February 2018

Monday, February 5, 2018

Meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.

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

Bartlesville Public Library, Meeting Room A (upstairs)

Presenter: Daryl Doughty

Program: So You Want to Go to Mars -

The Physics of Interplanetary Travel

2018 Texas Star Party – Sign up now!

The great tradition of dark sky observing continues with the 40th Annual

TEXAS STAR PARTY, May 6-13, 2018!

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 19, 2018.

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 the TSP Eclipsathon!

https://texasstarparty.org/tsp-eclipsathon/

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

Family Fun with Sky Watching

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

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/

A New Definition for the Biggest Planets?

By: Shannon Hall | January 26, 2018 | Comments 3

Scientists now understand where large planets stop and small brown dwarfs begin — a discovery that redefines the word “planet.”

60-Second Astro News: Exoplanets, Comet 41P & Milky Way Clouds

By: The Editors of Sky & Telescope | January 26, 2018 | Comments 0

Citizen scientists have discovered a system of five sub-Neptune planets, NASA scientists follow the spin of Comet 41P, and speedy clouds of gas shed light on the Millky Way's history.

Make the Most of January’s Total Lunar Eclipse

By: Bob King | January 24, 2018 | Comments 13

An unusual dawn total lunar eclipse presents special challenges and great photo opportunities. Here's what you need to know to make the most of it.

Useful Projects for a Lunar Eclipse

By: Roger W. Sinnott | January 24, 2018 | Comments 5

Here's all you need to know to help us measure the size of Earth's shadow on Jan. 31, 2018.

Water Ice Found Exposed in Martian Cliffs

By: Kelly Beatty | January 23, 2018 | Comments 1

Thick sheets of water ice, some barely buried beneath the surface and likely more than 100 meters thick, have been spotted on several Martian cliff faces.

NASA Unveils New Power Source for Space Exploration

By: David Dickinson | January 23, 2018 | Comments 4

The Kilopower fission reactor will offer a more efficient and more powerful portable power source for solar system exploration.

Hunters Recover Meteorites From Michigan Fireball

By: Bob King | January 19, 2018 | Comments 6

A spectacular fireball seen by hundreds of people from Iowa to Ontario delivered precious samples from the asteroid belt to the lake country of southern Michigan Tuesday night.

Mira Makes January Nights “Wonderful”

By: Bob King | January 17, 2018 | Comments 20

Mira, one of the easiest-to-observe pulsating variable stars, reaches peak brightness this month. Don't be shy, come look her in the eye.

Dark Energy Survey Releases First Three Years of Data

By: Govert Schilling | January 17, 2018 | Comments 2

Results from the first data release of the Dark Energy Survey include eleven new stellar streams in the Milky Way galaxy.

Galaxies Show Order in Chaotic Young Universe

By: Monica Young | January 15, 2018 | Comments 5

New observations of galaxies in a universe just 800 million years old show that they’ve already settled into rotating disks. They must have evolved quickly to display such surprising maturity.

Mars Flies By Jupiter in a Close Dawn Conjunction

By: Bob King | January 3, 2018 | Comments 17

The new year opens with the magnificent pairing of the solar system's largest planet with one of its smallest.

Poor Year for the Quadrantid Meteor Shower

By: The Editors of Sky & Telescope | January 2, 2018 | Comments 0

The Quadrantid meteor shower is usually one of the year's best. But this year's event will be spoiled by strong light from an intruding Moon.

January’s Total Lunar Eclipse

By: JR | January 2, 2018 | Comments 2

On Wednesday, January 31, 2018, the first total lunar eclipse in more than two years graces the skies above North America. The Western United States, including Alaska and Hawaiʻi, has the best view.

How We Create the “Skygazer’s Almanac”

By: Roger W. Sinnott | January 2, 2018 | Comments 16

Sky & Telescope's year-at-a-glance guide to celestial happenings is a symphony of detailed calculations and clear, elegant design.

Tour January’s Sky: Planet Pairings at Dawn

By: Kelly Beatty | December 29, 2017 | Comments 3

January's astronomy podcast describes how to spot Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn in the predawn sky during January — plus you'll learn about a "trifecta" full Moon at month's end.

Solar and Lunar Eclipses in 2018

By: Kelly Beatty | December 28, 2017 | Comments 4

Two total lunar eclipses occur this year, the first since late 2015, in January and July. Meanwhile, three solar eclipses take place in 2018 — all of them only partial cover-ups.

The Best Meteor Showers in 2018

By: Kelly Beatty | December 27, 2017 | Comments 1

More than a dozen times each year, we experience a pulse of "shooting stars" from an annual meteor shower. Sky & Telescope predicts that the two best meteor showers in 2018 will be the Perseids in mid-August and the Geminids in mid-December.

January 31 - Full Moon, Supermoon, Blue 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 13:27 UTC. Since this is the second full moon in the same month, it is sometimes referred to as a blue moon. This is also the last of two supermoons for 2018. The Moon will be at its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.

January 31 - Total Lunar Eclipse. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes completely through the Earth's dark shadow, or umbra. During this type of eclipse, the Moon will gradually get darker and then take on a rusty or blood red color. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of western North America, eastern Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Ocean. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)

February 15 - 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 21:05 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 15 - Partial Solar Eclipse. A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Moon covers only a part of the Sun, sometimes resembling a bite taken out of a cookie. A partial solar eclipse can only be safely observed with a special solar filter or by looking at the Sun's reflection. This partial eclipse will only be visible in parts of Chile, Argentina, and Antarctica. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)

March 2 - 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 00:51 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 15 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 18.4 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.

March 17 - 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 13:12 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.

March 20 - March Equinox. The March equinox occurs at 16:15 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 31 - Full Moon, Blue 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 12:37 UTC. Since this is the second full moon in the same month, it is sometimes referred to as a blue moon. This year is particularly unique in that January and March both contain two full moons while February has no full moon.

• • (Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2018.html)

2018 BAS Programs

Next Meeting

At the March meeting, Abigail Bollenbach will be giving a presentation on the Cassini spacecraft titled "Cassini's Legacy".

March 5, 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.