Category: News
News and Updates
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The Hubble Space Telescope–a Long Term Perspective
Join the Westminster Astronomical Society’s next virtual talk on 13 July at 7:30pm EDT. The topic is: “The Hubble Space Telescope – a Long Term Perspective”. Title: “The Hubble Space Telescope–a Long Term Perspective“ Larry Dunham (HST Chief Systems Engineer) and Dr. Ken Carpenter (NASA, HST Project Scientist) will provide the talk. NOVAC is welcome to join this Zoom meeting offered by one of our fellow astronomy clubs in the DMV, the Westminster Astronomical Society. Speaker Read more […] -
Public Monthly Meeting – Planets Big and Small
Planets outside of our solar system look nothing like our own, with most of these detected exoplanets falling right in between the size of the Earth and Neptune. How can we understand such differences? Join NOVAC and Dr. Eve Lee for a virtual discussion on Sunday, July 10 at 7:30pm EDT. Eve Lee, Ph.D. Sunday, July 10, 2022 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM EST Online event meet.google.com/osh-bcyd-gti Monthly Meeting – Public Invited Abstract: Planets in our solar system can Read more […] -
Last call for NOVAC’s “Sweet Sixteen” telescope
About 21 years ago, a group of NOVAC ATMs (amateur telescope makers) led by John Avellone combined surplus optics into a 16” diameter Dobsonian. The telescope build effort was described in an article in a 2001 NOVAC Newsletter. Continue reading for additional technical information and your opportunity to acquire the Sweet 16! This telescope was an interesting design experiment, but not very practical as intended for star parties. The scope has been in storage for a number of years and with Read more […] -
NOVAC Member Profile: Eileen Kragie
Eileen Kragie is a new NOVAC member who joined in 2022. Read her member story below and be sure to check out her recent OpEd on light pollution in the Fairfax County Times. I’ve been aware of light trespass for decades as the gas station lights from across the alley from my Grandmother’s house in Ashland, Virginia glared into her yard, upper porch, and home. My last summer before moving back to Northern Virginia, Hale Bop was coming through. I spent the summer sleeping on my deck Read more […] -
Vacation Viewing: The Lunar Eclipse from Starbase, TX
While much of Northern Virginia was shrouded in clouds for last weekend’s total lunar eclipse, I was fortunate enough to be under the crystal clear skies of South Texas. The trip had been planned months in advance to align two of my passions: rockets and the night sky. And what a trip it was. For those unfamiliar with the goings-on along the beach outside of Brownsville, Texas, it is the R&D site for SpaceX where they are currently building their new Starship rocket. Starship has been selected Read more […] -
Public Monthly Meeting – Supermassive Black Holes at the Center of M87 and Milky Way Galaxies: What We Learn
Public Monthly Meeting – Supermassive Black Holes at the Center of M87 and Milky Way: What We Learn Razieh Emami, Ph.D. Sunday, June 12, 2022 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM EST Online event meet.google.com/osh-bcyd-gti Monthly Meeting – Public Invited Abstract: The most recent resolved images of Supermassive Black Holes (SMBHs) at the center of M87 (SMBH: M87*) as well as the Milky Way (SMBH: SgrA*) by the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration (EHTC) has Read more […] -
Malcolm and Maggie’s Messier Marathon
Messier Takeaways: Getting there is half the fun! I often found the Mag 5-7 asterisms, binaries, and carbon stars along the way during a starhop far more interesting than the actual Messier object, once I found it. Messier Objects Identified to Date 30 Messier objects positively identified since switching to active stargazing in November 2021 after detailed survey of the moon. Observations made either in Clifton, VA (Home) or at Great Meadow (GM). Table above summarizes observations (I Read more […] -
This Week In Space – 24 April 2022
Planetary Science, Astrobiology, Asteroids and Rockets – all this and more in NOVAC’s weekly roundup: This Week In Space. The National Academies of Sciences has released its once-a-decade report. Origins, Worlds, and Life, A Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrobiology 2023 – 2032 summarizes the state of the field of planetary science and outlines major questions facing the community. Per the report, the top priority should be to complete Mars Sample Read more […] -
This Week In Space – 17 April 2022
Flying to the moon in 1972, Flying to the moon in 2022, big comets, and private flights – all this and more in NOVAC’s first weekly roundup: This Week In Space. April 16th marked the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 16, the fifth manned mission to the moon and the second of the Apollo “J missions.” J missions included more time on the moon and more of the moon itself – these missions included use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle, or LRV for short. After landing Lunar Read more […] -
May 15 – Public Monthly Meeting – Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover: From Launch to Landing
Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover: From Launch to Landing Swati Mohan, Ph.D. Sunday, May 15, 2022 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM EST Online event meet.google.com/osh-bcyd-gti Monthly Meeting – Public Invited Abstract: The Mars 2020 mission was created to build off of the discoveries of its predecessors. The previous 4 rovers had found the building blocks for life on Mars. The Mars 2020 perseverance rover is the most advanced rover of the set, with each upgrade carefully Read more […]
