Next Astronomy Event
THE ZANESVILLE ASTRONOMY CLUB, an Affiliate of the NASA Night Sky Network, was founded by Irene Baron in 2013. The NSN reports we currently have over 400 participants.
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Our 9 March 2024 FREE open night sky viewing EVENT begins at 6:30 PM EDT at the Lewis Observatory on OUZ campus in Zanesville, OH. Come join us with your friends and/or families for a fun and educational adventure.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR:
Irene Baron, founder of the Zanesville Astronomy Club, is a NASA-Partner Eclipse Ambassador and NSTA/SSI Eclipse Ambassador. She will present important information and pass out protective solar lenses provided by Ohio University Zanesville and the NASA Night Sky Network during her talk “Prepare for the Total Solar Eclipse” in Elson Hall at 6:00 PM on 7 March 2024.
Note: At her 2017 total solar eclipse talk, the doors to Elson Hall auditorium had to be closed due to overcrowding. It is recommended you plan to arrive early.
TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE EVENT OF 8 APRIL 2024:
Our club will host a safe FREE local viewing event at the Lewis Observatory on the OUZ campus 1:45-3:30 pm. Anyone not able to drive to a total eclipse event site is welcome to view the event through our safe solar viewing telescopes. In Zanesville, the Sun will be 98.3% covered. You will not be able to see the corona as in a total eclipse, but will see the Moon pass in front of the Sun creating the eclipse. Anyone with a protective solar lens for their telescope is invited to bring their instrument to share at that time. Club Founder, Irene Baron, will host the event. Bring a folding chair.
ZANESVILLE TOTAL ECLIPSE TIME SCHEDULE:
The Partial Solar Eclipse in Zanesville begins at 1:55 PM EDT as the edge of the Moon first touches the edge of the Sun, called “first contact.”
The Total Solar Eclipse begins at 3:08 PM EDT.
The Maximum Total Solar Eclipse when the Sun is most hidden is at 3:12 PM EDT.
The end of the maximum in northern Ohio as the Moon's shadow leaves the state of Ohio is at 3:19 PM EDT.
The edge of the Moon leaves the edge of the Sun at 4:27 PM DST.
MARCH CELESTIAL EVENTS
A guide to find to find objects in our sky
The star Arcturus is prominent in the constellation Boötes (the Herdsman) in the north east. Arcturus is the brightest star in that constellation. A red giant, the star is 25 times larger than our Sun and only 37 light years away.
In the north is Cepheus (the King), a good binocular target. A deep reddish “Garnet Star” at the base of the house shaped constellation is a variable star and fluctuates in brightness.
If you have a telescope, turn it toward Canes Venatici (the Hunting Dogs), Coma Berenices (Berenice's Hair) and Virgo (the Maiden). Within this area are thousands of galaxies in the Coma Cluster which is 330 million light years away and spans 25 million light years. It is believed to be part of an even bigger supercluster of galaxies 200 million light years across.
The tiny constellation Triangulum (the Triangle), is home to the Triangulum Galaxy (Messier 33), the 3rd largest member of the Local Group of galaxies that includes the Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31) and our own Milky Way. The Triangulum Galaxy is just 3 million light years from Earth. You can see it with a telescope.
Orion is sinking farther west in the evening sky. In the morning, Sagittarius and Scorpius are starting to rise in the SE. There are not many planets this month. Jupiter is visible but low in the west. The Vernal Equinox, the beginning of spring, occurs on 20 March. On an equinox day is 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night.
NIGHTLY EVENTS:
03 LAST QUARTER MOON
07 Irene Baron will talk about the April total solar eclipse in Elson Hall at Ohio University Zanesville beginning at 6:00 PM
08 Mars 3.5 degrees N of Moon
08 Venus 3.2 degrees N of Moon
10 NEW MOON
14 Jupiter 3.6 degrees S of Moon
14 The waxing crescent Moon will skirt the edge of the Pleiades Cluster.
17 FIRST QUARTER MOON
20 Vernal (spring) equinox
21 Saturn 0.3 degrees S of Venus
23 Moon at apogee - 252,463 miles
24 Mercury 18,7 degrees E of Sun
25 FULL MOON
25 Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. The penumbra is more dim than the umbra. You won't notice much of a change in the Moon brightness.
If you have been loaned a telescope by our astronomy club to use at our events, we would appreciate seeing you and the telescope to share with others on clear nights.
If you borrowed a telescope with a solar lens, let Irene know if you can bring it to the observatory for public viewing during the 8 April 2024 total solar eclipse. Members not driving to a location of totality are invited to join us at the observatory to see 90% of the Sun eclipsed by the Moon.
If you would like to borrow a telescope to bring and share with others during our events, please let Irene Baron know to be placed on the waiting list. Thanks to all who are bringing and sharing telescopes! Please be aware you can check telescopes out of our local John McIntire Public Library as easy as checking out a book.
If you wish to receive the Zanesville Astronomy Club newsletter, send an email to: irenebaron@irenebaron.com. Enter the word ASTRONOMY as the subject matter. In the message include your full name, street address, city & state. Anyone may bring a telescope to learn how to use it and to share.
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
The Zanesville Astronomy Club founder was sent 68 unannounced astronomy programs by NASA JPL. She used these programs to identify the Christmas star. Her book explains the research that took place daily over several years. Note the gold medal on the lower left of the cover. The historical nonfiction book was awarded the First Place Gold Medal as The Exemplary Christian Education Book in 2013 or the best Christian Education book the year. Http://cutt.ly/we5mqvt
Bring your book to any club event to have it autographed by the author.
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The Zanesville Astronomy Club is an affiliate member of the NASA Night Sky Network!
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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 during the last ten years. Thank you John for all your work with our organization.
MIRROR GRINDING INSTRUCTION
One of numerous workshops
Coordinator Chuck Bruckelmeyer, former President of the Columbus Astronomical Society, presented a workshop at OUZ about making a telescope. He has constructed several by grinding his own concave mirror surfaces by hand. He is an expert at helping club members put together their new telescopes, helps in repairing them and using his laser calibration system to align the mirrors correctly. 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.