A reminder English story teller Cassandra Wey will present an evening of sky lore stories. Join us at the Bartlesville library second floor meeting room Thursday Sept. 29th at 7 PM.

Steve

Link to a photography blog regarding the Eclipse:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/outdoors/features/mark-your-calendars-north-american-solar-eclipse-2017?utm_medium=Email%201624387&utm_campaign=Content&utm_source=WeeklyContent%20160827&utm_content=Explora&utm_term=mark-calendars-north-american-solar-eclipse-2017

Have your hotel ready?

John Blaesi

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If you have not done so already, it is not too late to register for Okie-Tex Star Party 2016, which runs September 24 to October 2, 2016!

Per the Oklahoma City Astronomy Club’s Okie-Tex website: http://www.okie-tex.com/registration.php:

Pre-Registration and Fees:

The pre-registration fee is $50.00 for each primary registrant and $25.00 for each additional family member 16 years old or older. Children under 16 are admitted free of charge. Only primary registrants are eligible for the Great Okie-Tex Giveaway Adult guests may register as primary registrants for $50.00 if they wish to be eligible in the giveaway or may upgrade their registration for $25.00 at the party by checking in at the registration desk at anytime prior to the giveaway.

Pre-registration submissions must be post-marked no later than Saturday September 3, 2016 and must be paid in full. Online Registrations must be completed and paid in full by midnight CDT on Monday September 5, 2016.

At-The-Door Registration and Fees:

Registrations received with postmarks after September 3, 2016 and registrations at the door are $100.00 for all adult guests. At-the-door registrants are eligible to participate in the Great Okie-Tex Giveaway.

Facility Fee:

As part of our ongoing investment in and improvements to Camp Billy Joe, a $5.00 per day facility fee is charged for all registrants. The facility fee is waived for children under 16.

Meals are catered by Jody’s Catering of Boise City, OK.

In camp meals provided by Jody's Catering may be purchased. Please refer to the Meal Request Form. Checks for meals are made payable to Jody's Catering. Please pre-purchase meals to ensure enough food is available. At the door meal purchases will be limited. Meal request form and payment must be received, with a postmark, no later than August 26, 2016.

Link to the Okie-Tex Star Party Website: http://www.okie-tex.com/

Link to the Online Registration Form: http://www.okie-tex.com/Registration/

Link to the Meals Request Form: http://www.okie-tex.com/Files/2016meals.pdf

Many of us go to Okie-Tex each year and it is really a fantastic star party and a great observing experience. There are also side trips you can take to the dinosaur tracks, the Oklahoma/Colorado/New Mexico tri-state marker, a hike up Black Mesa, nearby Black Mesa State Park and Lake Carl Etling, and Capulin Volcano National Monument.

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We actually are hosting a promotion that provides a complimentary one year subscription to club members.

All members have to do is type the word – club – (lower case) in the discount code on this page here: https://www.astronomytechnologytoday.com/?l=Subscribe and choose the $12 subscription option.

There is no limit of free subscriptions per club, every member can use the code to get a free subscription.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks!

Stuart Parkerson

Publisher

Astronomy Technology Today

1-800-584-9004

Family Fun with Sky Watching

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-resources/stargazing-basics/family-projects-and-experiments/

Predictive Prowess: See an Iridium Flare

By: Bob King | July 17, 2014 | Comments 4

Channel your inner superpower by looking up at the night sky precisely when a dazzling blaze of light is beamed to Earth from outer space.

News from the Night Sky Network:

Get Started with Variable Star Observing

Try mastering the art of tracking the brightness of a variable star with this guide from the American Association of Vari able Star Observers (AAVSO) and Astronomers Without Borders.Try out the beginner's spotting guide on their website and see if you can record the difference in brightness over time. If you like this program the AAVSO is your friend in becoming a variable star observing master, and the Astronomical League has a great observing program with many more stars to observe and track.

How the Hubble Space Telescope Imaged Mars

Amateurs get great pictures of Mars during opposition by using lots of preparation and skill with their preferred equipment at their observing sites. What kind of preparation does it take for scientists to get amazing pictures of Mars using the Hubble Space Telescope? We found out how by asking Max Mutchler, Research and Instrument Scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute, who specializes in working with the Hubble Space Telescope's cameras!

Vivian White & David Prosper

The Night Sky Network Team

nightskyinfo@astrosociety.org

I found this free course for folks interested in Astronomy!

https://www.udemy.com/astronomy-state-of-the-art/learn/v4/overview

Goodluck!

Racheeta Agrawal

Hello BAS members

Please use link below to access Member Presentations.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4CQup8TdDvCfnBiUlE5RURWWTl4Y0IyVVlyMnVwWlVtQW9uWnAxTDJHMHk4VmVuNFkxeXc

Accurate Polar Alignment

By: Alan MacRobert | July 17, 2006 | Comments 1

Long-exposure astrophotography requires an accurately aligned equatorial mount.

- See more at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-equipment/equipment-diy/#sthash.54pqzBDM.dpuf

Tips for Shooting Great Nightscapes

By: Babak Tafreshi | August 10, 2015 | Comments 0

Capturing the Earth and sky in one great composition is surprisingly easy.

Hello BAS Members --

With so many people interested in AstroPhotography in the group, we have thought of having a "Astro Picture of the Month" competition each month at our meetings.

Entry Rules:

Send one picture of the night sky/ object of the current month with a description of the picture and the equipment used to take this.

Mail it to bvilleastro@gmail.com.

Best picture is chosen in the next meeting and uploaded to our Facebook/Twitter pages with your mention!

So let the entries pouring in for our next meeting on the Feb 2, 2015.

Thanks

BAS President .

Sky and Telescope News http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/

Daily Alert for Asteroid Flybys

By: Camille M. Carlisle | September 22, 2016 | Comments 0

A new e-digest from the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center gives the public a head’s up on passing asteroids.

Rosetta’s Final Days of Comet Exploration

By: David Dickinson | September 21, 2016 | Comments 0

The historic mission to explore a comet ends in dramatic fashion on September 30th.

Hubble Watches as Comet 332P Breaks Apart

By: Kelly Beatty | September 19, 2016 | Comments 0

Back in January, a team of observers had a hunch that Comet 332P/Ikeya-Murakami was rapidly falling apart — and they were right!

Huge Meteorite “Gancedo” Found in Argentina

By: David Dickinson | September 16, 2016 | Comments 2

A team in Argentina unearths a spectacular space rock, possibly the world's third largest single find.

Curiosity’s View of Wind-Sculpted Sandstone

By: Kelly Beatty | September 15, 2016 | Comments 4

NASA's Curiosity rover took time out from its exploration of Mars to capture some dramatic layering in sandstone cliffs.

Juno Makes First Science Pass at Jupiter

By: David Dickinson | September 5, 2016 | Comments 4

On August 27th, NASA's Juno made its closest pass to the giant planet — here's what we learned.

Skyweek

September 28 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 17.9 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

October 1 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 00:11 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 7 - Draconids Meteor Shower. The Draconids is a minor meteor shower producing only about 10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner, which was first discovered in 1900. The Draconids is an unusual shower in that the best viewing is in the early evening instead of early morning like most other showers. The shower runs annually from October 6-10 and peaks this year on the the night of the 7th. The first quarter moon will block the fainter meteors in the early evening. It will set shortly after midnight leaving darker skies for observing any lingering stragglers. Best viewing will be in the early evening from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Draco, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

October 15 - Uranus at Opposition. The blue-green planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view Uranus. Due to its distance, the planet will only appear as a tiny blue-green dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.

October 16 - Full Moon, Supermoon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 04:23 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Hunters Moon because at this time of year the leaves are falling and the game is fat and ready to hunt. This moon has also been known as the Travel Moon and the Blood Moon. This is also the first of three supermoons for 2016. The Moon will be at its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.

October 20, 21 - Orionids Meteor Shower. The Orionids is an average shower producing up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Halley, which has been known and observed since ancient times. The shower runs annually from October 2 to November 7. It peaks this year on the night of October 21 and the morning of October 22. The second quarter moon will block some of the fainter meteors this year, but the Orionids tend to be fairly bright so it could still be a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Orion, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

October 30 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 17:38 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.

November 4, 5 - Taurids Meteor Shower. The Taurids is a long-running minor meteor shower producing only about 5-10 meteors per hour. It is unusual in that it consists of two separate streams. The first is produced by dust grains left behind by Asteroid 2004 TG10. The second stream is produced by debris left behind by Comet 2P Encke. The shower runs annually from September 7 to December 10. It peaks this year on the the night of November 4. The first quarter moon will set just after midnight leaving dark skies for viewing. Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Taurus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

November 14 - Full Moon, Supermoon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 13:52 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Beaver Moon because this was the time of year to set the beaver traps before the swamps and rivers froze. It has also been known as the Frosty Moon and the Hunter's Moon. This is also the second of three supermoons for 2016. The Moon will be at its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.

• • (Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2016.html)

2016 BAS Programs

Next Meeting

November 7, 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.