Public Star Party:   Friday: May 31 and June 7, 2013
See details below

Morgan County Observatory
Latitude 39° 28′ 55.05″ N
Longitude 78° 13′ 17.58″ W
Courtesy Google Maps

The MCOF Public Star Parties will be held on Friday May 31 & June 7, 2013 at 9:00 pm at the Morgan County Observatory. There will be stargazing, refreshments, movies and hands on astronomy exhibits to entertain folks of all ages.

The Observatory will be open whether the sky is cloudy or clear. Check this website for last minute cancellations due to severe weather conditions.

To sign up for email notification of closing, Please email  MCOF President

Tentative: Objects to be shown:
  We ask for your suggestions also.

MCOF would like to get the message out that all of us as citizens and business owners can help prevent light pollution by using minimal outdoor lighting, keeping all lights pointed downward, utilizing timers and motion detectors for outdoor lighting and turning off unneeded lights at night. These measures save money and energy, besides protecting our night sky from light pollution. For more information see:

http://www.darksky.org

Summer - Spring 2013 / Summer 2013

Viewing nights are Friday Evenings unless noted - Check website for cloudy/raindate

Directions to Morgan County Observatory

The Observatory is located on the grounds of the Greenwood Elementary School, 8989 Winchester Grade Rd (Rt 13), Berkeley Springs, West Virginia

From Berkeley Springs: follow Rt 522 South 2 miles and take a left on Winchester Grade Rd (Rt 13), then travel 9 miles. The Greenwood Elementary School (8989 Winchester Grade Road) will be on the left. Go past the school and then park at the Observatory Parking lot next to the Observatory.

From Winchester, Va.: follow route 522 North to Reynolds Rd (Liberty Gas Station on left). Make right turn and go 5 miles to end (Reynolds Rd changes to Winchester Grade Road at West Virginia state line.), then make right turn onto Winchester Grade Rd (Rt 13) and go 4 miles to the Observatory. For information call 304-258-1013

For more information, see the Star Parties page or Star Parties Archive and
Indoor Star Shows Archive pages.

Upcoming events - Local Astronomy Groups

Star Parties

Morgan County Observatory - Public Star Party: August 10 and 13 at 8:30 pm.

Analemma Society, Great Falls, Va Public Observing Sessions - Every Friday Night - Weather permitting.
Summer Hours (16 April through 31 October) Sunset to 10:30 PM
Winter Hours (1 Nov through 15 April) 7:00 to 9:30 PM

Georgetown University Astronomical Society - None Listed

National Air and Space Museum Events - Sky Meadows Public Observing Night: Saturday, July 21, 2012 8:00-11:00,
Saturday, August 18, 2012 7:30-10:30,
Saturday September 15, 2012 7:00-10:00,
Saturday, October 13, 2012 6:00-9:00,
Saturday,November 10, 2012 4:30-7:30   pm.

National Capital Astronomers
Star Party at Rock Creek Park

Date	Time	Targets of Interest
21 Apr	8:30pm	Winter constellations; Lyrid meteor shower
19 May	9:00pm	Venus, Mars, and Saturn; the Beehive in Cancer
16 Jun	9:00pm	Solstice 6/20; Mars and Saturn
21 Jul	9:00pm	Summer Triangle; Moon passing near Regulus
18 Aug	8:30pm	Mars and Saturn near Spica; Andromeda rising
15 Sep	8:00pm	Cassiopeia level with Polaris; equinox next week
20 Oct	7:30pm	Astronomy Day; Orionid meteor shower
03 Nov	7:00pm	Pleiades and winter constellations appear

Northern Virginia Astronomy Club (Novac) Public Observing Session 2012:
at CM Crockett Park.   July 14 rain date 21,
                                     Aug 11 rain date 25,
                                     Sept 8, Oct 6, Nov 17, Dec 8.

at Great Meadows State Park:   July 20, Aug 10, Oct 13, Nov 10.

at Sky Meadows:  July 21 8:00pm, Aug 18 - 8:00pm, Sep 15 - 7:30pm, Oct 13 - 6:00pm,
                            Nov 10 - 4:30-9:00pm.

Shenandoah Astronomical Society (SAS)   Public Astronomical Observing Session:
Star Party - Andy Guest State Park: July 14, 8:30pm, August 18, 8:00pm
Star Party - Shenandoah Park - Maurertown: July 21, 8:30pm, August 11, 8:00pm

Shenandoah Valley Stargazers (SVS) Public Observing Session: None Listed

TriState Astronomers: Antietam Battlefield Public Star Party - Fall Edition - Oct. 19 & 20, 2012

University of Maryland College Park, MD Public Observing Sessions - 5th and 20th of each month

Meetings

Georgetown University Astronomical Society - Nothing Listed

National Capital Astronomers and National Capital Astronomers  September through June on the second Saturday of the month     March 12, April 9, May 14, June 11, 2011 at 7:30 pm

Novac - Northern Virginia Astronomy Club   Sunday, July 8, 2012 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.  Meetings normally held 2nd Sunday of the month at 7:00 pm.

Shenandoah Astronomical Society     Monday July 9, August 13, Sept 10, Oct 8, Nov 12, Dec 10, 2012 at 7:00pm. - Club Meeting at Lord Fairfax Community College, Middletown, Va.   Meetings held 2nd Monday of the month at 7:00 pm.

Shenandoah Valley Stargazers No Meetings.

TriState Astronomers Next meeting: ? at 7:30pm. in the WCBOE William Brish Planetarium.

Westminster Astronomical Society Next meeting: second Wednesday of the every month starting promptly at 7:30 pm at Bear Branch Nature Center

The Links radio button contains links to 11 different topics which are listed below:

• Astronomy and Science media linksof Interest
• Astronomy Clubs
• Education Outreach
• ExtraSolar Astronomy
• Meteor Showers
• NASA Links
• NASA Missions
• Other Links of Interest
• Planetariums and Science Centers
• Radio Astronomy
• Solar Astronomy

Astronomy Now   Tonight's Sky

Amazing Space's - Tonight's Sky   requires Flash Player 7

Astronomy's - Sky Events  This website allows you to see up to 52 weeks in advance.

Sky & Telescope  "This Week's Sky at a Glance"

Star Gazer  by - Jack Horkheimer, The International Edition

The Sky This Week  U.S. Naval Observatory

Earth & Sky  Tonight's Sky

Night Sky Observer  Robert Nugent's The Sky this month

Hold a Private Star Party at the Observatory !

Have a Private Star Party with your friends. See the "Get Involved" web page for membership levels for this or contact Kevin Boles at 304 258-1013 for information on pricing for Number of persons attending/# of hours use/trained operator to run telescope.

Click on a moon of Jupiter for more information.

For more Astronomical Links click here: Astronomy Links Page

Lunar Phases CURRENT MOON moon phase All times displayed below are in UT except for the clock in the bottom block which displays local time 1 New Moon 2 Waxing Crescent Moon 3 First Quarter Moon 4 Waxing Gibbous Moon 5 Full Moon 6 Waning Gibbous Moon 7 Third Quarter or Last Quarter Moon 8 Waning Crescent Moon

Tonight's Sky: Click the above image for a chart of the sky above Morgan County Observatory. Popup blockers must be disabled. Charts courtesy of Fourmilab Switzerland.

For broken links Please email MCOF Webmaster

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This Page Last Updated - May 11, 2013

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