Grand Traverse Astronomical Society

About...

The Grand Traverse Astronomical Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to to education and enjoyment of the night sky. Established in 1982, the GTAS has about 50 members from the Grand Traverse area. Meetings are held on the first Friday of every month beginning at 8 p.m. at Northwestern Michigan College's Joseph H. Rogers Observatory, though one of the summer meetings may be preempted by the annual picnic at another location. Topics of discussion range from current sky happenings to latest discoveries and theories. Guests are always welcome.

Over 750 attended the society sponsored Comet Hyakutake Watches March 23, and 24th, 1996. The farthest traveler came from Detroit to enjoy the dark skies and the spectacular comet through many telescopes. Comet Hale-Bopp attracted approximately 1,400 during the three scheduled viewing nights that were clear.

GTAS members Jerry Dobek and Judy Wieske took a spectacular photograph of Comet Hyakutake with the Rogers Observatory's Schmidt camera, and can be viewed from the Rogers Observatory Web page.

The GTAS belongs to the International Dark-Sky Association.

Society Officers Elected May 2004:

President	Gary Carlisle
Vice President	Bob Moler
Secretary	Jerry Dobek
Treasurer	Judy Wieske
Newsletter Editor	Bill Renis

Waiting for dark – GTAS Picnic and Star Party 2002

Here are more photos from the GTAS Picnic August 2, 2002

Getting ready to eat

Suttons Bay, and Grand Traverse Bay including the Old Mission Penninsula

Programs of Upcoming Meetings:

April 1^st – To be announced

Community Service:

Members of the GTAS host Public Viewing Nights at the observatory.

Scheduling Observatory Visits:

Teachers and group leaders are directed to call the observatory at 231.995.2300 for information and scheduling.

GTAS Public Viewing Nights at the Rogers Observatory

Note: Viewing hours may be extended if weather conditions and staffing permit.

Public Viewing Nights - 2005
DOW	Date	Time	Comments
Saturday	April 2^nd	9 -11 p.m.	Dark, Saturn, Jupiter, Orion Nebula
Saturday	April 16^th	9 -11 p.m.	Moon, Saturn, Jupiter
Saturday	May 7^th	9 -11 p.m.	Twilight, Venus early, Saturn, Jupiter, Dark late
Friday	May 20^th	9 -11 p.m.	Twilight, Venus early, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter
Saturday	June 4^th	9 -11 p.m.	Twilight, Venus early, Saturn, Jupiter
Friday	June 17^th	9 -11 p.m.	Twilight, Mercury, Venus early, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter
Saturday	July 2^nd	9 -11 p.m.	Twilight, Mercury, Venus early, Jupiter
Friday	July 15^th	9 -11 p.m.	Twilight, Venus early, Moon, Jupiter
Saturday	July 30^th	9 - 11 p.m.	Twilight, Venus early, Jupiter, dark, Summer Milky Way near end
Saturday	August 13^th	9 p.m. - ?	Venus early, Moon, Jupiter, extended for Perseids
Friday	August 26^th	9 - 11 p.m.	Jupiter, Venus early (marginal), Summer Milky Way
Saturday	September 10^th	9 - 11 p.m.	Moon, Mars late
Friday	September 30^th	9 – 11 p.m.	Dark, Summer Milky Way, Mars late
Saturday	October 15^th	8 – 10 p.m.	Venus early, Moon, Mars
Saturday	November 5^th	8 - 10 p.m.	Venus early, Moon, Mars
Saturday	December 3^rd	8 - 10 p.m.	Dark, Mars, Orion Nebula

Note: Viewing hours may be extended if weather conditions and staffing permit.

* Comet, Venus Transit of the sun and the Lunar Eclipse watches will be canceled if cloudy.

Explanation Key

Conditions

Dark: Dark skies. Deeps Sky Objects (star clusters, nebulae and galaxies) visible depending on the season.
Twilight: Twilight lasts through out the viewing period. Some Deep Sky Objects may be visible near the end of the viewing period.

Objects other than planets

Orion Nebula: A stellar nursery 1,800 light years away. The best and closest such object. Visible on winter evenings.
Summer Milky Way: Many Deep Sky Objects are visible in our galaxy. The Milky Way is best seen on August and September evenings.

In Case of Inclement Weather

Times are p.m. unless otherwise noted.
If it is cloudy, a tour and slide show may be presented.
Winter viewing may be canceled due to inclement weather, especially a heavy snow the day of the event which would make the hill impassable.

For more information on events at the Rogers Observatory call (231)995-2300

Quick jump to:

Bob Moler's Ephemeris home pagecontains transcripts of current Ephemeris programs; calendars of sunrise, sunset,moonrise and moonset for the Grand Traverse area of Michigan, and the DoorPeninsula of Wisconsin; and star, planet and comet charts and observing data.
Northwestern Michigan College's Joseph H. Rogers Observatory

Updated: 03/12/05