Amateur Astronomical Society of Rhode Island
Amateur Astronomical Society of Rhode Island
In October, Saturn reaches opposition, and Jupiter hides behind the Moon; Other highlights to be seen this month are Mars crossing the Beehive, an asteroid that can be seen with binoculars, pieces of Halley’s Comet coming out of Orion, and the Moon passing in front of the Pleiades.
Saturday, September 19Weather: Mostly cloudy, calm, 58°Participants: Jay Baccala, Mark Munkacsy, John Kocur, Jim Hendrickson, CatherineAttendees: 6Observed: Moon, Alberio, M13, M15, M57Photos: […]
Friday, September 18Weather: Mostly clear, calm, 62°Participants: Francine Jackson, Jim HendricksonAttendees: 25Observed: Moon, ISS, Mizar & Alcor, Albireo, CoathangerPhotos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD5xWsReport by: Jim […]
September’s sky brings the autumnal equinox, the harvest Moon paired with Saturn, and bright planets visible throughout the night. Also see Jupiter’s moons eclipse each other, the year’s earliest-rising last quarter Moon, and Neptune at its best.
The skies of August present a 14% partial solar eclipse, a 96% partial lunar eclipse, and a favorable peak of the annual […]
A respite from the wildfire smoke blanketing the region throughout the week and a predicted overnight overcast provided a brief window of […]
A close pairing of Mars and Uranus gives us a red and blue Independence Day treat, Venus passes Regulus in the evening, Mercury moves to the morning, Pluto at opposition, and a pair of Mooned-out meteor showers all highlight the night sky in July.
2026 marks the semiquincentennial (literally “half of five centuries”) of the Declaration of Independence, the founding document of the United States of […]
In addition to the usual Public Night this Saturday visitors could also learn about HAM radio operation. The Blackstone Valley Amateur Club […]
Weather: Clear, calm, 65°Participants: Michael Corvese, Matt White, Jim Meltzer, John Kocur, Jim HendricksonAttendees: 5Observed: 6-day crescent Moon, M13, Alberio, M81 & […]
Weather: Clear, calm, 70°Participants: Bob Horton, Jim Hendrickson, Katie Chippendale, John Kocur, Mike Kerr, Laura Landen, Francine JacksonAttendees: 15Observed: Double Double, M5, […]
The skies of June bring us the shortest nights, a trio of evening planets, a daytime lunar occultation of Venus, and the […]
You may have heard, perhaps even felt, or saw social channels light up with questions and speculation, or received a text from […]
I arrived at Seagrave Observatory during twilight, Venus and Jupiter had already dipped behind the trees to the west-northwest, and were out […]
Friday, May 1, 2026Weather: Clear, 50°, calm windParticipants: Francine Jackson, Jim HendricksonAttendees: 4Observed: Venus, Aldebaran, Sirius, Jupiter, MoonPhotos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCSWozReport by Jim Hendrickson […]
Do you remember when humans flew to the Moon? As a lifelong astronomy and space enthusiast in my early 50s, I didn’t […]
Weather: Mostly clear, 45°, wind NEParticipants: Francine Jackson, Bob Janus, Jim Hendrickson, John KocurAttendees: 22Observed: Moon, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, M45Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCRYY4Reports by […]
Weather: Clear, 45° calmParticipants: Bob Janus, Jim Hendrickson, Francine Jackson, Jay Baccala, Mike Kerr, John KocurAttendees: 12Observed: Moon, Mars, M44, M64, M104, […]
On February 24, 2025, the International Astronomical Union Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature (WGSBN) recognized Francine Jackson’s contributions to astronomy education […]
After two and a half decades of seriously observing the night sky, I have come to the realization that Lyra has become […]
Decades ago, amateur astronomical equipment was dominated by the humble 60mm long-focus achromat. Some time later, the trend migrated towards large aperture […]