Comet Hale-Bopp in the skies over Jackson (Hole).
Copies available, contact Walt Farmer.

 

Comet 17P/Holmes imaged at the Grand Cosmic Observatory Jackson Hole, Wyoming by Arlo F. Niederer
Imaged through a 0.5 meter Ritchey-Chretien Telescope on an SBIG STL-11000M  astro CCD.  Composite of 30, one minute exposures through Luminance, Red, Green, and Blue filters and composited into an LRGB image.
Imaged on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007, between 10:51 PM and Midnight.

An image of the Dec. 10, 2011 lunar eclipse over Star Valley by Don Cushman, a few minutes before it went full.

LINK to our new (1/10) Total Eclipse of the Sun 2017 page,
centerline over Jackson Hole at the N end of the airport.

ALSO, for a list of notes to take if you observe a meteor descending into the valley, click on this LINK, copy it, & carry it with you if such an occasion arises.

    ASTRONOMY  CLUB  MEETING/ EVENT  SCHEDULE  FOR  2012

                                        DATE                    MEETING PLACE                  PROGRAM

                                           January 20          American Legion Hall – Jackson             Mike Adler Program

February 17, 7pm          Chuck & Ann Dahl’s Home            Ann Dahl Program  
The program will be on Life in the Universe and an introduction
 to the use of the Night Sky website for all members.

Friday, March 30, 7pm              30, 7pm              American Legion Hall – Jackson           Elizabeth
Kingwill will present the program, "Keys to the Rainbow," as an extension to other
recent programs about detecting life around other planets.  Her program will delve into how
light, or the analysis thereof, can enhance our means of detecting if life could be possible,
relative to elements discerned from the light emanating from their star system.

April 20, 7pm    49'er Motel Conference Room - Jackson        Brief  Powerpoints by Walt & Liz.            

May 20, 6pm (approx.)           Observation of annular solar eclipse at Willow Flats
Turnout with GTNP, using club solar filters.  If you can come out, call Walt.

May 25, 7pm          Teton Science School – Kelly Campus             Reid Wolcott  from
 the NOAA Weather Service in Lander, will be the presenter*  

June 5, 4pm (approx.)         Observation of the Venus transit across the Sun w/club
equipment at Willow Flats in GTNP.  Call Walt if you can help due to psbl. visitor numbers.

June ?, 8pm                Walt & Kay Farmer’s Home           Walt Farmer Program

July 19, 8pm            Teton Co. Library Family Night of Astronomy

July 27, 8pm           Mel Tucker/Liz McKay Pacific Creek         Mel and Liz Program

August 19, Noon to 8pm       Colter Bay Visitor's Center              National Astronomy Day
Solar viewing in the afternoon at the Visitor’s Center with telescopes set up by the bay at night
for viewing after a program by Bob Hoyle, Ranger/Naturalist, in the amphitheater.

August 10, 8pm           Mike and Virginia Adler’s Home             Mike Adler Program

September ?, 8pm         Ocean Lake Observatory – Pavilion*         Mel and Liz Program

October ?, 8pm         Mel Tucker/Liz McKay Pacific Creek*       Mel and Liz Program

November ?, 7pm          American Legion Hall – Jackson* (maybe)               Unk.

December          No Meeting – Happy Holidays

 *         Items are tentative and may be changed.  In all cases be sure and confirm location, date and time prior to any meeting.

                       Call Mel (307.543.2424) to volunteer to do a program or host a meeting.

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MEETING SUMMARIES

******************

Meeting at the 49er Motel on April 20 with 16 present.  Programs by Walt & Liz.  New discussion of acquiring a new vice-chair, and a solar Ha telescope w/possibility of star party on Rendezvous for Venus transit in early June. 

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The date was July 31, it was cool & overcast in the park, the tourists were frequent & inquisitive.  But, it was just another day at the scope for the crew of the J(H)AC at our National Astronomy Day event in GTNP at Colter Bay for year no. 17, except, cloud cover was our nemesis this year & we had to do all our visitations inside the visitor center.  No solar viewing nor was there any night sky viewing after Bob's amphitheater show.  Sorta good in a way, cause the skeeters on the bay were mighty hungry if you do this event in late July instead of mid-August.  Besides those in the pictures below, also present were Elizabeth who took the pics, Loretta, & John Farmer came to help in the evening, if the clouds had parted.

Meanwhile, LAST YEAR...

August 15, 2010, was National Astronomy Day in Grand Teton National Park at Colter Bay.  We set up in front of the Visitor Center & entertained about 200 folks between 2 & 5 pm.  We had about 6 scopes on the bay after Bob Hoyle's amphitheater program & had about 300 guests join us to look at the night sky.  Participation were: Mel Tucker and Elizabeth, Lee Cutler, Mike Silverman, Charles Santos, Dan Haworth, Vic Wagner, Bob & Ben Hoyle, and Walt.  I believe this marks our 15th consecutive year hosting this event.

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    Welcome to our webpage concerning the activities of our amateur astronomy organization, one of several engaged in astronomy in Wyoming.  Our Club Chair for the last 12+ yrs. now is MEL TUCKER.  It was begun in 1992 with 5 charter members and now boasts about 40-50.  Our members are students, retired military, geologists, teachers, pilots, homemakers, professional astronomers, students, and a former Jackson Mayor.

    Club Dues are STILL $12. to join, $10. to renew, $8. for a second family member ($18. max per family) and $6. for students.  Make checks out to the Jackson (Hole) Astronomy Club and send to LORETTA SCOTT at Box 994, Jackson, WY, 83001-0994.  (If students can't afford to make this nominal investment, we will let them join for free.)

    Benefits of membership include a monthly newsletter, discounts on national astronomy magazines, instruction and use of the club's three telescopes & astronomical binoculars (Re Telescope Loaner Info for Members below), monthly meetings, observing with others members, discounts on occasional courses, etc. Each meeting includes an observing session if weather allows. Programs are usually given by other members or the occasional professor or other passing through the area. 

     The club will present Star Parties (scopes, astronomers, etc. for nighttime observing for groups of people).  Convention groups may engage the club for the nominal cost of $500. per evening.  Local civic groups will be accommodated either free or for a nominal charge.  Private small groups, visitors to the valley, etc., may engage us for a date & price to be determined on an individual basis, probably in the $200-400. range depending.  School groups, scouts, or other similar local entities will incur no fee for such an event.  We are also engaged in classes for young people, Scout merit badge counseling, and observe National Astronomy Day... usually in Grand Teton National Park in August.  This consists of an information table, solar observing, videos in the theatre, an amphitheater program, and then finally, star gazing.  Contact WALT via information provided below or click on this LINK to email for more information.  For your group, choose the link below for more info:

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LINKS to CLUB INFORMATION

LINK     to IMAGES OF CLUB MEETINGS
LINK   to IMAGES from NATIONAL ASTRONOMY DAY
LINK to IMAGES of SCHOOL & SCOUTING EVENTS
LINK      IMAGES of JOHN DOBSON EVENT
   LINK           to IMAGES of DAVID LEVY EVENT
LINK   to IMAGES of MISC. OTHER EVENTs
LINK        to FOR SALE ITEMS
LINK     to CLUB SCOPES/ASSETS
LINK      to EVENTS OUR MEMBERS HAVE VOLUNTEERED FOR

Jackson Hole Sky Quality Meter (SQM) READINGS from SQM READINGS for the Jackson Hole Airport

Rumor is, Jennifer Aniston is taking up astronomy.  Good for her.  I hope it's not just a celebrity fad, as it's a great hobby, although I hope she has a good viewing spot other than showing her scope off in her living room.  Here's the LINK.  AND, I'm available to help her learn how to use it.  I've helped some others & I feel fairly sure I can help her.  Jennifer, give Walt a call.

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Jackson Lake bolide by James Baker, across Jackson Lake from Colter Bay in 1972.
It could be seen for 101 sec. from Utah to Canada & was over 1,000 miles long. This is real, no digital enhancing then.
See the July 1974 issue of S&T Magazine for a sequential series of photos.
To see the video of this bolide, click on this LINK.

Current club officers are:

Co-Founder, Chair Potentate: Mel Tucker, 307.543.2424, Box 123, Moran, WY 83013
mel@jhastronomy.com
Treasurer Extraordinaire: Loretta Scott, 307.733.6906, Box 994, Jackson, WY 83001
lscott@wyoming.com
Founder/Membership/Publicity/Other stuff: Walt Farmer, 307.733.2173
walt@jhastronomy.com
Star Party Coordinator: Walt Farmer, 307.733.2173
walt@jhastronomy.com

CLUB PARTICULARS: We hold elections only if one of the first 3 officers can't continue in their position or if someone would like to volunteer/challenge for a post.  We're pretty informal & get together for the simple enjoyment of astronomy & sharing of information.  We do NOT have 501(c)3 status & as such are not tax-exempt.  Please volunteer to the Chair or Vice-Chair if you'd like to help in some specific manner.

***(Club members are encouraged to submit items for this page, including astrophotos, or other pertinent info.  Contact Webmaster Walt Farmer for more info.)

TELESCOPE LOANER INFO TO MEMBERS LINK

 (This website is authored by © WALT FARMER, Jim Bliss & Ron Sprouse.  Walt's Wyoming (Film) Web ) 

Some very interesting astronomy links are suggested below...

                      Would you like to have your astrophoto here as well?  Call Walt & show off a little.     Enlargements of Walt's photographs below, including Hale-Bopp at the top of the page, available on request.