Astronomy Club of Tulsa

06/17/2026

How did you do on this quiz?

06/16/2026

Plan to be set up to begin observing about 1:45 PM. For safety position yourself in the shadow on the East side or NE corner of a building so that you don’t accidentally look toward the sun. Look carefully for the thin crescent moon about 60 degrees up a bit south of East. Approximate - 60 Altitude and Azimuth 110 degrees. You should be able to locate the moon naked eye, but binoculars or a low power telescope may help in locating Venus below the moon. If the sky is clear, you should be able to see Venus naked eye as well. The times I have observed Venus in the daylight, it reminded me of some tiny silver balloon that had escaped a kid at the fair. Once you have located it, watch as the moon slowly slips toward and hides Venus. After Venus reappears on the other side of the moon, try to find Venus again to the left of the moon. How long
can you follow Venus during daylight? (Be mindful of the position of the sun moving out of the shadow of the building!!!)

06/15/2026

06/15/2026

In preparation for our 90th birthday next year members of the Astronomy Club of Tulsa have been busy working to get the dome repainted and doing some other preventative maintenance at the observatory. Over the last couple of months we have also been working on clearing trees and brush around the observatory grounds that have grown into view since the last trimming. Stay tuned for more updates and announcements about next years birthday party. We hope you can come and celebrate with us!

06/15/2026

When the Sun produces active sunspots and flares, it’s a great time to photograph this captivating target.

06/15/2026

"The results from 3I/ATLAS show how realistic it is to detect a signal with the technology we have today."

(Image credit: NAOJ)

06/15/2026

Some 1,300 light-years away a celestial beauty blooms in the Cepheus constellation. Illuminated by a powerful combination of cosmic dust and starlight, the Iris Nebula is a stunning reflection nebula stretching 6 light-years across. Also known as NGC 7023 and Caldwell 4, the nebula has a signature blue hue thanks to the binary star system HD 200775, which consists of two young blue-white stars.
 
Northern Hemisphere observers can find the Iris Nebula very close to one of the Cepheus constellation’s defining stars — Beta Cephei, which is a triple star system also known as Alfirk.
 
📷 Astrophotographer: Brian Brennan
🔭 Telescope: Explore Scientific Essential Series ED102 Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor
 

06/15/2026

Our beautiful Luna is back tomorrow (Monday), but just barely! At around 1-2% illuminated, depending on where you are, she will be tricky to spot, but not impossible! 🌙

Find the clearest possible horizon toward the northwest and start looking shortly after sunset 🌅 Venus, higher in the sky and further left, will be the first celestial jewel to appear, likely followed by Jupiter to the lower right of Venus. Lower still, and even further to the right, the superbly delicate crescent moon should eventually fade into view. Though not absolutely necessary, scanning the horizon with binoculars could help spot it, and careful observers with the right conditions may also see Mercury between Jupiter and the moon! ⭐⭐⭐🌙

06/15/2026

The quasar existed 12.9 billion years ago and shows that supermassive black holes were able to age rapidly in the early universe.

06/14/2026