Raleigh Astronomy Club

This month's RAC Class features Tim Russ of "Star Trek: Voyager!" Tim Russ has been an amateur astronomer for 30+ years and will talk about telescopes, his astrophotography, and citizen science! 🔭🌌🖖

Before Tim joins us via Zoom, RAC member Kerry Vail will host a Star Trek trivia game about the "science of Star Trek," complete with Trek-worthy prizes. 🎁

REMINDER: RAC Classes are a perk of RAC membership. Although recordings of classes are usually posted on YouTube for all to enjoy, in-person/Zoom attendance is for members only. If you'd like to join the club, simply visit http://tinyurl.com/RAC-Join !

http://tinyurl.com/RAC-Class-2-2024

"From Telescopes to Trek with Tim Russ" (RAC Class) "From Telescopes to Trek with Tim Russ" (RAC Class) at Cherry Building on Sat Feb 10 2024, 05:00pm EST: Join us for this RAC astronomy class!...

Join us tomorrow evening (12/14) at the Hartwell for some rooftop stargazing! 🔭🌌

Join the Raleigh Astronomy Club for some stargazing on the Hartwell Rooftop this Thursday (12/14)! RAC astronomers will have telescopes set up for you to look through, as well as an information table to answer questions/make conversation about the night sky
Free, open to the public. on site, drinks available for purchase at Hartwell’s bar.

📸

"On Monday (11/13), I had a great opportunity to present 'JWST's View of the Universe' to 102+ enthusiastic senior citizens at Springmore Retirement community. My presentation discussed JWST's most recent discoveries. There were loads of great questions from the group."

- Doug Lively (NASA/JPL SSA, NPS Astronomer, RAC member)

"NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador (SSA) Mike Keefe and I had the pleasure of co-presenting 'Why Explore Space' to about 75 Del Web Senior Community Astronomy members on Monday (11/6).

Many of these seniors grew up during the Mercury/Gemini/Apollo era and were very enthusiastic in their support of space exploration. We had lots of great questions and great discussion during last night's presentation. SSA applicant Tony Verdone was our coordinator and photographer."

- Doug Lively (NASA/JPL SSA, RAC volunteer)

"We had a great time presenting and observing at Eva Perry Library last night (11/1). After a presentation on 'Intro to Astronomy,' library patrons and staff got a chance to look through Raleigh Astronomy Club (RAC) telescopes and see some of the newest Electronically Assisted Astronomy (E.A.A.) equipment.

Thanks to all of the RAC members who came out and supported this event! Also, thanks to the great staff of Eva Perry Library for their hospitality, support, and inviting RAC to come out to speak and observe!"

- Doug Lively (NASA/JPL SSA, RAC Volunteer)

"Do you feel like you have a passion for the stars, yet you just don't know how to nurture that passion or how to help it blossom into its full potential? If so, then join us on Wednesday night for some practical tips on how to get started in Astronomy and begin growing your understanding of the night sky."
- Doug Lively, RAC astronomer

Join us for "Getting Started in Astronomy!"
Nov 1, 2023 — 6:30PM - 8:00PM — Eva H. Perry Regional Library

Sign up at the link below:

https://www.wake.gov/events/getting-started-astronomy-november-1st-2023-0630pm

"RAC Astronomer Gary Scott and I had a great time sharing views of yesterday's (10/14/2023) annular solar eclipse with about 100 people around our campsite in Bernalillo, NM. It was a truly spectacular event!"

- Doug Lively (RAC member, NPS Astronomer, and NASA/JPL SSA)

"NPS Astronomer Bob VanGundy and I were imaging the Crescent Nebula (NGC688) around 23:30 MDT (2023.09.13) at Dusty Star Observatory (St. Mary's Vistitor's center East Glacier, MT) when we noticed there was a lot more red in the photograph than usual. We decided to check the Auroral Oval on spaceweather and sure enough the oval was intense just North East of our location. When we exited the observatory we could see that the mountains near Gun-site Ridge were silhouetted against a wall of light. There were rising columns of red and an arc of green light just coursing over the mountains leading into Canada. It was a pretty amazing sight and a welcomed break from our astro-imaging endeavors!"

- Doug Lively (longtime RAC member, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, NPS Astronomer)

"Here are a few Perseid Meteors that I captured over the 8/12-13 peak. I took a lot of shots. This has got to be one of the most active Perseid meteor showers that I've seen in a very long time! Activity for this shower on the 13th was excellent as well."

- Doug Lively, RAC member

Camera: ASI 678MC; 10sec frame; magnification 3.4x

"🔭 ✨
180 enthusiastic stargazers turned out to view the night sky at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation on Friday night. Venus, Mars, a cresent Moon, the beehive cluster, Orion Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy, and the Beehive Cluster plus a display of Astronomy Art were crowd favorites of the night."

- Doug Lively, RAC member

Join us tomorrow night (4/23) for this amazing event! It'll be a blast! 🚀

🔭✨

🔭 ✨

Galaxy season is upon us! 🔭🌌

Galaxy Season is upon us!

For something different, for a challenge, and for something memorable …

The galaxy NGC 4244, aka Caldwell 26. Its location is not hard to place in the eyepiece, but that is no guarantee of actually seeing its thin sliver float in the darkness at the edge of perception. Give it a try!

Ah! Now I see it! No, no I don’t!
This just might be an "Oh, wow!" moment.

Come see us tonight (3/29) at The Willard Rooftop Lounge in downtown Raleigh! Stargazing begins at 8pm. 🌃🔭✨

Ever want to see the planets and stars more clearly from your backyard? We can help with that!

The folks from Raleigh Astronomy Club join Jacob and Benny Mac today on Lawn Darts Radio! Tune in from 10 am to noon for cosmic happenings in the heavens. Keep looking up!

Listen here: listen.littleraleighradio.org:8000/lrr.mp3

Since our monthly RAC Observing Session (RACOBS) was clouded out on Friday evening, some of us got together for dinner instead. We had a great time! ☁️

📷: Anastasia Vail