Thursday, January 5, 2017 7:00 p.m.

Setup and Casual Conversation starting at 6:30 p.m.

Bartlesville Public Library

7:15 p.m.

Globular Star Clusters

by

Daryl Doughty

Anyone who has done any serious observing of a dark sky or studied astronomy knows that stars are not uniformly distributed throughout the night sky or uniformly distributed throughout the universe. On the large scale of the universe, stars are clustered into galaxies. The stars within galaxies are themselves grouped into spiral arms, loose open clusters, and also in more densely packed spherical “globular clusters.” There are almost 150 globular clusters associated with our Milky Way Galaxy, and with the aid of the Hubble telescope we know that other nearby galaxies also have globular clusters. What are these globular clusters? Where are they located? Why do they have their distinctive spherical shape? When were they formed during the evolving of the universe? Do they contain unusual types of stars? How do the stars within a globular cluster move? Are there planetary systems within globular clusters? In this presentation we will examine some of these globular clusters and try to answer these questions.

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

Dear fellow stargazer:

I'm a real person (a mom of two from Boston) who designed a commemorative tee shirt for the 2017 Eclipse. Please forgive the intrusion if you are not interested, but if you or your group are in need of a "totality" tee shirt, I hope you'll take a look: zazzle.com/vernons_store+gifts

Thanks so much.

See you in the path! Betsy Hudson P.O. Box 978 Boylston, MA 01505

​

At 1st glance I almost deleted it - but looked at the website

I​t's not just T-Shirts - they have polo shirts - jackets - hoodies - sweatshirt etc.

select a design and a set of links pops up below says Styles 75 or some such

$ 25 ea for a t-shirt is pretty stiff but $ 25 for a nice polo or jacket is very reasonable.

Anyway take and look and see if its something ​you want to let ​your members know about.

​Also Have your seen any other eclipse related items

I ordered Eclipse glasses and viewing cards from ​http://www.rainbowsymphony.com/eclipse-glasses

​If you order 100 or more the price is only $ 0.75 each They arrived in less than a week.

I plan to give sets to all my grandkids school classes - neighbors - and extended family.

The Eclipse cards are much better for younger kids - they can be mounted on an 8 by 10 sheet of card stock or cardboard - thus shielding their whole face.

Particularly handy since this eclipse will be about 65 degs high near mid-day during totality.​

Our club is also selling them as a fund raiser nearer the event.

John Land

​ - Tulsa Club​

Resource: It's All Done with Mirrors

These simple demonstrations are a great way to illustrate the path of light as it reflects off of mirrors and how this is used in telescopes, especially if you have ever been asked why the Moon appears "flipped" or "upside down" in your eyepiece! Check out this activity, complete with demo video and list of materials, on the NSN website at:

https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=345

Universe Discovery Guide: The Fate of Our Universe

Universe Discovery Guide for November: The Fate of Our Universe

https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=548

Article: Light Pollution and You

Light pollution has long been the bane of amateur astronomers, but in recent years its effects have become much more prominent, and not just to stargazers. Extremely bright white LED lights, while more efficient, have created problems for some communities as they have replaced their street lamps, and have raised awareness of just how much light is too much light at night.

Find out more about light pollution, including how to measure it, where to avoid it, and how to help your community curb the effects of bad lighting in this article.

https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/news-display.cfm?News_ID=745

That is all for our member news for this month. Questions or comments? You can reach us at nightskyinfo@astrosociety.org

Wishing you clear, dark skies,

Vivian White & Dave Prosper

Night Sky N etwork Administrators

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.

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

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/

Tour January’s Sky: Spot Two Star Clusters

By: Kelly Beatty | December 30, 2016 | Comments 0

Download our monthly astronomy podcast to spot Venus and Mars in the west — and two star clusters high up — after sunset. Get the new year started with a resolution to do more stargazing in 2017! Venus and much dimmer Mars adorn the western sky after sunset. As the month opens, and ends, they're…

Catch the Quadrantid Meteors (If You Can)

By: Alan MacRobert | December 28, 2016 | Comments 0

The Quadrantids, one of the year's best meteor showers, peaks on the morning of January 3rd, is. But be ready for it — most of the action takes place over just a few hours.

What to See with Your New Telescope

By: Alan MacRobert | December 22, 2016 | Comments 0

Maybe this gift-giving season you got a shiny new telescope to call your own. Congratulations — you could be on your way to discovering many amazing far things in the night sky. Although most of them are so far and faint that just finding and detecting them is the challenge! Whether your new scope is…

Hubble Images Tangled Web in Nearby Galaxy

By: Kimberly Burtnyk | December 15, 2016 | Comments 0

A Hubble image of a nearby, massive elliptical galaxy reveals tenuous filaments that appear to be connected to the growth of the galaxy's supermassive black hole.

Dawn Result: Water is Everywhere on Ceres

By: Kelly Beatty | December 16, 2016 | Comments 0New results from NASA's Dawn orbiter show that the largest asteroid (and acknowledged dwarf planet) must possess a global layer of water ice that lies just below its dark, dusty surface.

Curiosity Tracks Mars’s Ancient Habitability

By: Camille M. Carlisle | December 14, 2016 | Comments 2

Curiosity scientists have tracked Gale Crater’s changing environment as it became more, then less, acidic over millions of years. Microbial life could have survived in these conditions.

ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter Gets to Work

By: David Dickinson | December 13, 2016 | Comments 0

Welcome to Mars: the European Space Agency's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter sets up shop around the Red Planet.

Can You Spot December’s Ursid Meteors?

By: Alan MacRobert | December 16, 2016 | Comments 0

Try your hand at observing the handful of "shooting stars" delivered by this little-known annual meteor shower.

Watch Resupply Mission Chase Down the International Space Station

By: David Dickinson | December 9, 2016 | Comments 1

Find out how to see a cargo mission headed to the International Space Station this weekend.

Supermoon and Geminids Duke it Out

By: Bob King | December 7, 2016 | Comments 11

In a spectacular case of bad timing, the full Moon coincides with the annual Geminid meteor shower. Don't feel put out. There's still something for everyone, including a consolation prize.

Tour December’s Sky: Orion Arising

By: Kelly Beatty | November 30, 2016 | Comments 1

Download our monthly astronomy podcast to track down Mercury in the evening sky. Then swing around to the east, to behold Orion, the mighty Hunter, climbing into the sky.

Sky & Telescope’s Telescope-Tutorial Videos

By: Kelly Beatty | December 19, 2014 | Comments 0

In a quartet of high-quality videos, Sky & Telescope editors offer newcomers solid, objective tips on how to buy, use, equip, and care for new telescopes.

Skyweek

December 29 - 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 06:53 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.

January 3, 4 - Quadrantids Meteor Shower. The Quadrantids is an above average shower, with up to 40 meteors per hour at its peak. It is thought to be produced by dust grains left behind by an extinct comet known as 2003 EH1, which was discovered in 2003. The shower runs annually from January 1-5. It peaks this year on the night of the 3rd and morning of the 4th. The first quarter moon will set shortly after midnight leaving fairly dark skies for what could be a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Bootes, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

January 12 - Full Moon. 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 11:34 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Wolf Moon because this was the time of year when hungry wolf packs howled outside their camps. This moon has also been know as the Old Moon and the Moon After Yule.

January 12 - Venus at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation of 47.1 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Venus since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky. Look for the bright planet in the western sky after sunset.

January 19 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 24.1 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.

January 28 - 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 00:07 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.

February 11 - Full Moon. 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 00:33 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Snow Moon because the heaviest snows usually fell during this time of the year. Since hunting is difficult, this moon has also been known by some tribes as the Full Hunger Moon, since the harsh weather made hunting difficult.

February 11 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth's partial shadow, or penumbra. During this type of eclipse the Moon will darken slightly but not completely. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of eastern South America, eastern Canada, the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Africa, and western Asia. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)

February 26 - 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 14:59 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.

• • (Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2017.html)

2017 BAS Programs

Next Meeting

February 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.