2017

Globe at Night and Earth Hour: two causes with a common goal

On Saturday, March 25, join hundreds of millions of people around the world and turn off your lights for one hour to show your commitment to the planet, the starry night sky and our collective fight against climate change and light pollution. Participate in Globe at Night before, during and after Earth Hour (Saturday, March 25, 8:30-9:30pm local time). There’s never been a more timely and important moment for the world to stand in solidarity for the protection of our planet and the starry sky above. To learn more, visit globeatnight.org & earthhour.org.

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Master Observer Network

Are you a Master Observer?  Have you signed up for the Master Observer Network yet?  If not…  Now is the time to join with your fellow Master Observers.  This is an email list server that anyone can use to ask an astronomical question.  The questions then go out to those on the list.  We Master Observers have a wealth of experience-based knowledge and this is an opportunity to let others benefit from that knowledge.  People only see your email if you choose to respond.  If you are willing, we would like to have all of our Master Observers on the list.  Please send a note to the keeper of the list, Aaron Clevenson, at aaron@clevenson.org.  Be sure to say you want to be on the Master Observer List, and include your Master Observer number.  Thanks and welcome to the community.

The Astronomical League’s Horkheimer Youth Service Awards 2017 — Nominate Now!

Wouldn’t it be great to be young again and to be entering amateur astronomy! Now is the time to nominate qualified young people for the Astronomical League’s Horkheimer Youth Service Awards for 2017: Horkheimer/Smith and Horkheimer D’Auria Youth Service Awards, the Horkheimer/Parker Youth Imaging Award, and the Horkheimer/O’Meara Journalism Award.

If you know a League member, 18 years or younger, who has brought amateur astronomy to your club or to the public through outreach, presentations, writing, observing, or imaging, please consider nominating that person for one of the four Horkheimer Awards.  

This year only, the deadline for the suite of Horkheimer Awards is February 15, 2017 (and not March 31, as it has been in previous years). 

In addition to receiving a check for $1750, the 2017 Horkheimer/Smith Youth Service Award winner will be treated to a trip to NEAF on April 8. 

If you are a club officer, nominate them. If you don’t, no one else will! Complete information about each award can be found at test.astroleague.org/al/awards/awards.html

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Shallow Sky Object of the Month: Aldebaran – the eye of the bull

By Bill Pellerin, Houston Astronomical Society

When you see the constellation Taurus and the nearby and popular constellation of Orion you know it’s winter. Well winter officially began at 10:44 a.m. (UT) on December 21. Those of us who live in the southern United States are now having days of cool temperatures and days of warm temperatures while the weather figures out what season it wants to be. Northerners are, according to news reports, having quite cold weather and some snow.

If it’s too cold for you to get outside and set up your telescope for an extended observing session there are still plenty of objects to admire with a quick visit to the back yard. The object this month is a very bright star, obvious to the unaided eye in the constellation Taurus. Aldebaran, a K star, stands out for both its brightness and its color, a bright orange / red that’s not duplicated by any nearby stars.  To see a redder star, look to Betelgeuse, which is a  M class star.

So, what are we looking at here? Aldebaran is slightly variable, from .75 magnitude to .95 magnitude, but this change in magnitude is not easily visible to anyone making visual observations. A photometric observer could detect this change, but a quick check of the AAVSO (American Association of Variable Star Observers) finds no data for this star submitted.

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2017 Solar Eclipse – “I Saw the Eclipse” Certificate

A certificate has been added to the AL Website to give to people who see the 2017 Eclipse at your Eclipse Viewing Party.

Are you planning an Eclipse Viewing Party?  The AL has a certificate that you can download, print and distribute to attendees.  It is available under the Observe option at the top of every web page.  Hover over “Observe” and a list will appear.  Select (click) Downloadable Certificates and it will be the first certificate included.

There will also soon be a web page with information about the AL’s 2017 Eclipse Special Observing Award.  It will include requirements, options, and instructions.  Watch here for an announcement.

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