July 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
Bartlesville Public Library Meeting Room
6:45 p.m. Setup and Discussion
7:00 p.m. Club Business
7:15 p.m. Current Astronomy News
Object of the Month
7:00 p.m.
Solar Eclipse and Venus Transit Results
Rick Bryant will be talking about his May 20 eclipse expedition to New Mexico and we'll have some pictures and discussion about the June 5 Venus transit.
June 5th Transit of Venus
Bartlesville, OK
Our current sunspot maximum in the 11-year cycle is supposed to occur next year.
A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE – Aug 21, 2017 across NE Kansas and the central Nebraska !!!
It will require solar filters and at least filtered binoculars to observe
Here is a link to several valuable information resources from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
Including a 2 page card resource, 8 page historical review, Universe in the Classroom with teacher activities.
Solar Filters for the upcoming eclipse and Venus transit.
Be sure to buy the Visual Density materialhttp://astro-physics.biz/index.htm?products/accessories/solar_acc/astrosolar
The instructions for making one are at http://astro-physics.biz/products/accessories/solar_acc/make_sol.pdf
John Land, Astronomy Club of Tulsa, astroclubbiz@windstream.net
OETA - the Oklahoma PBS channel is beginning a SUMMER of Space Specials
More details and links to online play back at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ Note: The times on the NOVA website are EDT so most of the times are an hour earlier in Central Daylight Time
The OETA schedule page is http://www.oeta.tv/schedules.html But does not extend into July yet. NOVA re-airs on the regular OETA station on Saturday at 3 PM and Sunday at 11 AM. The OETA OKLA channel usually re-airs the same shows a day later so that Weds 8 PM show is on Thurs at 8 PM NOVA also appears after midnight 1:00 AM Thursday and 4:00 AM Friday There may be more times so Check your local listings
OETA SUMMER OF SPACE
Hunting the Edge of Space: The Mystery of the Milky Way
Wednesday, June 20 at 8 pm on PBS From Galileo's to today's, telescopes have opened grand vistas onto our galaxy and beyond.
Hunting the Edge of Space: The Ever-Expanding Universe
Wednesday, June 27 at 8 pm on PBS Huge new telescopes are poised to penetrate the enigmas of dark matter and dark energy.
Times for July are estimated based on the PBS site – Check local schedules in July.
The Fabric of the Cosmos: What is Space?
Wednesday, July 11 at 8 pm on PBS NOVA The Fabric of the Cosmos: What is Space?
Surprising clues indicate that space is very much something and not nothing.
The Elegant Universe: Einstein's Dream Part 1
Wednesday, July 11 at 9 pm on PBS
The Elegant Universe – is a 3 part series by Brain Greene – featuring his popular but much debated mathematical model of the universe based on String theory.
The Fabric of the Cosmos: The Illusion of Time
Wednesday, July 18 at 8 pm on PBS NOVA The Fabric of the Cosmos: The Illusion of Time
It defines our lives, but what is time really? Have a look into its true nature.
The Elegant Universe: String's the Thing Part 2
Wednesday, July 18 at 9 pm on PBS
The Fabric of the Cosmos: Quantum Leap
Wednesday, July 25 at 8 pm on PBS NOVA The Fabric of the Cosmos: Quantum Leap
Take a wild ride into the quantum realm, where even the impossible seems possible.
The Elegant Universe: Welcome to the 11th Dimension Part 3
Wednesday, July 25 at 9 pm on PBS
The Fabric of the Cosmos: Universe or Multiverse?
Wednesday, August 1 at 8 pm on PBS The Fabric of the Cosmos: Universe or Multiverse?
Is our universe unique, or could it be just one in an endless "multiverse"?
NOVA ScienceNow
Can We Make It to Mars?
Wednesday, August 1 at 9 pm on PBS
NOVA - Finding Life Beyond Earth
Wednesday, August 8 at 8 pm on PBS
Scientists are on the verge of answering one of the greatest questions in history: Are we alone?
Times for July are estimated based on the PBS site – Check local schedules in July.
http://www.oeta.tv/schedules.html
Enter the International Dark-Sky Association’s Darksky Giveaway for an astronomically grand prize— a set of eight TeleVue Ethos eyepieces valued at $5,665, generously donated by Televue Optics.
To enter the IDA's Darksky Giveaway, you must be an IDA member before the entry closeout date of August 31, 2012. If you are not a member, joining is easy and the cost of a one-year membership is only $35.00. To join or renew your membership, visit www.darksky.org and select the “Join” tab at the top of the webpage. You can also join by calling the IDA office at (520) 293-3198. Entering to win is also a breeze. Visit darksky.org/giveaway where you can fill out the entry form online and read the official rules.
Individual memberships help IDA perform its mission in stopping light pollution and helps to support its many programs. Through the International Dark Sky Places program, IDA and its partners certify locations with exceptional nightscapes as International Dark Sky Communities, International Dark Sky Parks, and International Dark Sky Reserves. The Dark Sky Parks and Protected Area Program currently works with national parks to help them utilize quality outdoor lighting. IDA’s new Suburban Outreach Sites project partners with astronomy clubs to establish accessible programs for kids and their parents. These programs help IDA to engage communities and to raise awareness and ultimately “to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting.”
IDA members make a big difference in their communities and around the world, which is why IDA is thrilled to offer its members such a premium giveaway from Televue Optics. Make sure you enter the DarkSky Giveaway by the deadline and good luck!
To learn more, visit www.darksky.org.
The winner will be announced at the Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show in September 2012, but does not need to attend PATS to win.
Current News from Sky and Telescope
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news
Failed Stars Oddly Rare— June 11, 2012
Astronomers hunting for brown dwarfs in our solar neighborhood have been thrown a surprise: these star wannabes are far less common than previously thought.
M31 to Hit Milky Way Head-On— June 7, 2012
If anyone's still around 4 billion years from now, they'll have a ringside seat for a true clash of titans, as the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies smash into each other and merge.
NASA’s New Spy Scopes— June 7, 2012
Out of the blue, NASA finds itself the new owner of two new Hubble-class space telescopes sitting in a warehouse, courtesy of a spy agency that didn't want them. But like many gifts, they aren't exactly free.
ALMA Coming Together— June 5, 2012
As one of the world's greatest new telescopes takes shape, preliminary results impress.
Now is your chance to participate in an International effort to survey the effects of light pollution on our night skies. The project is to observe and count the number of stars you can see in the constellation of Orion then pinpoint your location on the world map and enter your results on the world wide web.
A great weekly online video of things you can see with the naked eye. These 5 minute video segments feature events that anyone can enjoy by merely going outside and “Looking Up”! Keep this one on your favorites list - http://www.stargazersonline.org/
Skyweek from Sky and Telescope Magazine also presents a variety of astronomical events for the naked eye as well as telescope viewing.http://www.skyandtelescope.com/videos/skyweek
Let’s Go Stargazing http://www.skyandtelescope.com/letsgo
Lots of activities and information for families and novice astronomers.
Courtesy of John Land, Astronomy Club of Tulsa. astroclubbiz@windstream.net
June 19 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 15:02 UTC.
June 20 - June Solstice. The June solstice occurs at 23:09 UTC. The North Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its northernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.44 degrees north latitude. This is the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the northern hemisphere and the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the southern hemisphere.
July 3 - Full Moon. The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 18:52 UTC.
July 19 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 04:24 UTC.
July 28, 29 - Southern Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Delta Aquarids can produce about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower usually peaks on July 28 & 29, but some meteors can also be seen from July 18 - August 18. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Aquarius. The near first quarter moon will set shortly after midnight, leaving dark skies for what should be a good show. Best viewing is usually to the east after midnight.
August 2 - Full Moon. The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 03:27 UTC.
August 6 - Curiosity Rover at Mars. NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is scheduled to land on the red planet between August 6 and August 20, 2012. Officially named Curiosity, it is an autonomous rover similar to the Spirit and Opportunity rovers that previously visited Mars. This much larger rover will carry many more instruments and experiments than its previous cousins. Curiosity’s high definition color cameras will photograph the Martian surface while a host of instruments will sample the soil and air and search for organic compounds.
August 12, 13 - Perseids Meteor Shower. The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower's peak usually occurs on August 13 & 14, but you may be able to see some meteors any time from July 23 - August 22. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Perseus. The near last quarter moon will be hanging around for the show, but shouldn’t be too much of a problem for a shower with up to 60 meteors per hour. Find a location far from city lights and look to the northeast after midnight
2012 Programs
Next Meeting
August 6, Monday. Bartlesville Public Library Meeting Room (tentative)
Newsletter Contributions Needed
Our club newsletter is reaching more people each month, and member contributions in the form of short articles, interesting news items, alerts of upcoming astronomical events or activities, descriptions of personal observations or useful equipment, and observing tips, are encouraged. Recurring columns or multipart articles are also welcome. Please submit your contributions to Mike Woods or to bvilleastro@gmail.com .
Bartlesville Astronomical Society - Membership
B.A.S. is an organization of people interested in Astronomy and related fields of science.
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The current board members are:
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Membership is open to everyone interested in any aspects of astronomy.
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