Sixteen (Standard) Candles

Last night I joined three fellow astronomers at Grundland Astronomy Park (The "GAP") to celebrate the 16th anniversary of our local amateur group, the VPAS. Present were "Bird", Bill, Paul and myself. Chilly but quite clear out, we enjoyed the view of rising Winter constellations, the waxing crescent Moon, and a few meteors while drinking hot cocoa and reminiscing over the many observing sessions and meetings we've enjoyed over the years, and exchanging  favorite stories about nights spent battling biting cold, heat, dew and wetlands mosquitoes.

The GAP is located near the Chesapeake Bay shore of Hampton, and has surprisingly dark skies (at least overhead and to the north and east) for lying so close to the Peninsula's major population centers. The small observatory dome is built atop a 1960s-era Nike Hercules missile site, and we set up our telescopes on the road that parallels the grown-over concrete doors that once concealed those Cold War projectiles. The property is owned by Hampton Parks and Recreation Dept, who kindly allow us nearly unlimited access for our frequent observing sessions.

About VPAS: despite its rather clumsy acronym the Virginia Peninsula Astronomy/Stargazers is an elegant organization. No dues, no officers, no parliamentary procedures; we're just a group of amateur astronomers (437 at last count) who enjoy getting together to enjoy the skies and share its fascination with the public. We like to keep things simple--most of our communication is done through our Yahoo Group (below), and we have contact with several state and local park authorities. Our informality is, I think, our strong suit; we attract dedicated observers and beginner stargazers alike with an open, friendly and uncomplicated approach.

And we keep busy. A typical month will include a meeting at a local school or planetarium, two or three observing sessions at the GAP or at York River State Park near Williamsburg, helping-out with the monthly Virginia Living Museum (VLM) star party and working with local Scout troops on merit-badge requirements.


Back to last night: as Orion approached the meridian and Leo clawed free of the eastern horizon our little gathering began to break up. Tales of star parties and moved-on observing companions came to an end as we began to gather equipment and folding chairs; telescopes were stowed and the area policed of litter.
The GAP gate locked behind us, we said our goodbyes and started for our respective homes.

I've been a member of VPAS since late 2002. Over the many years of my association with astronomy I've been a member of several clubs and societies but I find this informal outfit to be a pretty perfect fit. I look forward to many more sessions on the old missile site, many more nights spent under these very friendly and
social skies.




The VPAS Yahoo Group:   https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/vpas/info

"Ground Control to Major Tom"...

A few days ago I was privvy to something of a "sneak preview" at the Virginia Living Museum (VLM); an up-close-and-personal look at an actual NASA Mercury Astronaut Space Suit which the team there has been "conserving" for quite a while. This is probably one of the original seven astronauts' training suits and so never flew, but still I must confess to a certain visceral thrill at being able to examine--and briefly even touch--such a relic of our first days in space!

The Mercury suit is meeting the public for the first time today during the VLM's "Noon Years Eve" celebration (1100-1300), and is expected to go on general display next year (2018). I'll certainly be visiting this important piece of our space legacy in the future, but nothng can beat the experience of shaking "hands" with history.

f-stop: Super Moon Setting, 3 Dec 2017

f-stop: Space/Ship

The Tanker's Mainmast--And An Extraterrestrial Visitor (to the right)

A few hours ago as twilight faded to dark, I stepped out onto the starboard bridge wing--and my attention was immediately captured by a brilliant point of steady light rising out of the southwest. Given that stars and planets--let alone the Sun and Moon--tend to rise in the east, it seemed a pretty good bet that this Venus-bright object was an artificial satellite, pursuing its orbital path around Earth.

After a minute of watching it rise from beyond the low stratus cloud-layer I was sure that I was seeing the International Space Station (ISS)--a fact that I confirmed a few minutes later online--and hurried back into the chart house to collect my camera.  A little quick fiddling with manual settings, and I got back outside as the longest extant outpost of humanity in the heavens passed over the mainmast as seen from the 'wing.

I consider this photo--rushed as it was, and taken from a moving deck as well--to be a pretty successful off-the-cuff venture. I'll have to keep an eye out for future passages of the ISS--and have camera and tripod ready!

(Want to know when the next passage of the ISS is visible from YOUR bridge wing? Check out "Heavens Above" for satellite tracking information and much more!   http://www.heavens-above.com/  )

Doing Domes

The 20-inch Refractor at the Chabot Center

Regular readers (or anyone who knows me) will confirm that I love visiting Space Places; observatories, planetaria, museums featuring space themes, etc, etc. Its been a fairly consistent theme in my life--if it has anything to do with astronomy, space travel or related subjects I just can't walk past without a look-see.

Up til now this obsession has been pursued in a random, careless fashion. Ill stop by a planetarium in a city I happen to be visiting or an observatory that my route takes me near. This is how I visited the Chabot Center and Palomar in California, Kitt Peak in Arizona and Cranbrook Institute in Michigan.  Its also how Lucy and I came to Green Bank just last month. I’ve been to quite a few Space Places in the course of a lifetime of fascination with the skies and what we can experience of them, but not in any kind of organized manner.

This changes now.

Beginning today, I'm upping my game. From here on out, my intention is to conduct a more focused program, seeking-out and checking-out those great telescopes in their secluded domes, those all-sky projectors, those launch sites and support facilities amenable to visitation.

If a planetarium lies in a town a am visiting, I will make every effort to get there. If an observatory can be reached with a realistic side-trip off the Interstate, Ill give it my best shot. And if a space-related historic site is anywhere near—then I’m there as well.

It’s a quest, you see. Ill never be able to visit all the domes, climb all the mountains, travel to all of the sites where big rockets roar aloft, but I can try.  It should be a lot of fun.

f-stop: Sunset Colors Over Hampton Roads

Last night Lucy picked me up at the base; as I walked toward her car I was struck by the deep colors and rays of twilight.  It really DOES pay to carry an actual camera around, non?

Watch a star disappear this Sunday night (05NOV)

Looking for a good show on Sunday evening? Well, the bright star Aldebaran will be occulted

(“eclipsed”) by the Moon, and it’s worth making the effort to watch.  Viewing from eastern Virginia

area the actual disappearance can be seen at +/-0056Z (1956 Local) {check online for local times

if you’re not in Va.}, but it’s best to start checking it out periodically up to an hour beforehand.

An hour before the event the Moon will still be a considerable distance from the star, so if you go

out and look every few minutes after that you’ll be able to actually SEE the orbital motion

of the Moon as it closes-in on Aldebaran.  About ten minutes before the occultation is a good

time to begin watching closely as the separation between Moon and star shrinks to nothing…and

then the star winks out!  Can you catch the exact moment when Aldebaran disappears?

Tip for watching: The Moon will be low in the east, but still pretty bright.  The glare may tend

to drown-out Aldebaran’s orange-ish light.  Use a telescope or a pair of binoculars, focus on

the star and follow it, keeping most of the bright Moon out of the field-of-view except for the

edge (“limb”) creeping in from the upper right.

Watching the disappearance of a bright star in occultation is pretty easy…star and Moon seem to

move together until…lights out!  If you want a REAL challenge, try watching for Aldebaran’s

REAPPEARANCE, when the distant sun seems to wink back into existence!

Here’s a good link for more information about this semi-rare event…

https://www.space.com/16149-night-sky.html

Questions? Drop me a note at navalgamer@afgimail.com  If you DO go out to watch this event

I’d like to hear your comments and observations--I am always up for a conversation on the subject

of star-gazing!