Welcome to Houston Astronomical Society

Fostering the science and art of astronomy through programs that serve our membership and the community. Founded in 1955, Houston Astronomical Society is an active community of enthusiastic amateur and professional astronomers with over 70 years of history in the Houston area. Through education and outreach, our programs promote science literacy and astronomy awareness. We meet via Zoom the first Friday of each month for the General Membership Meeting and the first Thursday of the month for the Novice Meeting. Membership has a variety of benefits, including access to a secure dark site west of Houston, special interest groups that focus on particular areas of astronomy, an active community outreach program, and much more. Joining is simple.

“Navigating the Autumn Sky”

By Heather Charron

With cooler nights ahead (hopefully) autumn is great time to get out under the stars as a cornucopia of beautiful and exotic deep sky objects present themselves. We will provide a brief review on how to navigate the night sky using celestial signposts and take us on a tour of the autumn night sky.

Speaker Bio: Heather Charron

Heather joined HAS in December 2023, the newly formed AP-SIG group in 2024, and volunteered to reboot the GuideStar newsletter in 2025. She is now beginning her visual astronomy journey with a 10-inch Zhumell on loan from the HAS loaner library.

To attend the presentation you need to register for the Zoom access. You only need to register once.

Starting time is 7PM.

“Becoming Friends with the Moon”

With

Robert Reeves

A person in a red shirt

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Renowned astronomer Robert Reeves will take us on a private tour of our closest celestial neighbor. Along the way, Robert will point out some of the most interesting sights by way of his awesome lunar images. He will delve into detail about some of his favorite areas of the moon and provide both new astronomers and seasoned observers with tips for observing these areas in our own telescopes.

Robert has been a regular presenter to HAS and has always managed to both enlighten us with his knowledge and to share his unique perspective. In addition, he has inspired us to explore the night sky in new ways. This presentation is sure to be one you won't want to miss!

Robert is the author of the books Exploring The Moon With Robert Reeves: Observing and Understanding Our Natural Satellite, released by Firefly books in 2002, and Photographic Atlas of the Moon which was released by Firefly in 2004. Robert’s third book on the Moon's History of Lunar Exploration, was released by Firefly this past September, 2026.

Our Speaker: Robert Reeves is an amateur astronomer who has become well known both within the am-Astro community here in Texas as well as internationally. He has been exploring the night sky since 1958 and took his first lunar photograph in 1959. Robert has been publishing articles about astronomy since 1984 which have appeared in Sky and Telescope, Astronomy, as well as other publications for amateur astronomers. He has written seven books about the Moon, space exploration and astrophotography.

Robert enjoys speaking about astronomy and spreading his passion for astrophotography of both Moon deep sky targets.

In Person and Online Meeting

Our next meeting will be on Friday, October 2nd, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm and you can participate in one of two ways, either face to face at HAS’s new meeting location:

HCC Alief Hayes Campus

2811 Hayes Rd

Houston, TX

or virtually via Zoom. To attend via Zoom, you must register for the meeting. You can use the link below. You will receive an email with the details of the meeting and a link that will allow you to join in.

You only need to register once!

Join us on Friday, October 2nd, 2026, at 7:00 pm CT. See you then!

“NASA’s Moon Base Program (MBP) - Surface Mobility Office”

By: Carl Dunn

Moon Base Program - Surface Mobility Risk Manager

The Surface Mobility Office supports the Moon Base Program by providing crew transport via the Lunar Terrain Vehicle, surface logistics including utility rovers, and robotic construction. These projects will serve an integral role in providing crew transport on the lunar surface and help build a sustaining presence on the Moon. Based at the Johnson Space Center, the program is a cornerstone of the Artemis initiative, focusing on humanity's return to the Moon and preparation for future human missions to Mars.

Carl will provide us with an overview of the program, its objectives the technology and equipment it is currently developing, and its future use in the Artemis Program.

Speaker Bio: Carl is an amateur astronomer, space exploration historian, and military veteran. He grew up in a small town in Lacon, Illinois. He enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard, training in the Infantry, and served two tours during his six-year enlistment. In 2005, Carl responded to Natural Disaster Relief in New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from 2008-2009.

In 2016, Carl moved to Houston, TX to pursue a career in space exploration, starting his career with an IT consulting business, Patriotic Solutions, that built the IT infrastructure for the Nanoracks Mission Control Center. He later coordinated education programs at Space Center Houston including scouting and overnight experiences.

In 2022, Carl started work at the Johnson Space Center through a NASA subcontractor, ARES Corporation, as a Support Specialist. He trained on EVA Operations and supported the Integrated Testing Facilities including the Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL), vacuum chambers, and field tests.

Carl begun working full time on the Lunar Terrain Vehicle Project as a Data Integrator in 2023. Shortly after the Moon Base Program was announced this spring, he became the Risk Manager for Surface Mobility. He is proud to support NASA's return to the surface of the Moon and beyond!

To see the video, click NASA’s Moon Base Program (MBP) - Surface Mobility Office.

AP SIG TOTM is out! The Iris Nebula (NGC 7023) is a striking reflection nebula about 1,300 light-years away in the constellation Cepheus. This is a great broadband target, perfect for summer nights at the Dark Site. There is some hidden H-alpha and mysterious dust lanes.

“Our Solar System”

By Chris Morisette

In “Our Solar System" we’ll explore our corner of the cosmos. After covering some basic information, we’ll take a fascinating tour using the “Eyes on the Solar System” model from NASA. Here we will learn about each planet as well as a host of moons, asteroids, comets, and planetary missions. The presentation will wrap up with some information to help you observe Saturn and Jupiter during their upcoming opposition(s). We’ll conclude with a gallery walk of various photos of our celestial home!

Speaker Bio: Chris Morisette is HAS Novice Chairperson and an active member of the Houston Astronomical Society, North Houston Astronomy Club, and the Fort Bend Astronomy Club. He is also a member of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors.

To see the video, click Our Solar System.