28 – 29 May 2019 – Dwarf Planet Ceres at its Best Observing Position for the Year
– NASA’s Dawn Spacecraft image of Ceres
3 – 6 June 2019 – Four Bright International Space Station Flyovers Visible in our Region
On the day of each flyover, check the following links for the latest timing and a sky chart for the Asheville area:
June 3rd June 4th June 5th June 6th
6 June 2019 – Next Club Meeting
Thursday night, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. – In the Reuter Center‘s Manheimer Room, located on the UNC Asheville campus. The meeting is free and open to the general public.
“From Small Step to Giant Leap: the Epic Lunar Voyages of Apollo –Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11″ – presented by Dominic Lesnar, Astronomy Club of Asheville
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong lifted his left foot off the pad of his Apollo 11 spacecraft and stepped onto lunar soil. This small, simple gesture culminated an arduous decade of intense American effort and ingenuity to fulfill John F. Kennedy’s daunting challenge of placing a man on the moon.
For thousands of years before Apollo 11, our ancestors gazed up in wonder at the xearth’s natural satellite, transfixed by its undeniable allure. That we would one day voyage to this distant world and place footprints on another planet seemed like science fiction to even the generation preceding Apollo. NASA achieved this remarkable feat, however, after just 66 years of human aviation; it was only in 1903 that the Wright brothers completed the first powered flight at Kitty Hawk! Read more…
10 June 2019 –
Jupiter Closest to Earth for the Year
– NASA’s Juno Mission image of Jupiter
Upcoming Public Star Gazes
Continue to check this home page as weather could change the venue or postpone and possibly cancel a star gaze. Check-in again after 5:00 p.m. on the afternoon of the observing session for the latest info and update. (image by Alan Davis, taken from the grounds of Grassland Mountain Observatory)
1 June 2019 – Saturday night – This star gaze will be held at the Astronomy Club of Asheville’s Grassland Mountain Observatory in Madison County. This is a one-night only event with no weather backup date. The event is free and open to the general public — registration is not necessary to attend. A temporary gate code, required for entry, will be provided on the day of the star gaze by 5:00 p.m. Directions to Grassland Mountain Observatory can be found here. Sunset occurs at 8:40 p.m.
28 June 2019 – Friday night – The location for this star gaze will be the Mt. Pisgah trailhead parking lot on the Blue Ridge Parkway, with a weather backup date of Saturday, 29 June. This event is free and open to the general public — registration is not necessary to attend. Directions to the Mt. Pisgah trailhead parking lot can be found here. Sunset occurs at 8:50 p.m.
5 July 2019 – Friday night – The site for this star gaze will be a return to Grassland Mountain Observatory in Madison County, with a weather backup night of Saturday, 6 July. This event is free and open to the general public — registration is not necessary to attend. A temporary gate code, required for entry, will be provided on the day of the star gaze by 5:00 p.m. Directions to Grassland Mountain Observatory can be found here. Sunset occurs at 8:49 p.m.