September 2014
Monday, September 15
Bartlesville Public Library
6:45 p.m. Setup and Discussion
7:00 p.m. Club Business
7:15 p.m. Current Astronomy News
Object of the Month
7:30 PM
Astronomy Vacation:
Visiting The VLA & McDonald Observatory
by John Grismore
John will show a few slides of a recent road trip to the Very Large Array, near Socorro, New Mexico and the McDonald Observatory, near Fort Davis, Texas.
Take the Future of Amateur Astronomers Survey
The Night Sky Network is doing a new survey of amateur astronomers located in the United States. We are attempting to understand the landscape of educational outreach performed by astronomy clubs and assess the needs of the amateur astronomy community for the next 5 years. We want to hear your voice.
Please let us know what your needs are and how we can better help you and your clubs by taking our survey, located here: http://bit.ly/2014astrosurvey
Pass this announcement along to any other persons or organizations that would have an interest in this survey as well. Thank you all!
By: Kelly Beatty | April 17, 2014 | Comments 0
Here's a quick guide to the essential features that you should look for when buying your first telescope.
By: Tony Flanders | April 16, 2014 | Comments 11
Looking through a telescope introduces you to a whole new world of unexpected wonders. But telescopes come in a huge range of sizes and shapes. Here's a detailed, printable guide to the essential features that every good scope needs to have.
By: Adrian R. Ashford | April 16, 2014 | Comments 0
The incredible variety of telescopes presents a real challenge for first-time buyers. Here's a no-nonsense primer to an astronomical rite of passage.
- See more at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-equipment/choosing-astronomy-equipment/#sthash.aGpuhrn6.dpuf
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news
By: Camille M. Carlisle | September 3, 2014 | Comments 1
Astronomers have mapped the cosmic watershed and discovered a massive supercluster that extends more than 500 million light-years and contains 100,000 large galaxies. The Milky Way sits on the edge of this humongous structure.
- See more at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/#sthash.CtHkfZMA.dpuf
By: Bob King | September 3, 2014 | Comments 0
Watch as the moon Rhea steals a star from the sky for nearly a minute on September 12th.
By: Shannon Hall | September 2, 2014 | Comments 0
A new analysis suggests that hot super-Earths might be the skeletal remnants of hot Jupiters stripped of their atmospheres.
By: Kelly Beatty | August 31, 2014 | Comments 0
The astronomical calendar says autumn arrives on September 22nd. It's a season of transition, with plenty of celestial comings and goings in the evening sky. September’s equinox takes place on the 22nd at 10:29 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. At that moment the Sun shines directly overhead as seen from the equator. Days and nights...
By: Camille M. Carlisle | August 25, 2014 | Comments 0
A new measurement could be the farthest back in time astronomers have ever reached when measuring a black hole’s spin.
By: Camille M. Carlisle | August 21, 2014 | Comments 0
Astronomers might have found a star that was infected by the explosive death of one of the universe’s first stars.
By: Bob King | August 20, 2014 | Comments 6
Seize the moment and bookend your next clear night with two fine telescopic comets: Jacques at dusk and Oukaimeden at dawn.
By: Shannon Hall | August 18, 2014 | Comments 0
New data shed light on last month’s exciting discovery of a black hole triplet — but they suggest instead that the threesome is really just a twosome.
By: Maria Temming | August 14, 2014 | Comments 0
Mission planners have devised an unusual strategy for protecting orbiting spacecraft when Comet Siding Spring passes the Red Planet in October 2014.
By: Barbara Becker | August 14, 2014 | Comments 0
Celebrate the anniversary of a revolutionary discovery by gathering with other astronomers to observe planetary nebulae in August's evening sky.
By: Maria Temming | August 12, 2014 | Comments 1
Even on Io, a world known for spouting off, the titanic volcanic eruption seen on August 29, 2013, was among the most powerful ever recorded — unleashing an estimated 20 terawatts of energy.
By: Shannon Hall | August 11, 2014 | Comments 0
Astronomers might be on the brink of developing a new rung on the cosmic distance ladder.
By: Emily Poore | August 6, 2014 | Comments 0
On August 6th, the ESA's Rosetta spacecraft finally completed its decade-long voyage to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
By: Camille M. Carlisle | August 6, 2014 | Comments 0
Astronomers have detected a star in pre-explosion images of the peculiar supernova 2012Z. The detection is the first discovery of a potential progenitor for the oddball class of stellar explosions dubbed Type Iax.
By: Shannon Hall | August 5, 2014 | Comments 3
Evidence from observations sheds doubt on cosmic cannibalism as a source for galaxy growth, suggesting that instead galaxies grow by pulling in gas from the intergalactic medium.
By: Maria Temming | August 4, 2014 | Comments 0
Six years from now, there will be a new NASA robot heading to the Red Planet: the Mars 2020 rover. On July 31st mission planners unveiled the rover’s seven scientific instruments, which will pave the way for human exploration of Mars.
By: Kelly Beatty | July 31, 2014 | Comments 0
Late summer offers the Teapot of Sagittarius and the nearby arc of the Scorpion's Tail in the evening, the Perseid meteor shower, and a spectacular pairing of Venus and Jupiter before dawn.
- See more at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/#sthash.EDt8kC5y.dpuf
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
August 25 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 14:13 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
August 29 - Neptune at Opposition. The blue giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to view and photograph Neptune. Due to its extreme distance from Earth, it will only appear as a tiny blue dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.
September 9 - 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 01:38 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Corn Moon because the corn is harvested around this time of year. This moon is also known as the Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the September equinox each year.
September 23 - September Equinox. The September equinox occurs at 02:29 UTC. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world. This is also the first day of fall (autumnal equinox) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of spring (vernal equinox) in the Southern Hemisphere.
September 24 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 06:14 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
October 4 - Astronomy Day Part 2. Astronomy Day is an annual event intended to provide a means of interaction between the general public and various astronomy enthusiasts, groups and professionals. The theme of Astronomy Day is "Bringing Astronomy to the People," and on this day astronomy and stargazing clubs and other organizations around the world will plan special events. You can find out about special local events by contacting your local astronomy club or planetarium. You can also find more about Astronomy Day by checking the Web site for the Astronomical League.
(Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2014.html)
2014 BAS Programs
Next Meeting
October 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.
The current officers are:
The current board members are:
Additional club positions:
Membership is open to everyone interested in any aspects of astronomy.
Adult. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20.00
Students (through 12th grade) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10.00
Magazine Subscription (reduced rate for members)
Sky & Telescope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $32.95
Astronomy Technology Today Magazine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.00
Astronomy Magazine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $34.00/yr
BAS Public Website: http://sites.google.com/site/bartlesvilleastronomyclub/
BAS Yahoo Group: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/BvilleAstro/
If you want to have your email address removed from the Bartlesville Astronomical Society mailing list, please send an email requesting removal to bvilleastro@gmail.com
BAS Yahoo Group: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/BvilleAstro/