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.
october ’24 – Rick’s picks
Transient Events That Can Give Us a Good Enough Reason to Get Outside and Do a Little ObservingAll month: the solar system becomes a little more balanced this month, as Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus continue to light up the predawn sky even as they move inexorably into...
August 2024 Focal Plane Wormholes, Spacewarps, and Tunnels to Otherwheres
At one time, some of Einstein’s theories of space-time and general relativity have exotic subjects within the solutions of the equations, such as wormholes. Einstein theory of space-time and general relativity has been tested many times and each test has raven the...
Astronomy Fundamentals: Finding Good Targets in Twilight
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?...
September ’24 – Rick’s picks
Transient Events That Can Give Us a Good Enough Reason to Get Outside and Do a Little Observing All month: the planets’ repopulation of the evening sky continues its slow advance this month, while the pre-dawn sky now begins to lose its solar system lineup. Venus sets...