Monthly Meeting
2023-08-31 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
Kevin A. Wilson, PhD, will give a presentation on astronomical spectroscopy for amateur astronomers. Spectroscopy is the analysis of the light emitted by astronomical objects. He will discuss the concept of spectroscopy, what we can learn from it, and how amateurs can do spectroscopy. Kevin is the vice president of the ASG and a life-long amateur astronomer.
Our monthly meetings begin with casual conversation at 7:00 pm. The lecture starts at 7:30 pm. The meetings are free and open to the public. People may attend in person at the Greenbelt Community Center or online via Zoom.
Join on Zoom
By computer: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83521167612?pwd=[REDACTED]
By phone: (301) 715-8592
Meeting ID: 835 2116 7612
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Greenbelt Star Party
2023-09-09 20:30 - 22:30, 2023-09-16 20:30 - 22:30, 2023-10-07 20:00 - 22:00, 2023-10-14 19:30 - 21:30, 2023-11-04 19:00 - 21:00, 2023-11-11 18:00 - 20:00, 2023-12-09 18:00 - 20:00 | 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.

Officers' Meeting
2023-09-11 19:30 - 20:30 | Zoom

York County Star Party
2023-09-13 - 2023-09-17 | Susquehannock State Park, 1880 Park Drive, Drumore, 17518, 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.

Black Forest Star Party
2023-09-15 - 2023-09-17 | Cherry Springs State Park, 4639 Cherry Springs Road, Coudersport, PA, 16915, United States

Greenbelt Star Party
2023-09-23 20:00 - 22:00, 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.

Monthly Meeting
2023-09-28 19:00 - 21:00 | Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
The Astronomical Society of Greenbelt will meet at 7:30 pm on Thursday, September 28, in Room 114 of the Greenbelt Community Center. Tim Hamilton, Professor of Physics at Shawnee State University will give a presentation entitled “One Year of Astronomy with the James Webb Space Telescope.” Dr. Hamilton is the discoverer of “Hamilton’s Object,” a unique gravitationally lensed galaxy in the Hubble images.
This is a hybrid in-person/Zoom meeting. Dr. Hamilton will be speaking remotely. Our monthly meetings begin with casual conversation and Zoom equipment check at 7:00 pm. There will also be a brief discussion of the October 14 solar eclipse as viewed from Greenbelt. The lecture starts at 7:30 pm.
Zoom Information
Join Online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89626413763?pwd=[REDACTED]
Join by Phone: (301) 715-8592
Meeting ID: 896 2641 3763
Passcode: [REDACTED]

NOVAC Star Gaze
2023-10-07 17:00 - 23:00 | C.M. Crockett Park, 10066 Rogues Road, Midland, VA, 22728, United States

Partial Solar Eclipse Party
2023-10-14 12:00 - 14:38 | City of Greenbelt Observatory, 8101 Northway Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
A partial solar eclipse will be visible from Greenbelt on Saturday, October 14. The Astronomical Society of Greenbelt will be hosting a viewing party at the Greenbelt Observatory. This event is free and open to the public.
The eclipse begins at noon when the moon’s edge starts to move between the earth and the sun. The maximum coverage of 41% occurs at 1:19 PM. The last bit of the moon to cover the sun leaves at 2:38 PM. The eclipse will be an annular eclipse for viewers in the southwestern US.
The ASG has eclipse glasses that allow you to view the eclipse safely. These will be provided for free to the first 100 people to arrive at the observatory. Do not look at the eclipse without protective glasses, as serious eye damage can occur.

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]

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

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
2023-11-30 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]

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]

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.

Greenbelt Star Party
2024-02-03 18:30 - 20:30, 2024-02-10 18:30 - 20:30, 2024-03-02 19:00 - 21:00 | 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.

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.

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]

Greenbelt Star Party
2024-03-16 20:30 - 22:30 | 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. 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.
