Prairie Astronomy Club

08/23/2026

08/05/2026

Nancy Grace Roman

Eponym of the next great space telescope

by Kristin Hendershot, JPL Solar System Ambassador

From a young age, astronomy felt natural to Nancy Grace Roman (1925-2018). Raised by a scientist as a father and a mother who instilled a love of nature, she turned her eyes to the night sky and never looked back. Though her path to the cosmos was not easy. It wasn’t until her Junior year at Swarthmore College that she received her first encouragement to pursue science when a professor said, “I usually try to talk women out of going into physics. But I think maybe – you might make it.” She earned a Bachelor’s in Astronomy in 1946 which led to a Doctorate from the University of Chicago in 1949. For several years, she utilized the Yerkes and McDonald Observatories to study stellar spectrum. Her work with high-velocity stars became highly cited by other researchers. While she was offered more opportunities to research and teach, she was cognizant that there was only one tenured female astronomer in the country. She felt her career would be limited in academia, so she shot for different stars.
In 1960, she became the first female executive of NASA as the Chief of Astronomy and Relativity. She was tasked with a new goal: Figure out how to budget and engineer a space telescope. This project later became the Hubble Space Telescope. She would attend Congressional Committees to push for funding and would say, “For the price of one night at the movies each year, each American would receive 15 years of exciting discoveries!” Which has turned into over 35 years of discoveries. She helped to bring astronomy into the living rooms of many, inspiring the next generations to solve the mysteries of the universe.
Her longest legacy will come from being the namesake of the next large telescope for space, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Set to launch no later than May 2027, the Roman will help to answer questions about dark energy, dark matter, and exoplanets.

08/01/2026

"Why we do what we do"

M62:
Authentic Observing Experience

A late afternoon, electric blue sky foretells the coming of a transparent night, one that you have been waiting weeks to enjoy. This is your chance for the authentic observing experience.

When night finally descends, the enveloping dark acts like blinders focusing your thoughts skyward, deep into the starry realm. Tonight, you observe near the Scorpius–Ophiuchus boundary at sights few people have seen. Imagine what awaits.

A feeling of mounting excitement takes hold at the sound and feel of a polished metal eyepiece barrel smoothly sliding into the focuser, followed by the silent, buttery turn of the knurled k**b bringing stars into sharp view. The telescope is now primed for discovery. Anticipation grows further while you direct its optical tube toward the evening’s first celestial destination, the globular cluster Messier 62. Stars fly by as you slowly sweep the area.

Voila! Revealed near the edge of the eyepiece’s field glows a slightly grainy but mostly fuzzy ball of light. Your excitement turns into wonder while pondering what you see under higher magnification.

You see numerous faint stars dotting its dull glow. You see its bright, smeared core leaning slightly off center as the cluster floats among numerous, unnamed field stars. You know that the view from M62, lying just a few thousand light years above the center of the Milky Way galaxy, must be grand with thousands of brilliant stars peppering the sky and with nearby globulars glowing in the distance. You also know that its innumerable stars are five billion years older than our five billion year old sun. After seeing all that, after knowing all that, how do you feel?

You note your impressions, sketching what you see. You gaze into the sky in wonder, wanting to see more. You are having the authentic observing experience.

It is truly one of observer, telescope, and sky. It is like no other.

07/10/2026

Next week!

Renowned for its Sandhills location providing spectacular astronomical views, Merritt Reservoir SRA is the perfect stargazing destination!

In 2022, Merritt Reservoir SRA became the first Nebraska site certified by DarkSky International, the recognized authority on light pollution and is the leading organization combating light pollution worldwide.

Experience the beauty of these Dark Skies at the annual Nebraska Star Party July 12-17!

Learn more: https://www.nebraskastarparty.org/

Photo by Justin Haag

07/07/2026

My start in amateur astronomy:
"What Star is That"

by Craig Linde

Fifty-three years ago, I was in the Air Force stationed in Nebraska. In our small base library, I discovered the astronomy section, which was pretty limited. One book was very helpful, “What Star is That” by Peter Lancaster Brown.

I was just beginning to learn the night sky with the help of this book and other books when I suddenly was sent on temporary duty to Andersen AFB in Guam, latitude 13º N. Fortunately, their library also had Brown’s book. Of all the astronomy books, this was the only one that included star charts of the southern sky.

During the spring and early summer months, I was able to glimpse Canopus setting in the evening sky. Of course, the main highlights were Alpha and Beta Centauri pointing to the Southern Cross which was fairly well up in the south.

Brown’s book also gave good advice on how to start observing. So, I quickly purchased a pair of binoculars at the base exchange. While scanning the magnificent view of the center of the Milky Way, I accidentally discovered Omega Centauri. It was so obvious in binoculars that a novice like me was able to spot it with ease. Needless to say, I have been an astronomy enthusiast ever since! One of the first things I did when I got out of the Air Force was to purchase my own copy of “What Star is That” starting my astronomy library.

I still have that book.

06/25/2026

Other Suns: Mu Boötis

How to find Mu Boötis on a June evening

Look at the Big Dipper. Follow the curve of the handle until it intersects the bright star Arcturus. Follow the "kite" figure stretching to the left. The two top left stars of the kite form a triangle with Mu.

Mu Boötis
A-B separation: 110 sec
A magnitude: 4.3
B magnitude: 6.5
Position Angle: 170º
A & B colors: white

06/09/2026

This is pretty neat.

A project to serve
the seeing impaired

by James Somerville Edgar, editor RASC Observer's Handbook

My blind friend, Christine in Toronto, asked me to create a sky map on my new carver showing the circumpolar constellations. Her husband Jason didn't know it then, but he was buying it for Christine's birthday in mid-March!

So I selected a nice piece of maple, laminated into a 15-inch square, and carved it for her. I put small brass screws into the brighter stars, for the tactile sensation. There is even one each for Alcor and Mizar. The brighter the star, the larger the screw.

Christine and I had a FaceTime session after she received the carving. She touched the carving while I described what she was feeling. She was "over the moon!"

06/06/2026

June 6, 2026 – 82nd anniversary of D-Day.

What was the moon's phase during D-Day and why was that so important?

Correct response:
A. The moon’s phase was roughly 6 hours shy of being full. That was important because
• it would provide a sufficient amount of light on the night of June 5 into June 6 for landing preparations to be made,
• moonlight would be bright enough to illuminate the countryside allowing gliders to land behind enemy lines,
• and the tides would be low during the estimated landing times and would remain low for a couple of hours. Low tide was about 5:20 a.m. and the next high tide was about 11:00 a.m.

When the landings began, the moon was low in the southwest near Antares. It set at 6:08 a.m., 10 minutes after sunrise, beginning the "Longest Day."