Celestial events have long been associated as harbingers of doom. In the past, comet sightings were associated with change or seen as a bad omen. Today, we know that comets are left over from the formation of our solar system. Short period comets that have orbits less than 200 years originate from the Kuiper Belt, just outside of Neptune. Long period comets, which may come around once every thousands to millions of years originate from the Oort Cloud, 100 A.U. from the Sun. Recent sample missions have found that materials in these comets are similar to material found in the inner solar system but have been preserved in these frozen objects from the outer fringes of our solar system. (Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine) NAA member and veteran observer, Ron Ziss, will review current comets that may be observed and highlight the “devil comet” 12P/ Pons-Brooks, which may also be visible during the eclipse on April 8, 2024. Comets are exciting objects to view, but it may take practice to learn to “star hop” to locate them. If you are looking to add comet observing to your routine, or are simply interested in comets, you may want to check out Ron’s April fundamentals presentation. Our April Fundamentals Program will be held on April 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.
Focal Plane November ’24 – Searching for Gravitational Waves from Supermassive Black Hole Mergers
The October 3, 2024 NASA Universe of Learning featured discussion on gravity. One of the topics covered was searching for gravitational waves from supermassive black hole mergers. Chiara Mingarelli, PhD - assistant professor of Physics at Yale University,...
Astronomy Fundamentals – Choosing a Telescope – Things to Consider
For many new comers to the hobby, the biggest question asked is what kind of telescope should I buy? Whether it is parents nurturing their child’s curiosity, or an adult that wants to enjoy the night sky. Of course, the hobby can be enjoyed without telescopes, and...
November ’24 Focal Plane – Discovering the Stars
For millennia, humanity has looked up at countless tiny points of light in our night sky – and wondered. What are the stars, and how did they get there? How far away are they, how big are they, why do they shine? In the last few centuries, astronomers have learned a...
November’24 – Rick’s Picks
Transient Events That Can Give Us a Good Enough Reason to Get Outside and Do a Little ObservingAll month: After favoring the morning sky for much of the year, the planets’ transformation into evening targets is nearly complete as November opens, and unmistakable by...