NOVAC Public Meeting, NOVAC Swap Meet, 12/8/2024, 7:30 pm EST

  Come to George Mason for the NOVAC monthly meeting and bring along any astro gear that you would like to trade or sell or give to other NOVAC members.  Doors to the meeting room will open at 7 PM. For those who chose to not venture out in the cold, the Google meet connection

NOVAC Public Meeting, Dr. Carl Rodriguez presents The Dark Side of the Universe, 11/10/2024, 7:30 pm EST

On September 14th, 2015, the two sites of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory detected minuscule ripples in the fabric of space.  This Nobel-winning accomplishment, the culmination of nearly 50 years of work, also provided us with a new window into the Universe: gravitational waves.  I will discuss some of the first results from LIGO, and

NOVAC Public Meeting, Dr. Robert Smith presents The Herschels: A Most Astronomical Family and the Transformation of Astronomy, 10/13/2024, 7:30 pm EDT

Dr. Robert Smith from the University of Alberta will present:  The Herschels: A Most Astronomical Family and the Transformation of Astronomy. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, professional astronomers who worked at official observatories focused on the motions of astronomical bodies. The stars were generally only of interest as they provided a background grid

NOVAC Public Meeting, Judith Lean presents Solar Irradiance: Earth’s Energy Source, 9/8/2024, 7:30 pm EDT

Judith Lean from the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), University of Colorado, Boulder CO and the Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Washington DC (Emeritus)  will present her work related to Solar Irradiance: Earth’s energy sources.  Earth’s energy emanates from the Sun, a variable star. Solar irradiance heats Earth’s surface and atmosphere, initiating

NOVAC Public Meeting, Geoff Chester recounts his career experience at the US Naval Observatory, 8/11/2024, 7:30 pm EDT

NOVAC member Geoff Chester, who recently retired from The U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) will talk about the mission of the USNO and his career highlights.  The USNO   performs an essential scientific role for the United States, the Navy, and the Department of Defense. Its mission includes determining the positions and motions of the Earth, Sun,

NOVAC Public Meeting, NOVAC Swap Meet, 12/8/2024, 7:30 pm EST

  Come to George Mason for the NOVAC monthly meeting and bring along any astro gear that you would like to trade or sell or give to other NOVAC members.  Doors to the meeting room will open at 7 PM. For those who chose to not venture out in the cold, the Google meet connection

NOVAC Public Meeting, Dr. Carl Rodriguez presents The Dark Side of the Universe, 11/10/2024, 7:30 pm EST

On September 14th, 2015, the two sites of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory detected minuscule ripples in the fabric of space.  This Nobel-winning accomplishment, the culmination of nearly 50 years of work, also provided us with a new window into the Universe: gravitational waves.  I will discuss some of the first results from LIGO, and

NOVAC Public Meeting, Dr. Robert Smith presents The Herschels: A Most Astronomical Family and the Transformation of Astronomy, 10/13/2024, 7:30 pm EDT

Dr. Robert Smith from the University of Alberta will present:  The Herschels: A Most Astronomical Family and the Transformation of Astronomy. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, professional astronomers who worked at official observatories focused on the motions of astronomical bodies. The stars were generally only of interest as they provided a background grid

NOVAC Public Meeting, Judith Lean presents Solar Irradiance: Earth’s Energy Source, 9/8/2024, 7:30 pm EDT

Judith Lean from the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), University of Colorado, Boulder CO and the Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Washington DC (Emeritus)  will present her work related to Solar Irradiance: Earth’s energy sources.  Earth’s energy emanates from the Sun, a variable star. Solar irradiance heats Earth’s surface and atmosphere, initiating

NOVAC Public Meeting, Geoff Chester recounts his career experience at the US Naval Observatory, 8/11/2024, 7:30 pm EDT

NOVAC member Geoff Chester, who recently retired from The U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) will talk about the mission of the USNO and his career highlights.  The USNO   performs an essential scientific role for the United States, the Navy, and the Department of Defense. Its mission includes determining the positions and motions of the Earth, Sun,