October 2019

Next BAS Monthly Meeting:

Monday, October 7, 2019

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

Bartlesville Public Library, Meeting Room A (second floor)

Program: Life in the Universe

by

Virgil Reese

BAS meetings are usually on the first Monday of each month.

Meetings are open to the public and visitors are welcome.

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Next BYA Monthly Meeting:

Monday, September 16, 2019

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

Our Savior Lutheran Church

300 NE Madison Blvd., Bartlesville, OK

BYA meetings are usually on the third Monday of each month.

BYA is for ages seven through high school.

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Next Public Observing Event:

Bartlesville Astronomy Day

Saturday, October 5, 2019

The Bartlesville Astronomical Society and the Bartian Youth Astronomers will be sponsoring public viewing sessions, presentations, workshops, and other activities to increase public awareness about astronomy and our wonderful universe. Astronomy Day is designed to share the joy of astronomy by "Bringing Astronomy to the People." On Astronomy Day, people who have never looked through a telescope will have an opportunity to see first-hand what has so many amateur and professional astronomers all excited.

Saturday Afternoon, October 5th, at the Bartlesville Public Library from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM: The public is invited to come see a variety of telescopes, learn about various types of telescopes, and perhaps get ideas for a "first scope". There will also be educational presentations on telescopes, meteors, constellations, and smart phone astronomy. This afternoon event will take place rain or shine at the Bartlesville Public Library in Meeting Room A.

Saturday Night, October 5th, at Tri County Technology Center from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM: The public is invited to come star gazing with the astronomy club. Join us and enjoy viewing planets, the Moon, distant galaxies and stars, and more! There will be several opportunities to view through a variety of telescopes and binoculars, and feel free to bring your own scope or binoculars. As always, star gazing events are "weather-permitting". Clouds may cause the event to be cancelled, so watch Facebook for a potential cancellation. Tri County Tech is located at 6101 Nowata Road, Bartlesville, OK. Attendees should enter the Tri County Tech campus at the east driveway entrance. Viewing will take place in the grassy area at the south end of the parking lot. (Tri County Tech is providing the venue for this event and is not affiliated in any way with The Bartlesville Astronomical Society.)

Watch here for future announcements!

Also, please follow our Facebook page for more BAS and BYA activities.

The next club event is:

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

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/

Two Eyes to Hunt Stray Planet Masses

By: AAS Nova | September 30, 2019 | Comments 0

How can we measure the masses of free-floating planets wandering around our galaxy? A new study identifies one approach that combines the power of two upcoming missions.

Video: Chasing Dust Devils

By: Camille M. Carlisle | September 19, 2019 | Comments 1

Scientists are flying instrument-laden drones through whirlwinds on Earth to better understand their counterparts on other worlds in the solar system.

Scientists Try to Explain the Behavior of a Trickster Volcano

By: Monica Young | September 19, 2019 | Comments 0

Loki, a faraway volcanic feature on Jupiter’s moon Io, is acting up and planetary scientists want to know why.

Will Amateurs Be Able to See the New Interstellar Comet?

By: Bob King | September 18, 2019 | Comments 1

Only the second object thus far to visit the solar system from interstellar space, Comet Borisov is expected to reach perihelion in December. What can we see now?

100 Days Until Christmas “Ring of Fire” Eclipse

By: Jamie Carter | September 17, 2019 | Comments 1

Here’s everything you need to know about the annular solar eclipse that will cross over much of Asia on December 26, 2019.

Another Interstellar Visitor Is Headed Our Way

By: Bob King | September 11, 2019 | Comments 11

An amateur astronomer has discovered a comet that might be the second interstellar visitor after 'Oumuamua — and it's heading for its closest approach to the Sun late this year.

Planetary History Written in Saturn’s Rings

By: AAS Nova | September 9, 2019 | Comments 0

Saturn is subtly pulsing and oscillating — and those oscillations impose a pattern on its rings that could tell us about the planet’s history.

India’s Chandrayaan 2 Loses Contact with Vikram Lunar Lander

By: David Dickinson | September 6, 2019 | Comments 0

India's attempt to land softly on the Moon has failed — the Chandrayaan 2 orbiter has lost contact with the Vikram lander.

Volcanoes Turn Twilights Purple

By: Bob King | September 4, 2019 | Comments 8

A rash of unusually colorful sunsets follows in the wake of two major volcanic eruptions.

Have Astronomers Detected Exomoons At Last?

By: Govert Schilling | August 29, 2019 | Comments 3

Have astronomers detected two giant exomoons? The answer depends on how convincing you deem newly presented results — and how you define a moon.

Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events

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

September 23 - September Equinox. The September equinox occurs at 07:50 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.

September 28 - 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 18:26 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 8 - 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 8th. The first quarter moon will set shortly after midnight leaving fairly dark skies for observing. 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 13 - 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 21:09 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 20 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 24.6 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.

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 second quarter moon will block some of the fainter meteors this year, but the Orionids tend to be fairly bright so it could still be a good 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 27 - 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. 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 Uranus. Due to its distance, it will only appear as a tiny blue-green dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.

October 28 - 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 03:39 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.

November 5, 6 - Taurids Meteor Shower. The Taurids is a long-running minor meteor shower producing only about 5-10 meteors per hour. It is unusual in that it consists of two separate streams. The first is produced by dust grains left behind by Asteroid 2004 TG10. The second stream is produced by debris left behind by Comet 2P Encke. The shower runs annually from September 7 to December 10. It peaks this year on the the night of November 5. The first quarter moon will set shortly after midnight leaving dark skies for viewing. Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Taurus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

November 11 - Rare Transit of Mercury Across the Sun. The planet Mercury will move directly between the Earth and the Sun. Viewers with telescopes and approved solar filters will be able to observe the dark disk of the planet Mercury moving across the face of the Sun. This is an extremely rare event that occurs only once every few years. The next transit of Mercury will not take place until 2039. This transit will be visible throughout all of South America and Central America, and parts of North America, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The best place to view this event in its entirety will be the eastern United States, Central America, and South America. (Transit Visibility Map and Information)

November 12 - 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 13:36 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Beaver Moon because this was the time of year to set the beaver traps before the swamps and rivers froze. It has also been known as the Frosty Moon and the Hunter's Moon.

November 17, 18 - Leonids Meteor Shower. The Leonids is an average shower, producing up to 15 meteors per hour at its peak. This shower is unique in that it has a cyclonic peak about every 33 years where hundreds of meteors per hour can be seen. That last of these occurred in 2001. The Leonids is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tempel-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1865. The shower runs annually from November 6-30. It peaks this year on the night of the 17th and morning of the 18th. The second quarter moon will block many of the fainter meteors this year, but if you are patient you should be able to catch quite a few of the brightest ones. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Leo, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

November 24 - Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter. A conjunction of Venus and Jupiter will be visible on November 24. The two bright planets will be visible within 1.4 degrees of each other in the evening sky. Look for this impressive sight in the western sky just after sunset.

November 26 - 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 15:06 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.

November 28 - 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.

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

Next Month's BAS Meeting: November 4, 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.

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