June 2020
Next BAS Monthly Meeting:
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.
Astronomy and Me
by John Blaesi
My interest in astronomy started back in high school. I was interested in all things science, and fortunately, my parents supported my interests. One day, out of the blue, my Dad came home with a telescope. I have no idea where he got it from, but it was the typical two to three inch Tasco style of refractor telescope, a few eyepieces, and gently used. Only one small dent in the tube.
Living in Western Kansas, we had unlimited dark sky. I am sure I got it out and used the scope many times. I probably saw the Moon, the bright planets, and the rest I do not recall. Actually, I do not recall any images that stuck in my mind. I think with no mentor, no astronomy club, no books, no other friends interested in astronomy, my interest wandered on. I ended up selling the telescope to fund my guitar. Which is another story.
In college, I joined up with the Physics Club since I had several friends in the club. One of the members was the caretaker of the University’s telescope (Cave Optics 18.5" Cassegrain). I know we spent at least a few evenings viewing the stars, but even back then, light pollution was affecting the views and again I do not recall any images that stuck in my mind. (I understand it is available for a non-profit observatory - hint, hint).
So fast forward a few decades, I retire, and read about a Bartlesville Astronomical Society meeting. I thought I might go, see what happens, perhaps borrow a telescope and feel out my interests once more. I never did get a chance to borrow a scope, but one of my friends learned that I was going to the BAS meeting and mentioned that he had a scope that he would be willing to part with and I could borrow it for as long as I wanted. I set up his 8” Schmidt-Cassegrain one dark night and the spectacular image of the Orion Nebula flying through the universe still sticks in my mind. I bought the scope.
Being a BAS Member is important to me. I have had the chance to view through many different types and apertures of scopes, have access to additional resources, have mentors, the chance to be a mentor, and have made many new friends. I have viewed pictures of the heavens that members have taken, I have taken my own pictures of clusters and comets, laid my eyeballs on the diamonds of the skies, and had photons millions and millions years old hit the retina of my eyeball and excite my mind.
So I am back in this hobby - at least for a while.
That is my story, what is your story?
Now - where did I put that guitar.
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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 .
The Mid States Regional Conference had to be cancelled in light of all the “coronavirus” guidelines that are now being implemented. The planning committee has decided to reschedule the conference for 2021 waiting to hear back from the same facility. The date we are considering is June 4th to June 7th so stay tuned for further details.
For those who have registered, you will be refunded your costs shortly. There are several things we have to work on, so we thank you for your patience during this time.
Craig Brockmeier
Bartlesville Astronomical Society
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
Clear Sky Predictor for Bartlesville: http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/BrtlsvlOKkey.html
Sky and Telescope News http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/
Despite early expectations Comet SWAN appears to be fizzling, providing yet another opportunity to appreciate what makes these objects so unique.
BY: BOB KING MAY 22, 2020
Astronomers Witness the Birth of Planets
Two new sets of observations show astronomers what planet formation looks like.
BY: MONICA YOUNG MAY 21, 2020
Rotating Disk in Early Universe Explains Galaxy Formation
The discovery of a stably rotating disk galaxy in the early universe is the best indicator yet for how galaxies like the Milky Way formed.
BY: MONICA YOUNG MAY 20, 2020
Astronomers Investigate Stellar Interiors
Astronomers have untangled the constantly changing brightness of variable stars known as Delta Scuti stars, yielding estimates for their ages.
BY: GOVERT SCHILLING MAY 19, 2020
Supernovae Light Up in M61 and NGC 3643
Two new supernovae for amateur telescopes are keeping things lively this month.
BY: BOB KING MAY 12, 2020
Details of SpaceX's Starlink "VisorSat" Revealed
SpaceX has revealed new details on its plans to darken the Starlink satellites.
BY: MONICA YOUNG MAY 8, 2020
Milky Way Magnetar Makes Fast Radio Burst
Fast radio bursts are mysterious — and powerful — flashes of radio waves. Now, we've found one of these flashes coming from a magnetar in our own galaxy.
BY: MONICA YOUNG MAY 8, 2020
Ryugu May Have Skirted Close to the Sun
Observations by the Japanese Hayabusa 2 spacecraft show subtle color differences, indicating something has reddened the asteroid’s surface.
BY: CAMILLE M. CARLISLE MAY 7, 2020
Ryugu May Have Skirted Close to the Sun
Observations by the Japanese Hayabusa 2 spacecraft show subtle color differences, indicating something has reddened the asteroid’s surface.
BY: CAMILLE M. CARLISLE MAY 7, 2020
Weak Martian Magnetic Field May Have Let Air Out
Mars's magnetic field weakened and disappeared billions of years ago. Now, scientists have found that the weak field might have been worse than none at all.
BY: NOLA TAYLOR REDD MAY 7, 2020
Comet SWAN Expected to Put on a Splendid Show
Comet SWAN will grace northern skies in the days to come.
BY: BOB KING MAY 6, 2020
Black Hole Duo Flares Right on Time
Astronomers have forecast a flare from a supermassive black hole duo 3.5 billion light-years away.
BY: MONICA YOUNG MAY 14, 2020
Closest Black Hole to Earth? Maybe
An international team of astronomers says that they’ve discovered the closest black hole to Earth — an invisible object dancing with two large, bright stars 1,000 light-years away.
BY: CAMILLE M. CARLISLE MAY 6, 2020
What Kinds of Black Hole Partners Merge?
New research on black hole mergers reveals that the black hole pairs tend to have similar masses — suggesting that they start out as massive stellar pairs.
BY: AAS NOVA MAY 5, 2020
Astronomers studying hundreds of Sun-like stars were surprised to find that most of them are more active than the Sun. Why is the Sun different?
BY: GOVERT SCHILLING APRIL 30, 2020
Explore Solar System Worlds with NASA’s Image Archives
Have some time on your hands? Explore NASA's rich image archive and discover the solar system as you've never seen it before.
BY: DANIEL JOHNSON APRIL 30, 2020
The Kepler False Positive Working Group has identified an Earth sized planet in the habitable zone of a M-dwarf star that was marked as a false positive.
BY: AAS NOVA APRIL 27, 2020
New, Incredibly Detailed Geologic Map of the Moon
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has released a new 1:5,000,000 map of the Moon that provides a wealth of information about its surface.
BY: MONICA YOUNG APRIL 24, 2020
Celebrating 30 Years: The Universe Through Hubble's Eye
Amateurs celebrate the venerable space telescope’s 30th anniversary with a look at some of its most mesmerizing images.
BY: VANESSA THOMAS APRIL 24, 2020
Did Pluto Harbor an Ancient Subsurface Ocean?
New studies shed light on the early years of Pluto's formation, and whether it ever hosted a subsurface ocean.
BY: DAVID DICKINSON APRIL 23, 2020
Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events
(Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2019.html)
May 22 - 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 17:39 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 4 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 23.6 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.
June 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 19:12 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 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 Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Indian Ocean, and Australia.
(NASA Map and Eclipse Information)
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.
(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:
Additional Appointed Positions:
Our officers and some individuals holding other club positions can be reached by email. To send an email, just click on a title above.
Membership Rates
Members are eligible for these discounted magazine subscriptions:
Sky and Telescope
Astronomy Technology Today
Astronomy Magazine
Please check with the BAS Treasurer for current discounted subscription rates.