Aug
7
Sat
2021
Cancelled- C.M. Crockett Public Night @ C.M. Crockett Park
Aug 7 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Cancelled- C.M. Crockett Public Night @ C.M. Crockett Park | Midland | Virginia | United States

This event is cancelled due to forecasted cloud cover. 

RSVP here.

Members of the public are invited to view the wonders of the universe through the telescopes of NOVAC volunteers. You do not need to be a member of the club or own any astronomical equipment to attend.

Featured objects will include Jupiter, Saturn, and various deep sky objects like star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies.

From 8pm until sunset (8:16pm) you can inspect different telescopes and other visual equipment on the field. Have a cosmic question? One of our astronomers will be happy to help you. After sunset be prepared to enjoy the wonders of the night sky!

After arriving at the main gate, take the first left into the gravel parking lot. There is additional parking up the road. There should be some telescopes setup in the nearby field. Please dim your headlights if you are arriving after dark and please do not drive onto the field unless you are a volunteer.

Dress warmly! Temperatures can still be cool during summer nights. Please check the weather forecast. For lighting, cover a flashlight in red cellophane (the darker the better). Bring along water to keep hydrated and plan on staying the entire evening or as long as the weather allows. Feel free to walk around and view the different telescopes on display but please ask the owner before using. Please monitor your children around expensive astronomical equipment. Remember, telescope mirrors are sensitive to cigarette smoke and bug spray. Finally, pets should not be brought onto the observing field unless they are service animals.

Note: This outdoor event is weather-dependent and may be cancelled because of significant cloud cover or precipitation.

Please read the C.M. Crockett Page for park details.

 

Sky Meadows State Park- Astronomy for Everyone @ Sky Meadows State Park
Aug 7 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Sky Meadows State Park- Astronomy for Everyone @ Sky Meadows State Park

RSVP here.

NOVAC supports this event by providing telescope views to visitors.

  • Sky Meadows State Park (11012 Edmonds Ln.), behind the Mount Bleak House within the white fence.
  • For individuals who are fully vaccinated face coverings and social distancing are no longer required. Individuals who are not yet fully vaccinated will be asked to continue face covering and social distancing procedures.

Please visit the official website for more details.

Aug
8
Sun
2021
August 8 – Public Monthly Meeting – To Bennu and Back Again: the OSIRIS-REx Sample Return Mission @ Online via Google Meet
Aug 8 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
August 8 - Public Monthly Meeting - To Bennu and Back Again: the OSIRIS-REx Sample Return Mission @ Online via Google Meet

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 spacecraft successfully collected a sample from the surface of near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu. That sample will be delivered to Earth in 2023 for analysis in state-of-the-art laboratories. In the meantime, our best information on Bennu’s origin, geologic history, and composition comes from instruments on the spacecraft, which observed the asteroid for multiple years before sample collection. Important findings include the presence of water and organics on the surface, and contamination from other asteroids. Through the lens of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft observations, Dr. Kaplan will describe Bennu’s history and implications for the returned sample.

Bio:

Dr. Kaplan is a research space scientist at Goddard Space Flight Center. She uses remote sensing observations to understand the composition of planetary surfaces, including asteroids and Mars. She is a member of the OSIRIS-REx science team and the Lucy L’Ralph instrument science team. Before coming to Goddard, Dr. Kaplan worked at Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado where she was a postdoctoral researcher working on OSIRIS-REx.

Aug
15
Sun
2021
Cancelled- Great Meadow Public Night @ Great Meadow
Aug 15 @ 7:30 pm – Aug 16 @ 11:00 pm

Great Meadow Public Night is cancelled this evening because of predicted overcast conditions.

RSVP here.

Members of the public are invited to view the wonders of the universe through the telescopes of NOVAC volunteers. You do not need to be a member of the club or own any astronomical equipment to attend.

From 7:30pm until sunset (8:06pm) you can inspect different telescopes and other visual equipment on the field. Have a cosmic question? One of our astronomers will be happy to help you. After sunset be prepared to enjoy the wonders of the night sky!

For lighting, cover a flashlight in red cellophane (the darker the better). Bring along water to keep hydrated and plan on staying the entire evening or as long as the weather allows. Feel free to walk around and the different telescopes on display but please ask the owner before using. Please monitor your children around expensive astronomical equipment. Remember, telescope mirrors are sensitive to cigarette smoke and bug spray. Finally, pets should not be brought onto the observing field unless they are service animals.

Note: This event is weather-dependent and may be cancelled because of significant cloud cover or precipitation.

 

See front page of NOVAC Site for changes to event. More information about Great Meadow including directions and parking visit the Great Meadow Site page.

Sep
4
Sat
2021
C.M. Crockett Public Night @ C.M. Crockett Park
Sep 4 @ 7:30 pm – 11:00 pm
C.M. Crockett Public Night @ C.M. Crockett Park | Midland | Virginia | United States

RSVP here.

Members of the public are invited to view the wonders of the universe through the telescopes of NOVAC volunteers. You do not need to be a member of the club or own any astronomical equipment to attend.

Featured objects will include Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and deep sky objects like star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies.

Arrive before sunset (7:30pm) if you want to inspect different telescopes and other visual equipment on the field. Have a cosmic question? One of our astronomers will be happy to help you. After sunset be prepared to enjoy the wonders of the night sky!

Feel free to walk around and enjoy the different telescopes on display but please ask the owner before using. Please monitor your children if they’re around expensive astronomical equipment. Remember, telescope mirrors are sensitive to cigarette smoke and bug spray. Pets should not be brought onto the observing field as well (unless they are service animals).

Don’t forget to dress warmly! Please check the weather forecast. For lighting, cover a flashlight in red cellophane (the darker the better). Bring along water to keep hydrated and plan on staying the entire evening or as long as the weather allows. If you’re arriving after dark, please dim your vehicle’s headlights as you approach the gravel parking lot.

Note: This outdoor event is weather-dependent and may be cancelled because of significant cloud cover or precipitation.

Please read the C.M. Crockett Page for park details.

 

Sky Meadows State Park- Astronomy for Everyone @ Sky Meadows State Park
Sep 4 @ 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Sky Meadows State Park- Astronomy for Everyone @ Sky Meadows State Park

RSVP here.

NOVAC supports this event by providing telescope views to visitors.

  • Sky Meadows State Park (11012 Edmonds Ln.), behind the Mount Bleak House within the white fence.
  • For individuals who are fully vaccinated face coverings and social distancing are no longer required but recommended. Individuals who are not yet fully vaccinated will be asked to continue face covering and social distancing procedures.

Please visit the official website for more details.

Sep
11
Sat
2021
Great Meadow Public Night @ Great Meadow
Sep 11 @ 7:30 pm – 11:00 pm

RSVP here.

Members of the public are invited to view the wonders of the universe through the telescopes of NOVAC volunteers. You do not need to be a member of the club or own any astronomical equipment to attend.

Arrive before sunset (7:22pm) to inspect different telescopes and other visual equipment on the field. Have a cosmic question? One of our astronomers will be happy to help you. After sunset be prepared to enjoy the wonders of the night sky!

For lighting, cover a flashlight in red cellophane (the darker the better). Bring along water to keep hydrated and plan on staying the entire evening or as long as the weather allows. Feel free to walk around and the different telescopes on display but please ask the owner before using. Please monitor your children around expensive astronomical equipment. Remember, telescope mirrors are sensitive to cigarette smoke and bug spray. Finally, pets should not be brought onto the observing field unless they are service animals.

Note: This event is weather-dependent and may be cancelled because of significant cloud cover or precipitation.

 

See front page of NOVAC Site for changes to event. More information about Great Meadow including directions and parking visit the Great Meadow Site page.

Widewater State Park Stargazing Event @ Widewater State Park
Sep 11 @ 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Widewater State Park Stargazing Event @ Widewater State Park

RSVP Here.

Widewater State Park and NOVAC will be co-hosting a stargazing event that’s open to the public.  NOVAC members will provide telescopes to view objects in the night sky. You do not need to be a member of the club or own any astronomical equipment to attend.

Featured objects will include the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, star clusters, and nebulae.

For individuals who are fully vaccinated, face coverings and social distancing are not required. Individuals who are not yet fully vaccinated should continue face covering and social distancing procedures.

This outdoor event is weather-dependent. In the event of significant cloud cover or inclement weather, a presentation in the Visitor Center will replace the stargazing event (topic TBD).

For more information, please visit Widewater State Park’s website.

Sep
12
Sun
2021
Public Monthly Meeting – Astronomy with X-rays: How, Where, and Most Importantly Why? @ Online via Google Meet
Sep 12 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Public Monthly Meeting - Astronomy with X-rays: How, Where, and Most Importantly Why? @ Online via Google Meet

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 Scorpius they called Sco X-1. Generating X-rays requires energetic processes – big explosions, strong gravitational fields, and collisions of fast or even relativistic particles. Observing them thus reveals just what’s going on in these exciting regions of space.  We can also take advantage of the penetrative properties of X-rays – just as we do to look at a broken bone here on Earth – to study material between the source and us as the X-rays are absorbed and scattered by gas and dust. Since 1962 the field has exploded, with a range of new detectors as well as techniques to make high-quality X-ray “mirrors.” This talk will be a survey of the field, highlighting important discoveries as well as the instrumentation required, as well as discussing where we’re going next.

Bio:

An astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Randall Smith primarily works in high-energy astrophysics. He is involved with multiple X-ray observatories, both current and planned; his personal research focuses on the interstellar medium and on maintaining an atomic database that is used throughout the field to model the spectra of hot collisional plasmas. He earned his PhD in 1997 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, working with the Space Physics group and advisor, Dr. Don Cox.

Oct
2
Sat
2021
Cancelled- Great Meadow Public Night @ Great Meadow
Oct 2 @ 6:30 pm – 11:00 pm

RSVP here.

Members of the public are invited to view the wonders of the universe through the telescopes of NOVAC volunteers. You do not need to be a member of the club or own any astronomical equipment to attend.

Arrive before sunset (6:47pm) to inspect different telescopes and other visual equipment on the field. Have a cosmic question? One of our astronomers will be happy to help you. After sunset be prepared to enjoy the wonders of the night sky!

For lighting, cover a flashlight in red cellophane (the darker the better). Bring along water to keep hydrated and plan on staying the entire evening or as long as the weather allows. Feel free to walk around and the different telescopes on display but please ask the owner before using. Please monitor your children around expensive astronomical equipment. Remember, telescope mirrors are sensitive to cigarette smoke and bug spray. Finally, pets should not be brought onto the observing field unless they are service animals.

Note: This event is weather-dependent and may be cancelled because of significant cloud cover or precipitation.

 

See front page of NOVAC Site for changes to event. More information about Great Meadow including directions and parking visit the Great Meadow Site page.