Founded in 1937 at the US Naval Observatory by a group of professional and amateur astronomers, the National Capital Astronomers (NCA) is a volunteer-driven nonprofit aiming to ignite public interest in astronomy and space science. We're all about sharing the wonders of the universe with everyone!
While we marvel at the discovery of thousands of exoplanets, we recognize Earth's unique hospitality. This drives our mission to protect our planet's resources and life. After all, as Captain Kirk (a.k.a. William Shatner) discovered, space is a harsh place!
Join us for a cosmic journey and be part of our mission to explore, understand, and protect our universe!
NCA has regular monthly meetings September through June on the second Saturday of the month. For 2025-26, meetings will be held in-person at the University of Maryland Astronomical Observatory in College Park, Maryland (directions/map) AND online via Zoom (details below). Seating is limited, so we are encouraging folks to attend via Zoom.
Public transportation: Directions/maps to the UMD Observatory
Inclement weather: In case of severe weather (tornado/snow/impassable roads), a notice will be placed on the Observatory Website on the day of the meeting. (Be sure to refresh/reload the page to make sure you are seeing an updated page.)
The meetings for this year will be HYBRID (online via Zoom AND in-person), unless otherwise noted!
With permission of the speakers, most meetings will be recorded. Once available the audio and video will be linked.
National Capital Astronomers will be holding its 2025-2026 meetings online via Zoom and in-person. 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. 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.
With the permission of the guestspeakers, we will be recording the meetings.
Join Zoom Meeting: NCA Monthly Zoom
These guidelines will be updated as needed.
Dr. Frank Summers, Space Telescope Science Institute
7:30 pm
Abstract: Scientific research generally produces graphs and diagrams that speak volumes to those in the field, but may seem like jumbled jargon to anyone else. Due to a happy accident early in his career, Dr. Summers has become a specialist in translating scientific discoveries for the public. His work on Hubble press releases, major museum exhibits, and IMAX films has given him a keen appreciation for the intellectual, visual, cultural, and emotional methods for expressing complex ideas in a simple and intuitive manner. He will describe several of his favorite projects and how the adaptation of feature film techniques for scientific communication has developed into the creation of cinematic astronomy.
Bio: Dr. Frank Summers is an "astrovizicist" at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD. For the last 25 years, he has contributed to all aspects of the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescope press, education, and outreach through news media, web sites, educational programs, social media, museums and planetariums. His specialty is creating accurate and aesthetic scientific visualizations by combining research data and computer simulations with Hollywood software and production.
His credits include writer, science advisor, and scientific visualization supervisor on IMAX "Hubble 3D" (2010), and science and script advisor on IMAX "A Beautiful Planet" (2016). He contributed data, science, and visuals to the Academy Award-nominated IMAX "Cosmic Voyage" (1996), and directed the IMAX short "Hubble: Galaxies Across Space and Time" (LFCA Best Short Film 2004). When not attempting to re-imagine the universe, he is likely to be found on a disc golf course.
Weather-permitting, there will be observing through the telescopes after the meeting for members and guests.
The telescope making, maintenance, and modification workshop with Guy Brandenburg is held in the basement (wood shop) of the Chevy Chase Community Center which is located at the intersection of McKinley Street and Connecticut Avenue, NW, a few blocks inside the DC boundary, on the northeast corner of the intersection. The workshop is open on Tuesdays & Fridays, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. For information visit Guy's Website. To contact Guy, call 202-262-4274 or Email Guy!
Exploring the Sky is a joint program between the National Capital Astronomers and the National Park Service Rock Creek Park Nature Center and has been run since 1948 at this location, the field at the corner of Glover and Military Roads in the District. There is an adjacent parking lot. It is free and all are welcome who have an interest in observing the heavens. It's not an ideal dark sky location but we can still see solar system objects (even the occasional comet), open and globular clusters and maybe a fuzzy galaxy or two.
Questions? Call NCA at 202-262-4274 and leave a message.
| Date | Time | Things of interest |
| 05 Apr | 8:00pm | M45, Orion, Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus |
| 03 May | 9:00pm | M44, Leo, Arcturus, M13, Moon, Mars, Jupiter |
| 07 Jun | 9:00pm | Leo, Bootes, Hercules, M13, Moon |
| 05 Jul | 9:00pm | Moon, Hercules, M13, Summer Triangle |
| 02 Aug | 8:30pm | Moon, Hercules, M13, Summer Triangle, M57 |
| 20 Sep | 8:00pm | Moon, Summer Triangle, Great Square of Pegasus, Saturn |
| 18 Oct | 7:30pm | Summer Triangle, Great Square of Pegasus, M31, Saturn |
| 15 Nov | 7:00pm | Venus, Summer Triangle, Pegasus, M31, Saturn, Uranus |