Many times, we are at the telescope waiting for the sky to get darker. The Sun had set about a half hour to go, but with light pollution the sky is still not dark enough for targets to come out. Are you in your yard with family waiting to share your hobby with them? Or, are you on the Riverwalk supporting NAA’s outreach to the community? Wherever you may be, the wait for a target makes you nervous as expecting faces, whether friend, family, or visitor to your telescope, are staring at you to show them an out-of-this-world object.
Interested in learning what you can find in the twilight, when the moon or bright planets are not in view? The choice is easy, come to this month’s Fundamentals, where long-time member and outreach veteran Rick Gering will show you how to use a pair of binoculars, an app like Sky Safari, your telescope’s optical finder, and a little advance planning to find “wow” targets while the sky is still in twilight. Our September Fundamentals Program will be held on September 16th at 7:30 pm, at the Naperville Municipal Center, located in downtown Naperville, at Aurora Ave. & Eagle St. The location is downstairs, in Meeting Room B. The public is welcome to attend, free of charge.
Astronomy Fundamentals: What We Can Learn from Impact Craters
Impact craters can be found throughout the solar system. NASA scientists use impact craters and volcanic activity to learn about the process throughout the solar system. By studying craters on Earth, scientists gain knowledge of volcanic landform formation and...
Exoplanet Atmospheres and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Exoplanets orbit distant stars many lightyears away. The name comes from extrasolarplanets, which are planets orbiting outside of oursolar system. To date, astronomers have found over5,600 exoplanets. The method resulting in the mostdiscoveries is the Transit Method....
March ’25 – Rick’s Picks
Transient Events That Can Give Us a Good Enough Reason to Get Outside and Do a Little ObservingAll month: the evening sky becomes less dramatic this month, as Saturn and Neptune spend the entire month hidden in the Sun’s glare, reaching solar conjunction on March 12...
Europa Clipper: NASA Investigates an Icy Ocean
Europa, one of Jupiter's four biggest moons, appears to harbor a liquid ocean not far beneath its bright, icy surface. Is there life there? NASA plans to fly the Europa Clipper spacecraft to orbit Jupiter and, making frequent flybys of Europa, will study the...