December 2019

Next BAS Monthly Meeting:

Monday, December 2, 2019

6:30 pm Setup/Social, 7:00 pm Meeting

Bartlesville Public Library, Meeting Room A (second floor)

Program: TBA

BAS meetings are usually on the first Monday of each month.

Meetings are open to the public and visitors are welcome.

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Next BYA Monthly Meeting:

Monday, November 18, 2019

6:30 pm Setup/Social, 7:00 pm Meeting

Our Savior Lutheran Church

300 NE Madison Blvd., Bartlesville, OK

BYA meetings are usually on the third Monday of each month.

BYA is for ages seven through high school.

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Looking for a 2020 Calendar?

Want to help the Astronomical League help amateur astronomy?

I'll have AL 2020 Calendars at the next BYA and BAS meetings for sale!

Perfect Christmas gifts for your fav nerds!🤓🎄 They're loaded with astronomical data, history and much much more. $13 from me face to face, no shipping! If you aren't local, you can still buy these online from the AL website. All proceeds go to ALCON jr 2020 in Albuquerque.🚀🌟🔭🌜

Club Events:

Observation at Osage Hills Tennis Court Nov. 19 2019

What: Evening observation at Osage Hills Tennis Courts to evaluate using facility for star parties

Who: John Blaesi, John Grismore, Craig and Denise

Where: Osage Hills State Park Tennis Court

When: Nov. 19, 2019 appx. 6:30 pm-11 p.m.

Who coordinated: John Blaesi and John Grismore. John Blaesi let Nick Conner at Osage Hill State Park know that we were going to come out set up telescopes where the tennis court is.

Publicity used: John Blaesi thought it would be a good idea to have a spur-of-the-moment evening observation at Osage Hills because the weather was so good (clear and unusually warm for the time of year). John Grismore readily agreed, and they sent an email to some individuals who most frequently attend star parties. They also invited Nick Conner and any of his colleagues at Osage Hills that would be able to come to attend.

Number of people who attended: Four

Number telescopes used: Three, including the Club 10-inch Dobsonian

Other materials brought: Binoculars of various sizes—6.5 X 35, 8 X 42, 10 X 50, 11 X 70, and 15 X 70; camera; November star chart; and lawn chairs

Materials of location site used: None, besides the tennis court

BAS expenditures: None

What we observed: It is amazing what we saw. Here they are, categorized by type.

Planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Meteors: Six Leonid meteors, including one Craig saw through the Dobsonian and one Denise saw through binoculars! Denise also saw two white meteors to the south. Not sure if those are one-offs or related to a known shower; where Denise saw them doesn’t really fit the radiants of meteor showers going on at that time. They were near to the path of the constellation Delphinus as it rose in the sky. All the meteors we saw were white or greenish-white.

Constellations we remarked on: Lyra, Cassiopeia, Pegasus, Perseus, Andromeda, Auriga, Cygnus, Delphinus, Orion (Orion’s shield was particularly well visible), Draco, Ursa Minor, Gemini

The BAS now has storage at First Christian Church for club equipment and records. We are trying to consolidate and we are requesting any members with club equipment or records to contact one of the officers to arrange to move the items to storage and log it into our inventory.

Fantastic ALCORS,

Save the Date! ALCON 2020 will be held in Albuquerque, NM, July 16 – 18.

The conference is hosted by The Albuquerque Astronomical Society (TAAS), and we are excited to welcome the astronomical community to Albuquerque. I am attaching a flyer & information package for event. Both can be found at the bottom of our website: TAAS Home Page Check back frequently for updates.

Apps for Consideration

Distant Suns, your personal guide to the cosmos, lists Night Sky Network astronomy club star parties, safe solar gazing events, and lectures in the main navigation bar. Distant Suns is available for Android, Apple iOS, Kindle, and Nook.

SkySafari, a powerful planetarium that fits in your pocket, lists Night Sky Network astronomy club star parties, safe solar observing events, and lectures in the help menu. SkySafari is available for Android and Apple devices and computers.

Family Fun with Sky Watching

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

Clear Sky Predictor for Bartlesville: http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/BrtlsvlOKkey.html

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

First Global Geological Map of Saturn’s Moon Titan Released

By: Monica Young | November 18, 2019 | Comments 8

Working with data from NASA’s Cassini mission, scientists have produced the first global map of Titan’s geological features.

Hayabusa 2 Leaves Asteroid Ryugu and Heads Home

By: David Dickinson | November 15, 2019 | Comments 0

The Hayabusa 2 spacecraft has completed its mission at asteroid Ryugu — including collecting samples — and is now journeying back to Earth.

Intense Meteor Outburst Expected from the Alpha Monocerotids

By: Bob King | November 13, 2019 | Comments 1

Circle the date November 21st on your calendar, when a brief but potentially spectacular meteor storm may light up the night.

Capturing the Transit of Mercury

By: The Editors of Sky & Telescope | November 12, 2019 | Comments 9

Though clouds blocked the sky for many yesterday, those with a clear view had the chance to see tiny Mercury cross the face of the Sun.

SpaceX Launches Latest Batch of Starlink Satellites

By: David Dickinson | November 11, 2019 | Comments 5

A second set of 60 Starlink satellites take to space, amid promise and controversy.

Don’t Miss Monday’s Rare Transit of Mercury

By: Bob King | November 6, 2019 | Comments 20

On Monday, November 11th, Mercury will pass directly in front of the Sun and look a tiny black dot silhouetted against the brilliant solar disk. The event, called a transit, occurs approximately 13 times a century.

Observations Confirm Lensing Planet Discovered by Amateur

By: Monica Young | November 5, 2019 | Comments 3

Follow-up observations of an amateur-discovered exoplanet show that the planet orbits its star at the snow line, where ice giants may form.

Interstellar Space: The View from Voyager 2

By: Monica Young | November 4, 2019 | Comments 2

Voyager 2 crossed into interstellar space a year ago. Now, five teams of astronomers have analyzed the data it returned to paint a picture of the outer boundary of the solar system.

Citizen Science with the Transit of Mercury

By: Zack Stockbridge | October 27, 2019 | Comments 2

If you're planning on watching the November 11th transit of Mercury, try kicking it up a notch — watch with a friend and calculate the distance between Earth and the Sun!

Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events

(Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2019.html)

November 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 15:06 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 28 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 20.1 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.

December 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 05:14 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Cold Moon because this is the time of year when the cold winter air settles in and the nights become long and dark. This moon has also been known as the Full Long Nights Moon and the Moon Before Yule.

December 13, 14 - Geminids Meteor Shower. The Geminids is the king of the meteor showers. It is considered by many to be the best shower in the heavens, producing up to 120 multicolored meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by debris left behind by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon, which was discovered in 1982. The shower runs annually from December 7-17. It peaks this year on the night of the 13th and morning of the 14th. Unfortunately the nearly full moon will block out many of the meteors this year, but the Geminids are so bright and numerous that it could still be a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Gemini, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

December 22 - December Solstice. The December solstice occurs at 04:19 UTC. The South Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its southernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.44 degrees south latitude. This is the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.

December 21, 22 - Ursids Meteor Shower. The Ursids is a minor meteor shower producing about 5-10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tuttle, which was first discovered in 1790. The shower runs annually from December 17 - 25. It peaks this year on the the night of the 21st and morning of the 22nd. The waning crescent moon should not interfere too much this year. Skies should still be dark enough for what could be a good show. Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Ursa Minor, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

December 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 05:15 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.

December 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 of the eclipse will begin in Saudi Arabia and move east through southern India, northern Sri Lanka, parts of the Indian Ocean, and Indonesia before ending in the Pacific Ocean. A partial eclipse will be visible throughout most of Asia and northern Australia.

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

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 10 - 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 19:23 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 10 - 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 Europe, Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, and Western Australia. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)

January 24 - 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 21:44 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 9 - 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 07:34 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. This is also the first of four supermoons for 2020. The Moon will be at its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.

February 10 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 18.2 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.

February 23 - 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 15:33 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-2019.html)

Next Month's BAS Meeting: January 6, Monday. Bartlesville Public Library Meeting Room A (tentative), Presenter: TBA

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 multi-part articles are also welcome. Please submit your contributions to Mike Woods or to bvilleastro@gmail.com.

Bartlesville Astronomical Society is an organization of people interested in astronomy and related fields of science. Membership is open to everyone interested in any aspects of astronomy.

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