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About UsThe Grand Traverse Astronomical Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to to education and enjoyment of the night sky. Established in 1982, the GTAS has about 30 members from the Traverse City and the Grand Traverse area of northern Michigan. Meetings are held on the first Friday of every month beginning at 8 p.m. at Northwestern Michigan College's Joseph H. Rogers Observatory, though the August meeting is preempted by the annual picnic at another location. Guests are always welcome to our meetings. Over 750 attended the society sponsored Comet Hyakutake Watches March 23, and 24th, 1996. The farthest traveler came from Detroit to enjoy the dark skies and the spectacular comet through many telescopes. Comet Hale-Bopp attracted approximately 1,400 during the three scheduled viewing nights that were clear. We've
hit the road, so to speak, with outreach beyond the NMC
Observatory since 2007. Since 2011 we've held monthly star
parties at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore from April to
October with additional eclipse and meteor shower watches. We
bring our telescopes and exhibits to several festivals around the
area along with Friday Night Live in Traverse City. Since 2010
the society has been hosting monthly star parties at the Sleeping
Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Two of our members are also NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors. |
Upcoming Society Events Friday, March 7 – 8 pm, Monthly meeting and star party at NMC Rogers Observatory. Also available via Zoom. 8 pm – General meeting: Bob Moler – Lunar eclipses in history and the upcoming eclipse of March 14, 2025 9 pm – Star party if clear. Zoom Meeting Instructions: Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8388913229?omn=86271806338
Meeting
ID: 838 891 3229
Meeting
ID: 838 891 3229 Friday, April 4 – 8 pm, Monthly meeting and star party at NMC Rogers Observatory. Also available via Zoom. 8 pm – General meeting Topic: Astronomy advances outside the Western World 9 pm – Star party if clear. Check here often for other events that may pop up during the month. Star parties at the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore are expected to resume in late spring 2025. This article is distributed by NASA Night Sky Network
March’s Night Sky Notes: Messier Madness By Kat Troche
March is the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere; with that, the hunt for Messier objects can begin!
Showing a large portion of M66, this Hubble photo is a composite of images obtained at visible and infrared wavelengths. The images have been combined to represent the real colors of the galaxy. Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration; Acknowledgment: Davide De Martin and Robert Gendler What Are Messier Objects?During the 18th century, astronomer and comet hunter Charles Messier wanted to distinguish the ‘faint fuzzies’ he observed from any potential new comets. As a result, Messier cataloged 110 objects in the night sky, ranging from star clusters to galaxies to nebulae. These items are designated by the letter ‘M’ and a number. For example, the Orion Nebula is Messier 42 or M42, and the Pleiades are Messier 45 or M45. These are among the brightest ‘faint fuzzies’ we can see with modest backyard telescopes and some even with our eyes.
Stargazers can catalog these items on evenings closest to the new moon. Some even go as far as having “Messier Marathons,” setting up their telescopes and binoculars in the darkest skies available to them, from sundown to sunrise, to catch as many as possible. Here are some items to look for this season:
M44 in Cancer and M65 and 66 in Leo can be seen high in the evening sky 60 minutes after sunset. Credit: Stellarium Web
Messier 44 in Cancer: The Beehive Cluster, also known as Praesepe, is an open star cluster in the heart of the Cancer constellation. Use Pollux in Gemini and Regulus in Leo as guide stars. A pair of binoculars is enough to view this and other open star clusters. If you have a telescope handy, pay a visit two of the three galaxies that form the Leo Triplet - M65 and M66. These items can be seen one hour after sunset in dark skies.
Locate M3 and M87 rising in the east after midnight. Credit: Stellarium Web
Messier
3
Canes Venatici: M3 is a
globular cluster of 500,000 stars. Through a telescope, this
object looks like a fuzzy sparkly ball. You can resolve this
cluster in an 8-inch telescope in moderate dark skies. You can
find this star cluster by using the star Arcturus in the Boötes
constellation as a guide. Messier 87 in Virgo: Located just outside of Markarian’s Chain, M87 is an elliptical galaxy that can be spotted during the late evening hours. While it is not possible to view the supermassive black hole at the core of this galaxy, you can see M87 and several other Messier-labeled galaxies in the Virgo Cluster using a medium-sized telescope.
Locate M76 and M31 setting in the west, 60 minutes after sunset. Credit: Stellarium Web
Messier 76 in Perseus: For a challenge, spot the Little Dumbbell Nebula, a planetary nebula between the Perseus and Cassiopeia constellations. With an apparent magnitude of 12.0, you will need a large telescope and dark skies. You can find both M76 and the famous Andromeda Galaxy (M31) one hour after sunset, but only for a limited time, as these objects disappear after April. They will reappear in the late-night sky by September. Plan AheadWhen gearing up for a long stargazing session, there are several things to remember, such as equipment, location, and provisions:
You can see all 110 items and their locations with NASA’s Explore the Night Sky interactive map and the Hubble Messier Catalog, objects that have been imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope.
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LinksFor Kids: NASA’s Space Place website The Space Place is a NASA website for elementary school-aged kids, their teachers, and their parents.
It has over 150 separate modules for kids, including hands-on projects, interactive games, animated cartoons, and amazing facts about space and Earth science and technology. See this month's NASA Night Sky Network article at the bottom of the center panel on this page. Also check out these two sites for kids: NASA's Climate Kids and NOAA's SciJinks Bob Moler's Ephemeris contains audio mp3s of current Ephemeris programs; calendars of sunrise, sunset,moonrise and moonset for the Grand Traverse area of Michigan, and other locations in northern Michigan; plus a monthly star chart. Also Bob's Ephemeris Blog with daily transcripts of and illustrations for his Ephemeris programs on Interlochen Public Radio. Wednesday’s program looks at where the bright planets are along with finder charts. Northwestern Michigan College's Joseph H. Rogers Observatory If you'd like to donateFrom Article II, B of the Articles of Incorporation of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society: The Society shall operate a scientific and educational organization with the goal of increasing interest in, the knowledge and enjoyment of astronomy; cooperate with similar organizations; and cooperate with Northwestern Michigan College to increase the benefit of the college observatory to the community. As you can see by the statement above the society is inexorably linked to the Joseph H. Rogers observatory. However in the past number of years members have been also taking telescopes out into the community, on sidewalks and street corners, and in the street on Friday Night Live, and to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. We find that many folks in the area have never been out to the observatory. This way we are going to to the public. And having a huge telescope is really a great attraction, not to mention the superb views of the heavens it will provide. We have purchased a 25 inch Dobsonian telescope with trailer to use and to take around for our outreach program. We have also purchased two solar telescopes to view the Sun's prominences and chromosphere. We have recently purchased small telescopes to give to libraries for them to lend out. The first two recipients are Traverse Area District Library and Betsie Valley District Library. Enerdyne of Suttons Bay donated the second telescope.. You may contribute to the fund to help us upgrade and add accessories to the society's telescopes by mailing a check to the GTAS, c/o the society treasurer Gary Carlisle, 1473 Birmley Rd, Traverse City, MI 49686. We are a 501(c)(3) non profit organization. Donations are tax deductible. Thank You! |
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