Sagittarius and Saturn are setting earlier and earlier now, and old friends like Orion and Jupiter won't be back for a couple of months, but the fall sky is hardly a wasteland: some of the best astronomy of the year is upon us! Cooler, dryer weather (we hope), fewer insects and earlier nightfall allow eager astronomers to start sessions sooner, view in better comfort, and stay out longer. So, what is there to look at?
At the September 13 GAAC meeting, our own Alan Winter will take us on a tour of the wonders now appearing in our evening sky. We won't just look at pretty pictures; we'll also learn about how far back in time we're viewing, how big these objects really are, and what makes them tick.
On the September agenda: sparkling open clusters and asterisms like Little Dagger in the Heart, Kemble's Cascade, Muscleman and the Circus Bear, and the Dragonfly Cluster; a parade of odd little planetaries like the Saturn and Little Dumbbell Nebulae, as well as some giant favorites, like the Veil and North American Nebulae, now at optimum zenith visibility; and bigger-than-life views of our closest galactic neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy, with its own little galactic orbiters.
We all look forward to seeing you there!