The APL Astronomy Club’s Friends & Family Star Party will be held on Thursday, October 30th, at 7pm until 9pm or so, depending on how things are going, how many enthusiastic people are present, etc.

Star gazing (and telescope viewing) is always dependent and contingent upon the weather. Please check back to this post as the date draws nigh to verify whether or not the star party has been cancelled due to inclimate weather (rain and clouds being the biggest impactors). We will be putting weather updates here as they are necessary, though at this point the conditions for Thursday evening look favorable for us (finally!). There will be no rain date.

APLers and their friends and families are all invited to attend. Club members will have several telescopes out for your viewing pleasure, but feel free to bring your own optics if you have them – the more, the merrier!

PLEASE: NO FLASHLIGHTS! (red light or red celophane covered flashlights would be perfectly fine, though) Also, turn the screen brightness *down* on personal electronics.

Where: On the lawn by the Big Dish, outside the security fence, on the west side of the main campus. See map to right.

Clothing: dress as if the temperatures will be 10 degrees colder than what the weather prognosticators are calling for! (standing around looking through telescopes is not the most heat-generating activity you can do at night) Hats and hoods are most helpful in keeping warm.

Sunset: 6:09 pm EDT
End civil twilight: 7:30 pm EDT

Moonset: ~12:22am EDT Oct 31
Moon phase: First Quarter (~50% illuminated)

We are a GO for tonight! But it’s going to get cold, so be sure to dress for 30-degree temperatures!

The APL Astronomy Club’s Spring Friends & Family Star Party will be held Friday, April 27th, starting at 8:00 pm (club telescope set up starts at 7:30). Check for a Weather Status Update at this web site on April 27th in the afternoon.

APLers and their friends and families are invited. Club members will have several telescopes out for your viewing pleasure. Bring your own optics if you have ’em – the more, the merrier! NO FLASHLIGHTS

Where: on the lawn next to the Big Dish on the West side of the Main Campus, outside the perimeter fence.

Dress for temperatures at least 10 degrees colder than predicted.

Park near the turnstile entrance by building 21, or near the building 23 lobby entrance.

Sun: sunset 8 pm EDT; end of civil twilight about 8:30 pm.

Moon: waxing crescent, 6.5 days old (reaches 1st quarter the morning of Apr. 29)

Venus: waning crescent (lighted disk similar to Moon’s), 38 degrees elevation at 8 pm EDT, visual magnitude -4.5.

Mars: past opposition, apparent diameter ~10 arc-seconds, 58 degrees altitude at 8 pm EDT, visual magnitude -0.1.

Saturn: rising in the East before sunset, reaches an altitude of 25 degrees by 9 pm EDT (01:00 UT); apparent diameter of rings ~43 arc-seconds, visual magnitude 0.3.

Jupiter: sets about an hour after the sun.

Uranus, Neptune, Pluto: in the early morning sky, not visible in the evening.

Orion nebula (but it will set early), M44 star cluster, associated star clusters in Auriga, various double stars.

The weather forcast is for clear skies.  We are GO for the star party 🙂   See you there!

The APL Astronomy Club’s fall Friends & Family Star Party will be held November 4th, starting at 6:30 pm (club telescope set up starts at 6).  Check for a Weather Status Update at this web site on Nov. 4 in the afternoon.  NO FLASHLIGHTS.

APLers and their friends and families are invited.  Club members will have several telescopes out for your viewing pleasure.  Bring your own optics if you have ’em – the more, the merrier!

Where: on the lawn next to the Big Dish on the West side of the Main Campus, outside the perimeter fence.

Dress for temperatures at least 10 degrees colder than predicted.  NO FLASHLIGHTS.

Park near the turnstyle entrance by building 21, or near the building 23 lobby entrance.

Sun:  sunset at 6:05 pm; end civil twilight at 6:32 pm.

Moon:  waxing gibbous (69%), transit at 8:47 pm EDT.

Jupiter: rises 5:41 pm, 32 degrees altitude by 8:30, transits just after midnight, visual magnitude about -3.

Neptune: 11 degrees from the Moon (west and below), about 8th magnitude, transit at 8pm at about 38 degrees altitude.

Uranus: 23 degrees from the Moon (east), about 6th magnitude; at 8pm at altitude 40d, azimuth 135d; transit is at 10 pm.

Bright double stars:  Albireo in Cygnus; eta Lyrae (the double-double).

Nebulae at 8pm: M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) ENE at 57d altitude.  M13 (globular cluster) WNW at 29d altitude.  M57 (Ring Nebula) W at 52d altitude.  M45 (the Pleiades) just rising in the East at 15d altitude.