West Jersey Astronomical Society www.wasociety.us
Welcome to the Official Home Page of the West Jersey Astronomical Society (formerly known as the Willingboro Astronomical Society). Our club is in its 53rd 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. Click here for membership information (dues can now be paid through PayPal).
Announcements Last Update: Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Aug 11 | The Perseid Meteor Shower peaks overnight, August 11-12; however, the third-quarter moon rises at 12:13 am EDT on August 12 (at 40°N-75°W). See Bob King's article at Sky & Telescope online. |
Aug 15 | Public Star Watch at Batsto. Cancelled due to coronavirus concerns. |
Aug 18 | New Moon at 10:42 pm EDT in Leo. |
Aug 21 | Informal Meeting; an online meeting via Zoom is planned, opening at 7:30 pm (log-on information will be posted to the WAS e-groups). Physical meetings at the Virtua Health and Wellness Center in Moorestown, NJ, remain suspended at least through September 2020 due to coronavirus concerns. |
Aug 22 | Member Star Watch at Atsion. Cancelled due to coronavirus concerns. |
Sept 2 | Full Moon at 1:22 am EDT in Aquarius. |
Sept 4 | Formal Meeting; an online meeting via Zoom is planned, opening at 7:30 pm. |
Photo Spotlight Image posted 8.07.2020
This chart showing the Perseid Meteor Shower radiant for 2020 is from a Sky & Telescope press release. The Spaceweather.com photo gallery also has a fine photo mosaic by Slovakia's Petr Horálek showing not only the radiant, but Perseid meteors as they cross all portions of the sky. The radiant is the point where the meteors appear to originate, but one doesn't necessarily look towards the radiant to get the best view. Instead, trace the meteor trail backwards to see if it comes from the radiant to establish whether it's truly a Perseid.
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previous home page image.
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. Members are encouraged to submit their astronomical images to the
webmaster for inclusion on the WAS Home Page. Be sure to include a description,
date and time, as well as equipment and photo data.
USNO
Solar System Object Apparent Disc
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Old SOHO Link
Alternate SOHO Link
(this link may be inoperative as the USNO websites are undergoing
modernization;
estimated completion is now Fall 2020)