News and Updates
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 [...]
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! This telescope was an [...]
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 [...]
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: 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 [...]
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. Messier Objects Identified to Date 30 Messier objects positively identified since switching to active stargazing in November 2021 after detailed [...]
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 [...]
Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover: From Launch to Landing Swati Mohan, Ph.D. Sunday, May 15, 2022 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM EST Online event meet.google.com/osh-bcyd-gti Monthly Meeting - Public Invited Abstract: The Mars 2020 mission was created to build off of the discoveries of its predecessors. The previous 4 rovers had found the building blocks for life on Mars. The Mars 2020 perseverance rover [...]
The Fairfax County Park Authority is encouraging participation in the first annual One Dark Hour event. On April 22, the Fairfax County Park Authority is hoping residents will join them in turning off their lights to raise awareness of the importance of dark skies. Park Authorities ask you take part by turning off your outdoor [...]
