Mollusks are the most abundant “shell” on a beach or riverbank. Modern cephalopods include squid, octopus and nautiloids. They are (and have always been) strictly marine. Gastropods (snails) live in the greatest diversity of ecosystems – marine, fresh & brackish water and on land. Clams are similar except for land. Monoplacophorans & scaphopods are exclusively marine. Rostroconchs are the only extinct class of mollusks.

Mollusk Photos (organized by class)

Preservation: C = Calcified, Ph = Phosphatic, P = Pyritized, S = Silicified, 1= w/o, matrix, 2 = w/ matrix

CEPHALOPODS                                Period                                            Location                Preservation

NAUTILOIDS

Dawsonoceras amycus                       Middle Silurian                              IN                           C,2

Michelinoceras sp. – Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Shale, basal Middle Mississippian, Jefferson Co., KY – P,1

Ovoceras oviforme (or Acleistoceras?) – Sellersburg = North Vernon Limestone, Clark Co., Indiana – S,1

Treptoceras duseri (Hall & Whitfield) – Ubiquitous in the Upper Ordovician of the Tri-state area (IN, KY, OH), C,1,2

To be determined – large Devonian coiled nautiloid. Extremely rare, this specimen was found at the Speed Quarry in the Jeffersonville Limestone, Middle Devonian.

GONIATITES

Cantabricanites greenei (Miller) – Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Shale, basal Middle Mississippian, Jefferson Co., KY – P,1

Polaricyclus ballardensis (Work & Mason) – Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Shale, basal Middle Mississippian, Jefferson Co., KY – P,1

Polaricyclus conkini (Work & Mason) – Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Shale, basal Middle Mississippian, Jefferson Co., KY – P,1

AMMONITES & BELEMNITES

Actinocamex verus (1)                       Cretaceous                                      United Kingdom    C,1

Baculites sp.                                         Cretaceous                                    Texas                      C,1

Belemitella americanus Jurassic                                      Wyoming C,1

Hastites sp. (baculites)                       Lias, Early Jurassic                           Portugal                 C,1

Hildoceras bifrons                                 ”         ”     ”                                   Portugal                 C,1

Unidentified                                            ”         ”     ”                                  Portugal                 P,1

GASTROPODS/MONOPLACOPHORANS  Period                                   Location                Preservation

Bellerophon gibsoni                  Middle Mississippian               KY                          C,1

Bembexia sulcomarginata                 Middle Devonian                            IN                           S,1,2      

Cyclonema sp.                                     Upper Ordovician                          IN, KY                   C,1,2

Crytolites carinatus (Monoplacophoran)  Upper Ordovician                  KY                          C,1

Glabrocingulum ellenae (Conkin), Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Shale, basal Middle Mississippian, Jefferson Co., KY – P,1 (type locality)

Globularia umbilica                            Upper Cretaceous                          MS                          C,1

Liospira macula                                  Upper Ordovician                            KY                          C,1,2

Lophospira medialis                            Middle Ordovician                         KY                          S1,2

Lophospira biseriatus?                        Upper Ordovician                           KY                          C,1,2

Loxonema sp.                                      Middle Ordovician                          KY                          S,1,2

Loxonema sp. – Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Shale, basal Middle Mississippian, Jefferson Co., KY – P,1

Paupospira bowdeni                        Upper Ordovician                            KY                          C,1,2

Natica tigra (1)                                     Miocene                                        Poland                   C,1

Naticonema lineata                            Middle Devonian                            IN                           C,1

Platyceras (Orthonychia) acutirostre Middle Mississippian                        KY                          C,1,2

Platyceras spp.                                     Middle Devonian                            IN,KY                    C,2 (variable avail.)

Platyceras (Platystoma) niagarense Middle Silurian                                    IN                           C,1,2

Pleurotomaria sp.                                 Kimmerdgian, Late Jurassic              Portugal                 C,1

Sinuitina annaea (Conkin) – Monoplacophoran – Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Shale, basal Middle Mississippian, Jefferson Co., KY – P,1 (type locality)

Sinuites cancellatus (Monoplacophoran) Upper Ordovician                       KY                          C,1,2

Sphenosphaera troosti                        Middle Ordovician                              KY                          S,1,2

Strophostylus cyclostomus                Middle Silurian                                    IN                           C,1,2

Trepispira sp. – Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Shale, basal Middle Mississippian, Jefferson Co., KY – P,1

Turbonopsis shumardi                        Middle Devonian                                IN                           C,1,2 & impressions in stroms

Turretilla mcnairyensis                      Upper Cretaceous                          MS                        C,1

BIVALVES (CLAMS)                              Period                                     Location                Preservation

Ambonychia spp.                                 Upper Ordovician                     IN, KY                    C,1,2     

Anomia argenta                                   Upper Cretaceous                     MS                          C,1

Caritodens demissa                             Upper Ordovician                      IN, KY                    C,2

Crassatella vadosus                            Upper Cretaceous                       MS                          C,1

Ctenodonta sp.  – Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Shale, basal Middle Mississippian, Jefferson Co., KY – P,1         

Cycloconcha milleri                            Upper Ordovician                         IN                           C,2          

Cypricardinia arata                             Middle Silurian                              IN                           C,2

Deceptrix filistriata                             Upper Ordovician                          KY                          C,1,2

Deceptrix cf. D. hartsvillensis           Middle Ordovician                           KY                          S,1,2

Exogyra costata (Say) – Coon Creek Mbr., Ripley Formation, Upper Cretaceous, Union Co., Mississippi –  C,1

Limopsis meeki                                       ”           ”                                    MS                          C,1

Limoptera cancellata                          Middle Devonian                           IN                           S,1,2

Lyrodesma conradi                             Upper Ordovician                          KY                          C,1,2

Modiolopsis sp.                                        ”           ”                                   IN, KY                    C,2

Modiomorphia concentrica (Conrad), Sellersburg Limestone, Givetian, Middle Devonian, Clark Co.,  IN -S,2

Myalina sp.                                           Middle & Upper Mississippian    IN, KY                   C,S,2

Myaina subquadrata Pennsylvanian Kansas                    C,1

Nucula percrassa                                 Upper Cretaceous                         MS                          C,1

Nuculana australis                                   ”           ”                                    MS                          C,1

Nuculana whitfieldi                                 ”           ”                                     MS                          C,1

Nuculopsis sp. – Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Shale, basal Middle Mississippian, Jefferson Co., KY – P,1

Paracyclas elliptica (ohiense)            Middle Devonian                             IN, KY                    C,S,1,2     

Paracyclas liriata (rugosa)                 ”                 ”                                     IN, KY                    S,1          

Pecten sp.                                              Miocene                                      Oregon                C,2

Phestia sp. – Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Shale, basal Middle Mississippian, Jefferson Co., KY – P,1

Pterinea brisa Hall – Waldron Shale, Middle Silurian, Clark Co., IN – C,2         

Toredo rectus                                       Upper Cretaceous                         MS                          C,1

Vanuxemia gibbosa                            Middle Ordovician                          KY                          S,1,2

Internal casts                                        Middle Devonian                          IN                           C,1

Mother of Pearl fragments            Upper Cretaceous                         MS                          C,1

ROSTROCONCHS & SCAPHOPODS          

Dentalium inornatum                         Upper Cretaceous                          MS                          C,1

Dentalium ripleyanum                            ”           ”                                     MS                          C,1

Hippocardia cuneus (Conrad) – Jeffersonville Limestone, Middle Devonian, Clark Co., IN, Jefferson Co., KY – C,1,2

Pseuomulceodens cancellatum (Hyde) – Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Shale, basal Middle Mississippian, Jefferson Co., KY – P,1

Echinoderms are a phylum of marine animals that include sea stars, urchins, sand dollars, and the like. They are an ancient group going back to the Cambrian if not the Ediacaran. A number of classes existed for a short geological interval before going extinct. The most common echinoderm fossils in my region are crinoids and blastoids.

I’ve been involved in research in Middle Mississippian crinoids with Dr. William Ausich and Dr. Thomas Kammer. I will eventually post that research and photos of specimens. Most of the important ones were donated to the Smithsonian (U.S. National Museum) and the Orton Geological Museum at The Ohio State University.

Echinoderm Photos (organized by class – Crinozoa, Blastozoa, etc.)

ECHINODERMS

Crinoid List and Photos

Preservation Key: C = Calcified, Ph = Phosphatic, P = Pyritized, S = Silicified, 1= w/o, matrix, 2 = w/ matrix

# Not available for sale, just for identification

BLASTOIDS & CORONOID                                         

Cuplocorona gemmiformis (Hall)# – formerly Stephanocrinus gemmiformis, from the Waldron Shale, Middle Silurian, Clark Co., IN – C,1,2 

(Coronoid echinoderm)

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Decaschisma pentalobus (Hall)# – an uncommon Waldron Shale blastoid, most common in Shelby Co., Indiana.

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Diploblastus glaber (Meek & Worthen)# – is a tiny blastoid, rare but often found in groups. Upper Mississippian, IL,IN,KY – C,1

Diploblastus incurvatus Weller# – pretty rare, Upper Mississippian, IL,IN,KY – C,1

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Elaeacrinus verneuili from the Cedar Valley (Callaway) Limestone in central Missouri are usually in matrix.

Elaeacrinus verneuili (Roemer) – Jeffersonville Limestone Middle Devonian IN, MO C,S,1,2

Elaeacrinus sp.# – Beechwood Limestone, Givetian, Middle Devonian, IN – S,1

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Euryocrinus veryi Ausich & Meyer # – from the pyritized Coral Ridge fauna, basal New Providence Shale, considered early or mid-Mississippian depending on reference. KY, IN? – Goethite,1

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Granatocrinus kentuckyensis (Conkin)# – from the pyritized Coral Ridge fauna, basal New Providence Shale, considered early or mid-Mississippian depending on reference. KY, IN? – P,1

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Hadroblastus sp., [H. kentuckyensis (Shumard)?] – same data as Granatocrinus kentuckyensis, though extremely rare instead of very rare. KY, IN? – P,1 Coral Ridge fauna article will be posted under articles… eventually.

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Metablastus sp. # – rare, Middle Mississippian, KY – C,2

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Pentremites is restricted to the Mississippian Period, primarily in North America. There are dozens of names in Galloway & Kaska’s monograph Genus Pentremites and its Species (1957). However, Dr. Alan Horowitz considered them to be overly split and that most were variations on a hand full of species.

Pentremites buttsi Ulrich?# – rare, Indian Springs Shale Mbr., Big Clifty Fm., Upper Mississippian, Crawford Co., Indiana.

Pentremites conoideus Hall – Salem Ls., Middle Mississippian, IN,KY – C,1,2

Pentremites fohsi Ulrich – Glen Dean Fm., Upper Mississippian, Grayson Co., Kentucky – C,1

Pentremites girtyi Ulrich – Upper Mississippian formations,  IN,KY – C,1,2

Pentremites godoni (Defrance) – Upper Mississippian formations, IL,KY – C,S,1,2  This species has been further sub-divided. Two examples below.

Pentremites ovoides Ulrich# – Ste. Genevieve Ls., Mississippian, Hastie’s Quarry, Cave in Rock, Illinois. Collected ~1987, at the Oxford-West Morrison cut that no longer exists.

Pentremites patei Ulrich# – Indian Springs Shale Mbr., Big Clifty Fm., Upper Mississippian, Crawford Co., Indiana.

Pentremites platybasis Weller# – Indian Springs Shale Mbr., Big Clifty Fm., Upper Mississippian, Crawford Co., Indiana

Pentremites pulchellus Ulrich# – Renault Fm., Upper Mississippian, Shetlerville, Illinois

Pentremites pyramidatus Ulrich# – Renault Fm., Upper Mississippian, Shetlerville, Illinois

Pentremites pyriformis Say – Upper Mississippian formations,  IN,KY – C,1,2

Pentremites robustus Lyon# – Glen Dean Fm?, Upper Mississippian, Madison Co., Kentucky

Pentremites springeri Ulrich# – Indian Springs Shale Mbr., Big Clifty Fm., Upper Mississippian, Crawford Co., Indiana IN,KY   

Pentremites symmetricus Hall – Upper Mississippian formations, IL, IN, KY – C,S,1,2

Pentremites welleri Ulrich – Indian Springs Shale Mbr., Big Clifty Fm., Upper Mississippian, Crawford Co., Indiana    

Pentremites growth series available

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Tricoelocrinus woodmani (Meek & Worthen)# – extremely rare, this specimen found on the family farm near Lanesville, Indiana, shortly before it was sold. Salem Ls. (Somerset Shale Mbr.), Middle Mississippian, IN, KY – C,1

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Troosticrinus reinwardi (Troost)# – from the Waldron Shale, Middle Silurian, in Tennessee. Similar to Decaschisma.

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Comments about Pentremites

It’s possible to find more than the theca (body) and other features – including brachioles (feeding “bristles”), internal hydrospire folds (part of the respiratory system), and growth defects. No specimens like these are available for sale. Here are some examples:

Perhaps the smallest complete embryonic Pentremites ever found. It will be featured in an upcoming monograph on blastoids written by the world’s experts. Found at the Sulphur exit road cut, Crawford Co., IN. Indian Springs Member of the Big Clifty Formation, Chesterian, Upper Mississippian.

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Photographing Echinoderms

The simplest technique is to get them wet. The problem is that they reflect light. Compare these Pentremites platybasis below.

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Cystoid List and Photos

CYSTOID / RHOMBIFERAN               Period                                     Location                Preservation

Caryocrinus persculptis Springer from the Waldron Shale, Middle Silurian, Jeffersonville, Clark Co., Indiana.  C,1,2

Bryozoans appear in the fossil record in the Lower Ordovician but might be found in Late Cambrian. They are colonial animals, dominantly marine. (Freshwater species have an organic skeleton that doesn’t preserve in the fossil record.) Bryozoans are difficult to identify because the internal structure is used. However, some bryozoans have distinctive exterior features.

Bryozoan Photos (more to be added)

Archimedes is the central axis of a fenestrate bryozoan. Specimens are often found in matrix.

Preservation: C = Calcified, Ph = Phosphatic, P = Pyritized, S =Silicified, 1= w/o, matrix, 2 = w/ matrix

# No specimens for sale

BRYOZOANS                                           Period                                           Location        Preservation

Amplexopora septosa                         Upper Ordovician                                KY                          C,1,2

Anastomopora adnata (Hall)# – Jeffersonville Limestone, Middle Devonian, KY – C, 2

Archimedes communis                      Upper Mississippian                            KY                          C,1

Archimedes confertus  Ulrich – Glen Dean Fm., Upper Mississippian, KY – C,1,2

Archimedes distans Ulrich – Glen Dean Fm., Upper Mississippian, KY – C,1,2

Archimedes intermedius Ulrich – Glen Dean Fm., Upper Mississippian, KY – C,1,2

Archimedes invaginatus Ulrich – Glen Dean Fm., Upper Mississippian, KY – C,1,2

Archimedes laxus                                   ”             ”                                           KY                          C,1

Archimedes macfarlani                          ”             ”                                           KY                          C,1,2

Archimedes meekanoides McFarlan – Glen Dean Fm., Upper Mississippian, KY – C,1,2

Archimedes meekanus Hall – Glen Dean Fm., Upper Mississippian, KY – C,1,2

Archimedes proutanus Ulrich – Glen Dean Fm., Upper Mississippian, KY – C,1,2

Archimedes sp.                                        ”             ”                                         IN,AL                     C,1,2

Aspidopora newberryi (Nicholson)# – a small encrusting species, Upper Ordovician, IN, KY – C1,2

Batostoma gracilis                               Upper Ordovician                                KY,IN                    C,1

Batostoma jamesi                                    ”             ”                                        KY                          C,1

Batostoma varians                                  ”             ”                                         KY,IN                    C,1

“Chaetetes” consimilis Hall# – current name unknown, flattened fronds. Waldron Shale, Silurian, IN – C,2

Cheilotrypa hispida Ulrich – very small branching bryozoan, Glen Dean Fm., Upper Mississippian, KY – C,1,2

Chondaulus ponderosa (Rominger) – a massive species in the Jeffersonville Ls., Middle Devonian, IN, KY – C,1,2

Constellaria florida Ulrich – with star-shaped monticules, this genus is very distinctive. Occurs most frequently in flat fronds. Six species in the Upper Ordovician, IN, KY – C,1,2

Cyphotrypa clarksvillensis McFarlan# – a massive, often hemispherical trepostome bryozoan of the Upper Ordovician, IN, KY – C,1

Cystodictya lineata Ulrich – flat fronds, Salem Limestone, Middle Mississippian, KY,IN – C,1,2

Dekayia sp. – Branching bryozoan in the Upper Ordovician, IN, KY – C,1,2

Eridotrypa macrostoma                     Upper Mississippian                          KY   C,1,2 on crinoids columns

Eridotrypa sp.                                       Middle Devonian                                IN                           C,1,2

Evactinopora radiata Meek & Worthen# – a star-shaped bryozoan from the Fern Glen Formation in Missouri, MO – C,1,2

Fenestella depressa Hall# – in the Jeffersonville Limestone, Middle Devonian. KY – S,2

Fenestella acmea Hall – the Waldron species with smaller fenestrules. Middle Silurian, IN – C1,2

Fenestella multispinosa Ulrich – Glen Dean Fm., Upper Mississippian, KY – C,1,2

Fenestella parvulipora Hall – the Waldron species with larger fenestrules. Middle Silurian, IN – C1,2

Fenestella sp. (pyrite-replaced) – from the Coral Ridge fauna, basal Borden Fm., Middle Mississippian.

Fenestella tenax Ulrich – Glen Dean Fm., Upper Mississippian, KY – C,1,2

Fistulipora concentrica Hall – flat to irregular Waldron Shale species. Can get large. Middle Silurian, IN – C,2

Fistulipora spergenensis Hall – abundant bryozoan in Salem Ls., with monticules, Middle Mississippian, IN, KY – C,1,2

Fistulipora sp. – a common genus spanning the Paleozoic. Abundant in the Upper Mississippian, AL, IN, KY – C,1,2

Fistulipora sp.                                       Middle Devonian                                IN,KY                    C,2

Glyptopora michelinea Prout # – a rare, distinctive bryozoan that superficially resembles the tabulate coral Michelinea. IN, KY – C,1

Hederella sp. on other fossils        Silurian – Mississippian in IN, KY, etc. – C,2

Heterotrypa subfrondosa Cumings – flattened fronds, large, with monticules. Numerous species of Heterotrypa in the Upper Ordovician, KY – C,1,2

Homotrypa dawsoni ” ”                   KY                          C,1

Homotrypa flabellaris                          ”              ”                                           KY,IN                    C,1

Homotrypella hospitalis (Nicholson) – massive, often hemispherical, Upper Ordovician, IN, KY – C,1

Lioclema sp. – often encrusting other fauna. Silurian – Mississippian, KY, TN – C,2

Lyroporella ovalis                                Upper Mississippian                            KY                          C,1

Lyroporella quincuncialis (Hall)# – fenestrate with a curving base. Upper Mississippian, AL, IN, KY – C,1,2

Monticulapora mammulata                Upper Ordovician                                KY                          C,1

Meekopora exigua                              Upper Mississippian                            KY                          C,1

Parvohallopora oneilli (James) – common in Kope Fm., Upper Ordovician, where storm-shattered colonies are common. IN, KY – C,1,2

Parvohallopora ramosa                        ”               ”                                         KY,IN                    C,1

Parvohallopora subfrondosa               ”               ”                                           KY                         C,1

Peronopora vera                                    ”               ”                                         KY                         C,2

Polypora spp.                                       Middle Devonian                                KY                         C,2

Polypora cestriensis                             Middle & Upper Mississippian         KY,IN                    C,1,2

Polypora corticosa Ulrich – Glen Dean Fm., Upper Mississippian, KY – C,1,2

Polypora multispinosa Ulrich – Glen Dean Fm., Upper Mississippian, KY – C,1,2

Prasopora simulatrix Upper Ordovician                                KY                          C,2

Prismopora serratula Ulrich – triangular in cross-section, it’s uncommon and small. Glen Dean Fm., Upper Mississippian, KY – C,1,2

Rhopalonaria venosa?                        Upper Ordovician                                KY,IN                    C,2

Saffordotaxis incrassata                    Middle Mississippian                          KY                    C,1 (very small)

Septopora subquadrans Ulrich – easy to identify with “frowning” fenstrules. Glen Dean Fm., Upper Mississippian, IN, KY – C,1,2

Stromatopora sp.                                 Upper Ordovician                                KY                         C,2

Tabulipora ramosa Ulrich                             Upper Mississippian                            IN, KY                   C,1,2

Trematopora sp.# – unknown if this has an updated name, Waldron Shale, Silurian, IN – C,1,2

Unidentified disks                               Middle Devonian                                IN                           S,1

This is the version submitted and doesn’t include their editing.

By Alan Goldstein

The night sky is riddled with galaxies – vast agglomerations of stars, dust and gas. While a few seem isolated, most are found in groups or clusters containing dozens to more than a thousand galaxies. The size of an individual galaxy varies from several million stars stretching a couple thousand light years in space to more than a trillion stars spanning several hundred thousand light years.

A lot of empty space seems to lie between galaxies, but this is deceiving. Two near equal-mass galaxies several million light years apart may be drawn together by their mutual gravitational attraction. The effect both builds and destroys galaxies. These galactic collisions can be spectacular hurling stars millions of light years into intergalactic space or they can go virtually unnoticed.

Images from the Hubble telescope’s deep survey’s show that the farther back in time (more distant) one sees, the more galactic crashes may be observed. Astronomers believe (in part from these observations) that the galaxies you can see in your telescope were made by the collision and absorption of others. Physical laws favor the bigger galaxies when they smash together. Unlike a freight train hitting a compact car where the pieces scatter from the impact, the end result between galaxies can be a celestial object of amazing beauty! M51, the Whirlpool galaxy, is a classic example (photo).

The affects of fly-bys, grazes or mergers between galaxies can make for breath-taking photography and very interesting visual observations. Watching galaxies collide is akin to seeing nature’s finest drama with a single still frame image. It would take thousands of lifetimes to see any changes between interacting galaxies. Disappointed? Don’t be – there is plenty of action “out there” and almost every combination of interaction can be observed.

“Near Misses – Near Hits?”

The gravitational influence between passing galaxies can be incredible even when they don’t appear to be in direct contact. Studies show that most galaxies are surrounded by a halo of gas and dark matter that adds to their bulk. As a result, even a “near miss” can alter the shape of one or both galaxies.

Andromeda’s M31 and M32 are the easiest pair of interacting galaxies to observe. The large spiral seems to be little affected by the proximity of dwarf elliptical M32, but in time the small galaxy will suffer. The bright compact elliptical is visible within the overall glow of the disk of M31. It is a good target for telescopes of any aperture!

NGC2207 and IC2163 is a pair of spiral galaxies in Canis Major that are passing by one another. The result is a dramatic photograph – one of the favorites from the Hubble Telescope. Visually NGC2207 appears evenly illuminated and somewhat oval, while IC2163 is an open spiral with a low surface brightness giving it a ghostly appearance in comparison. Both are bright and relatively easy in a modest scope under good skies.  In larger scopes a compact nucleus is visible on IC2163.

NGC4618 is an SBc barred spiral interacting with the spiral NGC4625 in Canes Venatici. The latter appears to be a compact spiral, but in reality it has a large disk that has a very low surface brightness. The smaller galaxy turns out to be is physically larger! In his 1966 publication on peculiar galaxies, H. C. Arp noted this duo as odd because the interaction created a pair of one-armed spirals! The interaction has caused both to undergo intense star formation. Both are visible with an 8-inch scope, with NGC4618 dominating the scene.

The widely spaced double system of NGC5963 and NGC5964 are Sb spiral and SO (lenticular-type) galaxies. The latter was originally described as an elliptical galaxy with unusual gas and dust clouds. Located in Virgo, they are separated by 14’ in declination. NGC5964 appears to be relatively unfazed by the proximity of NGC5963. However the latter has open spiral arms. Both are bright and are good targets for small telescopes. The SO-galaxy is an oval glow, while the spiral is smaller because the arms have a low surface brightness and require a larger scope to be well seen.

Fly-By-Night

Galaxies that are in physical contact, but do not appear to be in head-on collisions are a category I call “fly-by-night.” These graze pass one another with the outer rims of both interacting, but the main bodies remain intact. The smallest of the pair is usually “much worse for wear.” Eventually they will merge, but at the moment both galaxies are largely intact.

NGC3226 and NGC3227 is an easy target in Leo located a degree east of Gamma Leonis. At 11.4 and 10.3 magnitude, respectively, this pair is an elliptical and spiral galaxy. Their proximity has not distorted either appreciably, though deep photos show their halo stars are affected. With NGC3227 you should notice a bright stellar nucleus. It is a Seyfert galaxy with an explosive core powered by a super-massive black hole. This pair is relatively easy in a 6” and more impressive with increased aperture.

Canes Venatici is a small constellation but is well endowed with colliding galaxies. M51 is not only the favorite of the spring sky, but probably among any observer in the northern hemisphere. Called the Whirlpool Galaxy because of its easy-to-see spiral arms, it rates as the most famous interacting galaxy pair in the sky. NGC5194 and its dusty peculiar companion NGC5195 are 8.4 and 9.6 magnitude, respectively. Visible in binoculars, a 2.4” cm optical system will show it well. In moderate scopes the sweeping spiral structure may be seen and in instruments 12” and above, it can resemble its photograph.

If not overshadowed by the Whirlpool, NGC4485-90 could be the best-known colliding in Canes Venatici. It is a pair of Magellanic-type galaxies showing the slightest hints of spiral structure in good photos. The larger system NGC4490 (recently named the “Cocoon galaxy”) has a condensed nuclear region. Like the pair of NGC4618 and 25 above, this pair also shows dramatic star forming regions – only this time it is on the facing sides of each galaxy. Both are easy targets for a small telescope and are among the easiest interacting galaxies to find – less than a degree northwest of Beta Canum Venaticorium.

Impact!

When galaxies hit hard, the result can be a real galactic mess! Spiral galaxies can become so distorted and tangled that two become one. A number of galaxies at first glance do look like one weird galaxy. The advent of HST and the super-large telescopes have sufficient resolution to bring a murky mess into sharp focus.

NGC4038 and NGC4039 – the Ringtail or Antennae galaxies – are a pair of spiral galaxies with “full contact.” The “ringtail” name comes from the shape of NGC4039 with a bright ring of stars in the outer periphery and the tail is the far-flung arms of NGC4038. The “antennae” name comes from the fact that the interaction has flung stars in a pair of slightly curved arcs many times the diameter of both galaxies into deep space. The larger NGC4039 was originally type Sb. NGC4038 is a small two-armed Sc spiral. The collision has energized star-forming nebula on the facing sides and thrown dust arcing between them. In a telescope the unusual shape is easily seem in a small telescope. Look at it carefully – what shape do you see?

NGC4676A and B – the Mice – is a pair of galaxies undergoing collision and major deformation. This is a faint target at 13^th magnitude, visible in telescopes larger than 8”. “A” is an SBb-type, while “B” could be an edge spiral, but is difficult to discern even with the best images because of debris from “A” crossing its middle.

NGC5128 is another very bright, very peculiar galaxy – the merging spiral and giant elliptical galaxy. The pair has become one, but the dust of the spiral bisects the globe-shaped elliptical. Also designated radio source Centaurus A, this is probably the nearest major collision at 30 million light years distant. The dust belt bisecting what would otherwise appear to be a circular elliptical type galaxy is very dramatic.

There are many other bright colliding galaxies to be observed. A second list of ten galaxies can be found on Astronomy.com. Get out and enjoy the universe’s demolition derby and enjoy the spectacle unfold in the slowest of slow motions.

Data for Selected Targets

Name                           Coordinates (for brightest)    Mag.Vis.     Size (minutes arc)

M31/M32                    00h 42.7m       +41^o 16’           3.4/8.1          185’x75’ / 11’x7.3’

NGC2207-IC2163      06  16.4           -21  22’            10.8/10.9         4.8×2.3 / 3.0×1.2

NGC3226-7                10   23.5          +19  52            11.4/10.3         2.5×2.4 / 6.9×5.4

NGC4038-9                12  01.9           -18  53             10.5/10.3         5.4×3.9 / 5.4×2.5

NGC4618-25              12   41.3  &n犀利士 bsp;       +41  09            10.8/12.3         4.1×3.2 / 1.4×1.3

NGC4485-90              12  30.6           +41  38            9.8/11.9           6.4×3.3 / 2.7×2.3

NGC4676                   12  46.2           +30  44            13.0/13.2         2.0×0.3 / 1.7×0.7

M51 (NGC5194-5)     13  29.9           +47  12            8.4/9.6             8.2×6.9 / 6.4×4.6

NGC5128                   13  25.5           -43  01             6.7                   31.0×23.0

NGC5363-4                13  56.1           +05  15            10.1/10.5         5.0×3.2 / 6.6×5.1

Added for their consideration for the magazine’s website:

The “Second Ten”

Name               Coordinates (brightest)           Mag.Vis.          Size (minutes arc)    Type

NGC750-1      01h   57.5m     +33 ^o 13           11.9/12.8         1.7×1.3 / 1.4×1.4          Ep/Ep

NGC770-2      01  59.3           +19  01            10.3/12.9         7.3×4.6 / 1.0×0.7         Sb/dE3

NGC1510-12  04  03.9           -43   21            12.4/10.2         2.3×1.1 / 8.3×3.6     SO?/SBa

NGC1531-2    04 12.1            -32  52             12.1/9.9           11.2×3.2/                 Sbp/SOp

NGC3395-6    10  49.8           +32  59            12.1/12.1         1.6×0.9 / 3.4×1.3         S(B)cdp/IBmp

NGC4435-8    12  27.8           +13  01            10.8/10.2         3.2×2.0 / 8.9×3.6         SBO/SO/ap

NGC4567-8    12  36.6           +11  14            11.3/10.8         2.7×2.3 / 4.7×2.2         Sbc/Sbc

NGC4627-31  12  42.1           +32  32            9.2/12.7           2.1×1.6 / 15.5×3.3       dE4p/Sc

NGC5963-5    15  34.0           +56  42            12.5/11.7         3.7×2.8 / 5.5×0.9        Sp/Sb

NGC6962-4    20h 47.3          +00  19            12.1/13.0         2.7×2.1 / 1.6×1.1        S(B)a/SOp

By Alan Goldstein

            Although the mines of the Illinois-Kentucky fluorite district are no longer active, the thrill of discovery is still possible. The discovery described in this article was made in early May at the Hastie’s Mining Co. quarry near Cave in Rock. I have visited this site more times than I can count while leading university geology department trips and during the preparation of my major article on the district (Goldstein, 1997).

            Geophysics professor Hal Noltimier of The Ohio State University arranged this particular trip. His objective was to obtain specimens of minerals and ores for the geology department’s collections, as part of his current personal mission to gather ore samples from mines around the world to enhance their teaching collections. We planned to go to specific places on the Hastie’s property as well as several other mine dumps to obtain samples.

            In addition to Hal and his girlfriend, I invited geologist and friend Mark Easterbrook who traveled from the Charleston, South Carolina area to join us. Mark had collected with me in the past. Ron Stubblefield, curator of the Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum in Marion, Kentucky joined us as well. A Martin-Marietta geologist was to join us so we could check out their quarry east of the Hastie’s, but his plans fell though due to back problems.

            The first stop on our itinerary was the Hastie’s quarry located in an area of the fluorite district called Spar Mountain. (It is actually an escarpment.) Their limestone and sandstone mining operation is visible from several miles away (see photo 1). Fluorite has not been the Hastie’s bread and butter for a number of years since the bottom fell out of the fluorspar market. The first thing we noticed was a new entry road to the scale house – straight and wide – much better than the previous road, which was actually a county road. We met at the office and followed Bob Hastie to a section of the pit not being mined the day we were visiting. We were out of the way of their heavy equipment.

              The mined out area was 30 – 40 feet lower than during my last visit two years earlier. Previous collecting had been from the Lead mine (or Austin Lead mine) deposits in the upper Ste. Genevieve Limestone. This time, we collected from Minerva Oil Company’s mining operation in the 1950’s that was exposed during quarrying recently (see photo 2) in the middle of the Ste. Genevieve Limestone. Several tunnels were obvious. According to Don Hastie, their driller has experience that enables him to avoid or minimize the trouble caused by punching through the roof of the numerous mine tunnels, so they don’t break drill rods during their operations. The main inconvenience when they do penetrate is plugging the drill hole before placing the explosives.

            Although there were plenty of places to inspect, I zeroed in on a mine pillar on the south wall of the quarry which was dominated by purple fluorite (see photo 3).

One pocket I discovered was over a 30 cm in diameter, a 30 cm deep completely lined with 5mm – 1 cm cubes (see photo 4). There were numerous other pockets exposed, with primarily purple crystals of various sizes and luster.

            The discovery was a pocket of gemmy purple fluorite with barite partially to completely covered with orangish-brown to yellowish-brown smithsonite in this pillar! I noticed a small fluorite lined opening, and opened it with a 3 pound sledge hammer and wide chisel. The smithsonite specimens are botryoidal or have small club-shaped crystals. They average 1mm in length and when they are not inter-grown, are typically doubly-terminated. Inter-grown crystals are quite interesting under low magnification. Some specimens and cleavages are “turkey-fat” color, a couple are chocolate brown and almost as lustrous as sphalerite!

            The occurrence of smithsonite is particularly curious, since I have not recorded a single sphalerite crystal in all my years studying the Hastie’s property. The pocket was almost 3 feet in length and varied from a couple to 10 inches in thickness. Immediately below the pocket was an unusual area where the limestone had been leached away, leaving a porous, silicious rock in its place (see photo 5).

            The paragenesis of this pocket seems to indicate the carbonate component came from the leached limestone below the pocket. The zinc must have migrated an unknown distance up-dip from the sphalerite source. The barite formed after the fluorite, and generally prior to the smithsonite. However some late-forming barite crystals smaller than 3 mm occur on the smithsonite. Photo 6 shows a closer view of the smithsonite pocket.

            We collected specimens from nearly a foot across to thumbnail size, with a few micromount specimens, too. I immediately donated one fine specimen to the Clement Mineral Museum, another to Hal Noltimier. We ended up with seven or eight flats of smithsonite.

            Above the smithsonite, Mark worked an area particularly rich in lustrous purple cubes (up to two inches across). Most of the specimens were so inter-grown, it was difficult to get any “knock-out” specimens (photo 7). In the adit on the far side of the pillar, I found a large pocket where a couple of nice lustrous yellow fluorite crystals and some small gemmy clear calcite were picked up (photo 8).

            Ron Stubblefield collected a specimen with several late-forming tabular purple fluorite crystals perched on regular cubes. I found one like that associated with the smithsonite. Hal and Paula collected fluorite off the rock piles in the pit. One razor-shape crystal required him to dig into the first aid kit.

            Our plans to visit Rosiclare and mine dumps on top of Spar Mountain did not pan out, so Mark and I stayed in the pit as late as was practical. We visited the large mine tunnel and gingerly explored the first 100 feet (see photo 9). Roof bolts were hanging like iron stalactites: the 45 to 50 years of weathering – combined with the blasting above – had knocked the loose rock down from the roof of the tunnel. A number of specimens were found in the loose rubble. One was a 17 cm long specimen with cubes up to 6 cm wide, but they are somewhat etched. I also carried out a 30 cm -long boulder consisting of a doubly terminated honey-brown scalenohedral calcite crystal, deep purple fluorite and smaller calcite parallel crystals in pockets. This is the largest calcite crystal I have personally collected from Cave in Rock area. While aesthetic, it is not a high-quality piece and was placed my rock garden.

            Mark and I brought back 25 flats of specimens along with a bucket with ore samples for grab bags and fluorite cleavages to make octahedrons (photo 10) collected from other mine dumps. We cleaned and divided the specimens before he headed back home. At the last minute, I had used my clamshell luggage topper on his car to hold our camping gear. The last time I had been in a small car this fully-packed was on a cross country astronomy junket I did with a friend 20 years ago!

            After an incident a couple of years ago the Hastie’s changed their property-access policy and do not want to deal with groups or collectors they do not already know. I have known the owners for 18 years (geez, that’s hard to believe!) and respect their wishes. This is an active quarry with huge equipment and dangerous areas not suitable for inexperienced collectors. I will have some material available, although it is possible that most will be sold or traded before the article is published. I am scheduling another trip later this year, but with the Hastie operations, there is no telling what areas will be accessible and what will be found!

Reference:

Goldstein, Alan, 1997. The Illinois-Kentucky Fluorite District, The Mineralogical Record, vol. 28, no. 1.

From Mineral News – June 2000

by Alan Goldstein

Louisville, KY

                The Walker vein one of the most well-known mineralized veins within the area described as the Central Kentucky Fluorspar District (see Anderson et al, 1982; Currier, 1923; Fohs, 1907, 1913). It has never been a source of economic mineralization, unlike some of the others. The claim to fame is its collectibility and beautiful minerals available to collectors.

                In brief, the Central Kentucky Fluorspar District, which cover all or parts of 16 counties is a typical Mississippi Valley type deposit. Unlike the Illinois – Kentucky Fluorspar District (see Goldstein, 1997), there are no significant bedding replacement type deposits. Most veins are associated with faults, which are very numerous. Over 125 veins are known with traces of barite according to Anderson, et al (1982).

                Exposed within the Middle Ordovician Lexington Limestone sought by the  Caldwell Stone Company, this locality lies on the southeast side of Danville, in Boyle Co., Kentucky. This vein was first documented by Robinson, (1931). It is actually part of a fault zone containing numerous veinlets in an area 200 feet wide and 2,000 feet long. The primary vein varies from as little as a few inches to nearly six feet wide (Anderson, et al, 1982). Collecting productivity varies with the width of the vein. The best mineralization occurs where the vein becomes cavernous.

                Minerals have been sought by local collectors in this quarry for many years. More recently, this locality has become regionally known, with regular visitors from surrounding states. Some strata within the quarry contained rare fossils, but these areas have been removed by regular operations, although a collector found a distorted, but complete 3” (8 cm) Isotelus trilobite on the dumps above the quarry in April.

Mineralization

                The mineralization is dominated by calcite and barite. The thickness of crystallized specimens on barite matrix can make for some pretty heavy specimens. During the February collecting trip, two specimens exceeding 100 pounds were obtained and the April trip netted a specimen which required a backhoe to load into the pick up. (How they got the specimen out I do not know!) In addition, a boulder weighing about 1000 pounds was collected in mid April and moved to the quarry office where it is prominently displayed on the front lawn. The writer has not studied this vein sufficiently to describe the mineral paragenesis, but Jolly & Heyl (1964) described the mineralization for the entire district. This article should be considered a preliminary report based on three collecting trips and observations of a number of specimens.

                Barite appears to be early forming, but occurs in stages throughout the history of mineralization (Jolly & Heyl, 1964). This mineral forms massive veins. Where fissures occur, it may be collected in crystals, often forming plates and rosettes. Aggregates are composed of flat blades 犀利士 or thin pod-shaped crystals typically 3 mm – 1 cm long (photo 1). Large crystals (i.e. solitary blades) have not been observed by the writer or described in the literature. Crystals are usually white, but have been noted as pale blue. Barite crystals can be lustrous or chalky depending on the collecting area. It may be colored brown or black by bitumen, either as a light tar-light coating or as dark inclusions within massive specimens.

                The most unusual specimens collected by the writer occur as parallel stalactitic aggregates, composed of stacks of 3 mm crystals neatly oriented  like a deck of cards spread at a 45 degree angle. The aggregates are often sprinkled with purple fluorite cubes (photos 2, 3, and 4).

                Calcite is probably the most abundant vein mineral. It occurs in various stages throughout the mineralization within the vein. Crystals are typically white or colorless, but may be pale lavender or pink. They are occasionally lustrous, but often have a silky luster due to some dissolution. Usually twinned, they are similar in form to those from the zinc deposits in Smith Co., Tennessee. Doubly terminated crystals are common, from one inch (2.5 cm)  to six inches (15 cm). Terminations are razor sharp, making collecting with good, thick gloves a necessity.

                Crystals are often associated with mud-filled cavities within the vein. These openings are often large and allow crystals to grow as much as two feet (60 cm) in length! One such crystal is in the collections of the Louisville Science Center, having been on display since 1985. (It will likely be taken off exhibit later this year when the new exhibit gallery will be created. It is uncertain whether it will be displayed in the future.) The April, 2000 collecting trip netted the author three crystals from between 14 and 18 inches (32 – 45 cm) in length. Unfortunately, most have some surface etching or were damaged by equipment before I found them.

                One specimen contained white phantoms forming a “cap” (covering only the top growth of the calcite) on a localized patch of doubly terminated twinned crystals. The white inclusion lay a millimeter below a clear mineralization.

                Chalcopyrite occurs as inclusions in calcite. They are usually thin wires oriented perpendicular to the faces of the calcite crystal. When cleaning barite specimens in HCl, as the calcite dissolves away, the illusive chalcopyrite can be seen. Occasionally it may be seen within transparent calcite crystals forming a zone few millimeters below the surface.

                Fluorite is very common in the vein. Crystals are generally cubic, from a few millimeters to a centimeter across. Crystals above 1 cm are rare from this locality. Within the district, Jolly & Heyl (1964) report a paragensis starting with white to buff, followed by bluish, clear, and finally purple. The latter color is pale or lavender and may have a dark purple rim (photo 4). Within a lower portion of the vein, I collected optically transparent fluorite in 5 mm crystals on barite. Some had a curious modification on one corner of the cube. Some crystals we coated with smithsonite. The most recent collecting trip netted some amber to yellow crystals. Iron stains played a role in creating these atypical colored cubes (for this locality).

                Smithsonite – this is the first published report of this mineral from the Walker Vein. It was collected in fair quantities in August, 1999. This late-forming mineral is associated with barite, decomposing sphalerite, fluorite and occasional etched calcite. Smithsonite is brown or yellow in color in botryoidal, boxwork and in microcrystals of a rhombohedral or scalenohedral habit. Occasionally sub-millimeter spheres and hemispheres are found. Yellow colored smithsonite occurs as tiny rhombs, presumably colored by greenockite, and is often associated with fossil broyozoans. Some microscopic crystal aggregates are associated with decomposing calcite. The calcite will look like parallel needles in the x-axis, while the adjacent smithsonite is growing in the y-axis!

                Some of the most interest specimens consist barite crystals coated with a thin veneer of smithsonite, sometimes sprinked with microcrystals.

                Sphalerite is an early forming mineral, occurring as blackish crystalline masses, usually in barite. Crystals or aggregates may be up to 5 inches (12.5 cm) across. Well-exposed sphalerite crystals are not common. Bill McKenzie collected an etched sphalerite crystal coated with either greenockite or cadmium-rich smithsonite in April. (Naturally, it was in a boulder that I let him work on after I decided to go elsewhere!)

                Strontianite is a later forming mineral that occurs is scattered occurrences through the vein. Curiously, celestine has not been documented from this locality. It occurs as white puff-ball aggregates from 3 – 8 mm in diameter. Stronitanite may be scattered on calcite, barite or fluorite.

Cleaning the specimens

                Specimens occurring in the mud-filled openings are best left alone and let the mud protect the specimen during transportation home. Specimens should be spread out and left to dry. At that time, the minerals can be blasted with a nozzled garden hose and the dried mud will pop off. Mud that does not come off immediately will with a second water blast a few minutes later. This prevents the gooey mud from being shoved into the microscopic cracks with a tooth brush.

Collecting at the Quarry

                The owners of this family-run quarry have been gracious to let individuals and clubs collect here over the years. Collecting hours are on Saturday from 7:30 am til noon. If you are traveling any great distance to collect here, contact the quarry or local collectors to see if it is going to be worth the effort. Although the vein spans the entire quarry, accessibility is limited to only a portion. Mineralization is restricted to areas around the vein and the swarm of smaller veinlets. The most productive collecting is associated with the widest veins. As would be expected, quarry operations cover a large area and blasting through the vein does not occur regularly. Presently the vein is exposed on several benches which are adjacent to highwalls of about 40 – 50 feet, both above and below.

Addendum: In recent years (2010+) the quarrying has moved away from the vein and the vein itself has pinched according to my friends.

References

Anderson, W. H., Trace, R. D., and McGrain, P., 1982, Barite deposits of Kentucky:         

Kentucky Geological Survey, Series XI, Bulletin 1, 56 p.

Currier, L.W., 1923, Fluorspar deposits of Kentucky: Kentucky Geological Survey,          

Series 6, vol. 13, 198 p.

Fohs, F. J., 1907, Fluorspar deposits in Kentucky: Kentucky Geological Survey, Series    

3, Bulletin 9, 296 p.

Fohs, F. J., 1913, Baryte deposits of Kentucky: Kentucky Geological Survey, Series         

4, Bulletin v.1, p. 441 – 558.

Goldstein, A., 1997, Illinois – Kentucky Fluorite District, Mineralogical Record, vol. 28,

no. 1, p. 3 – 49.

Jolly, J. L. and Heyl, A. V., 1964, Mineral paragensis and zoning in the Central Kentucky               

Mineral District: Economic Geology, v. 59, no. 4, p. 596 – 624.

Robinson, L. C., 1931, Vein deposits of central Kentucky: Kentucky Geological Survey, ser.

6, v. 41, p. 3 -127.

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The Kyana Geological Society is the Louisville area club for folks interested in avocation geology – collecting, lapidary arts, minerals, fossils, field trips, etc. The weekend before Thanksgiving, the three-day show is held at Camp Crestwood, a church camp in Oldham Co., KY, about a mile west of Crestwood. I’m selling minerals from Steve Garza, Bob Robinson, fossils from David Horn, some of my stuff, and Rachel’s lapidary items. It allows me to talk to people interested in minerals and fossils.

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This is a calling card that my great-grandfather Edward Alec “Pop” Cohen gave my great-grandmother in 1908 or 1909. The back says (in pencil) “With Compliments from E. A. Cohen To Jettie Brenner.” This is another piece of family history that has been passed down from one generation to the next. “Pop” died in 1975 so he was part of my life for 16 years. Grandma Jettie lived a few years longer but developed dementia a few years before she passed away.

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Mid America Paleontological Society’s National Fossil Expo – Oct. 2024

I attended the National Fossil Expo in Springfield, Illinois. It’s held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Fossil dealers from around the country attend. I last came two years ago. The Orr Building is spacious and there is plenty of room. The fossils I saw were interesting and ranged in age from nearly 3.5 billion years to the Pleistocene.

The only thing lacking was customers. I sold enough to more than cover expenses but just barely. David Horn’s large horn corals were popular. The question may be asked if fossils have lost their luster with the public. I’d guess the answer is ‘no.’ However, publicity is essential to connect fossil enthusiasts with fossil dealers. A show is MUCH better than on-line sales because you can hold the specimen and ask questions.

The show was held in April for decades but shifted to October when the moved to Springfield four years ago. Unfortunately, it is two weeks after the Springfield geology club’s annual show (in the same building) and (as far I as can tell) publicity and signage is pretty light. I did see a local TV reporter making the rounds on Saturday.

The show is moving to Mother’s Day weekend next May and back to late April in 2026. I won’t attend in 2025.

Here are some interesting fossils I photographed: two for sale, and two on display. I’ll photograph some of my acquisitions and post them.

This is a late Mississippian fossil fish from the famous Bear Gulch formation in Montana. It produces fish with soft body preservation.

A Vendian (= Ediacaran age) Precambrian fossil from the White Sea, Russia. This is an arctic locality. The number is the price.

A prepared slab of crinoids from the Middle Mississippian, from a quarry in Gilmore City, Iowa. Marv Houg specimen.

Crinoids from the famous Legrand, Iowa quarry. These are unique because a protein is preserved in the calcite giving different species different colors.

My friend, Chris Cozart, at his tables with fossils.

The interaction of Double-crested Cormorants and Great Egrets at the Falls of the Ohio State Park

At the Falls of the Ohio, water birds – wading and diving – are pretty common, except when the river is high enough to cover the fixed weir dam. When I started working at the park in 1993-4, Great Egrets were scarce at the Falls. Now they are abundant except in the winter. Double-crested cormorants have been common. On multiple occasions, I’ve watched egrets and cormorants interacting in a way that is symbiotic or at least commensal in nature.

Cormorants swim around the feet of the great egrets when they are wading. And when the egrets are on the shore, the cormorants will swim close to the shoreline. I am curious whether this is a local phenomenon or if it has been documented elsewhere. Here are several photos I took on September 28, 2025.

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Imaginarium Convention July 2024

This blog was created and lost due to hacking issues on my website.

Mid-July means it’s time for the Imaginarium Convention, Louisville’s largest writer’s convention. (It also has a film festival and co-splay activities – but that’s not my interest.) On the first day, I moderated a panel on writing accurate settings when using nature in a story (i.e., a novel). Then I was a panelist in realistic settings in fantasy and science fiction. On the third day, I hosted a workshop on critique groups. In between, I attended many interesting sessions and attended the awards dinner.

The panel of authors in the creating good nature settings in stories.

The organizers of the Imaginarium Convention, Stephen and Holly presenting awards at the dinner.

My workshop was on the value of critique groups. I’ve been involved with three different groups since ~2012. The current Louisville Writer’s Meet Up, I’ve attended since the second meeting in March 2015. I’ve been a co-organizer since 2016 after the organizer went in a different direction.

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Total Solar Eclipse, April 8, 2024

I went to Brown County State Park near Nashville, Indiana for the eclipse. With help from the outreach director for the Louisville Astronomical Society, I had three members helping me – Greg Gapsis, Rick Williams, and John Anderson.

We came up on Sunday afternoon. Traffic wasn’t a big issue. I presented my Tucson Star Party program to a full room. As before, it was well-received. That evening we went to Patrick Haulter’s birthday and farewell party. Patrick used to work at the Falls of the Ohio about 10 years ago.

We had a beautiful rainbow before sunset. I hoped it was a sign of good luck. We had overnight rain, but the Monday morning was cloudless.

I talked to visitors set up near the nature center. After lunch, we went to our observing site near the north gate – a field by the pool. Eli Major, the interpretive naturalist at the park, set up the brand new 8″ Dobson-mounted telescope. A bunch were obtained t=from a Duke Energy grant for parks inside the totality. (None for the Falls, 99.3% wasn’t good enough. – Kidding.)

I helped many guests get photos of the partial phases through the telescope.

And I took a few photos before, during and after totality with my iPhone and an old point-and-shoot Olympus camera.

The eclipse was amazing. Here are photos taken with my camera & 600mm lens, and through the telescope with my iPhone and Olympus cameras. They show varying amounts of detail.

The detail in the solar prominences with the 8″ telescope sans solar filter during totality was amazing! Unfortunately, they were over exposed in my photography through the eyepiece.

Tucson Show – Weird Minerals

I was on the lookout for unusual minerals to photograph. The weird stuff tends to be expensive because of it shows mother nature at her most unusual.

I’m not a big fan of agate. A lot it is dyed to make a bland specimen more colorful. Ideally, agate should be natural and if colorful, so much the better. But if color isn’t great, weird patterns – like faces – make for interesting specimens.

Amethyst geodes are commonly found in Brazil and Uruguay – from the same deposit. The Uruguay location has been a source of darker purple quartz, but the geodes are bigger than I’ve seen at shows in the past.

Crystals can grow in aggregates forming spheres (called botryoidal – like grapes). Chalcopyrite (copper iron sulfide) are unusual. I collected spherical sphalerite at the Bardstown Quarry in 2011. Weird but not as dramatic as this specimen.

Pyrite concretions are widespread, though they don’t always have good symmetry. They may contain framboidal pyrite – a microscope form that is notorious for getting pyrite disease which causes them to decompose. (The cause is sulfur-eating bacteria.) I’d ask the dealer about the location and history to determine if there is a history of decomposing before plopping down big bucks!

Pyrite on the edge of calcite can be spectacular but isn’t unusual. I’ve seen specimens from Pennsylvania in Steve Garza’s collection. Granted, the crystals are smaller…

Vivianite is a mineral that tends to be unstable over time, especially in humid environs. There was a major occurrence this year because large crystals were at many dealers. Prices were also astronomical.

Bisbee & Tombstone, Arizona

It’s not all mineral and fossil shows. We went southeast to Bisbee – an old copper mining town. It’s nestled in a valley surrounded by colorful hills. At 5,500 feet in elevation, you might call Bisbee Arizona’s “mile-high” town. The layout is highest on the north end, but I wouldn’t recommend skateboarding from one end to the other!

We looked at the Sacramento and Lavender pits. The land was originally hills, but now they are over 800-feet deep! The Copper Queen Mine offers interesting hour-long tours for $14. You ride inside the mountain wearing a hard hat, reflective vest, and a battery-powered lamp. You see a stope – where ore was removed (still sparklies in there) and learn how miners drilled and blasted rock.

Then we went to Tombstone, a tourist attraction. Dating from the same time period as Bisbee, the terrain is flat, the elevation is above 4,000 feet. The gunfight at the OK Corral is re-enacted, though not while we were there. The main street is not for cars – just pedestrians and horses.

Tucson Star Party – February 3, 2024

My interest in astronomy goes back to 1973 when I was in Junior High – thanks to Mike Brooks, a friend with a small telescope. Flash forward 51 years, and I attended the Tucson Star Party at Pima Community College East. I was one of four presenters. Retired astronomer and long-time Tucsonian, Rik Hill, kindly took me to and from the star party.

Michael Bakich, retired astronomer and ASTRONOMY magazine editor, spoke on the upcoming total eclipse.

ASTRONOMY editor (chief) Dave Eicher (whom I’ve know since 1977) presented on some connections of astronomy and the Civil War. (Dave is a part-time C.W. historian).

David Levy, a discoverer of comets, talked about the discovery of Comet Showmaker-Levy 9 and its demise as over 20 fragments plunged into Jupiter 30 years ago. (I remember seeing one dark hole in Jupiter from an i pact through a telescope.)

I gave a new program developed for this event: The Grand Canyon of the Sky – Connecting the Distance of Objects with the History of Life. It’s based on an article that was published in ASTRONOMY in 2022. Since light travels one light year in one year, observing the globular cluster M13 which is 22,000 light years from us means the photons reacher your eyes are 22,000 years old. Those photons headed in our direction when mammoths roamed the United States!

You can observe galaxies with photons traveling across the universe since T. rex roamed, or when trilobites first appeared on Earth. I make “fossil light” into something tangible – like real fossils!

After a nice chatty dinner at a nearby Chinese restaurant, we went back to the star party to observe. The campus was well-lit, meaning you couldn’t have truly dark observing, but this was a public program, so it didn’t matter. I observed the Orion Nebula and Jupiter (which looks white or tan depending on which eye I used). Then I found a gentleman with a Unistar telescope – especially a high-powered astro-imager. It builds images with a computer and the “piece” is like a telescope eyepiece, but it’s really a small monitor. I was able to take some astrophotos with my phone, simply holding up the camera lens and snapping a picture! Wow! What a cool way to do astrophotography. Here are some examples:

Tucson Show – February 2024

Tucson hosts the largest aggregate of gem, mineral, fossil & jewelry shows in the world. It’s so large, that many of the dealers are up for nearly a month! There are wholesale-only shows for folks in the trade (dealers from everywhere), shows that are wholesale and retail and dealers that do both.

I came for a week to look (most specimens are priced way beyond my budget), shop, and schmooze with old friends. What a relaxing experience – even if I walk 7,000 steps.

This is one of two rainy seasons for Tucson – the other is in July & August. This makes for some beautiful sunsets.

Florida

Attended my niece’s wedding in Fort Lauderdale in mid-December. It was wonderful. Enjoyed time with my siblings and their families. Dani accompanied me. We visited Key Biscayne and Everglades National Parks. Explored the Upper Keys. A bee crawled inside my shoe and stung my foot! The wind and temps eliminated any plan to spend time in or on the ocean.

Louisville Book Festival Experience

I attended my first book festival at the convention center in downtown Louisville. I was one of some 150 authors participating. I shared my table with Wendy Zagray Warren, who wrote a book on how the ‘No child left behind act’ and its negative impact on most students. The tables were a mix of genres from picture books to non-fiction to a broad spectrum of fiction.

At my table, in addition to a supply of The Dragon in My Back Yard, I stapled my AlanGoldsteinsUniverse.com business card to a small baggy with a fossil or fluorite chip to promote this website. As conversation pieces, I brought some fluorescent minerals and a UV flashlight (visible in photo) for children to use and for adults a copy of James Bond’s ‘Birds of the West Indies’ and discussed its connection to Ian Fleming, the creator of 007.

Over both days, I sold a full box of my novel and talked to many adults and children – so the event was a success. Too bad it will not be likely to attend again next year as they have a new crop of authors each year.

Now its time to plan smaller events at bookstores and libraries. I organized an evening with four published authors in our Louisville Writers Meet Up group. In October is was at the Jeffersonville library. Dec. 7 will be at Mickey’s Bookstore in New Albany.

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Setting up at the Kyana Geological Society Show

November 17 – 19, 2023 is the Kyana Geological Society’s 53rd annual show at Camp Crestwood off Clore Lane in Crestwood, KY. I last set up at the show more than a decade ago. I’ll be bringing Steve Garza’s minerals, Bob Robinson will be there with his minerals and other items, and I’ll have fossils. Show hours are 10 to 5 on Friday and Saturday and 11 to 5 on Sunday.

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Louisville Book Festival participant & panelist

I’m participating in the Louisville Book Festival on November 10 and 11, 2023 at the Louisville International Convention Center. Carmichael’s Bookstore is handling the book sales. I’ll have a table to talk to attendees. Bringing some business cards attached to fluorite chips and Archimedes bryozoan screws. I’m also participating in a 50 minute panel on debut authors at 2 PM on the 10th.

Check it out at: https://www.louisvillebookfestival.com/festival-info/2023-festival/

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Sale of Steve Garza and Bob Robinson collections, Sept 9 & 10, 2023 – Background about the collectors & collections

I’m hosting a sale of minerals from Steve Garza’s collection and minerals and fossils in Bob Robinson’s collection on Sept. 9 and 10. Steve’s minerals will be 50% off and Bob’s 33% off. It will be in my driveway. Contact me from the contact page (or email if you know me) for details.

Steve’s collection I’ve been selling off since 2017. He started collecting in 1965 and stopped with a stroke in 2016. One good days he can help identify specimens that I don’t recognize. His collection filled up a 2 1/2 car garage wall to wall, floor to just below the light fixtures. With more in the pole barn. I’ve learned how to recognize many obscure U.S. mineral localities going trough this collection.

Bob Robinson started collecting minerals and fossils in the late 1980s and into the 2000s. He did a lot of collecting trips for Arkansas quartz, area quarries and road cuts, even fossils near his house. He also bought many flats of minerals from dealers and put them in the basement. I have barely tapped his inventory. His collection is better organized than Steve’s and better labeled. But if he bought something without a label… it still doesn’t have a label.

These collections are large enough that I expect to be selling them for many years. The collector’s yard sale has targeted marketing to rockhound clubs. It will take several trips to gather the boxes from both collectors in August, 2023. Reach out to me for information – even if you can’t make it to the sale. The collections will be selling for a long time and new things will come up from the bowels of the storerooms.

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Imaginarium Convention in Louisville (Days 2 & 3)

Spent Saturday attending panels, especially with marketing for writers. One of my weaknesses. And yes, blogging is a form of marketing, even if I’m not saying “BUY MY BOOK!”

Attended sessions on:

Increasing reviews (some say its essential, others say it isn’t – what’s a writer to do?), Amazon algorithms (how to be visible amongst the million other books on Amazon), Space operas – Sci Fi or Fantasy? (a fun to listen to panel discussion, but nothing I took notes about), Marketing your book in 15 Minutes, a workshop with Stephanie Ferger (tips to do something, especially since writers don’t know jack about marketing themselves or their books – we are writers!) Q & A with Terry Brooks, the first “famous” author I wanted to meet at the Imaginarium Convention.

Sunday, July 16, was my day to be a panelist. In the morning it was “Writing for Children” with Kimberly Hoffman, Carrisa Turpin, and Jen Selinsky.

In the afternoon I was on the “Attractive Blogging” panel with Becky Steele, Morgan Hazelwood, Collen Green, and Carl R. Moore. Hmmm… something like this? Turns out Becky Steele (sitting next to me) is an avid Astronomy magazine reader – and recognized my name.

Other sessions I attended on Sunday: Self-editing for writers – a workshop with JoAnn Sky, Hybrid genres (writing novels that incorporate two or more genres (like funnt horror), Building your website, and The magic of middle-grade: Exploring the power and potential of children’s fiction, a workshop with Carrisa Turpin. I enjoyed conversations with with Janie Franz and Stephanie Ferger.

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Imaginarium Convention in Louisville (well, Jeffersontown, KY) – Day 1

July 14 marked the first day of Louisville’s largest convention for writer’s – the Imaginarium Convention. This is there 10th one and I’ve been going since 2017, if memory serves. There are many topics from which to choose among the panels and workshops. Today, my focus was marketing. That’s something that I know enough about to know that I don’t know enough! (How’s that for confusing!)

I chatted with the well-known fantasy author, Terry Brooks (and his wife). I’ll try to get a photo of him tomorrow. I couldn’t find any of his books and Barnes & Noble because the conference bought them all for the book signing!

I had a hard time remembering to take a picture while listening intently. Here are a couple of times where I remembered!

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Alan’s Favorite Galaxies

I will post information about galaxies that I enjoy observing. Galaxies are distant masses of stars, gas and dust. Our Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy. Look for additions to this blog as time allows.

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51 – NGC 5194 / 95) – Canes Venatici – 8.4 / 9.6 magnitude – 8.2’x6.9′ / 6.4’x4.6′ diameters – classification SAbc / Peculiar

Bright enough to be seen in large binoculars (if you know where to look), I observed it in small, medium and large telescopes over the years. In small instruments, it appears as a double smudge separated by a gap. In larger instruments, the spiral structure in NGC 5194 is visible. If you haven’t seen spiral structure through a telescope, this is one of the best to start.

Not all galaxies fit into a classification “shoe box.” Those oddballs are designated as peculiar galaxies. NGC 5195 is one of the brighter examples (although M82 and NGC 5128 are brighter). Here is a galaxy with dust that has unusual placement in the galaxy’s structure. It might be due to interacting with NGC 5194.

The galaxy can be found by sweeping four degrees southeast of Alkaid, Eta Ursa Majoris – the end start in the handle of the Big Dipper. It is located close to the vertex of a right triangle of fainter stars (the vertex star is in upper left in the photo below).

My best views have been in telescopes of 20″ and up. However, under excellent skies, M51 is spectacular in an 8″ to 12″ instrument. It’s best seen in the spring when the Big Dipper is high overhead. What size telescope was needed for you to see the bridge between the two galaxies?

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February was my first visit to the world renowned Tucson Show. Although this blog is much delayed, I want to relay my experience.

My sister has a house in Tucson, so she, my brother-in-law, and nephew greeted me at the airport. It was my third visit to the city -the first with Dave Eicher in 1980 was to visit Kitt Peak National Observatory during a cross-country astronomy junket. The second was in 2000 when the National Association for Interpretation had its national conference there, and the state of Indiana paid for the visit.

This time, it was longer and strictly for pleasure. My sister has a wonderful house in the foothills near Sabino Canyon. Their family was fascinated with the show and spent more money than I did, buying decorative pieces – minerals and fossils – for their house.

I did do a little “work” – talking to dealers about buying wholesale for the Falls of the Ohio State Park’s gift shop. I collected business cards and talked to folks. Any purchases were for my personal collection, not for resale. There is an endless array of materials – minerals, fossils, gems, jewelry, art with stone, just to name a few. There are also many individual shows that are ancillary to the Main Tucson Show, hosted by the Tucson Gem & Mineral Society. (Which I’ll talk about soon.)

We started with the 22nd Street Show – tents than run for several blocks with four rows of dealers. This photo scarcely does it justice!

Here are a few photos of things that captured my attention. They were far above my budget!

There is a lot of art to be found through the satellite shows. Some of it is pretty, some weird, and some unbelievable! This self portrait below falls in the last category.

I’m pausing here to explore wildlife I observed in my sister’s neighborhood. The lots are large enough and contact enough natural acreage to maintain habitat. I saw a coyote, quail, and a plethora of other birds. I emailed birder Del Striegel for identification, though some I could identify because they were distinctive.

The Main Tucson Show opened Thursday, February 9. We made the mistake of coming in the morning when the line was extremely long. Since there wasn’t anything in particular I was striving to get, I didn’t need to “beat the competition.” Next year, I’ll come late in the day or on Friday.

A fossil collection inside a penny.

This is my smallest fossil collection, found at the family farm near Lanesville, Indiana. I collected these from a weathered exposure of Salem Limestone, then washed an shorted them with a microscope.

How old? These are from the middle of the Mississippian Period, about 350 million years ago. Fossils of this size when in massive layers form the building stone known as Indiana Limestone. Most of the Salem Limestone has normal limestone layers or interbedded shale seams making the rock better for aggregate than building stone.

Fossil ID key: 12 to 1 o’clock – crinoid columnals, 2 o’clock – blastoid Pentremites conoideus, 4 to 8 o’clock – various snails, 9 to 10 o’clock – horn corals, 11 o’clock – Fenestrate “lace” bryozoan fragment, by Lincoln’s ear – Globendothrya baileyi – a foraminiferan, by Lincoln’s nose and neck – ostracods, above “2001” a sea urchin socket plate and spine.

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The wilds of Florida’s Gulf Coast

The first vacation of the year with my daughters was to St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. The goal was to relax and do some wildlife watching. The weather was partly cloud with temperatures in the low 70s to mid 60s. Warmer than home but not too hot.

Emily & I spent the first full day at Crystal River, about 2 hours north. We went with a group kayaking to see manatees. We saw one.

The kayaks we used were clear so we could see the vegetation and occasional fish. Never saw a manatee under it.

I was able to get some great bird photos, including an anhinga, black & yellow-crowned night-herons.

On Thursday, we went to the St. Petersburg Pier, which this of the the year wasn’t busy. I got distracted by small planes flying over my head doing touch and go at an airport may 1000-ft south of the pier. I looked up and saw a beautiful solar halo in the cirrus clouds.

From there we wanted to see nature, so we went to the Body Hill Nature Preserve on the south side of St. Petersburg. There was a nice little nature center. Outside, they had caged raptors that were unable to be released. We hiked several trails looking for alligators. (No luck.) We saw a limpkin and snowy egret close enough that a telephoto lens was hardly needed. We also saw a gopher tortoise, but as soon as it saw us it hightailed it back into its burrow. Played tag with a palm warbler for a few minutes trying to get a decent picture. Eventually, it landed in the middle of the path.

Friday, we went to Egmont Key State Park. The highlight of the trip was on that excursion. After walking around the island and photographing gopher tortoises, my first loggerhead shrike, and other sites, the girls and I settled on the beach not far from the boat that ferried us over. A flock of gulls and terns – like from The Birds” came down around us. Fish were jumping out of the water and some foot-long ones were cruising literally at the edge of the beach.

I told Emily I thought a barracuda might be around. Not 10 seconds later, a four-foot long shark cruises right in front of us! It circles one more time. I had my camera handy so I could take pictures. Emily shot video.

The boat captain and his assistant were on the boat and saw it, too. He told me that it was only the second close approach of a shark to a beach he’d ever seen in all his years piloting boats.

Here are photos of the loggerhead shrike and gopher tortoises. The latter are common in this state park, isolated from the rest of the world. They can move fast when approached.

Saturday, I wasn’t in the mood to go anywhere, so we hung out on the beach by the condo.

Sunday, we took Rachel to the Tampa airport and Emily & I went to the Tampa Zoo. The weather was miserable. I bought an umbrella from one of the gift shops. Parking was good – front row. And there wasn’t much of a crowd. The busiest place was the cafe in the zoo! We saw some animal action, but many were out of sight, preferring the warm, dry interiors.

We stopped at IHOP for breakfast before heading to the Tampa airport and the flight home. Emily spent her birthday at 3 airports and 2 flights. She and Rachel had seafood at most meals except breakfast. Me? I’m not a seafood consumer. I had more standard fare.

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National Fossil Expo

I attended the National Fossil Expo sponsored by the Mid America Paleontological Society October 21 – 23. My last visit was in 1987 when it was in Macomb, Illinois! This year it was located at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, in Springfield – a couple of hours closer.

The drive from Louisville to Springfield was about 6 hours with lunch and bathroom breaks thrown in. I decided to take I-64 almost to East St. Louis, cutting north to I-55 via Illinois 4. Traffic was light and construction was limited to about a half-dozen bridges on I-64 in Illinois. I found out later that if I had taken I-65 to Indy and I-74 west, I would have had dozens of miles with construction lane restrictions. I lucked out!

When I arrived and got out of the car, my luck continued – I looked around and saw a bald eagle flying over! It stayed around long enough for me to pull out my camera and put on the telephoto lens. How often does that happen?

When I checked in, my two tables were assigned to the northwest corner of the building. I put my folder there and went to my car to start unloading. When I returned, someone else was at my tables and my folder was gone! What the heck?

I tracked down the show chairman who apologized and said someone else needed five tables so they moved mine and another dealer to a new spot on the far side of the large building – about as far as one could get from the original location! On the positive side, I was able to drive in and unload the boxes of fossils right next to my new space (see photo). They also through in another table at no charge. I set up my space of two and a half six-foot tables primarily with fossil corals. I was next to a couple selling paleontology books that used to be in Charlie Oldham’s library.

Set up completed, I met up with some friends also at the show. I also had time to visit other tables and gawk at lots of interesting (and expensive!) fossils. I ignore price since my interest in acquiring expensive fossils has never been a goal. I’m happy with obscure and cheap! (As long as it has good data…) Photos below are examples of expensive fossils. Preparation for display is what makes them expensive.

There was a privately organized fossil & mineral show at the Northfield Hotel where most of the dealers and Expo organizers stayed. (The Fossil Expo doesn’t allow minerals to be sold.) The rooms had dealer names visible from the hall. There were probably 20 rooms with dealers but some I never saw an open door. I believe that show opened on Wednesday or Thursday and went through Saturday. I got most of my fossils from a couple of dealers in the hotel.

On Friday, I did a presentation on the fossils of the Waldron Shale, focusing on the fauna in Clark Co., Indiana, which is a bit different that the classic Waldron localities (photo below). On Saturday, my topic was the Falls of the Ohio. Hmmm. I wonder why?

So what did I think of my first National Fossil Expo in 35 years? As shows go, I’ve attended and set up a few that were busier. When I asked people what they were looking for, most said dinosaurs. No surprise. I’ll freely admit that more people are interested in dinosaurs than corals. But my inventory consisted of inexpensive, beautifully preserved specimens. Sales were sufficient to cover all of my expenses and I picked up some cool fossils for my collection. (I’ll post photos of those later.)

Will I return next year? You bet! I’ve already been asked to write an article for next year’s Digest. (Dr. Kate Bulinski & I wrote an article on the Waldron Shale fossils for this year’s publication.) Dale Brown & I came up with a laundry list of activities that would boost attendance at next year’s Expo. There are plenty of marketing improvements to be made. There are also program and activity ideas that won’t cost anything to incorporate. The first marketing effort is this – come to Springfield, Illinois, next October 20 – 22, 2023!