Thanks to QCAS member and PAC President Al Sheidler our website will now feature monthly customized monthly observing lists featuring targets of interest in the constellations visible from the QC Area. You can find these lists by clicking “Astronomy Stuff” in the main menu at the top of the site. Or you can click this link since you’re here already!
https://www.space.com/18084-space-shuttle-challenger.html
Well… the Lunar Eclipse will need to happen without us… We won’t be meeting at the park in Riverdale on Sunday… but don’t forget to take a peek from the warmth of your home! The Lunar event time line is as follows for those of us in the QCA: 8:36 pm Sun, Jan 20 Penumbral Eclipse begins – The Earth’s penumbra starts touching the Moon’s face. 9:33 pm Sun, Jan 20 Partial Eclipse begins – The partial Lunar eclipse starts and the Moon is getting red. 10:41 pm Sun, Jan 20 Total Eclipse begins – The Moon is completely red. 11:12 pm Sun, Jan 20 Maximum Eclipse – The Moon is closest to the center of the Earth’s shadow. 11:43pm Sun, Jan 20 Total Eclipse ends 12:50 am Mon, Jan 21 Partial Eclipse ends 1:48 am Mon, Jan 21 Penumbral Eclipse ends. Thanx!
In a few days we will have a nice treat to view from here in the Quad Cities. Beginning at 8:35pm the Full Moon will begin to move through the shadow cast by the Earth ultimately resulting in a Total Lunar Eclipse. A Total Lunar Eclipse are typically refered to as a Blood Moon due to the dark red or coppery appearance of the Moon whilst within the deepest part of the Earth’s shadow which is called the Umbra. The above diagram from NASA gives you an idea of what’s actually happening. When the Moon enters the Penumbra, a dimming of the Moon’s surface can be observed as the edge of the shadow advances. This point is called Penumbra first contact and begins the Partial phase of the eclipse. If the Moon were to pass only through the Penumbra of the Earth this would be a partial eclipse and nothing more. But this month the Moon will make it into the deeper Umbra of the Earths shadow. Then the deeper portion of the shadow begins to cross the surface it is called (you guessed it) Umbral first contact and this begins the Total phase of the eclipse. When the […]
On March 14th, 2018, the QCAS will host a tour of their Jens Wendt Observatory to the Iowa Association of Naturalists. This will be an open house style event for the Naturalists. If all goes according to plan, guests will be arriving at the observatory, located at Sherman Park about 6 PM on March 14th. They are planning a soup supper up at the house, all who are helping out with the observatory are welcome to join. There will be 2-3 varieties of soup including a vegetarian option and fresh baked bread. Reservations are appreciated. They are also planning an evening hike and a social campfire with music if the weather is nice. QCAS members are invited for it all. This will also allow people to filter over to the observatory so there is less need of a line at the scope. We hope that attendees can see some of the planets and maybe easier to see/find nebulae. Guests never forget their first view through a big telescope! If it is clouded over, we can tour the facility anyway. March 1st is the early registration deadline so we should have a pretty good idea of attendance for this trip by […]
Member of QCAS got together this afternoon to clean out the blockhouse. Many ladybugs were vanquished!
Dr. Mitchell documents his visit to the American Astronomical Society’s 2018 meeting. This video gives you an idea of what it’s like to be there. He also did a few interviews with presenters at the conference.
Images from the North Central Region Astronomical League conference from April of 2017. ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]
” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]
