Sugar Creek Astronomical Society

20/09/2025

We've got two more Hobbs State Park star parties in 2025: Sept. 27 at 6:30 in the Hobbs Visitor Center, and Nov. Nov. 27 at 5 pm, again in the Visitor Center.

26/10/2024

Comet Atlas is just barely naked eye visible from one of the darkest spots in Missouri, Big Spring Campground on the Current River. Natalie Gardner Marts and I are here for the first Missouri Dark Sky Festival.
The comet is MUCH smaller and more faint than a week ago.

21/10/2024

We received this great analysis of seeing Comet Atlas for the next week or so. It came from Kevin Shank, an Explore Scientific dealer in Virginia. I took the attached photo Saturday night from Ozark Natural Science Center north of Huntsville, Ark.
The key is finding a darker site -- you've got to get outside the city.

From Kevin:

The comet is expected to be naked-eye visible until October 26. For the past week, there has been a bright moon to challenge the comet. After full moon last night, each night the moon will rise 50 minutes later than the previous night. So, moving forward with tonight, there is an increasingly large dark period before the moon rises. We knew where to look for the comet, so yes, even in the bright light of the supermoon that occurred last night, we were able to see the comet naked eye.
Tonight we went to dark skies in WV. With the moon rising 50 minutes late tonight, we were eager to see if the comet would be making a brighter presentation again. While there was still a lot of moonlight, we feel like there was a very significant dimming of the comet without regard to the bright moon. For example, we could very easily see the comet Monday night by 7:20. Tonight, with no moon, we could not see it naked eye until 7:30. That doesn’t mean to give up on this comet. Use binoculars if you have to. But, looking sooner than later is going to give you the best views that are possible from now until it becomes to dim to see naked eye.
Some people think the photography means the comet can be seen in the twilight. Actually, what you have seen in any photos we have taken is landscape illuminated by a bright moon under full dark skies. So, viewing at 7:00 p.m., for example, won’t work.
Also a reminder that a sungrazer comet orbits the sun October 28. If it survives the trip around, the comet will be visible in the morning before sunrise. It could brighten still more than comet c/2023 A3 did, and become daytime visible.
Many sungrazer comets do not survive their trip around the sun, so it is quite possible this second one will disappoint.

26/01/2024

Public service announcement for the total eclipse on April 8

If you are going to buy solar-safe glasses for the eclipse, you need to be buying them now.

The company I work for sells them -- and we are selling more and more each day. Sales are accelerating. Explorescientific.com

If you wait until the last minute you are going to buy from a fly-by-night outfit that doesn't care about what they sell. Or you're going to buy from someone who is price gouging.

Buy from a reputable dealer -- do NOT buy the cheapest ones out there. Are you willing to risk permanent eye damage just to save a couple of bucks? We all know the answer is no.

And if you live where the eclipse is going to in the high 90s DO NOT think that it's going to be good enough. 98 percent (what we're going to get in Washington and Benton counties in northwest Arkansas) is not good enough. 99 percent is not good enough.

98% is an ice cube. 99% is an ice cube that's been out of the freezer for 1 minute.

Totality is that ice cube is boiling water. The difference is that dramatic.

26/01/2024

Looking for something to do Saturday?
I'm giving a presentation, on behalf of Lights Out Heartland, on how light pollution impacts bird migration. It's 2 pm Jan. 27 at Fayetteville Public Library.

Kent Marts of Lights Out Heartland will be here to discuss the creation of bird-friendly communities to provide safe passage for birds during migration.

13/10/2023

At Explore Scientific’s Crossroads of the Eclipses star party for the annular eclipse on Saturday. We are north of Leakey Texas.
Sky cleared at sunset.
These are 10 second exposures on my iPhone. No manipulation.
Hoping It’s clear like this for the eclipse.

13/01/2023

Sugar Creek Astronomical Society is growing fast!
At Tuesday's meeting, we gained four new members, and a number of guest who didn't join but expressed an interest.
If you've got an interest in astronomy and want tomeet people who share your interest SCAS is the place to be.
Meetings are 6:30 pm the second Tuesday of the month at WaterWay Christian Church in Bentonville. Address is 4074 SW H St., which is Arkansas Highway 112 going south towards Cave Springs.

09/01/2023

Here is the list of Hobbs State Park Star Parties for 2023.
Put them on the calendar so you don't miss any!

* Saturday Jan. 21, 5:30 pm program, 6:30 viewing (no moon, Jupiter)
Program: Telescope basics (in case you got one for Christmas ��) and tour of the winter sky.
Highlights: View the planet Jupiter with the four Galilean moons as well as the beautiful Orion
Nebula. We will look at winter constellations, the planet Mars, the Pleiades (Seven Sisters,
Subaru) open star cluster, the Andromeda Galaxy.

* Saturday, March 25, 7:30 pm program, 8:30 viewing (4-day-old crescent moon)

* Saturday, May 20, 8:30 pm program, 9:30 viewing (1-day-old moon)

* Saturday, July 22, 8:30 pm program, 9:30 viewing (5-day-old moon)

* Saturday, Sep16, 7:30 pm program, 8:30 viewing (2-day-old moon, Saturn)

* Saturday, Nov 4, 5:30 pm program, 6:30 viewing (21-day-old moon, Saturn, Jupiter)

31/10/2022

Next meeting of Sugar Creek Astronomical Society is 6:30 pm Nov. 8. It's at 4074 S.W. H St., Bentonville -- that's Arkansas Highway 112 going south towards Cave Springs. WaterWay Christian Church.
Get it on your calendar and set an alert.
Come join us for an evening focused on amateur astronomy.

16/11/2021

Everyone loves a meteor shower, right? Right!
Tonight's the night for the peak of the Leonids
Alas! The waning gibbous will wash out all but the brightest.
But don't despair -- you can see Leonids for the rest of the month.
A meteor storm is NOT forecast, so how many can you see? Depends on when you're out and where the moon is.
But, if you stay inside, you won't see a single one. So, get out there in coming days to enjoy yourself some meteors.

2021's Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak on the morning of November 17, during the dark hours before dawn.

11/05/2021

The May meeting is at 6:30 pm May 11 on Zoom. See below for the link.
Guest speaker is John Adler. John spent a career running RV parks in the Dakotas before selling his business,
buying a motor home, and hitting the road.
After 1,000 days on the road he settled down at Rusty’s RV Ranch near Rodeo, NM. Rusty’s caters to amateur
astronomers. Just so happens that John is just that, focusing on astrophotography.
He will tell us about his time volunteering for the National Parks Service doing astronomy outreach. Turns out,
there are MANY volunteer gigs available through NPS. The cool part? You get free camping and amenities— in
the park! A great way to travel the country and do public outreach.
John has two Facebook groups, RVers With Telescopes, and Friends of Historical Observatories.
Put it on your calendar right now. Set an alert. And join us!
Here’s the link:

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...