Welcome to Houston Astronomical Society

“A Tour of the Autumn Night Sky”

Plus

“Astronomy & The Nobel Prize”

By: Chris Morisette

So long to this dreadful heat and hello to cool(er) nights!  Autumn is a great time to get out under the stars as a plethora of beautiful and exotic deep sky objects present themselves.  Novice Chairperson Chris Morisette will provide a brief review on how to navigate the night sky using celestial signposts, then take us on a tour of the autumn night sky. 

 In addition, Chris will present a brief topic entitled “Astronomy & The Nobel Prize”.  Here he’ll provide some background on the Nobel Prize and recognize some of the astronomers and astrophysicists that have been recipients of the award.  At the end of the meeting your input will be requested for the 2025 Novice presentation program.

To see the video, click A Tour of the Autumn Night Sky.

“Observing Jupiter and Saturn”

By: Chris Morisette

Saturn and Jupiter enter into opposition on September 7^th and December 7^th respectively.  To prepare for these events Chris Morisette will present “Observing Jupiter and Saturn”.  In this talk Chris will discuss tools and techniques for observing these beautiful planets and will delve into key facets of each planet, including the various moons that orbit these gas giants.

Exoplanet Atmospheres with JWST

By:  Dr. Caroline Morley

JWST has been operating for two years, and the science results it has returned so far are truly amazing! Consider its impact on exoplanet science. We stand at an incredible time in exoplanet science, as we begin to characterize worlds outside the solar system in great detail.

The exquisite capabilities of JWST allow us to see the atmospheres of planets from super-Jupiters to sub-Neptunes to Earths. Dr. Morely will highlight some of the most exciting results from the first two years of JWST science for exoplanets. She will also discuss in more detail, two aspects of exoplanet atmosphere science as it stands in mid-2024.

The first is our path to observing true Jupiter analogs, which takes us through observations of the coldest brown dwarfs and directly-imaged planets. Dr. Morely will highlight some discoveries from the first cycle of JWST observations of cold brown dwarfs, including detections of deuterium and possible aurorae.

Next, Dr. Morely will discuss how atmosphere loss may be sculpting the atmospheres of small planets, with huge implications for the next five years of studying Earth-sized planets with JWST. She let us know where she thinks the next 10 years of exoplanet atmosphere science will take us, so we may understand the breadth of data delivered to astronomers inboxes each week. 

To see the video, click Exoplanet Atmospheres with JWST.

Have you ever built a magnetometer? The Astronomical League has an award in its Observing Programs called:

Solar Maximum Observing Challenge.  (deadline for submission is April 30, 2025)

This Challenge is to experience the Solar Maximum. 

Go to the Astronomical League website and scroll down to Number 11. 

https://www.astroleague.org/al-observing-challenge-special-observing-award/

Here you will find the complete description. For you DIY builders, here is some information:

Build a soda bottle magnetometer.

• Instructions can be found here:  https://www.aurorawatch.ca/content/view/15/40/r
• Materials needed are:
  • An empty 2-litre soda bottle.
  • A couple inches of balast (sand or small pebbles) to keep the bottle stable.
  • A small lightweight mirror.
  • A small ceramic bar magnet. One to two incles long to fit inside the bottle.
  • A drinking straw.
  • Thread.
  • A small index card.
  • A yard stick or a meter stick.
  • A white flat target.
  • A light source (a faint red laser works well).

Use that magnetometer to detect variations in the Earth’s Magnetic Field.

Complete the program and receive a certificate.

Happy Observing!

 “Meteor Observing and Photography”

By: Will Sager

On a warm late summer night under the stars, you see a bright streak speed across the sky. A meteor! You know that this brief flicker was just a piece of space dust burning up upon hitting the atmosphere. But it is an immediate and exciting show just for you. You want more. Maybe you also heard that the annual Perseid meteor shower is coming.

Few things in astronomy are as immediate and enjoyable as watching a bright Perseid fly down the Milky Way. Perhaps you want to watch some meteors yourself. How do you watch a meteor shower? Perhaps you want to make observations to help meteor astronomers understand this phenomenon. Maybe you want to take a picture of a meteor.

Our speaker will talk about meteors, meteor showers, and how to observe and photograph them.

To see the video, click Meteor Observing and Photography.