Oct
22
Wed
2014
Orionids Meteor Shower
Oct 22 all-day

This shower is made up of remnants from the famed Halley’s Comet and spans from October 2 through November 7. It will peak overnight on the 22nd with up to 20 sightings per hour. Because it is the night before the New Moon, 2014 is an excellent year to view this shower. The meteors will appear to be originating from the Orion constellation.

Nov
9
Sun
2014
Monthly Meeting @ George Mason University
Nov 9 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Dec
14
Sun
2014
Monthly Meeting @ George Mason University
Dec 14 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Our next meeting will be Sunday evening, December 14, at 7:00 pm in Research Hall Room 163 on the campus of George Mason University. Our web page, http://www.novac.com/meetings/, has directions and additional details.

We will also have light refreshments before the meeting (around 6:30 or so) to recognize all of the volunteers that served NOVAC so well during the past year.

We will elect officers for 2015 at the December meeting. Candidate nominations have been received for each position (president, VP, secretary, treasurer, three two-year trustee terms, one one-year trustee term). It’s not too late to get into the race, though; if you want to run for one of the officer or trustee positions, please self-nominate by emailing a statement of your desire to run to elections@novac.com. It’s also possible to nominate another willing volunteer; we do ask, however, that you obtain advance permission from the person(s) you want to nominate before doing so.

Our speaker this month will be Joleen Carlberg, who will speak on the topic of stellar evolution and exoplanets.
Since we are having our volunteer reception prior to the business meeting, we will NOT meet for the informal pre-meeting dinner at Brion’s this month. Plan to come out and celebrate our volunteers instead!

We look forward to seeing you Sunday evening!

 

 

 

 

Dec
22
Mon
2014
Ursids Meteor Shower
Dec 22 all-day

The last meteor shower of the year will span from the 17th through the 25th, though it will peak overnight on the 22nd with about 10 sightings per hour. Because the shower’s peak coincides with the new moon, it should be a great time to view the meteors and close up a fantastic year of skywatching. These meteors will appear to originate from the Ursa Minor constellation.

Jan
3
Sun
2016
Quadrantids Meteor Shower
Jan 3 all-day

The Quadrantids meteor shower can yield as many as 40 meteors per hour, radiating from the constellation Bootes. Visibility will be reduced on account of a bright second quarter Moon, but you may be able to spot a few during the night… Begin the new year by looking up!

Mar
8
Tue
2016
Jupiter at Opposition
Mar 8 all-day

Jupiter is sure to delight all who view it, from professional observatories to amateurs with handheld binoculars. Make sure to check out its four Galilean moons and see if you can make out colorful cloud bands or the Great Red Spot. If you’ve ever considered dabbling in planetary imaging, tonight (adjacent to a dark new moon) would be the perfect night to start!

May
6
Fri
2016
Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower
May 6 all-day

Smack dab on the new moon, this promises to be nice dark viewing. These shooting stars are composed of the remnants of Comet Halley. Meteors—up to 30 per hour in the Northern Hemisphere and 60 per hour in the Southern—will appear to radiate from Aquarius.

Jan
3
Tue
2017
Quadrantids Meteor Shower
Jan 3 all-day

The Quadrantids meteor shower can yield as many as 40 meteors per hour, radiating from the constellation Bootes. It peaks this year on the night of the 3rd and morning of the 4th. The first quarter moon will set shortly after midnight leaving fairly dark skies for what could be a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Begin the new year by looking up!

Nov
17
Fri
2017
Leonids Meteor Shower
Nov 17 all-day

The Leonids is an average shower, producing up to 15 meteors per hour at its peak. This shower is unique in that it has a cyclonic peak about every 33 years where hundreds of meteors per hour can be seen. That last of these occurred in 2001. The Leonids is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tempel-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1865. The shower runs annually from November 6-30. It peaks this year on the night of the 17th and morning of the 18th. The nearly new moon will not be a problem this year. Skies should be dark enough for what should be good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Leo, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

Jan
3
Wed
2018
Quadrantids Meteor Shower
Jan 3 – Jan 4 all-day

The Quadrantids meteor shower can yield as many as 40 meteors per hour, radiating from the constellation Bootes. It peaks this year on the night of the 3rd and morning of the 4th. Bummer though: this will occur during a nearly full moon, so all but the brightest meteors will be washed out. Still, looking up at the sky isn’t a bad way to start the new year!