News

Mercury Transit of the Sun – November 8, 2006 (Wednesday, 2pm – sunset)

Weather permitting, this Wednesday, November 8 at 2:12PM and continuing until sunset, the Buehler Columbia Amateur Astronomers Association will showcase public viewing of the transit of Mercury across the disk of the Sun.  Four new solar telescopes of the Buehler Trust Observatory will be set up outside the south entrance of the TEC building to allow safe, direct visual observation of the sun.  One of the telescopes will be equipped with a video camera and small TV screen to enable those in wheelchairs to view the event.

 

Students, faculty, staff and the public are invited.  If you're on your way to class, why not leave a bit earlier than usual and join us?

 

Although not as impressive as transits of Venus (since Mercury is tiny), transits of Mercury are more common, occurring about 13 times per century.  However, in this case, the next transit of Mercury will not be until 2016.  The next transit of Venus, viewable from the US, will not be for another 128 years.

 

The Sun, itself, is a remarkably dynamic object to witness through our telescopes.  Prominences, filaments and other features can easily be seen.

 

Volunteers of the Association will be on hand to answer your questions.

 

If the skies are not clear for the transit event, the Association will arrange for solar viewing at a later date to be announced. 

 

Please remember that the Buehler Observatory in the TEC Building is open to the public for astronomical viewing every Saturday night at 8PM free of charge.  If you are interested in learning how to use the telescopes and equipment and wish to volunteer your help, consider a membership in the Association!

 

Public Lectures – March, 2006

Mark your calendars now!

Saturday, March 4, 2006, 6:00pm: "Venus' Runaway Greenhouse: Could It Happen Here On Earth?", presented by Dr. Roger Opstbaum, Professor of Astronomy, Bergen Community College.  Location: Bergen Community College, Technology Education Center, Room 128A.

Friday, March 10, 2006, 7:00pm: Lecture on Global Warming, presented by Dr. James E. Hansen, Columbia University.  Location: Bergen Community College, Technology Education Center, Room 128.

Both lectures are free and open to the public.


Past News: Mars Night at the Buehler Observatory – Saturday, October 29, 2005

Please join us any time between 8:00pm – 11:00pm the evening of Saturday, October 29, 2005 to witness a very close 'opposition' of Mars.   A planet is said to be in opposition when it appears in the sky directly opposite the sun.  The Earth has the 'inside track' on Mars as the two revolve around the sun; it completes its orbit more quickly than Mars.  Every two years or so it 'catches up' and passes the red planet.  As it passes by it is directly between Mars and the sun; hence, the term 'opposition'.  It is also at this point that Mars and the Earth are closest to one another during any one orbit of the earth.

Now, in addition, Mars and the Earth do not have precisely circular centered orbits around the sun, so there are times when Mars is at opposition when the Earth happens to be a bit farther from the sun than usual and other times when Mars itself happens to be a bit closer to the sun than usual.  Occasionally, both conditions occur simultaneously and the result is an especially close opposition.  That is what is happening on October 29th.  Weather-permitting, of course, this should be an exciting opportunity to view one of our nearest neighbors in the solar system!

Past News: Venus Transit on June 8, 2004: Bright and Early!

CAUTION! You must take proper precautions when observing this event.  The sun should never be observed directly with the naked eye or with ordinary optical equipment.  We will have properly outfitted equipment for observing the sun available for public use at Bergen Community College on June 8.

We invite you to witness a rare event coming up bright and early on Tuesday, June 8, 2004: the transit of Venus across the sun.  This event last occurred in 1882.  It occurs again in eight years and then will not happen again for another century. Venus will appear as a tiny black dot slowly crossing the sun's surface. It takes six hours to complete the transit; however, only the last 1.5 hours are visible from the East Coast, starting right at sun-up.  If you plan to join us, please note the following:

1.    We will be on hand even if it is cloudy, but not if there is precipitation.

2.    Directions: entering the college from Paramus Road, drive to B lot, make a left into B lot, go past the second Stop sign and park.  We will be on a hill 200-300 ft beyond that second stop sign to the right of the B lot parking area. For general directions to Bergen Community College, click here.

3.    Time schedule:
3:45-4:00AM: Start a star alignment of the telescopes (while it is still dark enough to do so).
5:45-5:50AM: The Solar disk will emerge from the tree horizon at this location.  About 2/3 of the transit will be over. We will catch the last 1/3.
7:00-7:10AM: The transit ends.

We plan to film the transit, although there will be several telescopes with the proper filters available for public viewing.

We also have little idea how many people are such early risers, so we ask everybody’s patience.

 

Past News: Comet Commotion on May 15, 2004: Public Nights Are Here

The Buehler Columbia Amateur Astronomers Association is pleased to announce that it will host public nights every Saturday evening beginning May 15, 2004. Events begin at dark and, of course, are held weather permitting. On May 15 darkness falls at about 9:00pm. Click here for directions to the observatory. We request that visitors use the Technology Education Center's east entrance (right-hand end of the building) to access the observatory.

On May 15, we hope to track one of two relatively prominent comets which are becoming visible in the Spring skies for those with sharp eyes and binoculars: comets NEAT and LINEAR. Sky and Telescope has an on-line article on these two comets. NEAT should be well-placed for observation on the 15th.


Past News: Mars Midnight Madness - "Opportunity" Knocks on Mars After Spirit's Success

Since its landing at Gusev Crater on Mars on January 4, the Mars rover Spirit has already sent back a treasure trove of stunning images of the Martian landscape. Now Opportunity is to follow with a landing scheduled for Saturday, January 24 at about midnight local time.

The Buehler Columbia Amateur Astronomers Association (BCAAA) is hosting a Mars Midnight Madness event at The Emil Buehler Trust Observatory in the TEC Building at Bergen Community College (directions) on Saturday night, January 24, 2004 starting at 9:30PM. We will uplink to NASA-TV via satellite beginning about 9:30, with touchdown expected around midnight. NASA-TV will provide live coverage of the Opportunity landing on Mars and, side-by-side with this, our brand new Meade 16" LX200 telescopes will be open for observing, including observing Mars itself.

Of course, two elements are beyond our control: (1) if there is a scheduling change on NASA's side, we may be unable to bring the landing in, and (2) if the weather does not cooperate, we will be unable to observe. In either case, we have multi-media activities ready as a substitute.

This event is open to the public, free of charge. If you are interested in joining the BCAAA, have one of our members present direct you to our membership committee.

Hope to see you on Saturday night, January 24th.


Past News: First Light

On Wednesday, August 27, 2003 Mars was closer to earth than at any time in the past 56,000 years! In a coincidence of astronomical proportions this happened to be the very same evening that Bergen Community College celebrated First Light for The Emil Buehler Trust Observatory telescopes.

Over 650 people attended this event. The Observatory opened the following night and nearly 150 people came to get a glimpse of the Red Planet.