June 2019

Monday, May 20, 2019

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

Our Savior Lutheran Church, 300 NE Madison Boulevard, Bartlesville

May BYA Program: Asterisms

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

BYA is for youth ages seven through high school.

Follow our Facebook page for more information.

The next club event is:

37th Annual Sunfest (see details for hours)

Friday, May 31, 2019

to Sunday, June 02, 2019

Sunfest is an annual arts and craft three day festival held at Sooner Park in Bartlesville, OK the weekend after Memorial Day. Celebrating it's 37th year, Sunfest continues the tradition of bringing you the best mix of music, art, food, and activities available in Green Country.

Friday hours 3 pm to 10 pm, Saturday hours 10 am to 10 pm, Sunday hours 10 am to 4 pm

NASA Wants Your Apollo Moon Landing Memories

https://www.space.com/nasa-wants-apollo-moon-landing-memories.html

Many of us old enough to have witnessed the Apollo 11 landing have vivid memories of where we were on that historic night. “NASA wants the public's help to create an oral history of the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing.

Apollo 11's lunar module touched down safely on the moon on July 20, 1969, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. With the big anniversary coming up soon, NASA's Explorers: Apollo program will release a commemorative audio series that includes stories submitted by the general public, sharing their views on space exploration and the Apollo moon landings.

All recordings should be submitted to apollostories@mail.nasa.gov . Recordings received before June 14 will have the best chance of getting featured in the series, NASA said. The ultimate deadline for submissions is Dec. 31. NASA has released detailed recording instructions in a statement.”

ALCon 2019

The Astronomical League has announced plans for their next national convention, ALCon 2019. Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, the Astro League's convention will include a tour of Kennedy Space Center in Florida and a three-day Southern Sky cruise to the Bahamas. It will take place July 25 - 29, 2019. For more information, go to alcon2019.astroleague.org/#ALCon2019

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/

SpaceX Launches First Volley of Starlink Satellites

By: Bob King | May 29, 2019 | Comments 0

The 60 Starlink satellites parading across the sky make an incredible sight, but some skywatchers wonder at what cost to the night.

Could a Long-Ago Collision Explain Our Two-Faced Moon?

By: Javier Barbuzano | May 28, 2019 | Comments 0

New research shows that a planetoid impact could have made our Moon asymmetric.

Was ‘Oumuamua a Fragment from a Disintegrated Comet?

By: Monica Young | May 23, 2019 | Comments 4

A new study suggests that ‘Oumuamua’s strange trajectory back out to interstellar space can be explained if the object had the density of air.

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot Unfurls

By: Sean Walker | May 22, 2019 | Comments 2

Jupiter's South Equatorial Belt appears to be pulling material from the Great Red Spot in an event that's visible from small scopes.

Solar System “Twin” Is Missing Its Baby Jupiters

By: Steve Murray | May 14, 2019 | Comments 1

Exceptional new images of the LkCa 15 system, a young, Sun-like star thought to host infant gas giant planets, shows those planets don't exist.

Apollo-era Data Reveal Moon’s Tectonic Activity

By: Javier Barbuzano | May 13, 2019 | Comments 1

A new look at old seismic data gathered during the Apollo missions reveals young active faults as a possible origin of shallow moonquakes.

Planetary Society Grants Help Astronomers Track Dangerous Asteroids

By: Jason Davis | May 9, 2019 | Comments 1

There are some 25,000 near-Earth asteroids with diameters more than 140 meters. Amateur astronomers can find them — and the Planetary Society can help.

The Aurora Called STEVE Isn’t Aurora After All . . . Mostly

By: Monica Young | May 1, 2019 | Comments 0

New observations of STEVE, the mauve celestial ribbon that aurora chasers have seen fluttering in the sky, have helped scientists determine the energy source of this unique phenomenon.

Hubble Confirms Interstellar Buckyballs

By: AAS Nova | April 29, 2019 | Comments 0

From a jumble of confusing clues in Hubble observations of interstellar space, scientists have picked out evidence of a celebrity molecule: ionized Buckminsterfullerene, or buckyballs.

Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events

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

June 3 - 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 10:02 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.

June 10 - 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.

June 17 - Full Moon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 08:31 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Strawberry Moon because it signaled the time of year to gather ripening fruit. It also coincides with the peak of the strawberry harvesting season. This moon has also been known as the Full Rose Moon and the Full Honey Moon.

June 21 - June Solstice. The June solstice occurs at 15:54 UTC. The North Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its northernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.44 degrees north latitude. This is the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.

June 23 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 25.2 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.

July 2 - 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 19:16 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.

July 2 - Total Solar Eclipse. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon completely blocks the Sun, revealing the Sun's beautiful outer atmosphere known as the corona. The path of totality will only be visible in parts of the southern pacific Ocean, central Chile, and central Argentina. A partial eclipse will be visible in most parts of the southern Pacific Ocean and western South America. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)

(NASA Interactive Google Map)

July 9 - Saturn at Opposition. The ringed 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 Saturn and its moons. A medium-sized or larger telescope will allow you to see Saturn's rings and a few of its brightest moons.

July 16 - Full Moon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 21:38 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Buck Moon because the male buck deer would begin to grow their new antlers at this time of year. This moon has also been known as the Full Thunder Moon and the Full Hay Moon.

July 16 - Partial Lunar Eclipse. A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth's partial shadow, or penumbra, and only a portion of it passes through the darkest shadow, or umbra. During this type of eclipse a part of the Moon will darken as it moves through the Earth's shadow. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of Europe, Africa, central Asia, and the Indian Ocean. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)

July 28, 29 - Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Delta Aquarids is an average shower that can produce up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by debris left behind by comets Marsden and Kracht. The shower runs annually from July 12 to August 23. It peaks this year on the night of July 28 and morning of July 29. The waning crescent moon will not be too much of a problem this year. The skies should be dark enough for what could be a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

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

Next Month's BAS Meeting: July 1, 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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