. Six mountainous regions make up about 35 percent of the surface of Venus. They reach as high as 7 miles and are 540 miles long. It is the highest feature on the planet.
4) What are the best times of the Year and conditions to view Venus? What are some tips to locate it in September sky and the coming months?
The location of Venus in the sky is different each year. However, since it is closer to the Sun than the Earth, it will ALWAYS be found near the Sun: along the horizon in either the morning or evening sky. Currently, it is moving towards us in its orbit and is found low after sunset, along the western horizon. As it move towards us, coming between the Earth and the Sun, Venus is showing it’s back to us. This means that the sunlight hitting Venus can only be partially seen, creating a Moon-like crescent shape. As Venus gets closer to Earth, it also grows in apparent size. Seen as a small bright dot when on the farside of its orbit, the telescope now reveals a large slender crescent.
Venus is the brightest thing in the night sky this month, other than the Sun and the Moon. In fact, Venus is the object most often mistaken for a UFO. Folks find it SO bright, that they think it MUST be a from out of this world. Well, that last part is true.
5) The MAS has monthly star viewing parties – what is the best way to get involved and participate?
Go to our website to get the schedule for our star parties and come and meet our members: http://www.mnastro.org/starparties/
The volunteer members at our star parties are happy to get to know you and answer any questions you may have. You don’t need any previous knowledge of astronomy and you don’t need any equipment. We’ve got plenty of telescopes you can use to get a look at the sky.
Thanks for your time, Ron – that was great!
The Minnesota Astronomical Society is one of the nation’s largest and most active organizations dedicated to amateur astronomy. Membership is open to anyone. Information is available via the web at http://www.mnastro.org. E-mail inquiries may be directed to info@mnastro.org. Voice messages can be left at (952) 467-2426. Written requests for more information may be directed to : Minnesota Astronomical Society P.O. Box 14931 Minneapolis, MN 55414.
