Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh

Your Bridge to the Stars

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October 6, 2017 AAAP Meeting: Milky Way Cartography, Loren P. Anderson, Phd. West Virginia University

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Galaxy astronomy is a hot topic, as many discoveries are appearing. We anticipate the results of the Event Horizon Telesope, which as early as December may reveal the first image of the Sag A supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. Recently a second supermassive black hole was discovered in the vicinity of the Sag A black hole. Satellite galaxies near our Milky Way may point to our galaxy being an outlier in its type of galaxies. Fast Radio Bursts (FRB’s) continue to be detected begging questions as well as answers to the structure and cartography of our Milky Way Galaxy.

Although we live in the Milky Way Galaxy, we see only a portion of it as the band of starlight across the sky. Our speaker, Loren Anderson, Phd., Associate Professor of Physics & Astronomy West Virginia University , using primarily the Green Bank Telescope and the Aricebo Telescope and the Very Large Telescope Array ( Very Large Array, New Mexico ) studies the structure and properties of the Milky Way. He is locating the most massive star formation regions, “HII regions,” throughout the Milky Way disk, and will talk about progress toward a “complete” census of HII regions in our Galaxy, discussing ongoing work to compare the Milky Way with other similar galaxies. His work is part of HRDS: http://go.nrao.edu/hrds/ and WISE catalog: http://astro.phys.wvu.edu/wise/.

A break follows the lecture. AAAP’s October meeting resumes after break with a review of the current and upcoming club activities including  and astronomical events. The meeting location is the Science Stage, Carnegie Science Center, 1 Allegheny Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. Take the front entrance of the Science Center under the portico. Look straight ahead for signs to the Science Stage, to the right.  The lecture and meeting are free and open to the public.

Parking is $5 payable at the parking kiosk in the lobby. There is no charge to attend the meeting or lecture. The public is invited to attend.  Please see the AAAP Guide Star Newsletter and the AAAP Facebook Page for additional information.

Wagman Observatory Saturday, October 7, 2017 Moonrise Star Party

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You are invited to a Moonrise Star Party at the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh’s  Wagman Observatory, Saturday, October 7,  2017, 6:55 PM

The Saturday, October 7,  Wagman Moonrise Star Party starting about 6:55 PM EDT.. Enjoy the views of the Andromeda Galaxy and Double Cluster in Perseus through the telescopes at the Observatory before the Moon rises at 8:30 PM.  and much more.

This invitation to amateur astronomers, students and the general public is part of AAAP’s annual series of star parties occurring March – November at the Wagman and Mingo Observatories. These events are family friendly. There is no charge for these events, although donations are appreciated. Read more about Star Parties here.

Regardless of your experience or ability level you will be welcome to join the throng of avid sky watchers. Perhaps you have a telescope and do not know how to use it? Bring it along and members of the AAAP will help! Likewise if you are considering a telescope purchase or the addition of accessories, star charts and books Wagman is a good place to start. Members of the AAAP will help!

The Star Parties will be held WEATHER PERMITTING. The public should call 724-224-2510 for more information. The Nicholas E. Wagman Observatory is located in Deer Lakes Regional Park, Frazer Township, Pa., near the village of Russellton in northeastern Allegheny County and some 18 miles from Pittsburgh. Coordinates: Latitude 40.627 degrees N, Longitude 79.813 degrees W. Map and Directions under the About Tab at www.3ap.org and here.

Admission is free, though we gladly accept donations to cover the cost of operation. To reach Wagman Observatory, follow the Orange Belt (accessible from Routes 8 and 28) to Deer Lakes Park, near Russellton. Follow the road through the Park for 1.2 miles and turn left on to the Observatory grounds. Please use parking lights only when you drive through the gate.  In the observing rooms or near the outside telescopes please avoid use of bright lights: cell phones, white lights or flashlights, glow sticks, etc.  and especially no flash photograph. There is no smoking permitted anywhere on the site. Planning for next year? Wagman Observatory’s 2018 Star Party Dates have been published.

For updates, check back here and AAAP Facebook or phone the observatory, 724-224-2510,  the night of the event. Wagman Observatory Clear Sky Chart.

 

 

Wagman Observatory Saturday, September 23, 2017 Star Party

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You are invited to a Star Party at the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh’s  Wagman Observatory, Saturday, September 23, 2017, 7:15 PM

The Saturday, September 23,  Wagman Star Party starting about 7:15 PM EDT  creates an opportunity to view the Moon and the September Sky. Observe theThree Day Old  Moon along with the Hercules Cluster, the Ring Nebula and the Andromeda Galaxy  and much more.  Saturn,Uranus and Neptune will be available for observing.

This invitation to amateur astronomers, students and the general public is part of AAAP’s annual series of star parties occurring March – November at the Wagman and Mingo Observatories. These events are family friendly. There is no charge for these events, although donations are appreciated. Read more about Star Parties here.

Regardless of your experience or ability level you will be welcome to join the throng of avid sky watchers. Perhaps you have a telescope and do not know how to use it? Bring it along and members of the AAAP will help! Likewise if you are considering a telescope purchase or the addition of accessories, star charts and books Wagman is a good place to start. Members of the AAAP will help!

The Star Parties will be held WEATHER PERMITTING. The public should call 724-224-2510 for more information. The Nicholas E. Wagman Observatory is located in Deer Lakes Regional Park, Frazer Township, Pa., near the village of Russellton in northeastern Allegheny County and some 18 miles from Pittsburgh. Coordinates: Latitude 40.627 degrees N, Longitude 79.813 degrees W. Map and Directions under the About Tab at www.3ap.org and here.

Admission is free, though we gladly accept donations to cover the cost of operation. To reach Wagman Observatory, follow the Orange Belt (accessible from Routes 8 and 28) to Deer Lakes Park, near Russellton. Follow the road through the Park for 1.2 miles and turn left on to the Observatory grounds. Please use parking lights only when you drive through the gate.  In the observing rooms or near the outside telescopes please avoid use of bright lights: cell phones, white lights or flashlights, glow sticks, etc.  and especially no flash photograph. There is no smoking permitted anywhere on the site. Planning for next year? Wagman Observatory’s 2018 Star Party Dates have been published.

For updates, check back here and AAAP Facebook or phone the observatory, 724-224-2510,  the night of the event. Wagman Observatory Clear Sky Chart.

 

September 8, 2017 Monthly Meeting of the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, Feature Presentation: Quarks, Strings and Science Outreach for a Better Future by Dr. Patrick Cooper, Phd.

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The 7:30 PM, September 8, AAAP Monthly Meeting will feature a talk titled: Quarks, Strings and Science Outreach for a Better Future by Dr. Patrick Cooper, Phd. assistant professor of physics, Duquesne University and co-founder of Community Forge . Dr. Cooper’s presentation will delve into his research which discusses the problem of understanding the mathematics behind the strong nuclear force, as well as studying aspects of string theory, potentially relevant to particle physics well below the scale of quantum gravity. After the science chat, he will move on to the important topic of science outreach in Pittsburgh where he will discuss his student’s recent eclipse trip, and current project of building a community center in Wilkinsburg to bring astronomy and science education to underserved communities.

Note the meeting will be on the regular night at the regular time but in a different location, the Wolfe Lecture Hall in the Bayer Science Building on the Duquesne University Campus, 600 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15282.  Google map  Bayer Hall is next to Mellon Hall on Bluff Street,  #17 on campus map.  Duquesne University Map   After 3PM on Fridays there is No Permit needed to park on campus. After 6PM street parking on campus is free. There is the Forbes Garage, #34 on the map, diagonally across campus, that charges a flat rate of $6.

Stay for the business meeting to hear reports with AAAP current activities and plans for more and observing tips for the month from John Holtz. In a Special Report:  AAAP’s Jim Surman will give a presentation on the Veteran’s Astronomy Project with  the Aspinwall VA Hospital.

Come out and see your AAAP friends and make new ones at this opportunity to hear an informative astronomy talk and hear about club activities. We have the room as early as 7PM, so arrive early and have some time to visit with others. The meeting free and open to the public. Updates here and on AAAP’s Facebook Page.

Save the Dates:  Next AAAP Monthly Meeting is Friday, October 6, 2017, Carnegie Science Center. The Annual Joint AAAP-SSP Meeting is Wednesday, October 11. 2017 at Duquesne University. Note in each of these cases these meetings are occurring a week earlier than usual.

 AAAP Observatory Star Party Schedules Downloads (2017) and Star Party Dates

2017 Wagman Observatory Schedule Remaining Dates: Sep 9 & 23; Oct 7 & 28; Nov4

2017 Mingo Creek Park Observatory Schedule   Remaining Dates: Sep 15 & 16; Oct 14 & 28; Nov 11

2018 Wagman and Mingo Star Party Dates

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Wagman Observatory Saturday, September 9, 2017 Moonrise Star Party

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You are invited to a Moonrise Star Party at the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh’s  Wagman Observatory, Saturday, September 9, 2017, 7:40 PM

The Saturday, September 9  Wagman Moonrise Star Party starting about 7:40 PM EDT  creates an opportunity to view the Moon and the September Sky. Observe the Moon along with the Hercules Cluster, the Ring Nebula and the Andromeda Galaxy  and much more.  Uranus and Neptune will be available for observing later in the evening.

This invitation to amateur astronomers, students and the general public is part of AAAP’s annual series of star parties occurring March – November at the Wagman and Mingo Observatories. These events are family friendly. There is no charge for these events, although donations are appreciated. Read more about Star Parties here.

Regardless of your experience or ability level you will be welcome to join the throng of avid sky watchers. Perhaps you have a telescope and do not know how to use it? Bring it along and members of the AAAP will help! Likewise if you are considering a telescope purchase or the addition of accessories, star charts and books Wagman is a good place to start. Members of the AAAP will help!

The Star Parties will be held WEATHER PERMITTING. The public should call 724-224-2510 for more information. The Nicholas E. Wagman Observatory is located in Deer Lakes Regional Park, Frazer Township, Pa., near the village of Russellton in northeastern Allegheny County and some 18 miles from Pittsburgh. Coordinates: Latitude 40.627 degrees N, Longitude 79.813 degrees W. Map and Directions under the About Tab at www.3ap.org and here.

Admission is free, though we gladly accept donations to cover the cost of operation. To reach Wagman Observatory, follow the Orange Belt (accessible from Routes 8 and 28) to Deer Lakes Park, near Russellton. Follow the road through the Park for 1.2 miles and turn left on to the Observatory grounds. Please use parking lights only when you drive through the gate.  In the observing rooms or near the outside telescopes please avoid use of bright lights: cell phones, white lights or flashlights, glow sticks, etc.  and especially no flash photograph. There is no smoking permitted anywhere on the site. Planning for next year? Wagman Observatory’s 2018 Star Party Dates have been published.

For updates, check back here and AAAP Facebook or phone the observatory, 724-224-2510,  the night of the event. Wagman Observatory Clear Sky Chart.

Wagman Observatory Star Parties, Friday and Saturday, August 25 & 26 , 2017

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Wagman Observatory Star Parties, Friday and Saturday, August 25 and 26, 2017, 8:00PM

See a region of space where stars are being born, catch a dazzling view of Jupiter and see Saturn’s rings in the evening sky. Marvel at our Milky Way Galaxy’s finest planetary nebulae, star clusters.  See the Hercules Cluster, the Ring Nebula and the Andromeda Galaxy. Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh at the AAAP’s  Wagman Observatory    August 25 and 26  Star Parties.

This invitation to amateur astronomers, students and the general public is part of AAAP’s annual series of star parties occurring March – November at the Wagman and Mingo Observatories. There is no charge for these events, although donations are appreciated. Read more about Star Parties here.

These  August 25 & 26, 2017  Wagman Star Parties create an opportunity to view the July sky: Jupiter and several of its moons, followed by Saturn, its rings and some of its moons, the dazzling Hercules Cluster,  the Ring Nebula and much more.

Regardless of your experience or ability level you will be welcome to join the throng of avid sky watchers. Perhaps you have a telescope and do not know how to use it? Bring it along and members of the AAAP will help! Likewise if you are considering a telescope purchase or the addition of accessories, star charts and books Wagman is a good place to start. Members of the AAAP will help!

The Star Parties will be held WEATHER PERMITTING. The public should call 724-224-2510 for more information. The Nicholas E. Wagman Observatory is located in Deer Lakes Regional Park, Frazer Township, Pa., near the village of Russellton in northeastern Allegheny County and some 18 miles from Pittsburgh. Coordinates: Latitude 40.627 degrees N, Longitude 79.813 degrees W. Map and Directions under the About Tab at www.3ap.org and here.

Admission is free, though we gladly accept donations to cover the cost of operation. To reach Wagman Observatory, follow the Orange Belt (accessible from Routes 8 and 28) to Deer Lakes Park, near Russellton. Follow the road through the Park for 1.2 miles and turn left on to the Observatory grounds. Please use parking lights only when you drive through the gate.  In the observing rooms or near the outside telescopes please avoid use of bright lights: cell phones, white lights or flashlights, glow sticks, etc.  and especially no flash photograph. There is no smoking permitted anywhere on the site. Planning for next year? Wagman Observatory’s 2018 Star Party Dates have been published.

For updates, check back here and AAAP Facebook or phone the observatory, 724-224-2510,  the night of the event. Wagman Observatory Clear Sky Chart.