Resending to include the date of the general meeting SALT LAKE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY NEWS RELEASE August publicevents: star parties, general meeting Aug. 10,2017 Freepublic events that the Salt Lake Astronomical Society has scheduled for Augustpromise to be of singular interest, as objects ranging from the spooky RingNebula to glorious star clusters are in prime viewing position. In addition,the new Clements Telescope, the world’s largest amateur visual ‘scope, willoffer amazing views, including colors of outer-space objects. Ordinary-sizetelescopes lack the light-gathering power to show color, but with the Clements,visitors can see yellow-gold Saturn, orange in Jupiter’s atmosphere and redgiant stars in globular star clusters like M-13. SLAS membersalso announce a new policy that should be welcomed by anyone who has a telescopeand isn’t quite sure how to set it up or find celestial objects with it. Those withquestions may arrive at any public star party one hour prior to sunset, andknowledgeable, experienced amateur astronomers with the group will be glad toexplain and help with the equipment. Events towhich the public is invited this month include: **Friday, Aug. 11, a star party at Wheeler Farm, 6351 S. 900 East, Salt LakeCounty, dusk until 11 p.m. **Saturday, Aug. 12, a star party at the group’s Stansbury Park ObservatoryComplex (SPOC), Tooele County, featuring four of the most sophisticatedpublicly-accessible telescopes in Utah. The king of them all is the35-foot-long Clements Telescope, which was recently installed in its new homeat SPOC, the Kolob Observatory. The session is from dusk until 11 p.m. SPOC isabout 30 miles west of Salt Lake City. From Utah’s capital, take I-80 west,then turn off at Exit 99, the Tooele-Grantsville exit, going south on Highway36. Turn right at the third traffic signal onto Stansbury Parkway. Travel weston the Parkway until the sign in the center median labeled “Plaza.” Turn leftat the plaza and park in a lot adjacent to the skateboard park. Theobservatory, with its white dome, is to the right. Many membersof the group set up their own telescopes for visitors’ enjoyment at star shows,and will explain the surprising views seen through the eyepieces. All starparties are family-friendly, and are only held when the weather allows. ** Wednesday, Aug. 16, the SLASmonthly general meeting, at which Brigham Young University astronomer MichaelJoner will discuss exoplanets – planets orbiting distant stars – that he andother team members at BYU discovered. These fascinating and exotic objects are manylight-years from Earth. To hear a planet-discoverer tell how it was done willbe a treat long cherished by all present. The meetingis scheduled for the Rampton Building, Salt Lake Community CollegeRedwood-Taylorsville campus, near 4600 S. Redwood Road, northeast corner of thecampus, 7:30 to 9 p.m. The public is welcome and free parking is available eastof the building in the Q lot. Also atthe meeting, the club will offer a limited supply of safe eclipse-viewingglasses at $1 a pair. Nobodyshould look at the partial phase of a solar eclipse without the proper protectiveglasses, and nobody should use a telescope or binoculars at such times to seethe sun without the correct solar filters. **Thursday, Aug. 24, a special star party is slated for Jordanelle State Park, HailstoneEvent Center, dusk until 11 p.m. SLAS Secretary-Treasurer Rodger Fry will guidewatchers through an astronomical power-point presentation. The park is locatedin Heber Valley, Wasatch County. -30- Forfurther information, call Joe Bauman, SLAS vice president, 801-913-3588. Noteto media members: if this release reaches the wrong desk, could you pleaseforward it to the right person or persons? Thanks, Joe