Next Astronomy Event
ZANESVILLE ASTRONOMY CLUB
An affiliate of the NASA Night Sky Network
The MayAstronomy Club event will begin at 8:30 PM on 9 May. Meet at the Rogge Pavilion beside the Lewis Observatory on the Ohio University Zanesville campus.
MAY HIGHLIGHTS
Beginning in the northwest, the constellation AURIGA, the Charioteer with its brightest star CAPELLA, will shine bright as it descends to the west. DRACE, the dragon, is most prominent in the northeast as it slinks its way around URSA MINOR, the Little Dipper or Little Bear. High above is URSA MAJOR, the Great Bear or Bid Dipper which is upside down and spilling its contents.
This is a great time to look for the WHIRLPOOL GALAXY which can be found above the Big Dipper's star ALKAID. To the east is the constellation BOOTES, THE HERDSMAN, with its unmistakable and priminent star ARCTURUS at center stage.
You can find NEPTUNE and SATURN low in the east, with MARS rising above the horixon just before the SUN comes up. Brilliant VENUS graces the western sky after sunset, while JUPITER continues to shine to its upper left, in GEMINI.
The night sky is slowly beginning to change to summer constellations with HERCULES climbing in the east and CYGNUS and LYRA trailing behind in the northesat. URSA MAJOR is overhead in the sky, making it an opportune time to take out a telescope and do some galaxy hunting in the Great Bear.
MAY EVENT CALENDAR
Look for the Moon to find objects. That is an easy way to find objects by sight, then use your binocs or scope to zoom in on the event.
01 Full Moon
02 Aldebraran 6.4 degrees N of Venus
04 Antares 0.5 degrees N of Moon
04 Moon at apogee
05 Eta Aquarids meteor shower peak
09 Last quarter of the Moon
14 Moon above and between Saturn and Mars above the east horizon before sunrise
16 New Moon
17 Moon at Perigee
18 Moon & Venus have close conjunction in west after sunset
19 Venus 2.9 degrees S of Moon
20 Moon shines between Jupiter and Beehive Cluster
20 Jupiter 31 degrees S of Moon
21 Beehive 0.8 degrees S of Moon
23 First Quarter of Moon
27 Spica 2.1 degrees N of Moon
31 Antares 0.4 degrees N of Moon
31 Full Moon called “blue Moon”
Zanesville Astronomy Club 2026
Ohio residents and club members are invited to view our night skies at the Lewis Observatory on the OUZ campus in Zanesville, OH.
Please sign the guest book upon arriving. Dress for the weather.
Meetings and events are scheduled March through November.
If you would like to use the club Dobsonian telescope during our viewing events to enable sharing it with others, please let a coordinator know when you arrive. Thanks to all who bring and share their personal telescope! You can also check telescopes out of our local John McIntire Public Library as easily as checking out a book.
If you wish to receive the Zanesville Astronomy Club newsletter, send an email to: irenebaron@irenebaron.com with subject matter the word ASTRONOMY. In the message include your full name, email address, street address, city & state.
If you need help repairing your scope, contact Coordinator Chuck Bruckelmeyer during the event to arrange a meeting. He has helped repair and guided owners through repairs on every telescope brought to him.
If you need help learning how to use your telescope, let one of the Coordinators know during a viewing event. They can show you at that time or arrange a private time. They can also answer your questions and offer help.
Please share this information and URL link with family and friends who may be interested in learning more about astronomy.
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THE CHRISTMAS STAR HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED
Unraveling the Christmas Star Mystery
by Irene Baron
Irene used NASA Jet Propulsion Library astronomy programs to identify the Christmas star. Her nonfiction book discusses the research that took place daily over several years.
This nonfiction astronomy book was awarded the GOLD MEDAL as the 2013 EXEMPLARY CHRISTIAN EDUCATION BOOK, or the best Christian Education book of the year! Buy on Amazon or where ever books are sold. Http://cutt.ly/we5mqvt
Bring the copy of your book to any club event to have it autographed by the author. She usually has a few available for sale.
Visits from around the world.
A Top Author Website of 2017
Coordinator John Bolen w/Lewis Telescope
Aligning telescope to nebula
John Bolen is a ZAC Coordinator who, with Chuck Bruckelmeyer, will be hosting your viewing through the Lewis Telescope. In this image, John is setting up the telescope for a distant object through the dome opening of the observatory. John brings his Dobsonian telescope to monthly events. For viewing the Sun anytime, solar eclipses, and sunspots, he has protective solar filters. It is astonishing to safely look at the sun through his telescope. John Bolen has volunteered at almost every meeting and workshop since 2013. Thank you John for all your work with our organization.
Irene Baron, founder of the Zanesville Astronomy Club in 2013, taught astronomy many of her 40+ years of teaching high school science and was selected in 2023 as a NASA Partner - Eclipse Ambassador for Ohio.
MIRROR GRINDING INSTRUCTION
One of numerous workshops
Coordinator Chuck Bruckelmeyer, former President of the Columbus Astronomical Society, presents workshops at about telescopes and astronomy. He has constructed telescopes by grinding his own concave mirror surfaces by hand. He assists club members with their telescopes. Discuss your needs with him at monthly events. In this photo, Chuck holds one of the mirrors on which he is currently working. We are very fortunate to have him as a member and active coordinator.