July 2020

Next BAS Monthly Meeting:

July 6, 2020

CANCELLED with COVID 19

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

Bartlesville Public Library

BAS meetings feature presentations on a variety of astronomy and space science topics. Meetings are usually on the first Monday evening of each month and are open to the public. Guests are always welcome. More event details are listed on our calendar.

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Next BYA Monthly Meeting:

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

Our Savior Lutheran Church

300 NE Madison Blvd., Bartlesville, OK

Bartian Youth Astronomers is an interactive, hands-on youth group for ages seven through high school.

BYA meetings are usually on the third Monday evening of each month. More event details are listed on our calendar.

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Reflections on Astronomy

Brief essays about experiences in astronomy.

Hobo Astronomer

by John Grismore

Sometimes the bright, sparkling starlight against the dark sky of a warm summer night can be merely an opener for an even more enchanting dance of light.

In 1975 my wife and I moved into a “fixer-upper” on the corner of 20th and Johnstone. It was a modest home already showing its age and the accumulated wear of previous occupants, but it had its advantages. At some point in time, a previous owner had poured a cement patio between the back of the house and the one-car garage. Apparently, during or after the addition of a “mother-in-law’s apartment” over the garage, that patio was enclosed with large, single pane windows filling the two-story south side.

Window panes aren’t known for any degree of optical precision, but on cold, clear winter nights, sitting in a lawn chair inside that sunroom (moonroom at night, I guess), scanning the winter sky with binoculars was a comfortable and surprisingly satisfying experience. Furthermore, when a bit more motivated, I would set up my Criterion RV-6 Dynascope Newtonian telescope in the middle of the room for a look at the Orion Nebula. Sure there were distortions, but the indoor comfort made it a pleasant and worthwhile experience.

The best astronomical advantage to that house, though, was its location, only a block and a half from the railroad tracks. Since the house had two large oak trees in the front yard, and a huge elm in the back, there wasn’t much open sky, except the windows to the south. It was obvious when trains went by, and once I figured out the schedule, I would occasionally walk down to the tracks, which defined the edge of town, and then south along the railroad bed for a block or so (don’t try this nowadays!). The sky was open and dark there. To the west and southwest was a large open field, and nothing much else but Sand Creek and some distant trees all the way to Circle Mountain.

Of course I never dragged my scope down there, but I usually took binoculars, and sometimes my Olympus OM-1 single lens reflex camera and a tripod. It was a good place to shoot wide field photos on Tri-X monochrome film (sorry kids, the digital revolution was still decades in the future). When there were no trains, it was a serene setting.

One clear July night while taking a few shots of Sagittarius low in the southwest, a faint, ghostly glow appeared over the open field. I slid down the side of the elevated railroad bed and walked a short distance to the rusty, barbed wire fence. The entire field, to the edge of the woods on the far side, was blanketed by fireflies weaving and dodging at eye level, in an intricate dance far too complicated for me to comprehend.

I tried to capture the extraordinary sight with a few time exposures, but when the developed photos returned a week later, there were only a few faint streaks visible. Those photos were lost during some past move, but the memory remains vivid.

Long before the first murmur of a distant train whistle could be heard, I packed up, slung my tripod over my shoulder and headed home, a happy hobo astronomer, inspired by the unexpected.

If you would like to share an experience related to astronomy, please submit a brief essay to jrgrismore@cableone.net.

Kristi and Derek have created a separate BAS email address where members and non-members alike can provide the club with their comments, suggestions and ideas. Hopefully, this will provide us with additional information about what we can do better.

The email address is bvilleastro+comments@gmail.com .

BAS Historical Materials Needed

In conjunction with the upcoming BAS Library Display, an effort is being made to locate as much historical club material as possible. Only a small part of the material will be included in the display, but we need to centralize all historical club information. If you know the location of, or have any access to old club photos, newspaper clippings, articles or other historical materials, or if you have memories or recollections of past BAS events or information, please contact John Blaesi or John Grismore. Thanks.

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. POSTPONED TO August 4-7 2021.

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/

New Evidence for Nanoflares?

Astronomers have spotted weak bursts of low-frequency radio emission coming from all over the Sun.

BY: MONICA YOUNG JUNE 26, 2020

Black Hole Collision May Have Caused Burst of Light

Astronomers think they’ve detected a flash created by the merger of two black holes.

BY: CAMILLE M. CARLISLE JUNE 26, 2020

THE BLACK HOLE FILES WITH CAMILLE CARLISLE

Gravitational Wave Detectors Find Mystery “Mass Gap” Object

Astronomers have caught a black hole colliding with a mysterious companion that might be either one of the most massive neutron stars or the smallest black hole ever detected.

BY: CAMILLE M. CARLISLE JUNE 25, 2020

Three Nearby Exoplanets to Explore

A trio of nearby exoplanets make tempting new targets for next-gen telescopes.

BY: MONICA YOUNG JUNE 25, 2020

Exploring Links Between Nearby Asteroids

In preparation for the launch of Destiny+, a new study reveals that two near-Earth asteroids may share the same parent.

BY: AAS NOVA JUNE 23, 2020

First All-sky Map from eRosita

The first all-sky X-ray map to be released in 30 years reveals new wonders of the hot and energetic universe.

BY: MONICA YOUNG JUNE 22, 2020

Astronomers Discover a Newborn Magnetar and a New Cosmic Beat

This week, astronomers announce a newborn magnetar and a fast radio burst that's bursting to a beat.

BY: MONICA YOUNG JUNE 18, 2020

Nights of Noctilucent Clouds

Noctilucent clouds shimmer high in the sky during summer twilight at northerly latitudes.

BY: BOB KING JUNE 17, 2020

The 10 Million-Degree Gas Around the Milky Way

New observations show ultra-hot gas around the Milky Way. Stellar explosions may have driven this gas out of our galaxy.

BY: MONICA YOUNG JUNE 15, 2020

New Horizons' "Alien View" from the Outer Solar System

NASA's New Horizons mission deep in the Kuiper Belt has measured the parallax to two nearby stars with the help of Earth-based observers.

BY: MONICA YOUNG JUNE 12, 2020

Mars "Mole" Is in the Ground (Again)

After months of careful work, NASA's Insight mission has its mole burrowed in the Martian soil.

BY: DAVID DICKINSON JUNE 11, 2020

Black Holes Grow by Gas, Not Mergers, Most of Their Lives

Calculations suggest how black holes have amassed mass and predict what the black holes’ spins should be if this picture is correct.

BY: CAMILLE M. CARLISLE JUNE 11, 2020

First Discoveries of a Pro-Am Exoplanet Survey

A pair of professional and amateur astronomers have teamed up to fill an important niche in exoplanet research.

BY: STEVE MURRAY JUNE 5, 2020

Galaxies Are Even Bigger Than You Think

Galaxies swim in hot gas that extends much farther out than their stars — and plays an important role in the galaxy's evolution.

BY: MONICA YOUNG JUNE 2, 2020

Are We Watching a Planet Disintegrate?

Among the wealth of exoplanets we’ve discovered beyond our solar system, some are temperate, some less so. New observations have now revealed what may be a particularly inhospitable environment: a planet literally disintegrating as it orbits its host.

BY: AAS NOVA JUNE 2, 2020

NASA, SpaceX Launch Historic Mission to International Space Station

Crewed spaceflight returns to U.S. soil, with the successful launch of Crew Dragon Demo 2.

BY: DAVID DICKINSON MAY 30, 2020

Jupiter Has Trapped a Comet in a Bizarre Orbit

Jupiter has captured an icy comet from the outer solar system. The comet's bizarre orbit will bring it back for another super-close pass in 2063.

BY: JEFF HECHT MAY 28, 2020

Two New Beasts for an Explosive Zoo

And that makes three: Astronomers are beginning to understand what may be causing a special kind of flare in the distant universe.

BY: GOVERT SCHILLING MAY 27, 2020

Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events

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

June 21 - 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 06:42 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 21 - 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 in central Africa and travel through Saudi Arabia, northern India, and southern China before ending in the Pacific Ocean. A partial eclipse will be visible throughout most of eastern Africa, the Middle East, and southern Asia. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information) (NASA Interactive Google Map)

June 22 - June Solstice. The June solstice occurs at 21:44 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.

July 5 - 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 04:44 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the 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 Thunder Moon and the Hay Moon.

July 5 - 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 North America, South America, the eastern Pacific Ocean, the western Atlantic Ocean, and extreme western Africa. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)

July 14 - 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.

July 20 - 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 17:33 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.

July 20 - 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 22 - 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.

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 the 28th and morning of the 29th. The second quarter moon will block many of the fainter meteors this year. But if you are patient, you should still be able to catch a few of the brighter ones. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

August 3 - 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 15:59 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Sturgeon Moon because the large sturgeon fish of the Great Lakes and other major lakes were more easily caught at this time of year. This moon has also been known as the Green Corn Moon and the Grain Moon.

August 11, 12 - Perseids Meteor Shower. The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862. The Perseids are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors. The shower runs annually from July 17 to August 24. It peaks this year on the night of the 11th and morning of the 12th. The second quarter moon will block out some of the fainter meteors this year, but the Perseids are so bright and numerous that it should still be a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Perseus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

August 13 - Venus at Greatest Western Elongation. The planet Venus reaches greatest western elongation of 45.8 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Venus since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the bright planet in the eastern sky before sunrise.

August 19 - 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 02:42 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.

September 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 05:23 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Corn Moon because the corn is harvested around this time of year.

September 11 - Neptune at Opposition. The blue 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 Neptune. Due to its extreme distance from Earth, it will only appear as a tiny blue dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.

September 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 11:00 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.

September 22 - September Equinox. The September equinox occurs at 13:30 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 fall (autumnal equinox) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of spring (vernal equinox) in the Southern Hemisphere.

October 1 - 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 21:06 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Hunters Moon because at this time of year the leaves are falling and the game is fat and ready to hunt. It has also been known as the Travel Moon and the Blood Moon. This full moon is also known as the Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the September equinox each year.

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

Next Month's BAS Meeting: July 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.

Elected Officers and Board Members:

Appointed Positions and Board Members: