The NOVAC newsletter is currently on hiatus, but we present this archive as a look back at the club’s history.
On the occasion of NOVAC’s 25th anniversary, member Ed Seward collected and scanned nearly every issue of the club’s newsletter. Issues from #6 onward may be found in this archive. We are still seeking pictures, stories, and (of course) the elusive newsletters #1 through #5 for the historical archive. Please email us if you have material you’d like to contribute.
Newsletters and brief content descriptions can be found below. In addition to the features listed below, most issues contain meeting summaries as well as an overview of the night sky at the time of the newsletter’s publication. Many thanks to Ed for making this part of NOVAC’s history so easily accessible!
Presented to the right is a history of the NOVAC Newsletter’s masthead.
| Issue | Description |
| 006: 10/1985 | Call for NOVAC constitution, observing in the Canadian Rockies, Halley’s Comet, polar alignment |
| 007: 01/1986 | Halley’s Comet, comet photography, financial update, constitution |
| 008: 04/1986 | Challenger, Comet Halley observing, Burke Lake telescope meet, observing double stars with a small refractor, precision focusing for prime focus astrophotography, financial update |
| 009: 06/1986 | Burke Lake telescope meet |
| 010: 08/1986 | Report on Burke Lake telescope meet, Uranus and NeptuneNOVAC |
| 011: 10/1986 | Caribbean observing report, partial solar eclipse, observing the sun, Zurich relative spot number |
| 012: 01/1987 | Club officers, Winter clothing, comparing telescopes, Canaan Valley observing report |
| 013: 03/1987 | constitution amendments, Burke Lake Telescope Meet, astrophotography |
| 014: 05/1987 | Burke Lake Telescope Meet, new observing site, polar alignment, image processing |
| 015: 09/1987 | Fauquier Astronomical Society merger, BLTM report |
| 016: 11/1987 | rapid polar alignment technique, I434 & B33, Arlington planetarium, NOVAC BBS |
| 017: 01/1988 | 1987 review, Filters |
| 018: 05/1988 | Reporting new findings, USNO call for help, Nostradamus and earthquake prediction (!), observing report |
| 019: 08/1988 | telescope meet at Crockett, club calendar |
| 020: 10/1988 | reflections on Stellafane, Northern Virginia telescope meet report, dark skies talk |
| 021: 12/1988 | beginners’ observing tutorial, cold weather observing tips, Mars observations, Big Meadows report, resolving planetary detail |
| 022: 02/1989 | reflections on NOVAC history, NOVAC constitution, computerized telescopes, eyepieces |
| 023: 04/1989 | Local events, Great Red Spot observing, telescope cleaning |
| 024: 06/1989 | Perfect observing night, star party etiquette, mail-order safety, best NGC objects |
| 025: 08/1989 | Why join an astronomy club?, Sky Designs 14.5″ telescope, solar filters |
| 026: 10/1989 | Manual of Celestial Photography review, 1991 solar eclipse, Stellafane, lunar eclipse observations |
| 026b: 12/1989 | NOVAC business |
| 027: 01/1990 | YaleView bright star query system, Comet Austin, membership directory |
| 028: 03/1990 | Comet Austin, Mauna Kea observing |
| 029: 05/1990 | Florida star party report, Comet Austin reports |
| 030: 07/1990 | The Changing Face of Jupiter, NOVAC radiotelescope, astrophotography report |
| 031: 09/1990 | off-axis masking, Stellafane report |
| 032: 11/1990 | telescope meet report |
| 033: 01/1991 | Building a “Pocket Scope”, Mars, Jupiter |
| 034: 03/1991 | CRRES satellite chemical releases, new features on Jupiter |
| 035: 05/1991 | mini Messier marathon report, membership directory |
| 036: 07/1991 | mini Messier marathon report part 2, Rediscovering the Moon |
| 037: 09/1991 | mini Messier marathon report part 3, Rediscovering the Moon part 2, scratched mirror report, solar eclipse reports, Stellafane report |
| 038: 11/1991 | Rediscovering the Moon part 3, conjunction of Jupiter, Mercury, and Regulus, telescope meet report |
| 039: 01/1992 | Memorable 1991 events, telescope meet survey results, NOVAC bylaws |
| 040: 03/1992 | Rediscovering the Moon part 4, How Do You Learn All This Stuff? |
| 041: 05/1992 | NOVAC business, meeting reports |
| 042: 07/1992 | eclipse report, membership directory |
| 043: 09/1992 | Double stars, Perseids from Colorado, Herschel and Life on the Moon |
| 044: 11/1992 | telescope meet report, observing from an aircraft carrier |
| 045: 01/1993 | Galileo not guilty, Mauna Kea, combat astronomy, backyard Mars imaging |
| 046: 03/1993 | Pacific Northwest observing report, The Recreational Astronomer, Messier Marathon, Swift-Tuttle |
| 047: 05/1993 | Venus occultation, Coma Berenices, Evolution of an Astronomy Club, Odyssey 13.5″ telescope rebuilt |
| 048: 07/1993 | Perseids, evaluating Dobsonian telescopes, more on the Odyssey 13.5″ telescope |
| 049: 09/1993 | Perseids report, JPL weekend, memories of Mount Wilson, star-hopping |
| 050: 11/1993 | Planet positions using Ptomely’s Epicyclic Models, Family Astronomy, Saturn 1993, light pollution |
| 051: 01/1994 | NOVAC BBS, 1993 Geminids report, Foul-weather Astronomy, Light pollution education, 1993 highlights |
| 052: 03/1994 | Binocular observing, Perseids report, CCD imaging |
| 053: 05/1994 | Star-hopping with binoculars, lunar eclipse photography report, CCD imaging, Shoemaker-Levy 9 |
| 054: 07/1994 | Solar and lunar eclipse reports, membership directory |
| 055: 09/1994 | Shoemaker-Levy 9, Deep-Sky Observing, Perseids report from Colorado, binocular star-hopping |
| 056: 11/1994 | Buying a Telescope, cold-weather observing |
| 057: 01/1995 | Eclipse viewing from Chile, NOVAC membership survey, Ptolemy’s Star Catalog |
| 058: 03/1995 | Eyepieces overview |
| 059: 05/1995 | Observing with an Astroscan, light pollution, observing logs, weather and amateur astronomy |
| 060: 07/1995 | How to Find It, observing reports, weather and amateur astronomy part 2, talking with neighbors about light pollution |
| 061: 09/1995 | Project Orion, Coulter 10″ Dobsonian, Stellafane 1995 |
| 062: 11/1995 | Family astronomy, Galileo at Jupiter, Coulter 10″ Dobsonian |
| 063: 01/1996 | Using a Telrad, Sidereal time from a planisphere |
| 064: 03/1996 | Comet Hyakutake, NOVAC email list, Winter Star Party report |
| 065: 05/1996 | Comet Hyakutake reports, Comet Hale-Bopp predictions, Eclipse Expedition |
| 066: 07/1996 | NOVAC picnic, Savage observing site notes |
| 067: 09/1996 | Amateur telescope making, Oregon Star Party, membership directory |
| 068: 11/1996 | Dark Skies at Cabin John (WV), Through Beginner’s Eyes, Hidden Hollow ’96, Stellafane |
| 069: 01/1997 | Comet Hale-Bopp, Cold Weather Observing, observing Mars, Mars meteorite studies, Astronomical League |
| 070: 03/1997 | Confessions of a Night Sky Novice, Finishing the Homemade 7″, Comet Hale-Bopp |
| 071: 05/1997 | Comet Hale-Bopp, Orion 80mm Refractor Review, NOVAC and the Astronomical League, Winter Star Party, NOVAC’s Email List |
| 072: 07/1997 | Comet Hale-Bopp, Winter Star Party |
| 073: 09/1997 | Observing for the Visually Impaired, Perseids report from Wyoming, Occultation of Saturn, membership directory |
| 074: 11/1997 | Fan Mountain Open House, Messier Hunting, Perseids from Wyoming |
| 075: 01/1998 | Cloudy Night Astronomy, Cold Weather Observing, Amateur Astronomy Magazine |
| 076: 03/1998 | Oregon Star Party 1997, 6″ homebuilt telescope, Eyepiece storage from detergent caps, For Young Astronomers, Light Pollution Workshop, Starting Right in Astronomy, Montgomery County observing report |
| 077: 05/1998 | NOVAC CCD project, observing in Montgomery County, Binoculars for Astronomy, Eclipse reports, Getting a Bang out of the Mooon (For Young Astronomers) |
| 078: 07/1998 | Observing in Arizona, Crockett observing report, A Swan in a Milky River (For Young Astronomers) |
| 079: 09/1998 | Rescuing Andromeda (For Young Astronomers), Star Hill Inn (NM) report, Star-hopping, Stellafane, membership directory |
| 080: 11/1998 | Feeling Your Way around the Sky, 1998 Oregon Star Party, Two Great Rivers in the Amazon, Stellafane, A Train, a Rainbow, and a Big Bang (For Young Astronomers) |
| 081: 01/1999 | NOVA Star Party report, Leonids 1998, Mickey Gordon Park |
| 082: 03/1999 | Boosting Performance of a ShortTube 80, Urban Observing, Fixing Aristotle’s Big Mistake with Your Thumb (For Young Astronomers) |
| 083: 05/1999 | An Amateur Visual Survey of the Heavens, Light Pollution SIG, Hunting for Bears (For Young Astronomers), Observing reports, Astronomy Day |
| 084: 07/1999 | NOVAC moves to GMU, Mars observing, Here Comes the Sun (For Young Astronomers) |
| 085: 09/1999 | Mapping light pollution, Outreach, Intes MK66 Mak-Cassegrain, A Hands-On Approach for Young Students, Eclipse (For Young Astronomers), membership directory |
| 086: 11/1999 | Observing reports, Table Mountain Star Party, Scaling the Mighty Universe (For Young Astronomers) |
| 087: 01/2000 | Savage observing report, In Search of Planet Vulcan (book review) |
| 088: 03/2000 | Observing reports, club business |
| 089: 05/2000 | Observing from Big Meadows, VDOT Lighting |
| 090: 07/2000 | Uranus/Neptune/Pluto, A Visit to the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Exit pupil derivation, Spruce Knob |
| 091: 09/2000 | Stellafane, NOVA Star Party, Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers, Field of View |
| 092: 11/2000 | QuickCam Astronomy, NOVA Star Party report, Starting Out Right, Lunar astrophotography, Loop-Antenna atmospheric noise detector |
| 093: 01/2001 | Ironman Cold Weather Observing Tips, Starting Out Right, How I Got Into Astronomy, membership directory |
| 094: 03/2001 | Virginia Outdoor Lighting Taskforce, Starting Out Right, Messier Marathon |
| 095: 05/2001 | Telescope Building, Starting Out Right, Mirror Making, 16″ NOVAC telescope, Messier Marathon report |
| 096: 07/2001 | Observing from Australia, Starting Out Right, Making a Travel Scope |
| 097: 09/2001 | Eclipse Trip Report, Purchasing a Telescope, How I Got Into Astronomy |
| 098: 11/2001 | Table Mountain Star Party, “Neglected” Doubles, membership directory |
| 099: 01/2002 | Hunting for Difficult Objects, 2001 Leonids from Australia |
| 100: 03/2002 | Observing sites |
| 101: 05/2002 | Powers mirror progress, FCPS planetarium program, The Chromatics, Camp Highroad |
| 102: 07/2002 | Astronomical League’s Urban List, Sound Advice for the Novice Astronomer |
| 103: 09/2002 | Stellafane, Mirror Cell Adventure |
| 104: 11/2002 | Nebula filters, cold weather observing |
| 105: 01/2003 | 1966 Leonid meteor storm, robotic observatory, monthly observing sessions |
| 106: 03/2003 | Inaugural MOS report, NOVAC outreach |
| 107: 05/2003 | Mars, barn-door mount photography in Australia, Fairfax County outdoor lighting ordinance |
| 108: 07/2003 | Light pollution |
| 109: 09/2003 | Adventures in Mirror Making, Roboscope update, star parties |
| 110: 11/2003 | Building a Suitcase Observatory, monthly observing sessions, suburban observing from Potomac |
| 111: 01/2004 | Polar alignment in depth, cosmic distances |
| 112: 03/2004 | Beyond Foucault’s Pendulum, images |
| 113: 05/2004 | Volunteering in NOVAC, Voyager, Astronomy Day |
| 114: 07/2004 | Deep Space Network, Cassini |
| 116: 11/2004 | Comet Memories, Gravitational Waves |
| 03/2013 | Arps, Messier Marathons, and the Winter Star Party |
| 06/2013 | Reflection and Emission, Astronomy Day 2013, and Celebrating the Life of Byron Bergert |
| 09/2013 | AHSP 2013, Dark Energy and Dark Matter, Exploding Stars, and Making Mirrors |
| 12/2013 | Star Gaze 2013, Solar System Volcanoes, and the EzCBP Equatorial Platform |
| 03/2014 | John Dobson’s Visit with NOVAC, a Tribute to Mike Mills, and the Staunton River Star Party |
| 06/2014 | Astronomy Day 2014, the USA Science and Engineering Festival, Star Clusters, and Gravitational Lensing |
| 09/2014 | AHSP 2014, Portable Planetariums, and Cassini |
| 12/2014 | Wild Weather on WASP-43b, Uranus, and Betelgeuse |
| 03/2015 | Clear, Dark, Dry Imaging from Northern Virginia |
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