By now you all should be actively collecting your galaxies as part of Galaxy Observing Challenge. We are also announcing our next challenge: The Astronomical League’s Observing Challenge for Globular Clusters. It runs from July 1, 2022 through September 30, 2022. This is open to anyone, membership in the AL is not required. For more information, go to the Challenge’s web page and scroll down:
To commemorate the First Light and First Target of the James Webb Telescope, we are offering a new NASA Observing Challenge Special Award. Your target is star HD 84406 (the telescopes First Light target). The image or sketch should be done between June 20 and July 20 and must be submitted electronically by August 20.
For more information go to the website.
The Observing Program Division has a new Coordinator for the Master Observer Progression. Please be sure to send your submissions for awards to the new Coordinator, David Whalen, as indicated on the AL web pages.
Check out these files for the June sky charts and significant events in July.
You may aleady know that the Tau Herculid Meteor Shower this year may bring us a meteor storm. They are predicting that this will peak near midnight between May 30 and May 31. At midnight, the radiant will be close to directly overhead, so meteors should be visible before midnight. Keep in mind that meteor storm forecasting is still a bit of an art, so this is only a prediction. But if you have never seen a meteor storm, with over 1000 meteors per hour, then it is worth the attempt.
The meteors are remnants left behind by the comet: 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3
The radiant is located at roughly: Right Ascension – 13h 56m, Declination – +28°
This is a 2 page handout for the event (PDF file).
Check out these files for the June sky charts and significant events in June.
Check out these files for the May sky charts and significant events in May.
