CAS Historical Calendar

 

Dates in this calendar come from a variety of sources, including (mostly) issues of Prime Focus from the time in question, Tony Hohenbrink's history of the club's first 40 years, and the memories of those who were there.

January

·         In 1986, CAS held a series of observation sessions for Comet Halley. One of them attracted thousands of people.

·         January 1, 1954 – The first CAS constitution takes effect.

·         January 3, 1967 – CAS members observe an occultation of Gamma Virginis.

·         January 31, 1954 In his weekly article in the Columbus Dispatch, Dr. Hynek advocates a planetarium in Columbus[1].

February

·         February 7, 1953 – CAS runs its first public program at McMillin observatory on the OSU campus.

·         February 9, 1951 - mirror blanks are delivered at CAS meeting, including a 10" blank to Frank Hudnall. See also May 19, 1952.

·         February 26, 1979 – CAS members go to Manitoba to view a total eclipse of the Sun.

·         Feb 28, 1961 - Dr. Werhner von Braun makes a celebrity appearance at Mershon Auditorium, and CAS members attend.

March

·         In March 1955, after a couple months publishing the club newsletter under the title "This space reserved for new name!" the club newsletter gets the name Prime Focus, and sports a masthead of a stylized star and a Newtonian Reflector. Editorship is shared by James and Wilma Gentry.

·         March 7, 1970 – CAS members view a solar eclipse from North Carolina.

·         March 29, 1949 – CAS builds a sky patrol camera.

April

·         April 1, 1953 - British astronomer Fred Hoyle gives lecture at OSU to a packed house.

·         April 1, 1997 – CAS helps with two Comet Hale-Bopp programs the same evening – one at Perkins, the other in Upper Arlington. Many other programs just before and after.

·         April 4, 1996 – An eclipse of the Moon gives CAS members a chance to get a good naked-eye view of Comet Hyakutake.

May

·         May 1, 1986 – CAS founder Dr. J. Allen Hynek dies.

·         May 10, 1994 – Members view am annular eclipse of the Sun from near Toledo.

·         May 13, 1948 - McMillin Observatory director J. Allen Hynek sends a letter to Howard Bevis (President of Ohio State) requesting CAS recognition by the University.

·         May 17, 1952 - Several members show off their newly built telescopes at a CAS meeting. The big scope of the night was a 10 inch reflector made by Frank Hudnall[2]. May 17, 1954 - Dr. Geoffrey Keller and Phillip Stanger arrange for a first "CAS night at Perkins" - no restrictions, no tickets" at the request of CAS president Frank Hudnall.

·         May 18 , 1948 - Ohio State University President Howard L. Bevis responds to Hynek's request, granting recognition in a one sentence letter.

·         May 30, 1984 – Clouds force CAS members to flee Virginia in pursuit of an annular eclipse. They ultimately see it from the Shelby, North Carolina.

June

·         June 6, 1964 – CAS holds its last public night at McMillin observatory, ending an 11 year tradition.

·         June 16, 1996 - CAS members attended the 100th anniversary of McMillin Observatory on the OSU campus. The club had made active use of the observatory in the 1950s.

·         June 24, 1964 - Members of Junior Astromomers of Columbus[3] carefully study a total Lunar eclipse, including crater timings.

·         June 30, 1954  - Jane Gann[4] pursues a solar eclipse, one of many. Dr. Hynek is involved with a professional expedition to study the same eclipse[5]. Other CAS members hold an eclipse breakfast (sadly, minus the eclipse).

July

·         July 3, 1965 - CAS had a star party at the Moonwatch station (just west of Riverside Methodist Hospital) to view a conjunction where Mercury passed .04 degrees south of Venus[6].

·         July 4, 1980 – Borror observatory “coup d’etat” leads to resignation of CAS President and VP a few weeks later.

·         July 5, 1976 - After 80 years in service, the 12.5 inch refractor at McMillin Observatory is removed. CAS made some attempts to acquire the telescope, which untimately ended up at an observatory near Fostoria Ohio. The site of the McMillin observatory is a grass lot overlooking the lake at OSU.

·         July 5-6, 1956 – CAS hosts Astronomcal League regional convention.

·         July 6, 1982 – CAS members view a lunar eclipse from Borror observatory.

·         July 11, 1991 – Several CAS members cruise to the Gulf of California to see a long total eclipse of the Sun.

·         July 17-19, 1981 – The OSU Astronomy Club and CAS jointly host an AL regional convention at Ohio Wesleyan.

·         July 20, 1963 - Vern Hovland, Ivan Loftis, John Kissel, Jane Gann, and Dave Meisel view a solar eclipse from various locations in Canada. CAS member Ken Kissel chased the shadow in an Air Force DC8 and shared his experience with the club at the November 9 meeting[7].

·         July 28, 1990 - First of four annual star parties for the Map Store at Karric Square in Dublin.

August

·         August 11, 1958 – First of many Perseid Metropark programs held at Blacklick Woods. The annual event is abandoned in the early 1990s.

·         August 17, 1989 – Members share the use of their telescopes at Bicentennial Parh for a lunar eclipse.

·         August 22, 1997 – Using the Schottland telescope and a CCD camera, members videotape an occultation of Saturn.

·         August 23, 1997 – First club star party at AEP’s ReCreation land.

September

·         September 6-7 1956 - OSU and CAS showed Mars top the public at McMillin Observatory to an estimated 1500 people.

·         September 26, 1999 - First of what we hope will be many star parties at AEP's ReCreationland.

·         September 28, 1961 – Borror Observatory is dedicated. The observatory itself had originally been built by the CAS president of the time, Charles Worch.

·         September 30, 1947 – After a few months of organization, CAS holds its first meeeting at McMillin Observatory.

October

·         Octobet 3, 1986 – Members view a partial eclipse of the Sun from the steps of the Ohio Statehouse.

·         October 24, 1973 – CAS holds a reception for its founder J. Allen Hynek at Capitol University

November

·         November 28, 1952 – First meeting of a CAS observation group at McMillin Observatory. At its height, CAS supported two public nights a month at McMillin thanks to this group.

December

·         December 8, 1987 – CAS holds 40th anniversary party.

·         December 14, 1963 - At the annual appreciation dinner, Sandy Hallock gives a slide program showing CAS members a preview of what they can expect when COSI opens.

·         December 18, 1963 - "Many of us were at Borror Observatory looking through clouds at the lunar eclipse[8]"

·         December 22, 1970 - Charles Worch, two time president of CAS and builder of what would become Borror Observatory, dies after an extended illness. 

 


[1] CAS members supported an initiative that was defeated at the ballot box on November 6, 1954. The vision went unfulfilled until COSI opened in 1964.

[2]In the 1990's, Vic Wolfe bought the telescope from Hudnall's daughter. It tested as 1/8th wave, so Vic recoated the mirror and refurbished the telescope. It is still in use today.

[3] From Prime Meridian, July 1964. This was the first issue of the newsletter of the Junior Astronomers of Columbus.

[4] The eclipse was a good partial in Ohio, but it happened at dawn. To see totality, Jane would have had to go to Minnesota or the Michigan upper peninsula. Notes in Prime Focus mention her plans, but not where she ended up or her success.

[5] Before the eclipse, notes in Prime Focus said he was headed for Europe. Later in the year, Hynek gave a program about his trip to Iran. Computer models show Iran was in the path of totality.

[6] The June 1965 issue of Prime Focus describes the plans. Later issues of PF did not indicate how it turned out.

[7] From November 1963 Prime Focus.

[8] Per Roger Cole, as printed in March 1965's issue of "Prime Meridian", the newsletter of the Junior Astronomers of Columbus. This is the last issue of Prime Meridian in CAS's records, and may have been the last issue.