bsuobservatory

[bsuobservatory]

We'll be open tonight, Wed. 4/23, 8:30 - 9:45 pm! We expect lovely skies.

[bsuobservatory]

Calling all geology and space lovers!

NASA's Perseverance rover has been collecting rock samples on Mars for 4 years now, and already there are some exciting finds! Check out the article here:

[bsuobservatory]

Space News!

A star located 12,000 lightyears from Earth engulfed one of its planets! It was previously believed that planets were engulfed by their stars expanding, but that isn't the case here. The planet, over millions of years, orbited closer to its star, to the point it was eventually engulfed by the star. The image is an artist's rendition of what happened.

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Wed. 4/16: We'll be open from 8:30 - 9:45 tonight!

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Wed. 4/16: Check back for our weather decision after 4 pm! The forecasts disagree.

[bsuobservatory]

ESA's Gaia Mission has been mapping the Milky Way for over 10 years! Check out its greatest discoveries in this short video (~5 minutes).

[bsuobservatory]

2025 April 5

The Gargoyles’ Eclipse Image Credit & Copyright: Bertrand Kulik

Explanation: In dramatic silhouette against a cloudy daytime sky over Paris, France, gargoyles cast their monstrous gaze outward from the west facade of Notre Dame Cathedral. Taken on March 29, this telephoto snapshot also captures the dramatic silhouette of a New Moon against the bright solar disk in a partial solar eclipse. Happening high in Parisian skies, the partial eclipse was close to its maximum phase of about 23 percent. Occurring near the end of the first eclipse season of 2025, this partial solar eclipse followed the total eclipse of the Full Moon on March 13/14. The upcoming second eclipse season of 2025 will see a total lunar eclipse on September 7/8 and partial solar eclipse on September 21. The partial solar eclipse will be seen only from locations in planet Earth’s southern hemisphere.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250405.html

[bsuobservatory]

The Fireworks Galaxy. Imaged at Bridgewater State University Observatory, Fall 2019. Reprocessed 2025. Credit: BSU Experimental Astrophysics Research (BEAR) Team.

[bsuobservatory]

We had an error on here earlier - fixed now.

Public nights are here!

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4/2/25: We'll be closed tonight due to clouds and rain. We'll try again next week.

[bsuobservatory]

3/26: Public night is cancelled tonight due to clouds. We'll try again next week.

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[bsuobservatory]

3/19: Our public night is cancelled. The forecast keeps getting worse. We'll try again next week!

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3/19/25: So far it looks likely to cloud up, but we'll wait a few more hours before deciding whether to hold our public night.

[bsuobservatory]

Article of the Day!

“Dust in the Stellar Wind: A Cosmological Primer” by Pat Brennan

[bsuobservatory]

A reminder that our public Spring events start this week!

Public nights are here!

[bsuobservatory]

Picture of the Day!

The Pencil Nebula, 800 light-years away and nearly 5 light-years long, is a small part of the Vela supernova remnant. This supernova shock wave travels through space at over 500,000 kilometers per hour!

Image credit: Helge Buesing