October 2014
Monday, October 6
Bartlesville Public Library
6:45 p.m. Setup and Discussion
7:00 p.m. Club Business
7:15 p.m. Current Astronomy News
7:30 p.m.
Election of Officers
A Brief History of Ancient Astronomers
Conducted by Daryl Doughty
In addition to the monthly program, officers will be elected for the coming year.
Take the Future of Amateur Astronomers Survey
The Night Sky Network is doing a new survey of amateur astronomers located in the United States. We are attempting to understand the landscape of educational outreach performed by astronomy clubs and assess the needs of the amateur astronomy community for the next 5 years. We want to hear your voice.
Please let us know what your needs are and how we can better help you and your clubs by taking our survey, located here: http://bit.ly/2014astrosurvey
Pass this announcement along to any other persons or organizations that would have an interest in this survey as well. Thank you all!
Binoculars: Buyer’s Guides & Recommendations
When you’re new to stargazing, the first step seems obvious: buy a telescope. But a good pair of binoculars will serve you just as well in bringing the stars a bit closer to your eyes, though with a larger field of view that makes the heavens a bit easier to understand. And even a good pair of binoculars will generally be cheaper than a new telescope. Browse the articles below for some tips on choosing the best binoculars for stargazing. You’ll also find articles that cover binocular basics, introducing you to the terms that you’ll need to know when you buy.
(If you’re looking for some observing targets for your new binoculars, you’ll always find a great selection in the Binocular Highlights section of Sky &Telescope. Or for a year’s steady supply, check out the book version of the magazine column: Binocular Highlights by Gary Seronik.)
By: Tony Flanders | March 5, 2010 | Comments 4
Binocular stargazing has a peaceful, organic quality that's hard to achieve through a telescope. Here's a list of some blogs the author has written on this subject.
By: Ed Ting | July 30, 2006 | Comments 0
Ordinary binoculars are your ideal "first telescope." And they're so versatile that even seasoned stargazers find them indispensable.
By: Alan MacRobert | July 28, 2006 | Comments 0
They come in a wide range of apertures. But for astronomy, large aperture is only part of the story. High magnification is just as important when binoculars are used on a night sky that's not absolutely dark.
By: William J. Cook | July 28, 2006 | Comments 0
How do you choose the right binocular for stargazing? Here's our expert's easy-to-do, step-by-step test.
By: Alan MacRobert | July 17, 2006 | Comments 0
In less time than it takes to read them, you can perform these tests and judge the value of any binoculars, new or used.
By: William J. Cook | July 7, 2006 | Comments 0
Exit pupils. Eye relief. Image stabilization. What matters most for astronomers? Our expert explains it all.
- See more at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-equipment/choosing-astronomy-equipment/binoculars/#sthash.0orSKr5u.dpuf
Sky and Telescope News http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news
By: Shannon Hall | September 29, 2014 | Comments 0
New data collected by Galaxy Zoo show early galaxies with central bars, providing implications about how galaxies grow.
By: The Editors of Sky Telescope | September 26, 2014 | Comments 2
Start your day with an eclipse of the full Moon! On the morning of October 8, 2014, a total lunar eclipse will be visible across most of North America.
By: Bob King | September 25, 2014 | Comments 2
Learn exactly how and when to expect the next display of the northern lights with a few easy-to-use online tools.
By: Camille M. Carlisle | September 24, 2014 | Comments 1
A new analysis of Planck data bolsters the claim that the polarization signal heralded as evidence for cosmic inflation is from dust instead.
By: Kelly Beatty | September 23, 2014 | Comments 0
It's a historic day for India's maturing space program, as its first-ever interplanetary explorer successfully slipped into orbit around the Red Planet.
By: Emily Poore | September 22, 2014 | Comments 1
Astronomically speaking, the fall season comes to the Northern Hemisphere on Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at 02:29 UTC (Monday, September 22 at 10:29 p.m. EDT). At that moment, the Sun passes over the Earth’s equator heading south; this event is called the autumnal equinox.
By: Kelly Beatty | September 21, 2014 | Comments 3
On September 21st, after a 33-minute-long rocket firing, NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft slipped into orbit around the Red Planet.
By: Emily Conover | September 18, 2014 | Comments 1
Astronomers have detected a supermassive black hole in the center of a tiny galaxy — where it has no right to be.
- See more at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/#sthash.doZCbbP5.dpuf
By: Emily Poore | September 22, 2014 | Comments 0
Astronomically speaking, the fall season comes to the Northern Hemisphere on Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at 02:29 UTC (Monday, September 22 at 10:29 p.m. EDT). At that moment, the Sun passes over the Earth’s equator heading south; this event is called the autumnal equinox.
- See more at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/#sthash.RydQCm1D.dpuf
Skyweek from Sky and Telescope Magazine also presents a variety of astronomical events for the naked eye as well as telescope viewing.http://www.skyandtelescope.com/videos/skyweek
October 4 - Astronomy Day Part 2. Astronomy Day is an annual event intended to provide a means of interaction between the general public and various astronomy enthusiasts, groups and professionals. The theme of Astronomy Day is "Bringing Astronomy to the People," and on this day astronomy and stargazing clubs and other organizations around the world will plan special events. You can find out about special local events by contacting your local astronomy club or planetarium. You can also find more about Astronomy Day by checking the Web site for the Astronomical League.
October 7 - Uranus at Opposition. The blue-green planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to view Uranus. Due to its distance, it will only appear as a tiny blue-green dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.
October 8 - Full Moon. The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 10:51 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full 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 8 - Total Lunar Eclipse. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes completely through the Earth's dark shadow, or umbra. During this type of eclipse, the Moon will gradually get darker and then take on a rusty or blood red color. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of North America, South America, eastern Asia, and Australia. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)
October 8, 9 - 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 shower runs annually from October 6-10 and peaks this year on the the night of the 8th and morning of the 9th. Unfortunately the glare from the full moon this year will block out all but the brightest meteors. If you are extremely patient, you may be able to catch a few good ones. Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Draco, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
October 22, 23 - 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. This will be an excellent year for the Orionids because there will be no moon to interfere with the show. 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 23 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 21:57 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 23 - Partial Solar Eclipse. A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Moon covers only a part of the Sun, sometimes resembling a bite taken out of a cookie. A partial solar eclipse can only be safely observed with a special solar filter or by looking at the Sun's reflection. The partial eclipse will be visible throughout most of North and Central America. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)
November - Rosetta Comet Landing. The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft is scheduled to release its Philae lander some time in November. Philae will attempt to land on the surface of a comet known as 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. The lander is named after Philae island in the Nile river, where an obelisk was found that was used to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics along with the famous Rosetta Stone. The Philae lander will spend about a week studying the comet. It will send back images from the surface and try to determine what the comet is made of.
(Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2014.html)
2014 BAS Programs
Next Meeting
November 3, Monday. Bartlesville Public Library Meeting Room (tentative)
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 multipart articles are also welcome. Please submit your contributions to Mike Woods or to bvilleastro@gmail.com .
Bartlesville Astronomical Society - Membership
B.A.S. is an organization of people interested in Astronomy and related fields of science.
The current officers are:
The current board members are:
Additional club positions:
Membership is open to everyone interested in any aspects of astronomy.
Adult. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20.00
Students (through 12th grade) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10.00
Magazine Subscription (reduced rate for members)
Sky & Telescope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $32.95
Astronomy Technology Today Magazine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.00
Astronomy Magazine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $34.00/yr
BAS Public Website: http://sites.google.com/site/bartlesvilleastronomyclub/
BAS Yahoo Group: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/BvilleAstro/
If you want to have your email address removed from the Bartlesville Astronomical Society mailing list, please send an email requesting removal to bvilleastro@gmail.com
BAS Yahoo Group: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/BvilleAstro/