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National Capital Astronomers
About NCA
Serving science and society since 1937. The National Capital Astronomers (NCA) is a non-profit, membership supported, volunteer run, public service corporation dedicated to advancing space technology, astronomy, and related sciences through information, participation, and inspiration, via research, lectures and presentations, publications, expeditions, tours, public interpretation, and education. NCA is the astronomy affiliate of the Washington Academy of Sciences. We are also members of the Astronomical League, in fact NCA members helped form the Astronomical League a long time ago.
NCA has for many years published a monthly newsletter called Star Dust that is available for members. Besides announcement of coming NCA meetings and a calendar of monthly events Star Dust contains reviews of past meeting and articles on current astronomical events.
NCA is a very unusual astronomy organization. All are welcome to join. Everyone who looks up to the sky with wonder is an astronomer and welcomed by NCA. You do not have to own a telescope, but if you do own one that is fine, too. You do not have to be deeply knowledgeable in astronomy, but if you are knowledgeable in astronomy that is fine, too. You do not have to have a degree, but if you do that is fine, too. WE ARE THE MOST DIVERSE local ASTRONOMY CLUB anywhere. Come to our meetings and you will find this out. WE REALLY MEAN THIS!
Our Meetings
Monthly Meetings with Educational Presentations are Free and Open to the Public
NCA has regular monthly meetings September through June on the second Saturday of the month. Most meetings are held at the University of Maryland Astronomical Observatory in College Park, Maryland (directions/map). For 2021-2022, the meetings will be held online via Zoom.
Meeting Schedule for 2021-2022
The meetings for this year will be VIRTUAL and not in-person.
- Sep 11, 2021: Heidi Hammel (AURA), What the James Webb Space Telescope Will Tell Us About the Solar System
- Oct 09, 2021: Lynn Wilson, III (GSFC), Particle Energization Within Collisionless Shock Waves
- Nov 13, 2021: Julie McEnery (GSFC), The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
- Dec 11, 2021: Brian Williams (GSFC), Supernova Remnants
- Jan 08, 2022: Peter Driscoll (Carnegie Earth and Planets Lab), Planetary Magnetic Fields: Generation, Detectability, and Habitability
- Feb 12, 2022: Joe Pesce (NSF and George Mason University), Monsters in the Universe: New Insight into Black Holes
- Mar 12, 2022: Ira Thorpe (GSFC)), Bringing the Gravitational Wave Revolution to Space
- Apr 09, 2022: Johanna Teske (Carnegie Earth and Planets Lab), A Review of the Exoplanet-Host Star Composition Connection
- May 14, 2022: Harold Williams (Montgomery College), The Nature of Time from the Planck Time until Now, and Maybe Beyond
- Jun 11, 2022: Science Fair Winners, Election, Astro-Photo Show & Tell
With permission of the speakers, most meetings will be recorded. Once available the audio and video will be linked.
Online Meeting Information
National Capital Astronomers will be holding its 2021-2022 meetings online via Zoom. This year, the Zoom meetings have been set up so that there is no registration required. This is the direct Zoom link, it is the same for everybody for every meeting this year (2021-22). If we have problems with Zoom bombing at a meeting, then the link will be canceled and a new one created that will require registration for subsequent meetings.
As usual, the Zoom room "doors" open at 7pm ET with the actual meeting starting on time at 7:30pm! While you do not need to sign in right at 7pm, please do not wait until 7:35pm!! And since we are not registering folks, it will be important that you have a recognizable name showing so that I can let you in from the virtual waiting room.
Finally, as last year, we will be recording the meetings.
Join Zoom Meeting: NCA Monthly Zoom
Zoom Etiquette
These guidelines will be updated as needed.
- AUDIO: Please mute yourself! Only unmute after "rasing your hand": and being called on by moderator. If you need to test your system, please do so after the Zoom room opens but before the meeting starts! The moderator has the ability to mute viewers.
- VIDEO: Attendees may have their video on. Be mindful of what is in your background.
- Please have your name clearly posted.
- Use the "Raise Hand" function when you would like to ask a question. A moderator will call on you at which time you may unmute to ask your question. Questions may also be sent to a moderator via the chat function.
- If you need captioning, please let Elizabeth Warner know no later than 24 hours before a meeting.
- These Zoom sessions will be recorded.
- Moderators will mute individuals as needed. Any particularly unruly participants will be kicked out.
- The meetings will start at 7:30pm EST (00:30 UTC). The Zoom room will open at 7:00pm. Initially, we will not "lock the doors" at 7:30, but if folks joining late becomes disruptive, we will institute that requirement to be on time.
Next Meeting Date: Saturday, 09 Apr 2022
7:30 pm ONLINE.
The Nature of Time from the Planck Time until Now, and Maybe Beyond
Speaker: Harold Williams, Montgomery College
Abstract: The Planck time is square_root( G ?/ c5), which is approximately 5.4 x 10^-44 seconds. It is the time scale that arises naturally from the natural constants G (the Newtonian gravitational constant), ?, pronounced h bar, (the Planck constant, h, divided by 2?), and c (the speed of causality: the speed of electromagnetism and gravity in a vacuum). Max Planck discovered this combination of natural constants by using dimensional analysis, in 1899, a year before he discovered his epochal formula for the spectrum of blackbody radiation (electromagnetic radiation in thermal equilibrium) in December of 1900 in Prussian Academy of Sciences, His discovery was reported in the article - Max Planck 'Über irreversible Strahlungsvorgänge', in the Sitzungsberichte der Preußischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, vol. 5, p. 440-479-480 (1899).
The talk will consider what the value of the Planck time tells us about our Universe.
Bio: Dr. Harold Alden Williams is the president of the NCA. His interest in the nature of time comes naturally: many of his ancestors were watch and clock repair persons, and he has repaired a few family clocks. He is planetarium/Universarium director at Montgomery College at Takoma Park. The planetarium is currently being upgraded and will reopen in the Leggett Math and Science building sometime in 2023. The 30-foot tilted dome will seat 100 people; it is to be installed by Spitz in October of this year. It will have a Digistar 7 laser projector with greater resolution and brightness than the previous SciDome from Spitz. Dr. Williams also teaches ASTR101 at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus of Montgomery College and is the Coordinator of the Science and Engineering Technology Laboratory. Having served as NCA's President for many years, he is delighted that this coming September the NCA will have a new President.
Telescope-Making and Mirror-Grinding
Telescope-making and mirror-making classes with Guy Brandenburg at the Chevy Chase Community Center, at the intersection of McKinley Street and Connecticut Avenue, NW, a few blocks inside the DC boundary, on the northeast corner of the intersection, in the basement (wood shop), on Tuesdays & Fridays, from 6:30 to 9:30 PM. For information visit Guy's Website To contact Guy, use this phone #: 202-262-4274 or Email Guy.
Come See the Stars at Exploring the Sky 2021!
Exploring the Sky is an informal program that for over sixty years has offered monthly opportunities for anyone in the Washington area to see the stars and planets through telescopes from a location within the District of Columbia.
Sessions are held in Rock Creek Park once each month on a Saturday night from April through November, starting shortly after sunset. We meet in the field just south of the intersection of Military and Glover Roads NW, near the Nature Center. A parking lot is located next to the field.
Beginners (including children) and experienced stargazers are all welcome-and it's free!
Questions? Call the Nature center at (202) 895-6070 or check: Exploring the Sky @ Rock Creek.
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Exploring the Sky 2020 Status: Because of the ongoing pandemic, EtS sessions have been canceled for the remainder of the year. Please check back in Spring 2021.
Exploring the Sky is a presentation of the National Park Service and National Capital Astronomers.
For NCA information by E-mail or phone
- Harold Williams: President, 240-567-1463 w, 301-565-3709 h
- John Hornstein: VP and program chair, 301-593-1095 h
- Henry Bofinger: Secretary & Treasurer, 202-675-1075 h
- Jeffrey Norman: assis. treasurer, 202-966-0739 h
- Trustees
- Benson Simon (2021)
- Michael Brabanski (2022)
- Guy Brandenburg (2023)
- Jack Gaffey (2024)
- Outreach
- Star Dust
- Web
NCA Documents
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Updated by E. Warner on 13 May 2022.