Star*Points for September, 2014 Comet to Pay Visit at Mars A new public astronomical observatory is currently under construction at Carroll County?s Bear Branch Nature Center (BBNC) near Westminster. Ever since the park first opened more than twenty years ago, there have been members of the community advocating for an observatory of one type or another at the site for the use of the citizens of Carroll County. Blaine Roelke was a charter member of the Westminster Astronomical Observatory (WASI) since its formation 30 years ago. On his Carroll County farm at Keymar he built an observatory with a steel dome 10 feet in diameter. In later years when a work opportunity led him to sell the farm and build a new house, Blaine moved his observatory to the new farm in Charles County. Upon his retirement, Blaine and wife Nancy sold that farm and moved to another farm in Pennsylvania, searching for darker and more pristine skies. Once again, the observatory was relocated. Last summer Blaine passed away after a long illness. Nancy, and Blaine?s son Frank, decided to refurbish the observatory and donate it to the people of Carroll County. Construction costs have been shared by the Roelke family, Carroll County Parks, and WASI. The equipment for the observatory is being provided on permanent loan from WASI?s collection of astronomical equipment which has accumulated over time. Expect a dedication for the project at a future date. In the meantime, stop by the nature center and have a look at the Blaine Roelke Memorial Observatory, now at its fourth location. A good opportunity to see it will be the open house during BBNC?s Monarch Madness festival on Sunday, September 14. Last month we reminisced about the great comet crash bash when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 pummeled the planet Jupiter in 1994. Now, 20 years later, it?s Mars? turn to have its own, albeit less spectacular, close encounter with a comet. Around October 19-20 comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) will pass only 82,000 miles from Mars. In celestial terms, that?s ?buzzing the tower? to borrow an aviation phrase. Consider that the closest known comet to earth was Comet Lexel in 1770 which passed 1.4 million miles from us, according to Sky & Telescope Magazine. Among other close comets, I clearly remember when Comet IRAS-Araki-Alcock passed near our planet at a distance of just under three million miles in 1983. In a telescope the comet?s motion was readily apparent, especially as it passed near two bright and well known star clusters, Messier 48 and Messier 44. The latter is the famous Praesepe or Beehive cluster in Cancer. Only now its Mars? turn. Only its comet will pass some 35 times closer than the 1983 comet was to earth. How will Mars and the comet affect each other? Will spacecraft currently at Mars be able to monitor the close shave? Will we be able to watch it from earth with our backyard telescopes? There are many questions that have professional and amateur scientists curious. The reason for mentioning this in September one month early is because a man who knows the questions and is interested in discovering the answers will be visiting Westminster soon. Dr. Carey Lisse from The Johns Hopkins University?s Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU-APL) will address the regular WASI monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 10 at BBNC. The meeting, which is open to the public, also offers another opportunity to get a sneak peak at the Roelke Observatory. Next month we will busy ourselves by talking about two eclipses occurring in the month of October.