March 2018

Monday, March 5, 2018

The 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: Abigail Bollenbach

Program: Cassini's Legacy

More events are listed on our events calendar.

The Bartlesville Astronomy Club is participating in the Tulsa Central Library Astronomy Club night on Tuesday, March 6. The event will take place from 7 pm to appx. 8-8:30 pm. We will plan to arrive by around 6 pm to set up.

There will be 150 youth of various ages at this event. Each will have an adult present.

Lashawn and Abby Bollenbach have assembled supplies to make 150 comet necklaces and 100 planet hats. (These were craft projects very well received at a Bartlesville school event we did last spring.)

We need volunteers to:

---Bring telescopes

---Help youth work on their craft

If you would like to participate, please respond to this email!

Thanks very much, Denise

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/

Chorus Waves Drive the Beat for Pulsating Northern Lights

By: Monica Young | February 16, 2018 | Comments 0

Scientists have finally confirmed a decades-old theory on what causes the faint flickering seen in the Northern Lights toward dawn.

Hubble’s View of Little Blue Dots

By: AAS Nova | February 8, 2018 | Comments 0

The recent discovery of a new type of tiny, star-forming galaxy is the latest in a zoo of detections shedding light on our early universe. What can we learn from the unique “little blue dots” found in archival Hubble data?

Long-Awaited Falcon Heavy Ready For Business

By: Pauline Acalin | February 7, 2018 | Comments 8

SpaceX made history on February 6th when the company successfully launched its long-awaited Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Asteroid 2018 CB Zips by Earth Friday: Watch it Online

By: Bob King | February 7, 2018 | Comments 0

Newly-discovered asteroid 2018 CB will be passing only about 44,000 miles away Friday and visible in modest telescopes.

Simulating the Universe: The Next Generation

By: Ben Skuse | February 6, 2018 | Comments 1

A new suite of cosmological simulations sheds light on the interconnected cosmic processes that shape the universe.

Solar Eclipse Made Bow Waves in Earth’s Atmosphere

By: Joe Rao | February 2, 2018 | Comments 1

New research shows that the supersonic motion of the Moon's shadow across the continental U.S. in August 2017 created bow waves in Earth's atmosphere.

Orderly Dwarf Galaxies Challenge Cosmological Wisdom

By: Govert Schilling | February 1, 2018 | Comments 0

Most of the dwarf galaxies around Centaurus A appear to be orbiting the giant galaxy along a single plane — a result not predicted by current cosmological models.

Observing Report: January 31st’s Total Lunar Eclipse

By: Diana Hannikainen | February 1, 2018 | Comments 11

The 2018 total lunar eclipse was witnessed by many in western North America and right across the Pacific.

Akatsuki’s Amazing Views of Venus

By: Emily Lakdawalla | February 1, 2018 | Comments 1

Almost everyone considered Japan's Venus-bound orbiter a lost cause, but the spacecraft survived, reached its objective, and is wowing scientists with results.

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.

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.

Skyweek

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.

April 16 - 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 01:58 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 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 first quarter moon will set shortly after midnight, leaving dark skies for the what could be 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 29 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 27 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.

April 30 - 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 00:58 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.

• • (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.