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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 Note: Meeting from May through July will start an hour later at 9 PM. Friday, May 2 - 9 PM, Monthly meeting and star party at NMC Rogers Observatory. Also available via Zoom. 9 PM – General meeting: Mary Gribbin will present the program titled Exploring Deep Space Objects with Small Telescopes by Season. 10 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 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
April’s Night Sky Notes: Catch the Waves! By Kat Troche The Electromagnetic SpectrumIf you’ve ever heard the term “radio waves,” used a microwave or a television remote, or had an X-ray, you have experienced a broad range of the electromagnetic spectrum! But what is the electromagnetic spectrum? According to Merriam-Webster, this spectrum is “the entire range of wavelengths or frequencies of electromagnetic radiation extending from gamma rays to the longest radio waves and including visible light.” But what does that mean? Scientists think of the entire electromagnetic spectrum as many types of light, only some that we can see with our eyes. We can detect others with our bodies, like infrared light, which we feel as heat, and ultraviolet light, which can give us sunburns. Astronomers have created many detectors that can "see" in the full spectrum of wavelengths.
This illustration shows the wavelength sensitivity of a number of current and future space- and ground-based observatories, along with their position relative to the ground and to Earth’s atmosphere. The wavelength bands are arranged from shortest (gamma rays) to longest (radio waves). The vertical color bars show the relative penetration of each band of light through Earth’s atmosphere. Credit: NASA, STScI Telescope TypesWhile
multiple types of telescopes operate across the electromagnetic
spectrum, here are some of the largest, based on the wavelength
they primarily work in:
NASA’s Hubble Telescope captured the Pillars of Creation in 1995 and revisited them in 2014 with a sharper view. Webb’s infrared image reveals more stars by penetrating dust. Hubble highlights thick dust layers, while Webb shows hydrogen atoms and emerging stars. You can find this and other parts of the Eagle Nebula in the Serpens constellation. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Hubble Heritage Project (STScI, AURA)
The Crab Nebula, located in the Taurus constellation, is the result of a bright supernova explosion in the year 1054, 6,500 light-years from Earth. Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/STScI; Infrared: NASA/JPL/Caltech; Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA; Ultraviolet: ESA/XMM-Newton
Try This At HomeEven though we can’t see these other wavelengths with our eyes, learn how to create multiwavelength images with the Cosmic Coloring Compositor activity and explore how astronomers use representational color to show light that our eyes cannot see with our Clues to the Cosmos activity.
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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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