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!
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
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
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
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.