Bidding in a silent auction is done privately via pre-printed sheets of paper set up at the auction table. You may bid on multiple items at once. Afterward, the written bids are examined and the person who bid the highest for each item claims and pays for that item.
Please keep in mind that this is a fundraising event. Items are usually purchased for prices exceeding the item’s retail value. Please be generous. All the proceeds go directly to the general fund and support critical AAVSO operations.
Levenhuk Strike 950 PRO Telescope
Levenhuk Strike 950 PRO is the most compact model of the Strike PRO series. The Maksutov-Cassegrain optical design provides for compact size and light weight of this telescope, but still yields high-quality views of celestial objects. The focal length of 1250 millimeters (49.2 inches) provides for detailed views during planetary observations, while the objective lens diameter of 90 millimeters (3.5 inches) allows you to study various deep-sky objects. All in all, this a perfect model for anyone who enjoys traveling, or who just does not have enough space to store a large telescope at home.
In addition to printed materials, additional eyepieces, a compass and planetarium software, you will also find the following extras in your kit: SUPER 20mm and 10mm eyepieces, and a 6.3-millimeter Plössl eyepiece, a 2x Barlow lens, a set of color filters, lunar and solar filters, and a wonderful Levenhuk Zongo 60 Telescope Case.
Deep Sky Companions, The Secret Deep
Author: Stephen James O’Meara
Object Photos my Mario Motta
Cambridge University Press 2011
Hardback
In this fresh list, Stephen James O'Meara presents 109 new objects for stargazers to observe. The Secret Deep list contains many exceptional objects, including a planetary nebula whose last thermal pulse produced a circumstellar shell similar to the one expected in the final days of our Sun's life; a piece of the only supernova remnant known visible to the unaided eye; the flattest galaxy known; the largest edge-on galaxy in the heavens; the brightest quasar; and the companion star to one of the first black hole candidates ever discovered. Each object is accompanied by beautiful photographs and sketches, original finder charts, visual histories and up-to-date astrophysical information to enrich the observing experience. Featuring galaxies, clusters and nebulae not covered in other Deep-Sky Companions books, this is a wonderful addition to the series and an essential guide for any deep-sky observer.
Cosmographics: Picturing Space Through Time
Author: Michael Benson
Abrams Press NY
Hardback
Michael Benson tells the thrilling story of the discovery and description of the universe in a new way. Selecting artful and profound illustrations and maps, many hidden away in the world’s great science libraries and virtually unknown today, he chronicles more than 1,000 years of humanity’s ever-expanding understanding of the size and shape of space itself. He shows how the invention of the telescope inspired visions of unimaginably distant places and explains why today we turn to supercomputer simulations to reveal deeper truths about space-time.
Cosmographics explores the visual side of our greatest imaginative achievement as a species: the unveiling of a vast universe that is largely invisible to our senses. It will be a revelation to space-struck Earthlings, art lovers, and readers interested in the history of science, the visualization of information, graphic design, and mapping.
The Cambridge Photographic Star Atlas
Authors: Axel Mellinger & Ronald Stoyan
Cambridge University Press 2011
Hardback
Using the latest methods in digital photography and image processing, The Cambridge Photographic Star Atlas presents the whole sky through large-scale photographic images with corresponding charts. Each double-page spread shows a section of the night sky and is accompanied by an inverted chart highlighting and naming double stars, variable stars, open clusters, galactic and planetary nebulae, globular clusters, and galaxies. The 82 large-scale charts, with a scale of 1° per cm, identify over 1500 deep-sky objects and 2500 stars. Providing a giant mosaic of the entire sky, this unique atlas is unparalleled in detail and completeness, making it indispensable for visual observers and astrophotographers.
An Original Hands On Astrophysics Box Set
Hands-on-Astrophysics was an NSF-sponsored program developed by the AAVSO to utilize their unique and extensive electronic database of variable star observations. This original set includes written materials, photographic slides and 3.5” floppy disks.
Introduction and Table of Contents
UNIT 1: Planets and Stars
Chapter 1: The Solar System and Beyond
Chapter 2: The Nature of Stars
UNIT 2: Introducing the Sky
Chapter 3: Familiarizing Yourself With the Night sky
Chapter 4: Our Bearings in the Sky
UNIT 3: Observing Variable Stars
Chapter 5: Introducing the Hands-On Astrophysics Constellations
Chapter 6: Measuring Variable Stars Visually
Chapter 7: Observing Variable Stars in the Real Sky
UNIT 4: The Message of Light
Chapter 8: The Nature of Light
Chapter 9: The Life of a Star
UNIT 5: Analysis of Variable Stars
Chapter 10: Statistical Concepts
Chapter 11: Variable Stars, Light Curves, and Variability
Chapter 12: Variable Stars and Phase Diagrams
Chapter 13: Variable Stars and O-C Diagrams
Original Barrett and Serviss Star and Planet Finder (circa 1958)
Authors: Leon Barritt and Gärritt Serviss
A rather elaborate star finder from the 1950’s, that also allowed you to determine the position of the bright planets.
Includes planet tables covering the years 1958-1966