Hello Star Gazers, Astronomers and other Astro-friends! Welcome to "What's Up!", a new feature at Astra's Star Gate, the monthly astronomy almanac written by Ron Leeseberg . This page favors astronomers in North America, eastern seaboard. Most of the information contained here can be extrapolated for observers in other areas. Ron helps us with this by giving us some conversion factors in his articles. This page also contains links to Ron's Astronomy 101. Lessons for Beginners that Ron has written to help the people who received his monthly almanac. Topics are listed at the bottom of this page.

Here's a picture of the ol' Stargeezer, himself, helping some neighbor friends obtain a view of the sun. In this image, Ron is attaching a solar filter to the 4" refractor he keeps in Florida. The small golden refractor piggybacked to the white instrument is a 40 mm hydrogen alpha telescope. With this combination, both the photosphere ("white light" showing sunspots on the sun's "surface") and the chromosphere ("red light" showing prominences, etc., in the sun's "atmosphere") are visible. Ron uses this combination at Give Kids The World where he's the "Avenue Astronomer" during the winter and spring.

This picture was taken during last year's "Astronomy Day" at Ron's winter home in Good Samaritan Village of Kissimmee, Florida.

Ron has just welcomed his first great-grandchild this summer. He has been interested in astronomy since he was able to look at the pictures found in the 1939 edition of his parents "Child Craft" book set. Ron taught an aerospace class during his working years as a high school teacher and an adult education class in astronomy after his retirement. Ron currently presents various astronomy programs both in Ohio where he has a "roll-roof" observatory, and in Florida where he and his wife, Nan, spend the winter. His specialty is solar observation both in "white" and hydrogen alpha "red" light.

Find Out What's Up this Month -or- jump to Ron's Astronomy 101

Every issue of What's Up? will follow the format below. What's Up? features a summary of the monthly night sky, a daily calendar of events each month and a feature object. Ron's astronomy lessons will also be added to this page.

Monthly Night Sky

A short summary of what to look for during the month, including a planetary roundup.

Calendar of Events -

NOTE: For those observers not in the ET zone, convert the calendar times to your zone's time by subtracting one hour for CT, two for MT and three for PT. Don't forget to adjust for Daylight Savings Time when necessary by subtracting one hour from your planisphere's time.; Dawn and dusk times must also be corrected. See your local newspaper, TV news, or cable TV's Weather Channel for sunrise and sunset times. Unfortunately some of these events may occur during daylight hours in your area.

Lunar Almanac

Phases of the Moon	Phase and Date(s)	Best viewed before local midnight
	New	Deep Space Objects
	1st. Qtr	Planets & Moon
	Full	Moon
	Last	Deep Space & Planets

Topic of the month:

Installments of "Whats Up?" are written by Ronald A. Leeseberg, and are then encoded by Dawn Jenkins for Astra's Stargate.

Ron's Astronomy 101

What is Astronomy Day ?

A is also for Altitude and Azimuth

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