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Stargazing at the library, July 29, starting 7:45 p.m., weather permitting!
We will gather in the grassy area on the northwest side of the library! Our last event was very popular...come and join us!
Next BAS Monthly Meeting:
Monday, August 4 at 7:00 p.m. at the library in meeting room A upstairs
Our presentation will be "Stories of the Summer Skies: world folktales about the heavens, reflecting our ancestors' observations and dreams" by Bartlesville's own storyteller Fran Stallings!
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.
https://sites.google.com/site/bartlesvilleastronomyclub/
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/
The newly waxing Moon passes Mars low in the west, then Spica and Antares while growing more robust. At dawn, Jupiter heads toward Venus.
By: Alan MacRobert July 25, 2025
A new image from the Gemini Observatory might show a stellar companion to Betelgeuse, but the discovery is tentative.
By: Colin Stuart July 25, 2025
NASA’s TRACERS spacecraft will look at the snap of magnetic field lines at the boundary between the solar wind and Earth's magnetic field.
By: David Dickinson July 23, 2025
Astronomers have found a baby system that’s just beginning to build planets — and it can tell us about how and where planet formation starts.
By: Arielle Frommer July 23, 2025
Meteor-watchers will be busy this month and next. Not only are the Southern Delta Aquariids peaking soon, but they get a boost from additional minor showers.
By: Bob King July 22, 2025
More than 200 planets in the TESS catalogs may be bigger than originally estimated — putting initially Earth-size planets into the super-Earth category.
By: Colin Stuart July 21, 2025
Researchers have discovered a rare ring-galaxy duo that appears to harbor a supermassive black hole formed through direct collapse
By: AAS Nova July 16, 2025
Gravitational-wave astronomers have detected the collision of two beefy black holes, which created the most massive merger-made black hole found thus far.
By: Camille M. Carlisle July 15, 2025
Finding out where on the sky these mysterious radio flashes come from is hard. The team behind the discovery of one odd signal has now retracted their claim.
By: Govert Schilling July 10, 2025
A 23 million light-year-long gaseous filament and 39 bursts of radio waves are helping astronomers chart the universe's largest-scale structures.
By: Monica Young July 9, 2025
A newfound comet from a remote star system may become bright enough to see in amateur telescopes this November.
By: Bob King July 7, 2025
On Sunday night the Moon occults Pi Scorpii for almost all of North America. Elsewhere in Scorpius, the Cat's Eyes point side-eye to the Little Cat's Eyes.
By: Alan MacRobert July 4, 2025
Early July is a great time to catch multiple passes of the International Space Station passes in a single night. Here's why.
By: David Dickinson July 3, 2025
What's rarer than a naked-eye nova? Having two of them at the same time!
By: Bob King July 1, 2025
Astronomers have imaged a "jellyfish" galaxy in detail, revealing that its spiral arms now drag behind it as a pair of tails.
By: Arielle Frommer July 1, 2025
Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events
(Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-current.html)
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 crescent moon will set early in the evening, leaving dark skies for what should be an excellent show. 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 9 - 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 07:56 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.
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 waning gibbous moon will block out all but the brightest meteors this year. But if you are patient, you may still be able to catch quite a few good ones. 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 19 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 18.6 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 morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
August 23 - 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 06:08 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 7 - 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 18:10 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 7 - 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 all of Asia and Australia and the central and eastern parts of Europe and Africa. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)
September 21 - 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 19:55 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 21 - 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 New Zealand, Antarctica, and the southern Pacific Ocean. It will be best seen from New Zealand with 76% coverage.
(NASA Map and Eclipse Information)September 21 - 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.
September 22 - September Equinox. The September equinox occurs at 18:17 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 23 - 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.
October 7 - 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 03:49 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the 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. This is also the first of three supermoons for 2025. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.
October 7 - 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 7th. Unfortunately the glare from the nearly full moon will block most of the meteors this year. Combined with the low hourly rate it would probably be best to skip this one unless you are really patient. 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 21 - 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 12:26 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 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. This is an excellent year for the Orionids. The moon will be absent all night long, leaving dark skies for what should be an excellent 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 29 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 23.9 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.
Next Month's BAS Meeting: September 8 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 Grismore
Vice President
Pat Stefanopoulos
Secretary
Denise Gregg
Treasurer
Evan Zorn
Appointed Positions and Board Members:
Program Director
TBD
Mike Woods
Events Coordinator
Luann Wright
Member-at-Large
Brian Turner
Member-at-Large
Craig Brockmeier
Additional Appointed Positions:
Bartian Youth Astronomers Leader
TBD
Meeting Arrangements Coordinator
Denise Gregg
Website and Social Media Administrator
Denise Gregg, Katlynn Hanks, John Blaesi
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
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