Planets outside of our solar system look nothing like our own, with most of these detected exoplanets falling right in between the size of the Earth and Neptune. How can we understand such differences? Join NOVAC and Dr. Eve Lee for a virtual discussion on Sunday, July 10 at 7:30pm EDT. Eve Lee, Ph.D. Sunday, July [...]
Public Monthly Meeting - Supermassive Black Holes at the Center of M87 and Milky Way: What We Learn Razieh Emami, Ph.D. Sunday, June 12, 2022 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM EST Online event meet.google.com/osh-bcyd-gti Monthly Meeting - Public Invited Abstract: The most recent resolved images of Supermassive Black Holes (SMBHs) at the center of M87 (SMBH: M87*) as well as the Milky Way [...]
Planetary Science, Astrobiology, Asteroids and Rockets - all this and more in NOVAC's weekly roundup: This Week In Space. The National Academies of Sciences has released its once-a-decade report. Origins, Worlds, and Life, A Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrobiology 2023 - 2032 summarizes the state of the field of planetary science and outlines major [...]
Flying to the moon in 1972, Flying to the moon in 2022, big comets, and private flights - all this and more in NOVAC's first weekly roundup: This Week In Space. April 16th marked the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 16, the fifth manned mission to the moon and the second of the Apollo [...]
Improving the Performance of Your Imaging Mount In this presentation, Eric will share his experience on improving the performance of equatorial mounts, a critical and expensive component of astrophotography systems. He will start with the basics of operation and cover the common sources of tracking errors found in lower- to moderately-priced systems. Eric will then present a [...]
Wild and Wonderful Space Volcanoes! How are there many different types of volcanoes in our Solar System? How do these volcanoes form and evolve? We’ll explore the marvelous volcanic wonders of the Solar System by deep diving into how they behave and form from different planetary materials, including the mysteries of cryovolcanism! Caitlin Ahrens, Ph.D. Sunday, February 20, [...]
How to Optimize your Astrophotography Setup Dr. Thomas B. Fowler Sunday, December 12, 2021 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM EST Online event meet.google.com/osh-bcyd-gti Monthly Meeting - Public Invited Abstract: Amateur astronomers know too well that using a $400 Tele Vue eyepiece with a $100 telescope would be a waste of money and the capabilities of the Tele Vue. It would work, but for [...]
The 39th Annual NOVAC Star Gaze October 30, 2021 NOVAC's Star Gaze event for 30 Oct 21 has been canceled due to the weather outlook. Please check our calendar for other public observing activities in the near future!
Astronomy with X-rays: How, Where, and Most Importantly Why? Dr. Randall Smith Sunday, September 12, 2021 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM EST Online event meet.google.com/osh-bcyd-gti Monthly Meeting - Public Invited Abstract: X-ray astronomy began in 1962 when Riccardo Giacconi and his team launched a sounding rocket with an X-ray detector designed to look at the Moon - and unexpectedly found a far brighter source in [...]
'Oumuamua – Our Solar System’s First Known Interstellar Visitor The discovery of 'Oumuamua (1I/2019/U1) represented our first detection of a solar system object with an origin that was definitely outside of our solar system. Its name comes from Hawaiian meaning “first messenger from afar” yet deciphering its message has proved difficult and controversial. 'Oumuamua was discovered [...]
