Monday, March 6, 7:00 p.m.

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

Bartlesville Public Library

7:15 p.m.

Winter Constellations

by Daryl Doughty

The Aldebaran occultation this Saturday night, March 4th. The Moon will pass over the bright orange star Aldebaran in the constilation Taurus. Immersion 21h 45m 11s. Emersion 22h 44m 30s. We will meet on the North end of the Lee Lake parking lot. Watch your email March 4th for a go or no go. If the weather permitts I'll see you all Saturday.

Steve Plank

Bartlesville Astronomical Society

BAS Members

We will be eventually be moving to NASA's Night Sky Network for managing memberships and communications. If you haven't already done, please spare some time to register yourself on the Night Sky Network HERE

If you are already registered on the network, please register with BAS HERE

Thanks

Racheeta

The great tradition of dark sky observing continues with the 39th Annual

TEXAS STAR PARTY, May 21-28, 2017!

near Ft Davis, Texas

Staying on the Ranch in housing, RV, or camping? Staying off-site in other accommodations?

Everyone needs to enter the TSP drawing, held in late January.

You should submit a Registration/Reservation Request Form to ENTER THE TSP DRAWING

before January 20, 2017.

This will provide you the highest possible chance of being selected as one of the 500 people

who will be able to attend TSP this year.

Follow this link to get started!

http://texasstarparty.org/get-started/

SIGN UP NOW!

You can find out the status of your TSP Registration at any time by visiting

http://texasstarparty.org/account/

Find the latest news at:

http://texasstarparty.org/news/

Find out about our new Mirror-making Workshop, where you can make your own mirror during TSP!

https://texasstarparty.org/mirror-making-workshop/

Questions? Visit our web site for the latest and complete details!

http://www.texasstarparty.org/ or email tsprooms@texasstarparty.org

We look forward to seeing you next May!

Sincerely,

the volunteers for Texas Star Party

MSRAL Society Presidents and ALCors:

Please encourage your members to mark their calendars now for an exciting 2017 Mid-States convention, scheduled for June 9-11, 2017 at MO State University in Springfield, MO. The convention is being jointly sponsored by the Springfield Astronomical Society and the Ozarks Amateur Astronomers Club.

We have many wonderful speakers scheduled, including Dr. Angela Speck, University of MO-Columbia, who is giving a presentation on the 2017 Total Solar. We are inviting your society members to give papers as well (see contact information below).

Since the university is between sessions, some economical lodging will be available in University student housing, for approximately $30 per person per night. Hotels with convention rates will be announced soon.

Please make sure we have the website url for your society so we can list it on the MSRAL page to further showcase what is happening with your group.

MORE REGISTRATION AND OTHER INFORMATION WILL BE AVAILABLE SOON, SO CHECK THE CONVENTION WEBSITE OFTEN!

The contact information for the event is: Henry Stratmann, Chair

hgstratmannjr53@gmail.com

(417) 631-5202

http://www.springfieldastronomy.org/index.asp?Q=MSRAL

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

Featured Resource: 2017 Solar Eclipse Resource List

Are you ready for the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse? Is your community ready? Check out this collection of resources to prepare the 99% of the country who will see a partial eclipse. Find the list at: https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=588

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

Family Fun with Sky Watching

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

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/

Aldebaran’s Disappearing Act on March 4th

By: David W. Dunham | March 2, 2017 | Comments 0

On the night of March 4th, all you'll need are your eyes to watch the Moon occult Aldebaran. Better yet, place yourself on the graze line.

Tour March’s Sky: Venus Sinks, Mercury Rises

By: Kelly Beatty | March 1, 2017 | Comments 0

In this month's easy-to-download podcast, find out how you can spot Venus in both the evening and predawn skies.Late in March, Mercury makes an appearance.

Active Black Hole Encourages StarbirthBy: Camille M. Carlisle | February 20, 2017 | Comments 0

Astronomers have discovered long filaments of cold gas — the ingredient for making stars — cocooning giant bubbles inflated by a black hole.

Hubble Spies Faint Galaxies, Bountiful in Early Universe

By: Govert Schilling | February 15, 2017 | Comments 1

Hubble has spotted more than 100 small, faint galaxies in the young universe, common as dust bunnies but previously out of reach of even the best telescopes.

Seven Earth-Sized Planets Orbit Dim Star

By: Camille M. Carlisle | February 22, 2017 | Comments 2

Astronomers have found seven Earth-sized planets around a cool red dwarf, all of which have the potential for liquid surface water.

Juno Will Stay in Current Orbit Around Jupiter

By: David Dickinson | February 21, 2017 | Comments 0

NASA has announced that its Juno spacecraft will remain in a wide-ranging orbit around Jupiter, extending the mission's lifetime.

Scientists Find Organics on Ceres

By: Camille M. Carlisle | February 16, 2017 | Comments 1

The Dawn spacecraft has detected organic compounds on the dwarf planet Ceres.

NASA Narrows Down Mars 2020 Rover Landing Sites

By: David Dickinson | February 16, 2017 | Comments 4

Three possible landing sites are now in the running for the U.S. space agency's next Mars rover.

Meteorites Date the Demise of the Solar Nebula

By: David Dickinson | February 13, 2017 | Comments 0

A study of ancient meteorites has refined the date for the dissolution of the solar nebula, the cloud that shrouded our Sun in its earliest days.

Comet 45P Returns to Dark Skies

By: Bob King | February 14, 2017 | Comments 19

With the Moon out of the picture, amateurs can once again check in on comet 45P/H-M-P, now making an appearance in the evening sky.

Green Comet Makes Close Earth Flyby

By: Bob King | February 10, 2017 | Comments 5

Green-glowing 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova will make an unusually close pass by Earth on Saturday. Watch it boogie across the morning sky this week!

H0Li COW! Is Our Universe Expanding Faster Than We Thought?

By: Monica Young | February 1, 2017 | Comments 4

Observations of lensed quasars suggest the universe is expanding more quickly than we thought. But they contradict what we know about the young universe.

Cosmic Void “Pushes” Milky Way

By: Camille M. Carlisle | January 30, 2017 | Comments 10

Astronomers have discovered a giant cosmic void that explains why our Local Group of galaxies is moving through the universe as fast as it is.

Tour February’s Sky: How To Find Monoceros

By: Kelly Beatty | January 27, 2017 | Comments 2

Download our monthly astronomy podcast to spot Venus and Mars in the west — and a celestial unicorn hiding in plain sight among the stars.

Voyagers Flying Through Galactic Clouds

By: Camille M. Carlisle | January 11, 2017 | Comments 0

Astronomers have combined data from the Voyager spacecraft and the Hubble Space Telescope to probe the stuff between the stars.

Skyweek

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.

February 26 - Annular Solar Eclipse. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is too far away from the Earth to completely cover the Sun. This results in a ring of light around the darkened Moon. The Sun's corona is not visible during an annular eclipse. The path of the eclipse will begin off the coast of Chile and pass through southern Chile and southern Argentina, across the southern Atlantic Ocean, and into Angola and Congo in Africa. A partial eclipse will be visible throughout parts of southern South America and southwestern Africa.

(NASA Map and Eclipse Information) (NASA Interactive Google Map)

March 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 14:54 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Worm Moon because this was the time of year when the ground would begin to soften and the earthworms would reappear. This moon has also been known as the Full Crow Moon, the Full Crust Moon, the Full Sap Moon, and the Lenten Moon.

March 20 - March Equinox. The March equinox occurs at 10:29 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 spring (vernal equinox) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of fall (autumnal equinox) in the Southern Hemisphere.

March 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 02:58 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.

April 1 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 19 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 evening sky. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset.

April 7 - Jupiter at Opposition. The giant 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 and photograph Jupiter and its moons. A medium-sized telescope should be able to show you some of the details in Jupiter's cloud bands. A good pair of binoculars should allow you to see Jupiter's four largest moons, appearing as bright dots on either side of the planet.

April 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 06:08 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Pink Moon because it marked the appearance of the moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the first spring flowers. This moon has also been known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Growing Moon, and the Egg Moon. Many coastal tribes called it the Full Fish Moon because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.

April 22, 23 - Lyrids Meteor Shower. The Lyrids is an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by dust particles left behind by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which was discovered in 1861. The shower runs annually from April 16-25. It peaks this year on the night of the night of the 22nd and morning of the 23rd. These meteors can sometimes produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds. The crescent moon should not be too much of a problem this year. Skies should still be dark enough for a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Lyra, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

April 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 12:17 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

April 3, 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.