Welcome to the WAA
We are a not–for–profit organization open to people of all ages with the desire to learn more about astronomy and who share an interest in viewing the universe. We range from enthusiastic amateurs and educators to casual stargazers and families. Everything you need to know about our organization is outlined below. Current astronomy news, feeds and astronomy resources can be found on the right side of the page.
Monthly Lectures
Lectures are free and open to the public and begin at 8pm in the Andrus Planetarium, Hudson River Museum of Westchester, 511 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, NY. WAA Directions. Here are the lecture dates:
May 2 – Brother Novak, TBA.
Attend our Social Hour at 7pm or the free Friday Star Nites planetarium show sponsored by Fuji Photo Film USA. And after the meeting we meet at Bennigan's for some casual conversations and a bite to eat.
Starway to Heaven
Starway to Heaven is our monthly observing night at The Meadow, Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Cross River, NY. WAA Directions. The observing dates are:
May 3 — 8:30pm to 10:30pm. Raindate: May 10.
June 21 — 9pm to 11pm. Raindate: June 28.
July 5 — 9pm to 11pm. Raindate: July 26.
August 2 — 8:30pm to 10:30pm. Raindate: August 9.
September 20 — 7pm to 9pm. Raindate: September 27.
October 4 — 7pm to 9pm. Raindate: October 25.
November 22 — 7pm to 9pm. Raindate: November 29.
December 20 — 7pm to 9pm. Raindate: December 27.
"Starway to Heaven" is free and open to the public through the generosity of the Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation. We encourage you to bring your telescope — especially if you need help using or setting it up. Don't have a telescope? You can look through our members' equipment. Call 1–877–456–5778 for weather cancellations. A good rule of thumb: Don't show up if you can't count more than 10 bright stars. Please read our General Observing Guidelines. The WAA cannot guarantee the turnout of members and telescopes during the winter months.
Membership
Annual dues are $25.00 per family which includes discounts on subscriptions to Sky and Telescope and Astronomy magazines (see below). To join the WAA, fill out our application and send it along with a personal check or money order to our P.O. Box.
Magazine Discounts
For WAA members only. Sky and Telescope — $32.95. Make check payable to Sky Publishing. Astronomy — $34.00. Make check payable to Kalmbach Publishing. Please mail the completed renewal form, your payment and the return envelope (with proper postage) to our P.O. Box. If you subscribe to both magazines you need to fill out two separate renewals. New subscribers please enclose a note stating new subscription. Note any change of address.
WAA Staff
We'll be glad to answer all your questions; just send your inquiries to the appropriate officer — you'll have to manually type the addresses:
The "W"
The constellation Cassiopeia in its familiar "W" orientation as it appeared just above the treetops on Thursday, June 13, 1991 — the night the WAA was founded.
What's up in Space
From Spaceweather.com
Night Sky Notes
From the Abrams Planetarium
- Saturday, May 17, 2008
Mars is 3° from the Beehive star cluster in Cancer the Crab. Watch next week as Mars moves closer to the cluster and passes in front of it on the 22nd of May. The Beehive cluster is also known as the Praesepe which is Latin for manger. The star cluster is over 500 light years away or 3000 trillion miles. Mars is much closer, only 1.77 AU or 164 million miles. - Sunday, May 18, 2008
The Moon rises 50 minutes before sunset. Try and see both the Sun and Moon in the sky at the same time. As the Sun is setting in the WNW, turn around and look for a big Moon in the southeast. - Monday, May 19, 2008
The Moon is Full at 10:11 p.m. EDT. This is the most distant Full Moon of the year. The Moon will be 252,000 miles from the Earth. The average distance to the Moon is 239,000 miles. This Full Moon is also a "Blue Moon". The term Blue Moon has more than one definition. One definition of a Blue Moon is the 3rd Full Moon in a season with four Full Moons. Another newer definition is the 2nd Full Moon in one month. Today is the 3rd Full Moon this Spring. The 4th Full Moon of Spring will be June 18th. This is unusual because most seasons only have three Full Moons.
SkyTonight.com's Most Recent Articles
Universe Today
- Satellite Images of China Earthquake.
- Strange, Super-Sized Pulsar Stumps Scientists.
- Ultimate Recycling on the ISS: Urine to Water.
- 7 Minutes of Terror for Phoenix Spacecraft (Video).
- Unusual Crater in Mars' Mamers Valles (Gallery).
- Weekend SkyWatcher's Forecast - May 16-18, 2008.
- Mars Is REALLY Cold.
- Carnival of Space #54.
- Mapquesting the Solar System.
- Elusive Molecule Found in Venus' Atmosphere.
- "Fusionman" Soars the Skies (Gallery).
- How to Escape From a Black Hole.
Astronomy Resources
Almanacs and Calendars
- Celestial Delights Online by Francis Reddy.
- Space Calendar by Ron Baalke.
- Night Sky Notes from the Abrams Planetarium.
- Yankee Stargazer's Almanac by Roger Ducharme.
Astronomy News
- Astronomy Now The UK's astronomy magazine.
- Night Sky This Week by Emil Neata.
- Sky at a Glance From Sky & Tele.
- Sky Report from Griffith Observatory.
- Space Weather by Dr. Tony Phillips.
- The Sky This Week from the Naval Observatory.
- Universe Today by Fraser Cain.
- Welcome to the Night Sky by Dr Jamie Love.
Auroras
- AuroraWatch from Lancaster U.
- AuroraWebCam Troy Birdsall, Mt. Aurora.
- Estimated Kp Index (over 7 means a possible aurora.)
ATM
- Francis J. O'Reilly's amateur telescope making videos.
Charts and Maps
- SkyMaps.com free star charts each month.
- SFA Observatory Star Charts
Clear Sky Clocks
Clubs
- Astronomical Society of Greenwich
- Mid-Hudson Astron. Assn.
- New Jersey Astron. Assn.
- Rockland Astronomy Club
- Winter Haven Astronomy Club
Databases
- AstroWeb Database over 3000 resources.
Earth
- Current Earthquake Activity from USGS.
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Seismograms.
Light Pollution
- International Dark-Sky Association, the light pollution authority.
- SELENE-NY a grassroots group seeking better lighting practices for New York State.
- American Astronomical Society light pollution resources.
Moon
- Virtual Moon Phase from the Naval Observatory.
Museums
- Bruce Museum Greenwich, CT.
- Trailside Nature Museum, Cross River.
- Hudson River Museum, Yonkers.
Satellite, ISS and Shuttle Passes
- Satellite Passes for White Plains, NY.
- Sightings for other cities.
- NASA SkyWatch Satellite predictions.
Satellite Images
- Central Asia visible-light image.
- Eastern Pacific visible-light image.
- Europe and Africa visible-light image.
- North and South America visible-light image.
- Western Pacific visible-light image.
Stargazing
- Seeing in the Dark PBS website.
Sun
- White-Light Solar Image from Big Bear.
Space Exploration
Weather
- Cross River Weatherbug forecast.
- Farmers Almanac prognosticated forecasts.
- Fleet Weather Conditions at White Plains.
- Hastings on Hudson Weatherbug forecast.
- NOAA Weather forecast for N. Westchester.
- Surface Condition Forecasting From Airsports.net.
Webcams
- The Night Sky Live from major observatories.
Additional
- Woman Astronomer to encourage women and girls interested in astronomy.
- Skyway, Inc. meteorologist Joe Rao's site.
- Nuclear Energy Can Save US by Richard Shaw.
The WAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.