THE BIRMINGHAM ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF ALABAMA

06/08/2026

From member James P:
"I have started 'reading' (audio book) one of the books Preston recommended at our last meeting. The book is 'The Day We Found The Universe.' I am six chapters in and really enjoying it. One of the brief parts found really interesting was about James Keeler's 1899 4 hour exposure image of M51. While the image of the large spiral nebula itself was considered to be far superior to anything professional astronomers had ever seen to that point, the important part of that image was in the background. There were 7 other nebula visible that were in different shapes and sizes. These unexpected photobombs helped get the ball rolling on the idea of there being objects outside of the Milky Way and perhaps there being many more Milky Ways besides ours.
Inspired by this story, I decided to image M51 again but this time with my hyperstar configuration. Notice the other galaxies in the image. This is a little over 1 hour's worth of 20 second exposures. I had to throw several out because clouds kept getting in the way."

06/04/2026

Member Doug F. shared some awesome shots of the sun he recently took. The first 2 are using a Hydrogen-Alpha filter while the last one is using a Calcium k-line filter.
(Standard disclaimer: Never look at the Sun through a telescope unless you have the correct equipment and a solid understanding of what you are doing. If you do not have the correct set up then you most likely destroy your eyes and your equipment.)

06/02/2026

Planets -- and the start of "nebula season"! Clear skies, everyone!

05/16/2026

Clear skies, everyone!!

If you can see only one celestial event this May,
see this one.

The crescent moon passing Venus then Jupiter

Look to the west-northwest 60 minutes after sunset on May 18, 19, and 20.
• On the first evening, the crescent moon full with earthshine glows immediately next to brilliant Venus.
• The next evening finds a somewhat thicker crescent moon sitting midway between Venus and Jupiter.
• On May 20, the moon lies above Jupiter and in a line with Castor and Pollux.
• The bright stars Capella and Procyon act as boundaries helping frame the scene.

End your day with this magical scene!

05/15/2026

The featured talk at this month's meeting of the Birmingham Astronomical Society will
Astronomy book club: a chance to learn how to navigate the literary landscape of the worlds, stars and universe beyond earth.... but as close as your local bookstore or library.

We will meet at the Christenberry Planetarium on the campus of Samford University @ 7PM on Tuesday, May 19th. There is no admission fee and all are welcome.

04/23/2026

Star Party at Oak Mountain State Park
This Saturday, April 25th at 7:30 PM, come spend the night under the stars with the Birmingham Astronomical Society.
BAS members bring out their best telescopes and let you look through the lens! Expect deep-sky imaging demos, open skies, and good company. Spring constellations are putting on a show right now.
Oak Mountain State Park — meet at the circular parking area by the pavilions (south entrance off I-65)
7:30 – 11:30 PM
$5 park entry per person | Free for BAS members hosting
Navigate straight to the field: 33.328236, -86.754294
Open to the public — bring a friend, bring your curiosity. Link in bio to RSVP.

04/18/2026

Member Doug F shared this great image of M101.

04/18/2026

Member Jeff H combined data from two different cameras / focal lengths to produce this image of M81 and M82 (Bode's Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy))

04/17/2026

Hoping that the weather holds up this weekend. Clear skies, everyone!

If you can see only one celestial event this April,
see this one.

Perhaps the most enchanted evening scenes this year!
On April 18, 19, & 20, look low in the west-northwest 60 minutes after sunset.
• On the first evening, the crescent moon, glowing full with earthshine, floats near brilliant Venus, while on the second evening, it moves just above the delicate Pleiades star cluster, and to the right of the bright star Aldebaran and the intriguing Hyades star cluster.
• On the third evening, the slightly thicker, but more pronounced crescent moon hangs above the Pleiades and the Hyades.
• Above it all, bright Jupiter plows through Gemini, shining near Castor and Pollux.

04/10/2026

Clear skies and good hunting!