June 2018

Monday, June 4, 2018

Setup and casual conversation starts at 6:30 p.m.

Meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.

Bartlesville Public Library

Meeting Room A (upstairs)

Program:

Chasing Shadows - Having fun doing "citizen science" while recording occultations and

how this technique was used on the NASA New Horizons mu69 mission - by John G. Moore

Meetings are open to the public and guests are welcome.

The Astronomical League's 2018 Mid-States Region Convention will be held June 22-24 in Springdale, Arkansas.

Details about the speakers, venue, special events, lodging options, and registration can be found on the MSRAL website: http://www.msral.org/

Convention highlights will include a Friday night star party at Hobbs State Park, a Saturday evening banquet with special guest speaker David H. Levy, as well as a "Giant Telescope" tour, and our very own Abby Bollenbach giving a presentation on the Cassini mission to Saturn.

Early bird registration with a fee of $40 per adult attendee lasts through May 19. After that, the registration fee increases by $10 per adult attendee to $50.

Kristi Herrman

Courtesy of Night Sky Network:

Astronomy clubs are invited to participate in the free 9th Annual Astronomy Festival on the National Mall (AFNM), Saturday, June 23, 6 –11 pm. Last year over 7,000 people came to this event. It is FREE to all participants and the public. AFNM is the largest astronomy event on the National Mall and is sponsored by Hofstra University. Hofstra Universty will pay for parking for astronomy club members who share their telescopes.

Join experts and educators from national science organizations, universities, museums, astronomy clubs, and federal agencies, who will be offering exciting hands-on demonstrations and activities, posters, banners, videos, a planetarium show with a portable blow-up dome, plus telescopic observations of the Sun, Moon, Saturn, and Jupiter. Scientists and educators will answer questions about careers in science, celestial objects and events, and the latest astronomical discoveries.

If you would like to bring your telescope and participate in outreach on the Mall, please contact Donald.A.Lubowich@hofstra.edu with your information and any additional questions you may have.

Joe Khalaf discusses how a telescope gathers light at a Bring Your Own Telescope event hosted by the Houston Astronomical Society. Folks brought in their new telescopes and with help from HAS members became better acquainted with their new instruments. Photo Credit: Sarah Silva

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/

Please use link below to access Member Presentations.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4CQup8TdDvCfnBiUlE5RURWWTl4Y0IyVVlyMnVwWlVtQW9uWnAxTDJHMHk4VmVuNFkxeXc

Hello BAS Members --

With so many people interested in AstroPhotography in the group, we have thought of having a "Astro Picture of the Month" competition each month at our meetings.

Entry Rules:

Send one picture of the night sky/ object of the current month with a description of the picture and the equipment used to take this.

Mail it to bvilleastro@gmail.com.

Best picture is chosen in the next meeting and uploaded to our Facebook/Twitter pages with your mention!

So let the entries pouring in for our next meeting on the Feb 2, 2015.

Thanks

BAS President .

Sky and Telescope News http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/

Curiosity Rover is Drilling Again

By: David Dickinson | May 29, 2018 | Comments 0

An innovative technique has allowed NASA's Curiosity Rover to resume drilling Martian rocks. But the partially successful test shows that more work remains to be done.

Known Close Stellar Encounters Surge in Number

By: Shannon Hall | May 28, 2018 | Comments 1

A new analysis of our stellar neighborhood reveals 7 times as much nearby stellar traffic as previously known.

Disentangling the History of the Magellanic Clouds

By: AAS Nova | May 25, 2018 | Comments 0

The Magellanic Clouds — two nearby dwarf galaxies easily visible to the naked eye in the southern hemisphere — are key to understanding the dynamics and evolution of the Local Group of galaxies. Can an in-depth look at these galaxies’ outer regions help us make sense of their complicated interaction history?

Did This Wrong-way Asteroid Come from Beyond the Solar System?

By: Javier Barbuzano | May 23, 2018 | Comments 2

An intriguing asteroid was spotted traveling backwards around Jupiter back in 2015. Now a team of researchers think it could have formed around another star.

Radio Experiment Launches With China’s Moon Orbiter

By: David Dickinson | May 21, 2018 | Comments 0

A Dutch radio astronomy experiment hitched a ride today with China's relay satellite for the upcoming Chang'e 4 mission.

Antares Launch to Light Up Sunday Morning Sky

By: David Dickinson | May 18, 2018 | Comments 2

Early Star Formation Presents New Cosmic Mystery

By: Shannon Hall | May 16, 2018 | Comments 3

New observations suggest that stars were forming just 250 million years after the Big Bang — a record-breaker that will likely open a new line of cosmological inquiry.

Helicopter to Hitch a Ride with Mars 2020 Rover

By: David Dickinson | May 15, 2018 | Comments 3

A small helicopter will be the first mission to fly through the skies of Mars.

NASA’s Galileo Measures Plumes on Jupiter’s Moon Europa

By: Monica Young | May 14, 2018 | Comments 2

A new analysis of decades-old data from NASA’s Galileo spacecraft, which reached the Jupiter system in 1995, shows the best evidence yet for plumes from the icy moon Europa.

60-Second Astro News: 3D View of Star-Forming Cloud & A Cloud-Free Exoplanet

By: Monica Young | May 11, 2018 | Comments 2

This week in astronomy news: Researchers discover the first completely cloud-free exoplanet and a star-forming cloud reveals its structure through vibrations.

The Cygnus OA-9 mission launching from Wallops Island early Sunday morning could put on quite a show along the East Coast.

Jupiter Shines with a Mighty Light

By: Bob King | May 9, 2018 | Comments 0

Jupiter's at opposition this week. Close and bright, it shines like a midnight version of Venus. No matter your scope, the biggest planet is always a crowd-pleaser.

Dwarf Nova

V392 Persei Goes Big — It’s Now Binocular Bright

By: Bob King | May 1, 2018 | Comments 2

In a rare move, a sleepy cataclysmic variable blows its top and suddenly becomes a nova.

Skyweek

May 29 - 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 14:19 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Flower Moon because this was the time of year when spring flowers appeared in abundance. This moon has also been known as the Full Corn Planting Moon and the Milk Moon.

June 13 - 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 19:44 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 - June Solstice. The June solstice occurs at 10:07 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 27 - 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.

June 28 - 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 04:53 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.

July 12 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 26.4 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 evening sky. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset.

July 13 - 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 02:48 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 13 - 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. This partial eclipse will only be visible in extreme southern Australia and Antarctica. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)

July 27 - 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 20:22 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 27 - 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 Europe, Africa, western and central Asia, the Indian Ocean, and Western Australia. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)

July 27 - Mars at Opposition. The red 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 Mars. A medium-sized telescope will allow you to see some of the dark details on the planet's orange surface.

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, blocking 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 Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

• • (Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2018.html)

2018 BAS Programs

July 2, 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.