LVAS is a proud member of the NASA/JPL Night Sky Network. LVAS events will be posted on the Night Sky Network website at

Night Sky Network:Las Vegas Astronomical Society:Event Calendar.

Recent Updates

- Great Basin Astronomy Festival Update - Links added for lodging

- ISS passes updated

Other Notable Events

International Space Station Passes

There are no bright ISS evening passes until at least mid-August, but there are two very bright morning passes on August 4th and 6th. Normally, only the passes that are brighter than -2.0 in magnitude, or those that are brighter than -1.5 magnitude and greater than 4 minutes in duration are posted. There are many passes during the morning hours of early August near that threshold, so check the link below for other passes that you might like to catch.

Date	Mag	Start	Finish	Duration	Direction
Aug 4 * **	-3.6	05:07:01	05:12:39	5:38	SW (234°) to NE (45°)
Aug 6 *	-3.4	04:27:58	04:31:39	3:41	W (262°) to NE (42°)

*These passes are exceptionally bright passes. Note: Only passes of mag -2.0 or higher are listed above.

** These are horizon to horizon or near horizon to horizon passes of over 4 minute duration.

Be sure to check www.heavens-above.com for the most current prediction information. The information above is updated at least weekly, but predictions may change slightly as the date for the pass approaches, so checking the Heavens Above website will ensure you have the most accurate and up to date information about upcoming passes. A magnitude of -2.8 is about the brightness of the planets Jupiter or Venus. Look for either Jupiter or Venus when they're visible after sunset to get an idea of what to expect when the Space Station becomes visible.

Iridium Flares - an interesting phenomenon where sunlight is reflected from the large aluminum antennae on Iridium communication satellites to your observing location on the ground. Heavens-Above.com can predict Iridium Flares for almost any location. Below are links to Heavens-Above.com predictions for selected sites of interest to LVAS members:

Boulder City		Henderson		Las Vegas		North Las Vegas		Overton
Cathedral Gorge		Furnace Creek		RedStone		Red Rock Visitor Center		Sawmill Trailhead

Note from the President - July

Ok, Summer is here and we have the temps to prove it. The temp at 11pm was 97 degrees the other night. I work up a good sweat setting up my scopes even after the Sun goes down. The nights are also shorter so there's less observing time, planning your observing time will allow you to

accomplish more on these shorter nights. So slip on your short-sleeve shirts and get out under the stars. There are quite a few observing events this Summer and we hope you'll add at least one or two of them to your calendar.

Don't forget to use the Event Calendar to stay current on LVAS events. All of our events have been posted on the Calendar with additional information and map links. Highlights for this and the next few months include our the Belmont Star Party this month, the Great Basin Astronomy Festival in August, the Annual Cathedral Gorge Campout and Star Party in September, and Death Valley in October. See the Event Calendar and Upcoming Event Info for more information on these events. We hope you'll put some of them on your personal calendar and join us under the stars.

Our Red Rock Astronomy in the Park public star parties of the last few months have been quite successful. In June, a new "Meetup Group", the Las Vegas Astronomy Group joined us at Red Rock and had a great time. The coordinator, Brent, even brought a telescope and helped serve the public with views through his telescope. They are planning to join us again on the 17th of July. A special thanks to Fred Rayworth, Rob Howard, Bunny Nua, and Bill Siedsma for helping bringing their telescopes and helping support the crowd of over 175 people.

Our Secretary, Bunny Nua gave us a bit of a scare this week. She had to be taken to the hospital after suffering what doctors think was a mini-stroke. I spoke with her the day after the incident and she was tired, but doing well. She's now recovering at her daughter's home. We wish her well and hope she has a speedy recovery. We look forward to having her back with us soon.

Again, I hope you'll check out the Event Calendar and make plans to join us on some of the planned outings for this Summer. Until then...

Clear Skies.

Rob Lambert

Last Updated on Sunday, 04 July 2010 20:54

CSN Planetarium Provides Weekend Family Activity

Needing an alternative weekend family activity? The CSN Planetarium provides three shows suitable for families. "Black Holes" is shown at 6:00pm on Friday and Saturday evenings and "Extreme Planets" is shown at 7:30pm. A short "Summer Stargazing" feature of the night sky follows each presentation. Immediately following the 7:30 show, guests are invited to view the planets and other celestial objects through the Planetarium's telescopes in the Observatory compound. A matinee feature, "The Little Star That Could" is shown Saturday afternoons at 3:30. All tickets are $6.00 for adults and $4.00 for students and children. Discounts are available for multiple shows. For more information about the CSN Planetarium, click on the Planetarium banner below.

Society Meetings

Monthly LVAS meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Planetarium at the College of Southern Nevada, Cheyenne Campus - 3200 East Cheyenne (See Map). Following a short welcome and business session, a presentation on an Astronomy topic of interest is normally presented by an LVAS member or special guest. Occasionally, the program is the Planetarium presentation of the month.

Next Meeting

Thursday, 5 August, 7:30p.m.

Agenda for the August Meeting

- Event Reports

- Belmont Star Party

- Astronomy in the Park at Red Rock Canyon

- Updates for Upcoming Event

- Great Basin National Park Star Festival

- Annual Cathedral Gorge Star Party and Campout

- Furnace Creek Star Party

- Presentation: How to Use the Clear Sky Clock

- Other Items

- Girl Scout Astronomy Club Update

(Trip to Goddard Space Center)

- Member Discussions - Open Forum

Red Rock Events

Next Red Rock Public Star Party

LVAS Members assist Red Rock Guests

Our next "Astronomy in the Park" Star Party is Saturday, 14 August. The evening presentation, "Nebulae - Clouds in Space" will begin at 7:00pm in the New Red Rock Visitor's Center (See Map). Weather permitting, public viewing through LVAS member telescopes will immediately follow the presentation. Come see Saturn (before it hides behind the Sun) and the Moon, and observe galaxies, nebulae, dead stars, and star clusters. There's more up there than just pinpoints of light, so Look up Las Vegas.

Planets above Red Rock

The Moon, Saturn, Mars, and Venus over Red Rock

"Astronomy in the Park" Star Parties are free and open to the public; however, the Park charges an entrance fee of $7.00 per vehicle until the Park closes. If an attendant is in the Fee Station, LVAS members should tell the Attendant that you are there for the Star Party. See the Events Calendar for future Red Rock Event dates.

Note: The Park entrance closes at Sunset, so if you don't plan to attend the presentation, please be in the park by at least 7:30pm.

Last Updated on Sunday, 18 July 2010 07:21