Hardin County Astronomy Club

04/08/2026

"Copy, moon joy." 🌕✨

From the Library of Congress Geography and Map Division: The Artemis II mission is sending back beautiful new images of the moon, and it's making us think about the lunar maps that were created long before space travel was possible for humankind. These maps have their own kind of beauty, and alongside today's Artemis II mission, they tell a story about enduring human ingenuity and curiosity.

Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687), often referred to as the founder of lunar topography, came from a wealthy family of brewers. He built an observatory in his hometown of Gdansk in 1641, and published an atlas of the moon titled Selenographia in 1647. This map is from that atlas.

Learn more about early lunar mapping here:
https://blogs.loc.gov/maps/2020/03/going-to-the-moon-early-cartography-of-the-lunar-surface/?loclr=fbloc

Image: Plate 649 from Selenographia, sive, Lunæ descriptio : atque accurata … delineatio. In quâ simul cæterorum omnium planetarum nativa facies, variæque observationes … figuris accuratissimè æri incisis, sub aspectum ponuntur … Addita est, lentes expoliendi nova ratio …Map by Johannes Hevelius, 1647. Rare Books and Special Collections Division.

03/26/2026

Comet alert!

April could bring us an opportunity to view a potentially bright comet, but there’s a big catch.

Comet C/2026 A1 MAPS was discovered on January 13th by a team of four French astronomers using the AMACS1 robotic telescope in the Atacama Desert in Chile. MAPS refers to the initials of their last names (Maury, Attard, Parrott and Signoret).

Comet MAPS falls into the category of Kreuz sungrazing comets, which leads us back to the big catch for us to be able to view it. This category of comet is distinct for passing perilously close to the sun. Many comets in this category do not survive their brush with the sun, and disintegrate, many times before we get a good opportunity to view them. One of the more recent sun grazers we recall hoping to see turn bright was Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) which disintegrated in October of 2023 as it approached within a million miles of the sun.

MAPS might very well suffer the same fate, but if it does survive we may see a bright comet in the Western sky right after sunset in mid April. Perhaps bright enough to be seen without a telescope or even binoculars. There are some early signs MAPS might be starting to break up, but that doesn’t always mean it will be completely destroyed.

We will monitor its progress and post more about this comet if it appears it will survive its dance with the sun.

Image: Taken with the James Webb MIRI Instrument Feb 7 2026 - NASA, ESA, CSA, JWST MIRI; Qicheng Zhang et al. (Image processing: Melina Thévenot) CC BY-SA 4.0

02/21/2026

🚨NEW DETAILS 🚨Artemis II Rollback to VAB Required Due To Helium Issue On SLS ICPS
NASA has provided more detail on the issue affecting the Space Launch System’s upper stage (ICPS), and it explains why a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building is now required.

The helium system in the ICPS is critical — it purges the engines and pressurizes the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks. Importantly, the system worked properly during both wet dress rehearsals, but during a routine repressurization operation last night, teams suddenly could not get helium flow through the vehicle.

“Last evening, the team was unable to get helium flow through the vehicle.” -

NASA notes the failure signature looks familiar:
“We observed a similar failure signature on Artemis I.”-

Right now the rocket is safe. Engineers have switched to a ground-based purge system instead of the onboard helium supply while they investigate.

Several possible causes are being examined:
- A filter in the ground-to-vehicle umbilical
- The quick-disconnect (QD) interface
- An internal check valve on the rocket (similar to Artemis I)

However, all of those components are inaccessible at the launch pad, meaning repairs can only be done inside the VAB.

“Accessing and remediating any of these issues can only be performed in the VAB.” -

NASA is therefore preparing to roll the rocket back, and officials confirmed this removes the March launch window from consideration.

Program leadership acknowledged public disappointment but emphasized setbacks are part of human spaceflight:

“That disappointment is felt most by the team at NASA.” -

NASA says a full briefing later this week will outline the path forward not only for Artemis II, but future missions,

FOLLOW for latest Artemis II updates

02/16/2026

The February meeting of the Hardin County Astronomy Club will meet at the Mary Lou Johnson-Hardin County District Public Library on Tuesday February 17 at 6:00pm. Anyone interested in astronomy or related subjects is welcome to attend. The program for the meeting will be "The Moon and Tides"

02/05/2026

01/22/2026

Aurora Coolness

01/16/2026

🚨ARTEMIS II UPDATE - TOMORROW for the first time in over 50 years, a rocket capable of carrying astronauts around the Moon; will rollout of the VAB and head to the launch pad!

Rollout is scheduled to start at 7:00 AM ET; followed by a 9:00 AM ET media event featuring the Artemis II Crew and NASA Administrator!

Watch LIVE on The Launch Pad : https://youtube.com/live/LfjDCvkkfeU?feature=share

01/14/2026

Deadline is coming up quick to get your name on board the next Artemis flight.

No spacesuit required 👩‍🚀

Time is running out to submit your name to be flown aboard the Artemis II mission. Be sure to submit before Jan. 21 in order to be included.

Grab your boarding pass and join the mission around the Moon! go.nasa.gov/artemisnames

11/12/2025

**Aurora Timing Update (8:20am)**

There is only one slight change in the newest update from the Space Weather Prediction Center. The timing of the coronal mass ejection (CME) from the largest blast is expected to arrive about 3 hours later than previously forecast. That is generally good news for those in the United States. A later CME impact is better than an earlier hit. In all practicality though, this does not change the best time to watch the sky tonight. As soon as it is dark, I would be ready to watch the sky. This could be as early as 6pm (about 45 minutes after sunset) depending on your location, and lasting through midnight. A later CME hit could mean the aurora activity hangs around through the night. An earlier timing would mean the chance of some early color, and fading conditions as the night goes along. The photo below is from Kristin Kircher from last night. This was taken near Grand Rapids, Ohio along the Maumee River.