February 2024
Next BAS Monthly Meeting:
Monday, February 5, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. at the Bartlesville Public Library (meeting room C) and via Zoom
Countdown to Totality!
The Great American Eclipse of 2024 is a little over two months away. Are you ready? At the February BAS meeting the countdown will be at T-minus 63 days and we will be discussing how to prepare for the big event. Whether you plan to travel to the totality centerline that runs through Texas, all the way to Maine and beyond, or stay put and see the 93% partial eclipse in Bartlesville, we will have advice and demos to help you prepare. In addition, if you have eclipse experience, you are encouraged to attend and offer your experience and advice. After this event, we won't have another total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous U.S. until August 23, 2044! Don't be left without the dark!
Check the clubs web page for more information and any changes in schedule or to request a Zoom Link!
https://sites.google.com/site/bartlesvilleastronomyclub/
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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A Member’s Message:
February 2024
President's Message:
Wow - it is February and we are knee deep into astronomy time, although it has been a little cold, cloudy, raining, snowy, and icy! OK, I know you are not reading this for the weather report. I hope some of you had made it out into the dark skies when it was clear. The night or two I made it out the stars were really bright and the night was really dark and Orion and the Orion Nebula were spectacular!. It was great viewing through binoculars since that meant there was no equipment to set up, no tripod, no trackers, no lights, no computer. Just me, a pair of binoculars, and the sky. It reminded me that I need to get out my '101 Objects to See in the Night Sky' by Robin Scagell.
If you think you missed January's 2nd Saturday observation night - you didn't. It was too cold, same with trying to plan a club night. We will see what February weather brings, stay tuned. The February club meeting will focus on observing the upcoming solar eclipse whether it be the naked eye (albeit through solar filters), telescopes, cameras, and indirect viewing. So plan on coming!
And - please think about volunteering! The club is always looking for a zoom host, web master, outreach coordinator, social media manager, etc. We have some people doing these jobs or taking on multiple jobs. Let's help them out or give them some relief. What would you like to do for the club?
John Blaesi
~~~~~
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/
~~~~~
The email address is bvilleastro+comments@gmail.com .
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/
Orion anchors both the Winter Triangle and the Winter Hexagon. So does the Meat Cleaver in Canis Major. Jupiter regards them from high to their right.
BY: ALAN MACROBERT JANUARY 26, 2024
The asteroid 2024 BX1 went from a moving dot of light to rocks on the ground in mere hours — and amateur astronomers were critical to both discovery and recovery.
BY: BOB KING JANUARY 26, 2024.
The largest sample of Type Ia supernovae ever made by a single telescope sheds light on dark energy.
BY: ARWEN RIMMER JANUARY 24, 2024
Astronomers have found two different star clusters with an enigmatic source inside. Are these objects neutron stars or black holes?
BY: CAMILLE M. CARLISLE JANUARY 23, 2024
Faraway dwarf galaxies in the universe's distant past — which will become modern Milky Ways — have an unexpectedly stretched-out appearance.
BY: MONICA YOUNG JANUARY 22, 2024
In a first for Japan, the SLIM mission stuck a pinpoint landing on the Moon. How long the mission lasts depends on whether the solar cells begin charging.
BY: DAVID DICKINSON JANUARY 19, 2024
Although no total lunar eclipses occur this year, skywatchers can look forward to two “central” solar eclipses — including a much-awaited total eclipse that spans the U.S. from Texas to New England.
BY: J. KELLY BEATTY JANUARY 18, 2024
The Event Horizon Telescope collaboration has released the image from its second major campaign, confirming the existence of a persistent black hole shadow and a potentially turbulent environment.
BY: CAMILLE M. CARLISLE JANUARY 18, 2024
The “magic islands” that appear and disappear in Titan’s methane-ethane seas could be hydrocarbon icebergs, a new study finds.
BY: JAVIER BARBUZANO JANUARY 16, 2024
Jonathan Nally sets out to explore the Southern Hemisphere sky, starting with two uniquely southern sights: the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds.
BY: JONATHAN NALLY JANUARY 15, 2024
A radio survey has serendipitously uncovered a galaxy with no visible stars.
BY: CAMILLE M. CARLISLE JANUARY 12, 2024
New Webb data suggests that the hot super-Earth 55 Cancri e has a thick atmosphere, perhaps maintained by the planet's magma ocean.
BY: MONICA YOUNG JANUARY 11, 2024
JWST observations of the universe as it was 12 to 13 billion years ago indicate that the black holes at the centers of small, early galaxies were more massive than expected.
BY: CAMILLE M. CARLISLE JANUARY 10, 2024
James Webb Space Telescope observations of a faint, giant world have revealed the signature of aurorae — even though the world has no star.
BY: MONICA YOUNG JANUARY 10, 2024
China’s Einstein Probe, an X-ray astronomy mission, heads to orbit.
BY: DAVID DICKINSON JANUARY 10, 2024
New evidence suggests extreme starbursts and furious galactic winds are at the heart of odd radio circles (ORCs).
BY: MONICA YOUNG JANUARY 8, 2024
The first launch of the United Launch Alliance Vulcan-Centaur rocket attempted to send Peregrine Mission One moonward, but a propulsion problem has likely stymied that goal.
BY: DAVID DICKINSON JANUARY 8, 2024
The beloved Perseid meteor shower of the August vacation season will evade the moonlight in 2024, at least during the best early morning meteor-watching hours. The Lyrids and Geminids aren't so lucky.
BY: ALAN MACROBERT JANUARY 7, 2024
Humans' return to cis-lunar space and a flagship spacecraft to Europa are among the missions to come in 2024.
BY: DAVID DICKINSON JANUARY 5, 2024
Exomoon candidates are tantalizing but, according to new research, perhaps unfounded.
BY: KIT GILCHRIST JANUARY 4, 2024
Relish the slow, steady pace of nearby Luyten's Star then switch things up with speedy meteors from a well-timed shower.
BY: BOB KING JANUARY 3, 2024
The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed galaxies in the early universe, hidden star formation, and sniffed the atmospheres of exoplanets. But it's also exploring closer to home, imaging each of the giant planets in detail. The telescope can see aspects of the planets' compositions in ways that passing satellites…
BY: MONICA YOUNG DECEMBER 26, 2023
Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events
(Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2021.html)
2024
February 9 - 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 23:00 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.
February 24 - 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 12:32 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Snow Moon because the heaviest snows usually fell during this time of the year. Since hunting is difficult, this moon has also been known by some tribes as the Hunger Moon, since the harsh weather made hunting difficult.
March 10 - 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 09:02 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.
March 20 - March Equinox. The March equinox occurs at 03:01 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 spring (vernal equinox) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of fall (autumnal equinox) in the Southern Hemisphere.
March 24 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 18.7 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.
March 25 - 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 07:02 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Worm Moon because this was the time of year when the ground would begin to soften and the earthworms would reappear. This moon has also been known as the Crow Moon, the Crust Moon, the Sap Moon, and the Lenten Moon.
March 25 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth's partial shadow, or penumbra. During this type of eclipse the Moon will darken slightly but not completely. The eclipse will be visible throughout all North America, Mexico, Central America, and South America.
(NASA Map and Eclipse Information)April 8 - 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 18:22 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.
April 8 - Total Solar Eclipse. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon completely blocks the Sun, revealing the Sun's beautiful outer atmosphere known as the corona. This is a rare, once-in-a-lifetime event for viewers in the United States. The last total solar eclipse visible in the continental United States occurred in 2017 and the next one will not take place until 2045. The path of totality will begin in the Pacific Ocean and move across parts of Mexico and the eastern United States and Nova Scotia. The total eclipse will be visible in parts of Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information) (NASA Interactive Google Map)
April 22, 23 - Lyrids Meteor Shower. The Lyrids is an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by dust particles left behind by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which was discovered in 1861. The shower runs annually from April 16-25. It peaks this year on the night of the night of the 22nd and morning of the 23rd. These meteors can sometimes produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds. Unfortunately the glare of the full moon will block out all but the brightest 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 Lyra, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
April 23 - 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 23:50 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Pink Moon because it marked the appearance of the moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the first spring flowers. This moon has also been known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Growing Moon, and the Egg Moon. Many coastal tribes called it the Fish Moon because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.
Next Month's BAS Meeting: March 4, 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
John Blaesi
Vice President
John Grismore
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