Astronomical Society of Greenbelt

Monthly Meeting
2023-07-27 19:15 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
The Astronomical Society of Greenbelt will meet on Thursday, July 27, at 7:15 pm (note the earlier start time) in Room 114 of the Greenbelt Community Center. We will be showing the documentary Good Night, Oppy, the story of NASA’s Mars rovers “Spirit” and “Opportunity”. Originally planned for 6-month missions, “Spirit” functioned for over 6 years and “Opportunity” for an astounding 15 years, during which time they greatly added to our knowledge of the red planet.
The event is free and open to the public.
Due to licensing restrictions on the movie, this will be an in-person-only event, with no concurrent Zoom meeting.

Astronomical League Annual Convention
2023-07-26 - 2023-07-29 | MD
The 2023 Astronomical League Convention (ALCon 2023) will be held in Baton Rouge, LA, July 26–29.

Greenbelt Star Party
2023-07-22 21:30 - 23:30, 2023-07-15 21:30 - 23:30, 2023-07-08 21:30 - 23:30, 2023-06-17 21:30 - 23:30, 2023-06-10 21:30 - 23:30, 2023-05-20 21:30 - 23:30, 2023-05-13 21:00 - 23:00, 2023-04-29 21:00 - 23:00 and 4 more dates | City of Greenbelt Observatory, 8101 Northway Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
Weather permitting, we will be holding a star party at the Greenbelt Observatory. The observatory will be open to visitors to view the wonders of the heavens. People are also welcome to bring their own telescopes to set up for observation.
The event is open to members and non-members of all ages at no cost. We provide a fun, family-friendly environment for learning about the universe. This is a great way to meet other astronomers in the community. And, if you are new to the hobby, members are always willing to help you learn how to use your telescope.
Our star parties generally begin about an hour after sunset and run for two hours.
Please note that star parties may be cancelled without prior notice in the event of overcast skies or extremely inclement weather conditions. In accordance with Prince George’s County guidelines, masks are voluntary.

Northern Lights Watch Party
2023-07-13 22:00 - 23:59 | City of Greenbelt Observatory, 8101 Northway Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
High-intensity solar winds may cause displays of the Aurora Borealis—also known as the Northern Lights—that will be visible in Maryland as far south as Annapolis this week. Due to requests from the community, we will be holding a Northern Lights watch party at the Greenbelt Observatory on Thursday, July 13, 10:00 pm–midnight, weather permitting.
Members of the Astronomical Society of Greenbelt will be on hand to answer any questions.
This event is free and open to the public.
Please note: The forecast from NOAA has changed, and the new forecast shows little chance of the aurorae being visible in our area. We will still host the party as scheduled, but people should temper their expectations.

Officers' Meeting
2023-07-11 19:30 - 20:30, 2023-06-05 19:30 - 20:30 | Zoom

Monthly Meeting
2023-06-22 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
At our monthly meeting on June 22 at 7:00 pm, Dr. Kevin P. Hand will deliver a lecture entitled “Alien Oceans on Earth and Beyond.” Due to a conflict, this meeting will be held a week earlier than our usual last-Thursday-of-the-month slot. This meeting will also be virtual only, with no in-person meeting at the Greenbelt Community Center.
This lecture is free and open to the public. The meeting will begin with casual conversation at 7:00 pm, and the lecture will start at 7:30 pm.
Lecture Abstract
Where is the best place to find living life beyond Earth? It may be that the small, ice-covered moons of Jupiter and Saturn harbor some of the most habitable real estate in our Solar System. Life loves liquid water and these moons have lots of it.
These alien oceans of the outer solar system have likely persisted for much of the history of the solar system and as a result they are highly compelling targets in our search for life beyond Earth. Dr. Hand will explain the science behind why we think we
know these oceans exist and what we know about the conditions on these worlds. He will focus on Jupiter’s moon Europa, which is a top priority for future missions. He will also detail how the exploration of Earth’s ocean is helping to guide our understanding of the potential habitability of worlds like Europa.
Speaker Bio
Dr. Hand is a planetary scientist and astrobiologist at NASA’s JPL, where he directs the Ocean Worlds Lab. His research focuses on the search for life in the solar system, with an emphasis on Jupiter’s moon Europa. He is helping lead NASA’s Europa Lander mission concept, and from 2011 to 2016 he served as the deputy chief scientist for Solar System Exploration at JPL. His fieldwork has taken him from the Artic to the Antarctica and to the depths of Earth’s ocean. His book Alien Oceans was recently published by Princeton University Press.
Zoom Information

Meeting URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89859006757?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 898 5900 6757
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Meeting Phone: (301) 715-8592

Green Bank Star Quest
2023-06-21 - 2023-06-24 | Green Bank Observatory, 155 Observatory Road, Green Bank, WV, 24944, United States
This star party is not hosted by the Astronomical Society of Greenbelt. It is listed here as a courtesy to another club in the Mid-East Region of the Astronomical League. Please consult the event website for the most up-to-date information.

Cherry Springs Star Party
2023-06-15 - 2023-06-18 | Cherry Springs State Park, 4639 Cherry Springs Road, Coudersport, PA, 16915, United States

York County Star Party
2023-06-14 - 2023-06-18 | Susquehannock State Park, 1880 Park Drive, Drumore, 17518, United States

Greenbelt Star Party
2023-05-27 21:30 - 23:30 | City of Greenbelt Observatory, 8101 Northway Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
Weather permitting, we will be holding a star party at the Greenbelt Observatory. The observatory will be open to visitors to view the wonders of the heavens. The moon will be up this evening and will be one of our viewing targets. People are also welcome to bring their own telescopes to set up for observation.
The event is open to members and non-members of all ages at no cost. We provide a fun, family-friendly environment for learning about the universe. This is a great way to meet other astronomers in the community. And, if you are new to the hobby, members are always willing to help you learn how to use your telescope.
Our star parties generally begin about an hour after sunset and run for two hours.
Please note that star parties may be cancelled without prior notice in the event of overcast skies or extremely inclement weather conditions. In accordance with Prince George’s County guidelines, masks are voluntary.

Monthly Meeting
2023-05-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
Our monthly meetings are generally held on the last Thursday of the month, 7:00–9:00 pm, at the Greenbelt Community Center. They are also streamed via Zoom for those who cannot meet in person. We gather at 7:00 for informal discussion, and the lecture begins at 7:30.
This month’s meeting with feature Dr. Louth “Lu” Chou, will speak on “Searching for Life-as-We-Don’t-Know-It on Future Planetary Missions using Mass Spectrometry.” Her research area is agnostic biosignatures, requiring life detection methods that identify unknowable, unfamiliar features and chemistry that may represent processes of life as yet unrecognized. She is also involved in instrument design for future planetary missions that may search for such life.

Dr. Chou, an astrobiologist and organic chemist, is currently a postdoctoral research associate at the Center for Space Science and Technology at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, working on the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite onboard the Curiosity rover in the Planetary Environments Lab at Goddard Space Flight Center. She loves sharing her work with the public. This is a hybrid in-person/virtual event. It is free and open to the public, in room 114 of the Greenbelt Community Center.
Join via Zoom

URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89328647944?pwd=[REDACTED]
Phone: (301) 715-8592
Meeting ID: 893 2864 7944
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Monthly Meeting
2023-04-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
The Astronomical Society of Greenbelt will meet on Thursday, April 27, in Room 114 of the Greenbelt Community Center. We will gather at 7:00 pm for informal discussion, and the lecture will begin at 7:30 pm. Drs. Joan and David Dunham will give a presentation on observing occultations. The lecture will be followed by an observing session of a lunar occultation of a ninth-magnitude star. This is a hybrid in-person/virtual event.

Our meetings are free and open to the public.
Join the Zoom Meeting
URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88925186668?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 889 2518 6668
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdA9ynYmqF

NOVAC Astronomy Day
2023-04-22 18:00 - 23:00 | C.M. Crockett Park, 10066 Rogues Road, Midland, VA, 22728, United States

South Jersey Astronomy Club Star Party
2023-04-20 - 2023-04-23 | Belleplain State Forest, 1 Henkinsifkin Road, Woodbine, NJ, 08270, United States

Monthly Meeting: The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
2023-03-30 19:00 - 21:00 | Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
On March 30, Corrine Carter and Sue Bassett will talk about the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope that is planned for launch in 2027. We will gather at 7:00 for informal discussion, and the lecture will begin at 7:30. Both Corrine and Sue are officers of the Astronomical Society of Greenbelt.
Our monthly meetings are generally held on the last Thursday of the month, 7:00–9:00 pm, at the Greenbelt Community Center. They are also streamed via Zoom for those who cannot meet in person.
These meetings are free and open to the public.
Zoom Meeting Information
URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88980234364?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 889 8023 4364
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Phone number: (301) 715-8592 or find your local number

Staunton River Spring Star Party
2023-03-20 - 2023-03-26 | Staunton River State Park, 1170 Staunton Trail, Scottsburg, VA, 24589, United States

February Meeting: Human-Proximity Exploration of Venus
2023-02-23 19:30 - 21:00 | Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
Our February meeting will be held on Thursday, February 23. Dr. Kirby Runyon will be presenting a talk on the study of Venus enabled by human proximity This event is free and open to the public. We will gather at 7:00 pm for informal conversation, and the lecture will begin at 7:30 pm.
Dr. Runyon is a planetary geologist at the Planetary Science Institute and a creative space science consultant at Planetary Experience Consulting. He earned his PhD in planetary geology a The Johns Hopkins University and an MS in the same field from Temple University. Before moving to the Planetary Science Institute, he was a senior research scientist at the Applied Physics Laboratory.
This meeting will be held at the Greenbelt Community Center and streamed live on Zoom.
Join Remotely
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84269671814?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 842 6967 1814
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Phone: (301) 715-8592

NEO Observation Campaign
2023-02-15 - 2023-03-13 | MD
The ASG Near-Earth Object Observation Program is partnering with the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) for a special asteroid search campaign during February and March 2023. Our team was selected from the hundreds of teams worldwide that apply annually to participate in the Find an Asteroid search campaign.
Read more about the program and how to join on the Near-Earth Object Observation Program page.
