August 2021
Next BAS Monthly Meeting:
Monday, August 2, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. Zoom
In the event that something changes between now and August 2 and the meeting has to be held via Zoom, the Zoom link would be sent to Club members. Should this happen and you're not a Club member but would like the Zoom link, please email bvilleastro@gmail.com and ask to have it sent to you.
Here is a link to the Join page on our website!
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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.
ALCON 2021 Thurs Aug 19 thru Sat Aug 21
Register Free at https://www.alconvirtual.org/
The National Astronomical League will be conducting its 2021 Conference using a Virtual format this year using the League’s YouTube channel. This will give you a great opportunity to hear top notch speakers and presentations from the comfort of your home. Registered participants will be eligible for some great DOOR PRIZES donated by astronomy clubs throughout the country.
A Stellar group of guest speakers are already lined up for your enjoyment. Speakers include:
David Levy - famed comet hunter - discovered 22 comets & authored 34 books.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell - discovered pulsars as a graduate student in radio astronomy in Cambridge, opening up a new branch of astrophysics.
David Eicher is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of Astronomy magazine since 2002.
Conal Richards an impressive up and coming astronomy youth. Founder and president of the Abingdon Heights High School Astronomy Club in Pennsylvania
J. Richard Gott is professor emeritus of Astrophysics at Princeton, known for his work in general relativity and cosmology. In 1991 he discovered an exact solution to Einstein’s field equations of general relativity for the geometry around two moving cosmic strings.
Dr. Caitlin Ahrens - Dr. Ahrens gave an inspiring talk at or 2018 MidStates convention telling of her work with data from the New Horizon’s spacecraft and laboratory studies of ices on Pluto. She is now turning her interest toward ices on the moon.
April 8, 2024, there will be another total eclipse ‘across’ America.
Are you ready?
Do you plan to go?
Don’t wait until 2024 to make your plans!
NASA Site
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsearch/SEsearchmap.php?Ecl=20240408
Weather Site
https://eclipsophile.com/2024tse/
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Reflections on Astronomy
Brief essays about experiences in astronomy.
The email address is bvilleastro+comments@gmail.com .
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.
Apps for Consideration
Family Fun with Sky Watching
Clear Sky Predictor for Bartlesville:
https://clearskyalarmclock.com/index.php
Sky and Telescope News http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/
Dazzling Double Stars for Compromised Skies
For many, smoke from wildfires has transformed summer nights, blotting out stars and familiar deep-sky sights. But through it all double stars keep on shining.
BY: BOB KING JULY 28, 2021
A Pileup of Perpendicular Planets
In some planetary systems, the direction that a star spins and the direction its planets orbit don’t always line up. A new study explores what we can learn from these nonconformists.
BY: AAS NOVA JULY 27, 2021
Fifty Years Ago in Photos: Apollo 15 Astronauts Explore the Moon
See photos — some familiar and some rarely seen — from the Apollo 15 mission, which launched place 50 years ago today.
BY: DANIEL JOHNSON JULY 26, 2021
Astronomers Detect Potential Moon-forming Disk around an Exoplanet
Astronomers have made the first clear detection of a dusty disk surrounding an exoplanet, which could eventually go on to form moons.
BY: LAUREN SGRO JULY 23, 2021
How Often Do Chicxulub-level Asteroids Hit Earth?
Asteroids of different sizes crashing on Earth originated from different parts of the main asteroid belt, researchers say; the finding has implications for how often such collisions happen.
BY: JURE JAPELJ JULY 23, 2021
NASA's Insight Reveals First Look Inside Mars
The Insight mission science team has used about 10 deep marsquakes to take stock of the planet's anatomy.
BY: MONICA YOUNG JULY 22, 2021
NASA's Perseverance to Collect First Sample from Mars
Perseverance will soon collect the first of many samples from the Martian surface in a quest to answer whether the planet once hosted life.
BY: DAVID DICKINSON JULY 21, 2021
Milky Way Magnetar Spits Gamma Rays on Schedule
A Milky Way magnetar surprises astronomers by burping up gamma rays right when their predictions anticipated.
BY: LAUREN SGRO JULY 21, 2021
Event Horizon Telescope Reveals Curious Jet Structure from Black Hole
Observations of the nearest radio galaxy, Centaurus A, provide the highest-resolution look at the long jets shooting from the galaxy’s supermassive black hole.
BY: CAMILLE M. CARLISLE JULY 19, 2021
Gravitationally Unstable Disk May Collapse to Form Planets
Astronomers investigate the spiral arms of a young star's disk and find evidence of a disk so massive that it could collapse to form planets.
BY: LAUREN SGRO JULY 16, 2021
Lost & Found: Milky Way-size "Orphan Cloud"
Astronomers have found a giant gas cloud, likely stripped from its parent galaxy long ago, in a cluster 330 million light-years away.
BY: MONICA YOUNG JULY 16, 2021
Juno’s Ganymede Flyby: Video Update
NASA's Juno flew by Jupiter's Ganymede, the biggest moon in the solar system, on June 7, 2021.
BY: DANIEL JOHNSON JULY 14, 2021
Mars Helicopter Scouts Risky Terrain for Perseverance Rover
The Ingenuity Mars helicopter has proven itself a valuable asset to Perseverance, scouting out terrain that the rover can't cross.
BY: DAVID DICKINSON JULY 14, 2021
Hubble Trouble: NASA Works to Fix Space Telescope (Updated July 14th)
NASA Engineers are working to reboot the Hubble Space Telescope, after an unexpected anomaly.
BY: DAVID DICKINSON JULY 14, 2021
NASA’s Kepler Finds Outcast Earths
Astronomers uncovered four new Earth-mass rogue planet candidates by searching for microlensing events observed with Kepler.
BY: LAUREN SGRO JULY 13, 2021
What Will ESA's EnVision Learn at Venus?
ESA's EnVision mission to Venus adds to the growing number of spacecraft investigating our sister planet. How will they work together to understand our sister planet'?
BY: DAVID DICKINSON JULY 9, 2021
Amateur Astronomer Discovers New Moon of Jupiter
An amateur astronomer has discovered a new moon of Jupiter. While it hasn't received official designation yet, it would bring the tally of Jovian satellites to 80.
BY: JEFF HECHT JULY 8, 2021
NASA’s Curiosity Takes Step Toward Solving Mars Methane Mystery
New measurements from NASA’s Curiosity rover show that methane concentrations near the Martian surface vary on a daily cycle. The finding could help reconcile conflicting data.
BY: JAVIER BARBUZANO JULY 6, 2021
More Mysterious Buried Splotches on Mars Might Not be Liquid Water
Astronomers find more bright spots underneath Mars's south polar cap, but could they really be subterranean lakes?
BY: LAUREN SGRO JULY 5, 2021
Venus Surface Is Fragmented Like “Pack Ice”
A new analysis of old data suggests that some of our sister planet’s unique surface formations are due to a “squishy” crust and an active interior.
BY: ARWEN RIMMER JUNE 28, 2021
Noctilucent Cloud Show, a Mercurial Nova, and More
Summer only lasts so long. Like everything, it's transient. That will be our theme as we explore wispy noctilucent clouds, a nova that can't sit still, and a supernova in NGC 5427 in Virgo.
BY: BOB KING JULY 1, 2021
Moon-size White Dwarf Is the Smallest Ever Found
Astronomers have discovered a white dwarf only slightly bigger than the Moon, making it the smallest ever found. It might even be on the edge of collapse.
BY: MONICA YOUNG JUNE 30, 2021
Gravitational Waves Reveal Black Hole–Neutron Star Mergers
Two new detections give astrophysicists a novel look at how stellar remnants pair up.
BY: CAMILLE M. CARLISLE JUNE 29, 2021
Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events
(Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2021.html)
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 nearly full moon will be a problem this year. It's glare will block block most of the faintest meteors. But if you are patient, you should still be able to catch a few good 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 2 - 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.
August 8 - 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 13:51 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.
August 12, 13 - 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 August 12 and the morning of August 13. The waxing crescent moon will set early in the evening, leaving dark skies for what should be an excellent 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 19 - 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.
August 22 - 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 12:02 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. Since this is the third of four full moons in this season, it is known as a blue moon. This rare calendar event only happens once every few years, giving rise to the term, “once in a blue moon.” There are normally only three full moons in each season of the year. But since full moons occur every 29.53 days, occasionally a season will contain 4 full moons. The extra full moon of the season is known as a blue moon. Blue moons occur on average once every 2.7 years.
September 7 - 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 00:52 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 14 - 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 14 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 26.8 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.
September 20 - 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 23:54 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. This moon is also known as the Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the September equinox each year.
September 22 - September Equinox. The September equinox occurs at 19:11 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 6 - 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 11:05 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.
October 7 - Draconids Meteor Shower. The Draconids is a minor meteor shower producing only about 10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner, which was first discovered in 1900. The Draconids is an unusual shower in that the best viewing is in the early evening instead of early morning like most other showers. The shower runs annually from October 6-10 and peaks this year on the the night of the 7th. This year, the nearly new moon will leave dark skies for what should be an excellent show. Best viewing will be in the early evening from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Draco, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
October 20 - 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 14:57 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. This moon has also been known as the Travel Moon and the Blood Moon.
October 21, 22 - Orionids Meteor Shower. The Orionids is an average shower producing up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Halley, which has been known and observed since ancient times. The shower runs annually from October 2 to November 7. It peaks this year on the night of October 21 and the morning of October 22. The full moon will be a problem this year for the Orionids. Its glare will block out all but the brightest meteors. But if you are patient, you should still be able to catch a few good ones. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Orion, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
October 25 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest western 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 morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
October 29 - Venus at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation of 47 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 evening sky. Look for the bright planet in the western sky after sunset.
Next Month's BAS Meeting: September 6, Monday. 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:
President
Craig Brockmeier
Vice President
Rick Buck
Secretary
Denise Gregg
Treasurer
Evan Zorn
Appointed Positions and Board Members:
Program Director
Bob Young
Newsletter Editor
Mike Woods
Observing Program Coordinator
Rick Buck
Member-at-Large
Duane Perkins
Member-at-Large
Karen Cruce
Additional Appointed Positions:
Bartian Youth Astronomers Leader
Rick Bryant
Meeting Arrangements Coordinator
Daryl Doughty
Website and Social Media Administrator
Denise Gregg
Astronomical League Coordinator
Denise Gregg
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
Regular Membership
For age 18 or older. Holds one vote for BAS business.
$25 per year
Student Membership
For age 13 through high school, or age 18 or older and enrolled full-time at a post-secondary educational institution. Holds no vote for BAS business. A student younger than age 13 may join with an adult on a Family Membership.
$10 per year
Family Membership:
Two People
For two people, with at least one member age 18 or older. Holds one shared vote for BAS business.
$30 per year
Family Membership:
Three or More People
For three or more people, with at least one member age 18 or older. Holds one shared vote for BAS business.
$40 per year
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.
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