Calendar of Society & Celestial Events
A Dynamic Organization...
The Chester County Astronomical Society maintains an active calendar of meetings and events, most of which are open to the public. Members-only events are indicated below.
Please note: events may be cancelled or rescheduled at a moment's notice due to inclement weather, illness, or for other reasons outside the Society's control. All members are notified as quickly as possible if an adjustment is made to the calendar.
January 2014
1st • NEW MOON (6:14 A.M. EST)
2nd-3rd • Quadrantids Meteor Shower. The Quadrantids are an above average shower, with up to 40 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower usually peaks on January 3 & 4, but some meteors can be visible from January 1 - 5. The thin crescent moon will set early in the evening leaving dark skies for what could be an excellent show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Look for meteors radiating from the constellation Boötes.
4th • The Moon passes 5° north of Neptune, 9 P.M. EST
5th • Jupiter is at opposition, 4 P.M. EST
7th • The Moon passes 3° north of Uranus, 8 A.M. EST
7th • FIRST QUARTER MOON (10:40 PM EST)
8th • PA Outdoor Lighting Council monthly meeting, 1438 Shaner Drive, Pottstown, PA 19465, starting at 7:30 p.m. Meetings are open to the public. For more information and directions, visit the PA Outdoor Lighting Council website.
11th • Venus is in inferior conjunction, 7 A.M. EST
14th • CCAS Monthly Meeting, Room 112, Merion Science Center (former Boucher Building), West Chester University. Meet & Greet over coffee and refreshments for members and non-members alike from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. The meeting starts immediately after at 7:30 p.m. Guest Speaker: Scott Engle.
15th • The Moon passes 5° south of Jupiter, 1 A.M. EST
15th • FULL MOON (11:53 P.M. EST)
16th-17th • The von Kármán Lecture Series: The Mars Exploration Rovers: A Decade of Exploration, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. Live stream of free lecture presented by NASA & Caltech.
17th • Reservations start for the February 7th planetarium show at the Mather Planetarium at WCU. For more information, visit the WCU Public Planetarium Shows webpage.
20th • Open call for articles and photographs for the February 2014 edition of Observations.
23rdth • The Moon passes 4° south of Mars, 1 A.M. EST
24th • LAST QUARTER MOON (12:19 A.M. EST)
25th • The Moon passes 0.6° south of Saturn, 9 A.M. EST
26th • Deadline for newsletter submissions for the February 2014 edition of Observations.
28th • Mars passes 5° north of Spica, 3 P.M. EST
28th • The Moon passes 2° south of Venus, 10 P.M. EST
30th • NEW MOON (4:39 P.M. EST)
31st • Mercury is at greatest eastern elongation (18°), 5 A.M. EST
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February 2014
1st • The Moon passes 4° north of Mercury, 2 A.M. EST
1st • The Moon passes 5° north of Neptune, 9 A.M. EST
3rd • The Moon passes 3° north of Uranus, 6 P.M. EST
5th • FIRST QUARTER MOON (2:22 PM EST)
5th • PA Outdoor Lighting Council monthly meeting, 1438 Shaner Drive, Pottstown, PA 19465, starting at 7:30 p.m. Meetings are open to the public. For more information and directions, visit the PA Outdoor Lighting Council website.
7th • West Chester University Planetarium Show: "Andromeda: Our Galaxy Neighbor," in the Schmucker Science Building. The show starts at 7 p.m. and runs approximately one hour in length. For more information and reservations, visit the WCU Public Planetarium Shows webpage.
11th • The Moon passes 5° south of Jupiter, 1 A.M. EST
11th • CCAS Monthly Meeting, Room 112, Merion Science Center (former Boucher Building), West Chester University. Meet & Greet over coffee and refreshments for members and non-members alike from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. The meeting starts immediately after at 7:30 p.m. Meeting Agenda: Member Night (Open Forum).
13th-14th • The von Kármán Lecture Series: The History and Future of Space Communications – Celebrating 50 Years of the NASA Deep Space, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. Live stream of free lecture presented by NASA & Caltech.
14th • FULL MOON (6:53 PM EST)
14th • Reservations start for the March 7th planetarium show at the Mather Planetarium at WCU. For more information, visit the WCU Public Planetarium Shows webpage.
15th • Venus is at greatest brilliancy, 4 A.M. EST
15th • Mercury is in inferior conjunction, 3 P.M. EST
15th • Zodiacal light visible in the west for the next two weeks
19th • The Moon passes 3° south of Mars, 7 P.M. EST
20th • Open call for articles and photographs for the March 2014 edition of Observations.
21st • The Moon passes 0.3° south of Saturn, 5 P.M. EST
22nd • Asteroid Pallas is at opposition, 4 A.M. EST
22nd • LAST QUARTER MOON (12:16 PM EST)
23rd • Neptune is in conjunction with the Sun, 1 P.M. EST
25th • The Moon passes 0.4° north of Venus, midnight EST
26th • Deadline for newsletter submissions for the March 2014 edition of Observations.
27th • The Moon passes 3° north of Mercury, 4 P.M. EST
28th • CCAS Monthly Observing Session, Myrick Conservancy Center, BVA (inclement weather date march 1st). The observing session starts at sunset.
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March 2014
1st • NEW MOON (3:00 AM EST)
3rd • The Moon passes 2° north of Uranus, 6 A.M. EST
5th • PA Outdoor Lighting Council monthly meeting, 1438 Shaner Drive, Pottstown, PA 19465, starting at 7:30 p.m. Meetings are open to the public. For more information and directions, visit the PA Outdoor Lighting Council website.
7th • Mather Planetarium at West Chester University Show: “A Star Is Born,” in the Schmucker Science Building. The show starts at 7 p.m. and runs approximately one hour in length. For more information and reservations, visit the WCU Public Planetarium Shows webpage.
8th • FIRST QUARTER MOON (8:27 AM EST)
9th • Start Daylight Saving Time - Set Clocks Ahead 1 Hour at 2:00 AM
10th • The Moon passes 5° south of Jupiter, 7 A.M. EDT
11th • CCAS Monthly Meeting, Room 112, Merion Science Center (former Boucher Building), West Chester University. Meet & Greet over coffee and refreshments for members and non-members alike from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. The meeting starts immediately after at 7:30 p.m. Guest Speaker: Dr. Ruth Daly, Professor of Astronomy & Physics at Penn State, Berks Campus.
13th-14th • The von Kármán Lecture Series: Measuring Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide from Space - NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. Live stream of free lecture presented by NASA & Caltech.
14th • Mercury is at greatest western elongation (28°), 3 A.M. EDT
14th • Reservations start for the April 4th planetarium show at the Mather Planetarium. For more information, visit the Public Planetarium Shows webpage.
15th • Zodiacal light visible in the west for the next two weeks
16th • FULL MOON (1:09 AM EDT)
18th • The Moon passes 3° south of Mars, 11 P.M. EDT
20th • Vernal Equinox (northern spring/southern autumn begins), 1 P.M. EDT. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world.
20th • The Moon passes 0.2° south of Saturn, 11 P.M. EDT
20th • Open call for articles and photographs for the April 2014 edition of Observations.
21st • CCAS Monthly Observing Session, Myrick Conservancy Center, BVA. The observing session starts at sunset.
22nd • Mercury passes 1.2° south of Neptune, 8 A.M. EDT
22nd • Venus is at greatest western elongation (47°), 4 P.M. EDT
22nd • CCAS Special Observing Session, Bucktoe Creek Preserve Star Party, Kennett Square, PA.
23rd • LAST QUARTER MOON (9:46 PM EST)
26th • Deadline for newsletter submissions for the April 2014 edition of Observations.
27th • The Moon passes 4° north of Venus, 6 A.M. EDT
28th • The Moon passes 5° north of Neptune, 10 A.M. EDT
29th • The Moon passes 6° north of Mercury, 1 A.M. EDT
30th • Mars passes 5° north of Spica, midnight EDT
30th • NEW MOON (2:45 PM EDT)
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April 2014
2nd • Uranus is in conjunction with the Sun, 3 A.M. EDT
2nd • PA Outdoor Lighting Council monthly meeting, 1438 Shaner Drive, Pottstown, PA 19465, starting at 7:30 p.m. Meetings are open to the public. For more information and directions, visit the PA Outdoor Lighting Council website.
4th • West Chester University Planetarium Show: “Astronomy on the Internet: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” in the Schmucker Science Building. The show starts at 7 p.m. and run approximately one hour in length. For more information and reservations, visit the WCU Public Planetarium Shows webpage.
4th • CCAS Monthly Observing Session, Myrick Conservancy Center, BVA. The observing session starts at sunset.
5th • CCAS Special Observing Session, Anson Nixon Park, Kennett Square. The observing session is scheduled for 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM.
6th • The Moon passes 5° south of Jupiter, 7 P.M. EDT
7th • FIRST QUARTER MOON (4:31 AM EDT)
8th • Mars is at opposition, 5 P.M. EDT
8th • CCAS Monthly Meeting, Room 112, Merion Science Center (former Boucher Building), West Chester University. Meet & Greet over coffee and refreshments for members and non-members alike from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. The meeting starts immediately after at 7:30 p.m. Guest Speaker: Dr. Tim Lawlor, Physics Professor at Penn State, Brandywine Campus.
10th-11th • The von Kármán Lecture Series: "For the Benefit of All Mankind": The JPL Technology Transfer Program, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. Live stream of free lecture presented by NASA & Caltech.
11th • Asteroid Juno is in conjunction with the Sun, 3 A.M. EDT
11th • Reservations start for the May 2nd planetarium show at the Mather Planetarium at WCU. For more information, visit the WCU Public Planetarium Shows webpage.
12th • Venus passes 0.7° north of Neptune, 4 A.M. EDT
13th • Asteroid Vesta is at opposition, 8 A.M. EDT
14th • The Moon passes 3° south of Mars, 2 P.M. EDT
15th • FULL MOON (3:43 AM EDT)
15th • Asteroid Ceres is at opposition, 2 A.M. EDT
15th • Total lunar eclipse, 4 A.M. EDT
17th • The Moon passes 0.4° south of Saturn, 3 A.M. EDT
20th • Open call for articles and photographs for the May 2014 edition of Observations.
22nd • LAST QUARTER MOON (3:52 AM EDT)
22nd • Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks. These meteors can produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds. The shower usually peaks on April 21 & 22, although some meteors can be visible from April 16 - 25. With no moon to get in the way this year, this really should be a good show. Look for meteors radiating from the constellation of Lyra after midnight.
24th • The Moon passes 5° north of Neptune, 6 P.M. EDT
25th • The Moon passes 4° north of Venus, 7 P.M. EDT
25th • Mercury is in superior conjunction, 11 P.M. EDT
26th • Deadline for newsletter submissions for the May 2014 edition of Observations.
27th • The Moon passes 2° north of Uranus, 7 A.M. EDT
29th • Annular solar eclipse, 2 A.M. EDT
29th • NEW MOON (2:15 AM EDT)
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May 2014
2nd • West Chester University Planetarium Show: “Black Holes Don't Suck,” in the Schmucker Science Building. The show starts at 7 p.m. and runs approximately one hour in length. For more information and reservations, visit the WCU Public Planetarium Shows webpage.
2nd • CCAS Monthly Observing Session, Myrick Conservancy Center, BVA. The observing session starts at sunset.
4th • The Moon passes 5° south of Jupiter, 10 A.M. EDT
5th-6th • Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower Peaks. The Eta Aquarids are a light shower, usually producing about 10 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower's peak usually occurs on May 5 & 6, however viewing should be good on any morning from May 4 - 7. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Aquarius. Best viewing is usually to the east after midnight, far from city lights. The Eta Aquarids are particularly interesting because they are made up of particles that were shed by Halley's Comet several thousand years ago.
6th • FIRST QUARTER MOON (11:15 PM EDT)
7th • PA Outdoor Lighting Council monthly meeting, 1438 Shaner Drive, Pottstown, PA 19465, starting at 7:30 p.m. Meetings are open to the public. For more information and directions, visit the PA Outdoor Lighting Council website.
10th • Saturn is at opposition, 2 P.M. EDT
10th • CCAS Special Night Out at Hoopes Park, West Chester, PA. The free public event is scheduled from 7:30 to 9:30 P.M.
11th • The Moon passes 3° south of Mars, 10 A.M. EDT
13th • Mercury passes 8° north of Aldebaran, noon EDT
13th • CCAS Monthly Meeting, Room 112, Merion Science Center (former Boucher Building), West Chester University. Meet & Greet over coffee and refreshments for members and non-members alike from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. The meeting starts immediately after at 7:30 p.m. Presenter: John Conrad, CCAS member and NASA Solar System Ambassador.
14th • FULL MOON (3:16 PM EDT)
14th • The Moon passes 0.6° south of Saturn, 8 A.M. EDT
15th • Venus passes 1.3° south of Uranus, 9 A.M. EDT
20th • Open call for articles and photographs for the June 2014 edition of Observations.
20th • Spring Astronomy Day. Learn more about Astronomy Day events by checking the web site of the Astronomical League.
21st • LAST QUARTER MOON (8:59 AM EDT)
21st • The Moon passes 5° north of Neptune, midnight EDT
22nd-23rd • The von Kármán Lecture Series: Putting the 'P' in 'JPL'—The Past, Present, and Future of Propulsion at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. Live stream of free lecture presented by NASA & Caltech.
24th • The Moon passes 1.9° north of Uranus, 4 P.M. EDT.
25th • Mercury is at greatest eastern elongation (23°), 3 A.M. EDT
25th • The Moon passes 2° north of Venus, noon EDT
26th • Deadline for newsletter submissions for the June 2014 edition of Observations.
28th • NEW MOON (2:40 PM EDT)
30th • The Moon passes 6° south of Mercury, noon EDT
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June 2014
1st • The Moon passes 6° south of Jupiter, 4 A.M. EDT
4th • PA Outdoor Lighting Council monthly meeting, 1438 Shaner Drive, Pottstown, PA 19465, starting at 7:30 p.m. Meetings are open to the public. For more information and directions, visit the PA Outdoor Lighting Council website.
5th • FIRST QUARTER MOON (4:40 PM EDT)
6th • CCAS Monthly Observing Session, Myrick Conservancy Center, BVA (inclement weather date June 7th). The observing session starts at sunset.
7th • The Moon passes 1.6° south of Mars, 9 P.M. EDT
10th • The Moon passes 0.6° south of Saturn, 3 P.M. EDT
13th • FULL MOON (12:12 AM EDT)
18th • The Moon passes 5° north of Neptune, 6 A.M. EDT
19th • Mercury is in inferior conjunction, 7 P.M. EDT
19th • LAST QUARTER MOON (2:39 PM EDT)
19th-20th • The von Kármán Lecture Series: Europa: The Challenges of Exploring a Cold, Distant World, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. Live stream of free lecture presented by NASA & Caltech.
20th • Open call for articles and photographs for the July 2014 edition of Observations.
21st • Summer Solstice (6:51 AM EDT) - The North Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its northernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.44 degrees north latitude. This is the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the northern hemisphere and the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the southern hemisphere.
21st • Jupiter passes 6° south of Pollux, 8 A.M. EDT
24th • The Moon passes 1.3° south of Venus, 9 A.M. EDT
26th • Deadline for newsletter submissions for the July 2014 edition of Observations.
27th • NEW MOON (4:09 AM EDT)
28th • The Moon passes 5° south of Jupiter, 11 P.M. EDT
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July 2014
2nd • Venus passes 4° north of Aldebaran, 6 A.M. EDT
2nd • PA Outdoor Lighting Council monthly meeting, 1438 Shaner Drive, Pottstown, PA 19465, starting at 7:30 p.m. Meetings are open to the public. For more information and directions, visit the PA Outdoor Lighting Council website.
4th • Pluto is at opposition, 4 A.M. EDT
5th • FIRST QUARTER MOON (7:59 AM EDT)
5th • The Moon passes 0.2° north of Mars, 9 P.M. EDT
7th • The Moon passes 0.4° south of Saturn, 10 P.M. EDT
12th • FULL MOON (7:25 AM EDT) — Super Full Moon
12th • Mercury is at greatest western elongation (21°), 2 P.M. EDT
12th • Mars passes 1.4° north of Spica, 7 P.M. EDT
15th • The Moon passes 5° north of Neptune, 1 P.M. EDT
17th-18th • The von Kármán Lecture Series: Revealing Saturn: Cassini's Tenth Year, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. Live stream of free lecture presented by NASA & Caltech.
18th • LAST QUARTER MOON (10:09 PM EDT)
18th • The Moon passes 1.4° north of Uranus, 6 A.M. EDT
18th • CCAS Monthly Observing Session, Myrick Conservancy Center, BVA (inclement weather date July 19th). The observing session starts at sunset.
20th • Open call for articles and photographs for the August 2014 edition of Observations.
24th • The Moon passes 4° south of Venus, 2 P.M. EDT
24th • Jupiter is in conjunction with the Sun, 5 P.M. EDT
26th • NEW MOON (6:42 PM EDT)
26th • Deadline for newsletter submissions for the August 2014 edition of Observations.
28th-29th • Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower Peaks - The Delta Aquarids can produce about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower usually peaks on July 28 & 29, but some meteors can also be seen from July 18 - August 18. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Aquarius. The last quarter moon will be around for the show and may hide some of the fainter meteors. Best viewing is usually to the east after midnight.
29th • Mercury passes 6° south of Pollux, 1 A.M. EDT
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August 2014
3rd • The Moon passes 2° north of Mars, 6 A.M. EDT
3rd • FIRST QUARTER MOON (8:50 PM EDT)
4th •The Moon passes 0.07° south of Saturn, 7 A.M. EDT
6th • PA Outdoor Lighting Council monthly meeting, 1438 Shaner Drive, Pottstown, PA 19465, starting at 7:30 p.m. Meetings are open to the public. For more information and directions, visit the PA Outdoor Lighting Council website.
7th • Venus passes 7° south of Pollux, 5 P.M. EDT
8th • Mercury is in superior conjunction, noon EDT
10th • FULL MOON (2:10 PM EDT) — Super Full Moon
11th • The Moon passes 5° north of Neptune, 10 P.M. EDT
12th-13th • Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks. The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower's peak usually occurs on August 12 & 13, but you may be able to see some meteors any time from July 23 - August 22. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Perseus. The near first quarter moon will set before midnight, leaving optimal conditions and dark skies for what should be an awesome show. Find a location far from city lights and look to the northeast after midnight.
14th • The Moon passes 1.2° north of Uranus, 1 P.M. EDT
14th-15th • The von Kármán Lecture Series: Curiosity 2—Year Anniversary, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. Live stream of free lecture presented by NASA & Caltech.
17th • LAST QUARTER MOON (8:26 AM EDT)
17th • Venus passes 0.2° north of Jupiter, midnight EDT
20th • Open call for articles and photographs for the September 2014 edition of Observations.
22nd • CCAS Monthly Observing Session, Myrick Conservancy Center, BVA (inclement weather date August 23rd). The observing session starts at sunset.
23rd • The Moon passes 5° south of Jupiter, 1 P.M. EDT
24th • The Moon passes 6° south of Venus, 2 A.M. EDT
25th • NEW MOON (10:13 AM EDT)
26th • Deadline for newsletter submissions for the September 2014 edition of Observations.
27th • The Moon passes 3° south of Mercury, 2 A.M. EDT
27th • Mars passes 4° south of Saturn, 9 A.M. EDT
29th • Neptune is at opposition, 11 A.M. EDT
31st • The Moon passes 0.4° north of Saturn, 3 P.M. EDT
31st • The Moon passes 4° north of Mars, 8 P.M. EDT
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September 2014
2nd • FIRST QUARTER MOON (7:11 AM EDT)
3rd • PA Outdoor Lighting Council monthly meeting, 1438 Shaner Drive, Pottstown, PA 19465, starting at 7:30 p.m. Meetings are open to the public. For more information and directions, visit the PA Outdoor Lighting Council website.
5th • Venus passes 0.8° north of Regulus, 8 A.M. EDT
8th • The Moon passes 5° north of Neptune, 8 A.M. EDT
8th • FULL MOON (9:38 PM EDT) — Super Full Moon
9th • CCAS Monthly Meeting, Room 113, Merion Science Center (former Boucher Building), West Chester University. Meet & Greet over coffee and refreshments for members and non-members alike from 7:10 to 7:30 p.m. The meeting starts immediately after at 7:30 p.m. Guest Speaker: Jamie Holder, PhD U. Delaware, "Gamma Ray Bursts and High Energy Particle Astronomy."
10th • The Moon passes 1.1° north of Uranus, 10 P.M. EDT
11th-12th • The von Kármán Lecture Series: Studying Soil Moisture from Space – NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. Live stream of free lecture presented by NASA
& Caltech.
12th • West Chester University Planetarium Show: “Spectacular Saturn,” in the Schmucker Science Building. The show starts at 7 p.m. and runs approximately one hour in length. For more information and reservations, visit the WCU Public Planetarium Shows webpage.
13th • CCAS Summer Party at Barb & Don Knabb's house. See the September 2014 edition of Observations for more details.
15th • LAST QUARTER MOON (10:05 PM EDT)
20th • The Moon passes 5° south of Jupiter, 7 A.M. EDT
20th • Open call for articles and photographs for the October 2014 edition of Observations.
22th • Autumnal Equinox (10:29 PM EDT) - The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world. This is the first day of fall (autumnal equinox) in the northern hemisphere and the first day of spring (vernal equinox) in the southern hemisphere.
24th • NEW MOON (2:14 AM EDT)
26th • The Moon passes 4° north of Mercury, 6 A.M. EDT
26th • CCAS Monthly Observing Session, Myrick Conservancy Center, BVA (inclement weather date September 27th). The observing session starts at sunset.
26th • Deadline for newsletter submissions for the October 2014 edition of Observations.
27th • Mars passes 3° north of Antares, 5 P.M. EDT
27th • The Moon passes 0.7° north of Saturn, midnight EDT
29th • The Moon passes 6° north of Mars, 1 P.M. EDT
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October 2014
1st • FIRST QUARTER MOON (3:33 PM EDT)
1st • PA Outdoor Lighting Council monthly meeting, 1438 Shaner Drive, Pottstown, PA 19465, starting at 7:30 p.m. Meetings are open to the public. For more information and directions, visit the PA Outdoor Lighting Council website.
4th • Autumn Astronomy Day. Learn more about Astronomy Day events by checking the web site of the Astronomical League.
5th • The Moon passes 5° north of Neptune, 5 P.M. EDT
7th • Uranus is at opposition, 5 P.M. EDT
8th • Total Lunar Eclipse (Penumbral eclipse starts at 4:17 AM EDT, Total eclipse begins at 6:27 AM EDT, but moon sets at 7:01 AM EDT)
8th • FULL MOON (6:51 AM EDT)
8th • The Moon passes 1.2° north of Uranus, 7 A.M. EDT
9th-10th • The von Kármán Lecture Series: Rosetta—A Lesson on Comets, the Solar System and Mysteries of Earth, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. Live stream of free lecture presented by NASA & Caltech.
10th • West Chester University Planetarium Show: “Our Milky Way Galaxy,” in the Schmucker Science Building. The show starts at 7 p.m. and run approximately one hour in length. For more information and reservations, visit the WCU Public Planetarium Shows webpage.
14th • CCAS Monthly Meeting, Room 113, Merion Science Center (former Boucher Building), West Chester University. Meet & Greet over coffee and refreshments for members and non-members alike from 7:10 to 7:30 p.m. The meeting starts immediately after at 7:30 p.m. CCAS Speaker: TBA.
15th • LAST QUARTER MOON (3:12 PM EDT)
16th • Mercury is in inferior conjunction, 5 P.M. EDT
17th • The Moon passes 5° south of Jupiter, midnight EDT
17th • CCAS Monthly Observing Session, Myrick Conservancy Center, BVA. The observing session starts at sunset.
18th • CCAS Special Observing Session, Night Out at Anson Nixon Park, Kennett Square, PA. The free public event starts at sunset.
20th • Open call for articles and photographs for the November 2014 edition of Observations.
21st-22nd • Orionids Meteor Shower Peaks. The Orionids is an average shower producing about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. This shower usually peaks on the 21st, but it is highly irregular. A good show could be experienced on any morning from October 20 - 24, and some meteors may be seen any time from October 17 - 25. The gibbous moon will be a problem this year, hiding all but the brightest meteors with its glare. Best viewing will be to the east after midnight. Be sure to find a dark location far from city lights. This is another meteor shower that is produced by very old particles shed by Halley's Comet.
23rd • Partial Solar Eclipse (Begins at 5:51 PM EDT but sun sets at 6:08 PM EDT)
23rd • NEW MOON (5:57 PM EDT)
25th • Venus is in superior conjunction, 4 A.M. EDT
25th • The Moon passes 1.0° north of Saturn, noon EDT
26th • Asteroid Pallas is in conjunction with the Sun, noon EDT
26th • Deadline for newsletter submissions for the November 2014 edition of Observations.
28th • The Moon passes 7° north of Mars, 9 A.M. EDT
30th • FIRST QUARTER MOON (10:49 PM EDT)
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November 2014
1st • Mercury is at greatest western elongation (19°), 9 A.M. EDT
1st • The Moon passes 5° north of Neptune, midnight EDT
2nd • Daylight Savings Time Ends - Turn clocks back one hour (2:00 AM EST)
3rd • Mercury passes 5° north of Spica, 1 A.M. EST
4th • The Moon passes 1.3° north of Uranus, 1 P.M. EST)
4th-7th • Northern Taurid Meteor Shower Peaks. The northern Taurids generally produce rates of only 5-10 per hour when they peak around November 4 - 7. They are notorious for spectacular fireballs that have led many astronomers to believe the meteor stream contains a large percentage of large pieces generally not present in other showers.
5th • PA Outdoor Lighting Council monthly meeting, 1438 Shaner Drive, Pottstown, PA 19465, starting at 7:30 p.m. Meetings are open to the public. For more information and directions, visit the PA Outdoor Lighting Council website.
6th • FULL MOON (5:23 PM EST)
6th-7th • The von Kármán Lecture Series: Asteroid Redirect Mission: Rearranging the Solar System, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. Live stream of free lecture presented by NASA & Caltech.
7th • Southern Taurid Meteor Shower Peaks. The southern Taurids generally produce rates of only 5-10 per hour when they peak between October 30th and November 7. They are notorious for spectacular fireballs that have led many astronomers to believe the meteor stream contains a large percentage of large pieces generally not present in other showers.
11th • CCAS Monthly Meeting, Room 113, Merion Science Center (former Boucher Building), West Chester University. Meet & Greet over coffee and refreshments for members and non-members alike from 7:10 to 7:30 p.m. The meeting starts immediately after at 7:30 p.m. Guest Speaker: TBA.
14th • The Moon passes 5° south of Jupiter, 1 P.M. EST
14th • LAST QUARTER MOON (10:16 AM EST)
14th • West Chester University Planetarium Show: “Men are From Mars,” in the Schmucker Science Building. The show starts at 7 p.m. and runs approximately one hour in length. For more information and reservations, visit the WCU Public Planetarium Shows webpage.
17th-18th • Leonid Meteor Shower Peaks. The Leonids is one of the better meteor showers to observe, producing an average of 40 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower itself has a cyclic peak year every 33 years where hundreds of meteors can be seen each hour. The last of these occurred in 2001. The shower usually peaks on November 17 & 18, but you may see some meteors from November 13 - 20. The full moon will prevent this from being a great show this year, but with up to 40 meteors per hour possible, this could still be a good show. Look for the shower radiating from the constellation Leo after midnight.
18th • Saturn is in conjunction with the Sun, 4 A.M. EST
20th • Open call for articles and photographs for the December 2014 edition of Observations.
21st • CCAS Monthly Observing Session, Myrick Conservancy Center, BVA (inclement weather date November 22nd). The observing session starts at sunset.
22nd • NEW MOON (7:33 AM EST)
26th • The Moon passes 7° north of Mars, 5 A.M. EST
26th • Deadline for newsletter submissions for the December 2014 edition of Observations.
29th • The Moon passes 4° north of Neptune, 4 A.M. EST
29th • FIRST QUARTER MOON (5:07 AM EST)
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December 2014
1st • The Moon passes 1.2° north of Uranus, 7 P.M. EST
3rd • PA Outdoor Lighting Council monthly meeting, 1438 Shaner Drive, Pottstown, PA 19465, starting at 7:30 p.m. Meetings are open to the public. For more information and directions, visit the PA Outdoor Lighting Council website.
4th-5th • The von Kármán Lecture Series: Coming Soon to a Dwarf Planet in Your Solar System: NASA’s Dawn Mission to the Asteroid Belt, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. Live stream of free lecture presented by NASA & Caltech.
6th • FULL MOON (7:27 AM EST)
8th • Mercury is in superior conjunction, 5 A.M. EST
9th • Asteroid Ceres is in conjunction with the Sun, 7 P.M. EST
11th • The Moon passes 5° south of Jupiter, 11 P.M. EST
12th • West Chester University Planetarium Show: “Ancient Astronomy,” in the Schmucker Science Building. The show starts at 7 p.m. and runs approximately one hour in length. For more information and reservations, visit the WCU Public Planetarium Shows webpage.
13th • CCAS Holiday Party in West Chester, PA. The party is for CCAS members and their families and starts at 6:30 p.m. See the December 2014 edition of Observations for location and directions.
14th • LAST QUARTER MOON (7:52 AM EST)
14th-15th • Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks. Considered by many to be the best meteor shower in the heavens, the Geminids are known for producing up to 60 multicolored meteors per hour at their peak. The peak of the shower usually occurs around December 14 & 15, although some meteors should be visible from December 6 - 19. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Gemini. This year the new moon will guarantee a dark sky for what should be an awesome show. Best viewing is usually to the east after midnight from a dark location.
19th • The Moon passes 1.5° north of Saturn, 4 P.M. EST
20th • Open call for articles and photographs for the January 2015 edition of Observations.
21st • Winter Solstice (6:03 PM EST) - The South Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its southernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.44 degrees south latitude. This is the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the northern hemisphere and the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the southern hemisphere.
21st • NEW MOON (8:36 PM EST)
22nd-23rd • Ursid Meteor Shower Peaks. The point from where the Ursid meteors appear to come from is located within the constellation Ursa Minor, also known as the "Little Dipper". This meteor shower is active during the period spanning December 17 to 25, but it peaks on December 22/23. At maximum, rates can normally reach 10 per hour. The meteor shower is produced by the periodic comet 8P/Tuttle and can occasionally experience short-lived outbursts of up to 100 meteors per hour.
25th • The Moon passes 6° north of Mars, 3 A.M. EST
26th • The Moon passes 4° north of Neptune, 10 A.M. EST
26th • Deadline for newsletter submissions for the January 2015 edition of Observations.
28th • The Moon passes 1.0° north of Uranus, midnight EST
28th • FIRST QUARTER MOON (10:12 AM EST)
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