West Jersey Astronomical Society  www.wasociety.us

Welcome to the Official Home Page of the West Jersey Astronomical Society (until December 12, 2015, we were known as the Willingboro Astronomical Society, even though it's been more than a decade since we met there). Our club is in its 48th year of serving both the public and the amateur astronomers of the Delaware Valley. We have a long history of public education, star parties, interesting meetings, in-depth training and experienced leadership. We are a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

 

President:

Vice President:

Secretary:

Treasurer:

Drew Maser

Jerry Lodriguss

Jim Foy

Joe Stieber

      

Announcements   Last Update: Saturday, December 19, 2015

Dec 4 At the December Formal Meeting, elections were held for the 2016 WAS Officers. The results are available here. The minutes of the meeting are posted here.
Dec 21 Equinox at 11:48 pm EST, the sun reaches its most southerly declination and winter begins for the Northern Hemisphere.
Dec 25 Full Moon at 6:11 am EST. Merry Christmas!
Jan 1 New Year's Day, because it's a holiday, we won't be holding our usual Formal Meeting on this, the first Friday of the month. The next meeting will be on January 15th as noted below.
Jan 9 New Moon at 8:31 pm EST.
Jan 15 Informal Meeting, 7:30 pm at the Virtua Health and Wellness Center in Moorestown, NJ. This is now our regular meeting location! Upon entering the building, check with the security guard, who will direct you to the meeting room. As always, guests are welcome and no astronomical experience is necessary.

Photo Spotlight   Image posted 12.12.2015

On December 7, 2015, the moon occulted (passed in front of) the planet Venus. For the Delaware Valley, first contact occurred at 12:41 pm EST, then it took nearly a minute for Venus to disappear completely as the moon crept eastward relative to the background sky (to the left in this view) at a rate of approximately its own diameter every hour (nominally, half a degree an hour). In this image captured by WAS President Drew Maser, the brilliant 69% illuminated gibbous Venus is at the limb of the ghostly 13% illuminated crescent moon. Taken from Northeast Philadelphia with a Canon 6D digital SLR camera and a Stellar-Vue SV102ED refractor (plus a 2X Powermate) on a Losmandy G8 equatorial mount. Exposed 1/640 second at ISO 640.

Click here for the previous home page image.

 

 

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