Astronomical Society of Greenbelt

Greenbelt Star Party
2024-05-18 21:30 - 23:30, 2024-03-16 20:30 - 22:30 (America/New_York) | City of Greenbelt Observatory, 8101 Northway Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
Weather permitting, we will hold 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. This star party will focus on the moon, although we will also view other celestial wonders as time permits.
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 canceled without prior notice in the event of overcast skies or extremely inclement weather conditions. In addition, the observatory is made of metal and has no heating or cooling system. Please be aware that the temperature inside will be roughly the same inside as it is outside, although in summer it is sometimes hotter inside. Please dress accordingly.
In accordance with Prince George’s County guidelines, masks are voluntary.

Astronomy Day
2024-05-18 | City of Greenbelt Observatory, 8101 Northway Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
Astronomy Day is a grass roots movement designed to share the joy of astronomy with the general population. It’s motto is “Bringing Astronomy to the People.” On Astronomy Day, thousands of people who have never looked through a telescope will have an opportunity to see first-hand what has so many amateur and professional astronomers so excited. Astronomy clubs, science museums, observatories, universities, planetariums, laboratories, libraries, and nature centers host special events and activities to acquaint their population with local astronomical resources and facilities. Many of these events are located at non-astronomical sites; shopping malls, parks, urban centers—truly bringing astronomy to the people. It is an astronomical public-relations event that helps highlight ways the general public can get involved with astronomy—or at least get some of their questions about astronomy answered. Astronomy Week encompasses Astronomy Day, starting on the previous Monday and ending on the following Sunday.
The Astronomical Society of Greenbelt will be participating in Astronomy Day by holding a star party that evening at the City of Greenbelt Observatory.

Officers' Meeting
2024-05-13 19:30 - 20:30 | MD

Greenbelt Star Party
2024-05-04 21:00 - 23:00, 2024-04-27 21:00 - 23:00, 2024-04-06 20:30 - 22:30, 2024-03-30 20:30 - 22:30, 2024-03-02 19:00 - 21:00, 2024-02-10 18:30 - 20:30, 2024-02-03 18:30 - 20:30 | City of Greenbelt Observatory, 8101 Northway Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
Weather permitting, we will hold 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 canceled without prior notice in the event of overcast skies or extremely inclement weather conditions. In addition, the observatory is made of metal and has no heating or cooling system. Please be aware that the temperature inside will be roughly the same inside as it is outside, although in summer it is sometimes hotter inside. Please dress accordingly.
In accordance with Prince George’s County guidelines, masks are voluntary.

Monthly Meeting
2024-04-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
Our April meeting will be held on Thursday, April 25. We meet at 7:00 pm for general discussion, and the presentation begins at 7:30 pm. We will meet this month to share stories and pictures of our experiences of the solar eclipse. While about 225 people gathered at the Greenbelt Observatory to watch the partial eclipse, some members traveled to see totality. Anyone is welcome to share their story during this meeting.
The talk will be held at the Greenbelt Community Center. The presentations are free and open to the public.
Zoom Information
The lecture will also be available online for those who wish to participate remotely.

URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84553674417?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 845 5367 4417
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Solar Eclipse Viewing
2024-04-08 14:04 - 16:33 | City of Greenbelt Observatory, 8101 Northway Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
Weather permitting, the Astronomical Society of Greenbelt will provide safe telescope views of the April 8 solar eclipse at the City of Greenbelt Observatory. The eclipse starts at 2:04 pm, reaches its maximum of 89% at 3:20 pm, and ends at 4:33 pm. Eclipse glasses will be distributed while supplies last.
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.

In accordance with Prince George’s County guidelines, masks are voluntary.

Monthly Meeting
2024-03-28 19:00 - 21:00 | Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
Our March meeting will be held on Thursday, March 28. We meet at 7:00 pm for general discussion, and the presentation begins at 7:30 pm. The presenter for this month is Corinne Carter, who will be giving a talk entitled “From Ada Lovelace to Grace Hopper: Pioneering Women of Information Technology” in honor of Women’s History Month.
The talk will be held at the Greenbelt Community Center. The presentations are free and open to the public.
Zoom Information
The lecture will also be available online for those who wish to participate remotely.

URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84901413280?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 849 0141 3280
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Monthly Meeting
2024-01-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
The meetings of the Astronomical Society of Greenbank are generally held on the last Thursday of each month. We meet at 7:00 pm for general discussion, and the presentation begins at 7:30 pm. Our speakers include NASA scientists and engineers, local experts from organizations such as the Smithsonian and the Applied Physics Lab, and club members.
The events are held at the Greenbelt Community Center. The presentations are free and open to the public.

Monthly Meeting
2024-02-29 19:00 - 21:00 | Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
Our February meeting will be on February 29. We meet at 7:00 pm for general discussion, and the presentation begins at 7:30 pm. Our speaker for this month is Ramin Lolachi, PhD, who will be discussing the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission.
Ramin is an assistant research scientist working for the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, based at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. His two main research foci are (1) light scattering at airless bodies like the Moon and asteroids and (2) measuring water vapor in the Martian atmosphere. He has been investigating how dust lofted above the surface of the Moon scatters sunlight to understand natural phenomena such as the mysterious Lunar Horizon Glow and the means of monitoring lunar dust, a known hazard, for the next generation of Moon explorers. He is also a part of the DART investigation team. DART is the world’s first planetary defense mission and successfully reduced the orbital period of the asteroid moon, Dimorphos, about its parent asteroid, Didymos, by colliding with it. His involvement in the mission includes modeling and measuring the amount of light scattered by the impact ejecta in order to characterize the transfer of momentum from the spacecraft to the asteroid—in other words, to determine how big a “shove” we managed to give it). This allows us to understand how to use the kinetic impactor technique as a means of protecting Earth from a potential future impact.
The talk will be held at the Greenbelt Community Center. The presentations are free and open to the public.
The lecture will also be available online for those who wish to participate remotely. Use the Zoom link below to attend the meeting.
Zoom Information

Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86278087639?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 862 7808 7639
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Solar Eclipse
2024-02-23 14:04 - 16:33 | City of Greenbelt Observatory, 8101 Northway Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
Although the solar eclipse will be total over parts of the US, Greenbelt, MD, is not on the path of totality. From here, the sun will appear 87.5% covered at maximum. The eclipse will begin at 2:04 pm and end at 4:33 pm, with coverage reaching the maximum at 3:20 pm.
The Astronomical Society of Greenbelt will host an event at the City of Greenbelt Observatory, where observers can safely view the sun with special glasses and solar filters on the telescope. Check back closer to the date for more information on the event.

Solstice Party
2023-12-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
The Astronomical Society of Greenbelt will have its traditional Solstice potluck on Thursday, December 14, in room 114 of the Greenbelt Community Center. Bring food and conversation to share. There are no assigned dishes—that’s the “luck” part of potluck. The start time is 7:00 pm, but the room will be available at 6:30 to allow extra time for set-up. A Zoom session will be set up for those who cannot physically attend but would like to join the conversation.
Join via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84950654995?pwd=[REDACTED]

Officers Meeting
2023-12-11 19:30 - 20:30, 2023-11-07 19:30 - 20:30 | MD

Greenbelt Star Party
2023-12-09 18:00 - 20:00, 2023-11-11 18:00 - 20:00, 2023-11-04 19:00 - 21:00, 2023-10-14 19:30 - 21:30 | 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. 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
2023-11-30 19:00 - 21:00 | Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
Our meeting will be held November 30, 7:00–9:00 pm, in room 103 at the Greenbelt Community Center. Our speaker this month is Kristen Weaver, the deputy coordinator for the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Observer project, which aims to extend the long-standing citizen-science and science-education program GLOBE to non-school-based audiences.
While the focus of the total solar eclipse in 2024 for many people will be the amazing astronomical phenomenon, it is also an opportunity to observe the effect of eclipses on Earth’s atmosphere. Kristin will be speaking on how you can use the GLOBE Eclipse tool as part of GLOBE Observer as a volunteer observer to report on how the eclipse changes atmospheric conditions near you, especially as related to clouds and air temperature.
This meeting will also be 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 meeting is free and open to the public.
Zoom Information

Join online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84572402296?pwd=[REDACTED]
Join via phone: (301) 715-8592
Meeting ID: 845 7240 2296
Passcode: [REDACTED]

North Point State Park Star Party
2023-11-11 18:00 - 20:00 | North Point State Park, 8400 North Point Road, Edgemere, MD, 21219, United States
Weather permitting, the Astronomical Society of Greenbelt will be hosting a star party on behalf of North Point State Park. The party will be on November 11, 6:00–8:00 pm.

Monthly Meeting
2023-10-26 19:00 - 21:00 | Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
Our October meeting will be held on Thursday, October 26, 7:00–9:00 pm, at the Greenbelt Community Center. ASG member Sue Bassett will give a presentation entitled “The Fermi Paradox, the Drake Equation, and Life on Earth.”
We gather at 7:00 for informal discussion, and the lecture begins at 7:30. The meeting will also be streamed via Zoom for those who cannot attend in person. These meetings are free and open to the public.
Join the Meeting

Online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83060981128?pwd=[REDACTED]
By Phone: (301) 715-8592
Meeting ID: 830 6098 1128
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Greenbelt Star Party
2023-10-21 19:30 - 21:30 | 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.
