Next Astronomy Event
ZANESVILLE ASTRONOMY CLUB
An affiliate of the NASA Night Sky Network
The July FREE Astronomy Club event will begin at 9:30 PM on Saturday, 11 JULY. Meet at the Rogge Pavilion beside the Lewis Observatory on the Ohio University Zanesville campus.
JULY HIGHLIGHTS
The Perseids meteor shower will be 17 July-26 August. They are considered the best show of the year for those living in the northern latitudes. The rate on peak night is 50-75 per hour. The parent object is Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle with peak night August 12-13.
This time of the year is the best to see the Milky Way with the center in the south. Saturn & Neptune are now rising in the east about midnight and both are hosted by Taurus in the east before sunrise. Venus is still shining brightly in the west after sunset.
On 4 July there is a very tight conjunction of Mars & Uranus in the morning sky if you can see the eastern horizon. Use binoculars to see Uranus.
JULY EVENT CALENDAR
Look for the Moon to find objects by sight, then use your binocs or scope to zoom in on the event.
06 Earth at aphelion
07 Last Quarter Moon
09 Regulus is 1 degree N of Venus
10 Pleiades 1.1 egree S of the Moon
12 Aldebaran 5.3 degrees N of Mars
13 Moon at perigee
14 New Moon
17 Regulus 0.5 degrees N of Moon
21 Spica 2.5 degrees N of Moon
21 First Quarter of Moon
24 Antares 0.6 degrees N of Moon
25 Moon at apogee
29 Full 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 guides owners through repairs.
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 setting up your telescope.
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 will help host 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.