Astronomers of Humboldt
Upcoming Events
The Astronomers of Humboldt are now scheduling observation meetings for Club members and guests on the weekend nearest the new moon. And, in addition, we are holding Zoom meetings for members on most weekends nearest the full moon.
Next events:
- Saturday December 21. Winter Solstice. At 1:21 am the Sun reaches its greatest southern declination in Earth's sky, giving us Northerners the year's shortest day and longest night. Traditionally, this day marks the beginning of astronomical winter.
- Saturday-Sunday December 21-22. Ursid Meteor Shower. According to the American Meteor Society, "The Ursids are often neglected due to the fact it peaks just before Christmas and the rates are much less than the Geminds, which peaks just a week before the Ursids. Observers will normally see 5-10 Ursids per hour during the late morning hours on the date of maximum activity. There have been occasional outbursts when rates have exceeded 25 per hour. These outbursts appear unrelated to the perihelion dates of comet 8P/Tuttle. ... In 2024, a half-illuminated moon will be present in the morning sky and will obscure the fainter meteors."
- Tuesday December 24. Greatest Western Elongation of Mercury. Mercury rises at 6 am and by 7 am is shining at magnitude 0 in the southeast at an altitude of 10 degrees. Look for it well below and far to the left of the crescent Moon (note the first-magnitude star Spica right next to the Moon).
- Saturday December 28. Observing at Kneeland. Weather permitting, we will meet at Kneeland Airport. Before you go, check the weather forecast, the Kneeland Clear Sky Chart, the GOES West satellite imagery (single frame or timelapse), the air quality index, and the Kneeland Airport Sky Cam. And check back here for any last-minute changes. Dress appropriately and arrive in time to set up before dark. Sunset will be at 4:56 pm.
- Thursday-Friday January 2-3. Quadrantid Meteor Shower. According to the American Meteor Society, "The Quadrantids have the potential to be the strongest shower of the year but usually fall short due to the short length of maximum activity (6 hours) and the poor weather experienced during early January. The average hourly rates one can expect under dark skies is 25. These meteors usually lack persistent trains but often produce bright fireballs. ... Predictions for 2025 show a peak near 17:45 UT on January 3rd. This timing favors the Pacific area. Rates could be quite high if observed under clear, transparent skies. The waxing crescent moon will set before the radiant achieves a favorable altitude."
- Thursday January 9. Greatest Eastern Elongation of Venus. The planet Venus reaches the point of its orbit where it appears farthest from the Sun as seen from Earth. This isn't such a big deal since Venus has been blazing brightly in the evening western sky for months.
- Saturday January 11. AOH meeting on Zoom. We will hold a Zoom meeting from 7 to 9 pm. Login information will be sent to all dues-paying members.
- Monday January 13. Lunar Occultation of Mars. From 6:03 pm until 6:43 pm the Moon will pass in front of the planet Mars, as seen from Humboldt County. That's just about an hour after moonrise so the occultation happens low in the eastern sky.
- Wednesday January 15. Mars at Opposition. Earth passes Mars in their race around the Sun; this makes Mars appear at the point in Earth's sky that is opposite to where the Sun is.
- Tuesday January 28. Night Sky Network Webinar. "Euclid: Mapping the Geometry of the Dark Universe" with Dr. Michael Seiffert at 6 pm. AOH members can get more information here.
- Saturday February 1. Observing at Kneeland. Weather permitting, we will meet at Kneeland Airport. Check back here for updates.
- Saturday February 15. AOH meeting on Zoom. We will hold a Zoom meeting from 7 to 9 pm. Login information will be sent to all dues-paying members.
- Saturday February 22. Annual AOH Potluck Dinner. We will have our annual get-together at the Eureka Woman's Club, 1531 J Street, Eureka, 5:00 to 9:00. Details to follow. Save the date.
- Tuesday February 25. Night Sky Network Webinar. "JWST: Revealing the Invisible Universe" with Joseph Depasquale at 6 pm. AOH members can get more information here.
Dues-paying members can get a downloadable and printable calendar of current astronomical events, historical events, and AOH activities here.
Here are links to some west coast star parties: California Dark Sky Festival [at https://www.easternsierraobservatory.com/california-dark-sky-festival], Golden State Star Party [at http://www.goldenstatestarparty.org/], Joshua Tree Night Sky Festival [at https://www.skysthelimit29.org/night-sky-festival.html], Nightfall Star Party [at http://nightfallstarparty.com/], Oregon Star Party [at http://www.oregonstarparty.org/], Yosemite Glacier Point Starry Night Skies [at https://www.travelyosemite.com/things-to-do/naturalist-walks-programs/#collapse-26967.