Embedded Files
Next BAS Monthly Meeting:
Monday November 3rd at 7:00 p.m. at the library in meeting room C
Speaker: Dr Brian Turner
How a Harem Opened the Universe
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 crescent Moon returns and waxes to first quarter. Two binocular comets are on the way out. And Arcturus is once again the Ghost of Summer Suns.
By: Alan MacRobert October 24, 2025
The merged remnants of stellar pairs may orbit the Milky Way’s central, supermassive black hole.
By: Govert Schilling October 23, 2025
Astronomers have discovered a second asteroid in the inner solar system, circling the Sun almost entirely within the orbit of Venus.
By: David L. Chandler October 22, 2025
In a surprise to researchers, the small, icy bodies beyond Pluto's orbit tend to rotate opposite the way they move around the Sun, which might say something about how they formed.
By: Nola Taylor Tillman October 21, 2025
The discovery of a new array of molecules spouted from Enceladus indicates new promise for habitability within its frozen-over ocean.
By: Jeff Hecht October 20, 2025
The longest-duration burst of gamma rays on record might mark the moment a black hole tunneled through a star and blew it up from within.
By: Govert Schilling October 17, 2025
Circumstances are ideal for watching debris from Halley's Comet set the morning sky ablaze.
By: Bob King October 15, 202
Spacecraft orbiting the Red Planet will aim a suite of instruments at Comet 3I/ATLAS to capture details about this enigmatic object.
By: David L. Chandler October 14, 2025
Astronomers discovered a small, free-floating object that’s accreting matter at a breakneck pace, suggesting that some planet-size worlds could form similar to stars.
By: Arielle Frommer October 8, 2025
After a dearth of bright comets earlier this year, we look forward to an exciting month ahead.
By: Bob King October 1, 2025
VIPER, a water-seeking rover, has gotten a new lease on life, with a new launch vehicle and lander announced by NASA.
By: David Dickinson September 26, 2025
Primordial chemistry might destroy most of the water on sub-Neptunes; if so, there could be far fewer “water worlds” than previously thought.
By: Arielle Frommer September 26, 2025
Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events
(Source: http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-current.html)
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.
November 4, 5 - 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 4. Unfortunately the glare form the full moon will hide most of the meteors this year. If you are really patient, you may still be able to catch a few bright ones. 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 5 - 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 13:21 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the 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 Dark Moon. This is also the second 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.
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. This should be an excellent year for the Leonids. The thin, crescent moon won't be much of a problem and skies will be dark enough for what should be an great show. 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 20 - 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 06:49 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 21 - 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.
December 4 - 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 23:15 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Cold Moon because this is the time of year when the cold winter air settles in and the nights become long and dark. This moon has also been known as the Long Nights Moon and the Moon Before Yule. This is also the last 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.
December 7 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 20.7 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 morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
December 13, 14 - Geminids Meteor Shower. The Geminids is the king of the meteor showers. It is considered by many to be the best shower in the heavens, producing up to 120 multicolored meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by debris left behind by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon, which was discovered in 1982. The shower runs annually from December 7-17. It peaks this year on the night of the 13th and morning of the 14th. The second quarter moon will block some of the fainter meteors this year, but the Geminids are so numerous that it should still be a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Gemini, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
December 20 - 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 01:45 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.
December 21 - December Solstice. The December solstice occurs at 15:02 UTC. The South Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its southernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.44 degrees south latitude. This is the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.
December 21, 22 - Ursids Meteor Shower. The Ursids is a minor meteor shower producing about 5-10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tuttle, which was first discovered in 1790. The shower runs annually from December 17-25. It peaks this year on the the night of the 21st and morning of the 22nd. The thin, crescent moon will set early in the evening, leaving dark skies for what should be a good show. Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Ursa Minor, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
Next Month's BAS Meeting: December 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
Open position
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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