The two Taurid Meteor Showers last for several weeks before and after their peak dates, but often produce only around 5 meteors per hour, even at their peak. What makes them worth the effort, however, is the fact the they often include a large number of fireballs, extremely bright, long-lasting (1–3 seconds) meteors. The South… Read More »Taurid Meteor Showers
The two Taurid Meteor Showers last for several weeks before and after their peak dates, but often produce only around 5 meteors per hour, even at their peak. What makes them worth the effort, however, is the fact the they often include a large number of fireballs, extremely bright, long-lasting (1–3 seconds) meteors. The South… Read More »Taurid Meteor Showers
The Leonids usually produce 10–15 meteors per hours. They will peak on the morning of November 17.
Sue Bassett will present a lecture entitled "Fantastic Beasts and Why You Can't Find Them: An Astronomical View of Ice Age Extinctions." This event is free and open to the public. The zoom session will open at 7:00 pm for a meet and greet and technical checks. The presentation starts at 7:30 pm. Join Zoom… Read More »November Meeting: Fantastic Beasts and Why You Can’t Find Them
The Geminid Meteor Shower peaks on the evening of December 13, but the best viewing will be toward morning on December 14 after the moon has set. This is one of the most active showers of the year, often producing up to 50 visible meteors per hour in dark areas.
In December, we have our annual solstice party potluck instead of a regular meeting. Due to COVID-19 and lack of a venue, we are—for the second time—going to have a virtual potluck via zoom. Yes, that is weird, but these are weird times. So let's gather for dinner via Zoom and share our astronomy-related tales… Read More »Solstice Party
Winter begins in the northern hemisphere at the winter solstice at 10:58 AM EST on December 21. This solstice occurs when the earth's north pole is at its maximum tilt away from the sun. The summer solstice for the southern hemisphere occurs at the same time.
The Ursids run December 17–26, but even at their peak before dawn on December 22, you should only expect to see 5–10 meteors per hour. To make matters worse this year, the shower will be washed out for much of the night by a waning gibbous moon.
Our officers' meeting for this month will be on Monday, January 10, at 7:30 pm.
Alessondra Springmann is a planetary science PhD candidate at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, studying meteorites, comets, and asteroids. She will be discussing her previous work at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico using the megawatt planetary radar system to search for near earth asteroids, as well as the legacy of Arecibo… Read More »January Meeting: The Legacy of Arecibo’s Planetary Radar System