Apr
25
Sat
2020
Cancelled – Astronomy Day @ C.M. Crockett Park
Apr 25 all-day
Jun
20
Sat
2020
Astronomy Festival on the National Mall – Cancelled @ National Mall, Washington, DC
Jun 20 all-day
Astronomy Festival on the National Mall - Cancelled @ National Mall, Washington, DC

This event has been cancelled for 2020 due to COVID.

The Astronomy Festival on the National Mall is the largest annual astronomy outreach event in the United States and will take place on the National Mall between 3rd and 4th streets on Sat.  June 20, 2020.

May
15
Sat
2021
Astronomy Day @ C.M. Crockett Park
May 15 @ 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Astronomy Day @ C.M. Crockett Park

Event is confirmed! See you tonight!

RSVP here.

Join NOVAC members who will be on hand to share views of the night sky including Mars, star clusters, the Milky Way, and many other deep sky objects.

Activities during Astronomy Day will include a telescope meet and greet, solar observing, a guided sky tour, night sky observing, and other demonstrations.

Feel free to walk around and enjoy the views of objects through a variety of telescopes on the field. Please ask the owner before using a telescope. If you have young children, please watch them around expensive astronomical equipment. Remember, telescope mirrors are sensitive to cigarette smoke and bug spray. Pets should also not be brought onto the observing field.

No astronomy experience or equipment is necessary to attend. If you have your own equipment, feel free to bring them along, even if it’s just a pair of binoculars.

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. Please dim your vehicles headlights when arriving and departing.

Crockett Park charges $7 per vehicle if you’re not a Fauquier County resident. However the event itself is completely free. NOVAC members are admitted free upon presentation of a membership card (available from the members-only section of the website). If you’re not a member but would like to become one, you can join the club online and print your membership card in only a few minutes.

Note: Masks are required throughout the event. This event is also weather-dependent and may be cancelled because of significant cloud cover or precipitation.

Head over to the Astronomy Day page for more information.

May
21
Sat
2022
Astronomy Day @ C.M. Crockett Park
May 21 @ 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Astronomy Day @ C.M. Crockett Park

RSVP here.

Join NOVAC members who will be on hand to share views of the night sky.

Activities during Astronomy Day will include a telescope meet and greet, solar observing, a guided sky tour, night sky observing, and other demonstrations.

Feel free to walk around and enjoy the views of objects through a variety of telescopes on the field. Please ask the owner before using a telescope. If you have young children, please watch them around expensive astronomical equipment. Remember, telescope mirrors are sensitive to cigarette smoke and bug spray. Pets should also not be brought onto the observing field.

No astronomy experience or equipment is necessary to attend. If you have your own equipment, feel free to bring them along, even if it’s just a pair of binoculars.

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. Please dim your vehicles headlights when arriving and departing.

Crockett Park charges $7 per vehicle if you’re not a Fauquier County resident. However the event itself is completely free. NOVAC members are admitted free upon presentation of a membership card (available from the members-only section of the website). If you’re not a member but would like to become one, you can join the club online and print your membership card in only a few minutes.

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

 

Head over to the Astronomy Day page for more information.

Jun
25
Sat
2022
Astronomy Festival on the National Mall @ National Mall, Washington, DC
Jun 25 @ 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Astronomy Festival on the National Mall @ National Mall, Washington, DC

RSVP Here.

Members of the public are invited attend the largest annual astronomy outreach event in the U.S.

NOVAC will join 30 other astronomy/science organizations on the National Mall between 3rd and 4th Street to share astronomy concepts during the day and share views of the D.C. sky at night.

The festival is hosted by Hofstra University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and their Astronomy Outreach Program.

The event will be on the National Mall between 3rd and 4th Street, sandwiched between the National Museum of the Native American and the National Gallery of Art- East Building.

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

Oct
9
Sun
2022
NOVAC Public Meeting @ George Mason University, Exploratory Hall, Room 3301 or Google Meet
Oct 9 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Learn about the formation of supermassive black holes and what exciting new discoveries await us from the James Webb Telescope.  Join NOVAC and one of the leading astrophysists in this field of study, Dr. Jenny Greene, Professor of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University.

When: 10/9/22, 7:30pm EDT

Where:  Dr. Greene will present virtually.  Those interested may meet at George Mason University, Exploratory Hall, Room 3301 (arrive as early at 6:30pm).

For those wishing to join virtually here is the link:

NOVAC General Meeting
Sunday, October 9 · 7:30 – 9:00pm

Google Meet joining info

https://meet.google.com/osh-bcyd-gti

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 484-430-1468‬ PIN: ‪486 839 001‬#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/osh-bcyd-gti?pin=1354183604637

Talk Title: The birth of supermassive black holes

Abstract: Supermassive black holes are ubiquitous at the centers of massive galaxies in the universe today, but we have no idea when or how these monsters are first formed. For the first time we have the chance to catch them as babies or adolescents just hundreds of millions of years after the Big Bang, thanks to the remarkable performance of the James Webb Space Telescope. I will discuss prospects for first results in this area in the coming year.

Jenny Greene is a Professor of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University, where she has been chasing intermediate-mass black holes for more than a decade. She is also the faculty director of the Prison Teaching Initiative.

May
13
Sat
2023
Astronomy Day – CANCELED
May 13 @ 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Astronomy Day - CANCELED

RSVP here.

Join NOVAC members who will be on hand to share views of the night sky.

Activities during Astronomy Day will include a telescope meet and greet, solar observing, a guided sky tour, night sky observing, and other demonstrations.

Feel free to walk around and enjoy the views of objects through a variety of telescopes on the field. Please ask the owner before using a telescope. If you have young children, please watch them around expensive astronomical equipment. Remember, telescope mirrors are sensitive to cigarette smoke and bug spray. Pets should also not be brought onto the observing field.

No astronomy experience or equipment is necessary to attend. If you have your own equipment, feel free to bring them along, even if it’s just a pair of binoculars.

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. Please dim your vehicles headlights when arriving and departing.

Crockett Park charges $7 per vehicle if you’re not a Fauquier County resident. However the event itself is completely free. NOVAC members are admitted free upon presentation of a membership card (available from the members-only section of the website). If you’re not a member but would like to become one, you can join the club online and print your membership card in only a few minutes.

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

 

Head over to the Astronomy Day page for more information.

May
4
Sat
2024
Astronomy Day
May 4 @ 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Astronomy Day

RSVP here.

Join NOVAC members who will be on hand to share views of the night sky.

Activities during Astronomy Day will include a telescope meet and greet, solar observing, a guided sky tour, night sky observing, and other demonstrations.

Feel free to walk around and enjoy the views of objects through a variety of telescopes on the field. Please ask the owner before using a telescope. If you have young children, please watch them around expensive astronomical equipment. Remember, telescope mirrors are sensitive to cigarette smoke and bug spray. Pets should also not be brought onto the observing field.

No astronomy experience or equipment is necessary to attend. If you have your own equipment, feel free to bring them along, even if it’s just a pair of binoculars.

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. Please dim your vehicles headlights when arriving and departing.

Crockett Park charges $7 per vehicle if you’re not a Fauquier County resident. However the event itself is completely free. NOVAC members are admitted free upon presentation of a membership card (available from the members-only section of the website). If you’re not a member but would like to become one, you can join the club online and print your membership card in only a few minutes.

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

 

Head over to the Astronomy Day page for more information.

Jun
22
Sat
2024
Astronomy Festival on the National Mall @ National Mall, Washington, DC
Jun 22 @ 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Astronomy Festival on the National Mall @ National Mall, Washington, DC

Members of the public are invited attend the largest annual astronomy outreach event in the U.S.

NOVAC will join 30 other astronomy/science organizations on the National Mall between 3rd and 4th Street to share astronomy concepts during the day and share views of the D.C. sky at night.

The festival is hosted by Hofstra University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and their Astronomy Outreach Program.

The event will be on the National Mall between 7th and 9th Streets NW, in front of the Hirshhorn Museum.

Note: This outdoor event is weather-dependent and may be cancelled or moved indoors because of precipitation.