June 2023
Next BAS Monthly Meeting:
Monday, June 5, 2023 at 7:00 at the library (meeting room A) or via Zoom
Characterizing Planets Around Other Stars: The Quest for Life on Other Worlds
Dr. Christopher Johns-Krull - Rice University
Since the discovery of the first extra-solar planet in 1995, astronomers have now found over 5300 worlds orbiting other stars. Exoplanet science is transitioning from mere discovery to characterization, with the ultimate goal of finding life on an alien world. The many exoplanet discoveries are also challenging our ideas on how planets form in the first place. This talk will describe some of these challenges and the prospects for discovery over the next several years.
Dr. Christopher Johns-Krull is from Rice University. He is an expert in low mass, young stars. He will be presenting to us via Zoom.
Club 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.
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ALCON 2023
Registration is now open! Check alcon2023.org
FIELD TRIPS July 26–29: Irene Pennington Planetarium LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) Livingston* Louisiana State University Physics & Astronomy Highland Road Park Observatory
2023 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Brought to Baton Rouge by the Baton Rouge Astronomical Society: David Eicher–writer, editor-in-chief of Astronomy Magazine Fred Espenak–co-author of Totality: The Great American Eclipses of 2017 and 2024 David Levy–author, comet hunter
LOCATION: Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center Hotel 201 Lafayette Street Baton Rouge, LA 70801
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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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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/
Venus starts the week under Pollux and Castor, then lines up with them. Nearby, Mars steps on the Beehive. In the south the Bootes kite flies high.
BY: ALAN MACROBERT MAY 26, 2023
JWST images of early galaxies have turned up a population of flat, red disks that may have been entirely missed by previous surveys.
BY: AAS NOVA MAY 25, 2023
The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope shows some stunning detail on the Sun, including sunspots, fibrils, granules, and other solar textures.
BY: MONICA YOUNG MAY 24, 2023
Astronomers have observed an unusual supernova, in which a helium star fed a white dwarf until it exploded.
BY: JURE JAPELJ MAY 23, 2023
A supergiant star exploded as a supernova in the prominent galaxy M101 in Ursa Major. It's now bright enough to see in a 4.5-inch telescope!
BY: BOB KING MAY 22, 2023
A cosmic lens magnified the light of an exploding star. Now, astronomers are using observations of that supernova to calculate the universe’s current rate of expansion.
BY: MONICA YOUNG MAY 20, 2023
As Venus and Mars move toward each other in the western dusk, Venus brightens and Mars shrinks — just like they always do. This week the waxing Moon hops over both.
BY: ALAN MACROBERT MAY 19, 2023
An unusual streak of stars thought to have formed in the wake of a wandering supermassive black hole might just be a spiral galaxy seen edge-on.
BY: JAVIER BARBUZANO MAY 18, 2023
The May 17th dawn pairing of Jupiter and the Moon may be one of the most amazing conjunctions you'll ever see.
BY: BOB KING MAY 16, 2023
NASA spacecraft are constantly sending back images from across the solar system. Here are two that caught our eye.
BY: MONICA YOUNG MAY 16, 2023
A rock that crashed through the roof of a house in New Jersey proved to be the real thing — a chunk spalled from a 4.5 billion-year-old asteroid.
BY: BOB KING MAY 15, 2023
New JWST images reveal that one of the most distant objects ever observed is actually two baby galaxies on a possible collision course.
BY: ARWEN RIMMER MAY 15, 2023
The Minor Planet Center is announcing a bevy of new moons for Saturn that will bring its total to 145 (and break Jupiter's record).
BY: JEFF HECHT MAY 12, 2023
James Webb Space Telescope observations offer a new window inside the atmosphere of the secretive sub-Neptune GJ 1214b.
BY: MONICA YOUNG MAY 12, 2023
Surprising new results from the United Arab Emirates' Hope probe call the origin of Mars's smaller moon into question.
BY: ARWEN RIMMER MAY 9, 2023
Continuing its run of ground-breaking discoveries, the James Webb Space Telescope has snapped the clearest images yet of the dusty disk around the young star Fomalhaut.
BY: KIT GILCHRIST MAY 8, 2023
There's a second ring around the far-out dwarf planet Quaoar, adding to the mystery of how this world hosts rings at such wide orbits.
BY: JEFF HECHT MAY 7, 2023
Four of Uranus's five icy moons likely contain a thin layer of briny (or otherwise enriched) water, astronomers have concluded from Voyager 2 data.
BY: EMILY LAKDAWALLA MAY 6, 2023
The first stars are too faint and far away to detect directly, but their gaseous remains can be seen absorbing the light of distant galaxies.
BY: MONICA YOUNG MAY 5, 2023
The Sun has recently experienced an uptick in activity, with lots of sunspots accompanied by flares, coronal mass ejections, and visible auroras — but experts still expect a mild solar cycle.
BY: JAVIER BARBUZANO MAY 4, 2023
For the first time, astronomers have witnessed a star eat an exoplanet.
BY: CAMILLE M. CARLISLE MAY 3, 2023
Common handheld magnets can erase crucial data in ancient meteorites.
BY: DAVID DICKINSON MAY 3, 2023
Astronomers analyzed the gravitationally lensed image of a distant galaxy to test the nature of dark matter.
BY: COLIN STUART MAY 2, 2023
Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events
(Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2021.html)
2023
June 1, 2 - Mars in the Beehive. The planet Mars will pass through the beehive cluster, an open cluster of stars located in the constellation Cancer. Mars can be seen in or very near the cluster on the nights of June 1st and 2nd. A good pair of binoculars should be enough to see this rare event all though a telescope will provide a much better view.
June 4 - 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 03:43 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the 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 Rose Moon and the Honey Moon.
June 4 - Venus at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation of 45.4 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.
June 12, 13 - Venus in the Beehive. The planet Venus will pass through the beehive cluster, an open cluster of stars located in the constellation Cancer. Venus can be seen in or very near the cluster on the nights of June 12 and 13. A good pair of binoculars should be enough to see this rare event all though a telescope will provide a much better view.
June 18 - 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 04:39 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.
June 21 - June Solstice. The June solstice occurs at 14:51 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.
July 1 - Conjunction of Venus and Mars. The planets Venus and Mars will pass within 3 1/2 degrees of each other. The event will take place on the morning of July 1 at 2:48 AM (06:48 UTC). Both planets will be visible with the naked eye in the constellation Leo.
July 3 - 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 11:40 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 first of four supermoons for 2023. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.
July 17 - 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 18:33 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 29, 30 - 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 29 and morning of July 30. The nearly full moon will block most of the fainter meteors this year. But if you are patient, you may 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 1 - Full Moon, Supermoon. The Moon will be located opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 18:33 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 second of four supermoons for 2023. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.
August 10 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 27.4 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.
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 crescent moon should not be too much of a problem this year. Skies should still be dark enough for a good 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 16 - 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 09:39 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.
August 24 - Moon Occults Antares. The Moon pass in front of the bright star Antares in the constellation Scorpius. This rare event will happen at 10:29 PM (02:29 UTC) and will be visible in the central US and northern Florida. (Occultation Map and Details)
August 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.
August 31 - Full Moon, Supermoon, 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 01:37 UTC. This is also the third of four supermoons for 2023. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual. Since this is the second full moon in the same month, it is sometimes referred to as a blue moon.
Next Month's BAS Meeting: July 3, Monday. Presenter: Daryl Doughty - "Confessions of a Lazy Backyard Astronomer"
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