Wed. Apr. 17: Another Cloudy Night, So We'll Be Closed. We'll Try Again Next Week.

We had an error on here earlier - fixed now.

Public nights are here!

2023 October 15

An Eclipse Tree Image Credit & Copyright: Shawn Wyre

Explanation: Yes, but can your tree do this? If you look closely at the ground in the featured image, you will see many images of yesterday’s solar eclipse – created by a tree. Gaps between tree leaves act like pinhole lenses and each create a small image of the partially eclipsed Sun visible in the other direction. The image was taken in Burleson, Texas, USA. Yesterday, people across the Americas were treated to a partial eclipse of the Sun, when the Moon moves in front of part of the Sun. People in a narrow band of Earth were treated to an annular eclipse, also called a ring-of-fire eclipse, when the Moon becomes completely engulfed by the Sun and sunlight streams around all of the Moon’s edges. In answer to the lede question, your tree not only can do this, but will do it every time that a visible solar eclipse passes overhead. Next April 8, a deeper, total solar eclipse will move across North America.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231015.html

Did you know that there are 5 known dwarf planets in our solar system? Everyone knows Pluto, but there is also Ceres, Haumea, Makemake and Eris.

Info from: https://www.iau.org/public/themes/pluto/#n6

Calling all geology and space lovers!

NASA's Perseverance rover has been collecting rock samples on Mars for 4 years now, and already there are some exciting finds! Check out the article here:

We're not yet sure about tonight's weather - it depends on whether these clouds move north or south. Check back in a few hours!

You can schedule one of our astronomy professors to speak at your venue! More info here: https://www.bridgew.edu/.../obser.../traveling-presentations

Uranus and some of its moons on October 20, 2023 // Louis Fico

I think the moons in this image could be Titania, Umbriel, Ariel, and Oberon, tho which points of light they are is hard to say

Wed. Aug. 14 - The weather looks good tonight so far, but check back later for our final weather decision. If it stays nice enough, we'll be open from 8:30 - 9:30 pm!

Picture of the Day!

This image is composed of consecutive shots taken near Llers in Spain’s Girona province, showing Comet Pons-Brooks. After passing closest to the Sun, it is now fading as it moves into the southern skies toward the outer Solar System.

Image credit: Juan Carlos Casado

Make your Halloween pumpkin shine bright like a star observed by the James Webb Space Telescope! 🎃

The 8-point diffraction spikes are a signature look in Webb’s images of bright objects in the universe. Download the stencil or any of the other Webb patterns: https://webbtelescope.pub/46HNvPV