July 2022
Next BAS Monthly Meeting:
Thursday, July 7, 2022 at 7:00 at the library or via Zoom
Notice: This is on Thursday, due to the Fourth of July on Monday!
Program:
Hubble Space Telescope Deployment and Repair Missions - Gary Nealis
Gary worked for NASA Space Shuttle Mission support
Members will be sent a link to the Zoom meeting. Here is a link to the Join page on our website! If you are not a Club member but would like to attend, please email bvilleastro@gmail.com and ask to have the Zoom link sent to you!
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.
—————
-----
Comet C/2017 K2 ( PANSTARRS ) makes its closest approach to Earth in July 14th
Magnitude estimates place it between 7th and 9th magnitude in the Constellation of Ophiuchus in the star Beta
We were able to see it in an 8" scope last weekend.
http://astro.vanbuitenen.nl/comet/2017K2
Musical History of the Discovery of Exoplanets.
A group called Acapella Science has created a fun history of the search for Exoplanets.
It's about 5 mins long. Watch it on a big screen if you can!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gai8dMA19Sw
~~~~~
ALCON 2022 in Albuquerque, July 28 - 30, at the Embassy Suites in Albuquerque.
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/
~~~~~
Below is the agenda for the proposed regional roundtable meeting to be held via Zoom on July 12th, 2022 at 7:00 PM. For those members who were not at the 2022 MSRAL Convention held in St. Louis, a discussion was held on how we can engage the clubs in the region, set up a communication network among the clubs in the region and share ideas. Bruce McMath has graciously offer to host this roundtable via CAAS (Central Arkansas Astronomical Society) Zoom account.
As the roundtable meeting is open to all members of the region, please pass this information along. The more we have in attendance, the more ideas we have on what we can do as a region. From information that has been passed along, the Mid-States Region is one of the most active regions in the League. Let’s see what we can do as a region and set an example for the rest of the League.
Cook
Agenda:
A virtual MSRAL club leadership roundtable meeting, July 12th 2022, 7:00 PM.
There has been some discussion on the groups.io MSRAL platform concerning the potential to utilize the virtual meeting capabilities that most of the Region’s clubs have implemented during the pandemic as a means to bring more collaboration and inspiration between our clubs within the region, their members, and leadership as well as perhaps Regional governance. Some concepts that have been mentioned include:
· A club leader’s round table - Holding two or three virtual meetings of club leaders and activists during the course of the year to share ideas, resources, and inspirations between our clubs.
· A speaker’s pool - Since speakers can now easily present anywhere in the region online, might clubs share speakers with particularly good presentations with one another? (This presents some practical challenges including how to encourage clubs to refer presentations to a speaker’s pool?)
· Establishing a Regional Calendar to disseminate notice of virtual observing events throughout the Region – perhaps by MSRAL creating a calendar on the Night Sky Network.
· Holding regional programs or chat sessions open to all Regional members on a periodic basis.
· Holding quarterly Executive Council meetings online.
In addition to the above topics, Peggy wants to talk about a youth program targeting the 2024 convention as having a youth component. Anyone active in club governance or outreach interested in these topics should join the meeting, so feel free to share this within your club’s leadership circle. Since MSRAL does not have a zoom account, CAAS is hosting this.
CAAS Astro is inviting you to a scheduled MSRAL Zoom meeting.
Topic: CAAS Astro's Zoom Meeting
Time: Jul 12, 2022 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82650141207?pwd=ajFPL2NRNnlkeDJtai9rRXh4MG1LUT09
Meeting ID: 826 5014 1207
Passcode: 493707
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,82650141207#,,,,*493707# US (Washington DC)
+13126266799,,82650141207#,,,,*493707# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 826 5014 1207
Passcode: 493707
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbltveUBLW
The email address is bvilleastro+comments@gmail.com .
The BAS 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 https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/
New observations show that both rocky and icy worlds fell onto a white dwarf, indicating past orbital chaos in the system.
BY: GOVERT SCHILLING JUNE 16, 2022
New images of nearby galaxies and their surroundings reveal details in galactic formation and evolution — and puzzles that remain to be solved.
BY: MONICA YOUNG JUNE 15, 2022
Hubble observations have revealed a stellar-mass compact object — a black hole or possibly a neutron star — wandering our galaxy.
BY: COLIN STUART JUNE 15, 2022
Astronomers will use the newest data release from the Gaia mission to explore stellar tsunamis, Milky Way history, and more.
BY: MONICA YOUNG JUNE 13, 2022
Changes to the design of Starlink satellite spacecraft have made them brighter again, though still dimmer than the original design.
BY: ANTHONY MALLAMA JUNE 11, 2022
NASA’s Perseverance rover is recording the windy weather in Jezero Crater, chronicling its role in making the Red Planet dusty.
BY: DAVID DICKINSON JUNE 9, 2022
A new source of fast radio bursts raises questions about how much we really know about these mysterious flares.
BY: MONICA YOUNG JUNE 8, 2022
We touch on the highlights of the memorable Tau Herculid meteor shower and also report on the recent outburst of the recurrent nova U Scorpii.
BY: BOB KING JUNE 8, 2022
Under the right conditions, stars could become immortal. How is this possible, and what does it mean for these stars’ surroundings?
BY: AAS NOVA JUNE 2, 2022
A piano concerto based on the solar system’s planets just had its world premiere. And you can hear a sampling of the music right here!
BY: DIANA HANNIKAINEN MAY 24, 2022
Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events
(Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2021.html)
2022
June 29 - 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 02:53 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 - Full Moon, Supermoon. 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 18:38 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. This is also the second of three supermoons for 2022. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.
July 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 17:55 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 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. This is a great year for this shower because the new moon means dark skies for what should be an excellent. 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 12 - Full Moon, Supermoon. 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 01:36 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. This is also the last of three supermoons for 2022. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.
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. Unfortunately the nearly full moon this year will block out all but the brightest meteors. But the Perseids are so bright and numerous that it could still be a decent 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 14 - 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 27 - 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 08:17 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 27 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 27.3 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 10 - 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 09:58 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 16 - 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 23 - September Equinox. The September equinox occurs at 00:55 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 25 - 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 21:55 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 26 - 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.
Next Month's BAS Meeting: August 1, 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
Mike Woods
Observing Program Coordinator
Rick Buck
Member-at-Large
John Blaesi
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.
Comments: Send email to bvilleastro+comments@gmail.com or our newsletter editor: bvilleastro+newsletter@gmail.com