News and Updates
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!
Operation Moonglow: A Political History of Project Apollo Dr. Teasel Muir-Harmony, PhD Sunday, October 10, 2021 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM EST Online event meet.google.com/osh-bcyd-gti Monthly Meeting - Public Invited Abstract: On July 20th, 1969, over half the world’s population witnessed Neil Armstrong’s first step on the Moon. While often remembered as a scientific and technological feat, the ambitions of the Apollo program [...]
This region is in a very well known area of the sky, but its neighbors draw more attention from astrophotographers. Close to Deneb, at the opposite side of the North America and Pelican nebulae, lies this emission nebula complex. The whole region is quite strong in Ha, and very faint in SII and OIII. There is [...]
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 [...]
To Bennu and Back Again: the OSIRIS-REx Sample Return Mission Are we alone or do we share our solar system and galaxy with other forms of life? And how widespread are advanced civilizations with whom we could communicate? Dr. Hannah Kaplan Sunday, August 8, 2021 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM EST Online event meet.google.com/osh-bcyd-gti Monthly Meeting - Public Invited Abstract: On October 20, 2020, the OSIRIS-REx [...]
Lloyd Franklin captured a portion of the Annular Solar Eclipse (commonly known as a “Ring of Fire”), on 10 June 2021. The path of annularity only traversed parts of Canada, Greenland, and Northern Russia, and wasn’t easy to get to, but with some research Lloyd found one of the most interesting locations to view the [...]
Searching for Life on Other Worlds Are we alone or do we share our solar system and galaxy with other forms of life? And how widespread are advanced civilizations with whom we could communicate? Robert Naeye Sunday, July 11, 2021 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM EST Online event meet.google.com/osh-bcyd-gti Monthly Meeting - Public Invited Abstract: Are we alone or do we share our solar system and [...]
'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 [...]
Expand Your Horizons at Astronomy Day 2021 May 15, 2021, 5 PM to 11 PM at C.M. Crockett Park Hosted by the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club, Astronomy Day is an international event coordinated by astronomy clubs around the world to share the night sky with our communities. We're putting on a day full of [...]
The Last Stargazers Dr. Emily Levesque Sunday, May 2, 2021 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM EST Online event meet.google.com/osh-bcyd-gti Monthly Meeting - Public Invited Abstract: A bird that mimicked a black hole. The astronomer that discovered microwave ovens. A telescope that got shot. The science of astronomy is filled with true stories (and tall tales) of the adventures [...]
