HOME | Telescope Making Workshops | Exploring the Sky | Contact Info | Star Dust Archive | Links

National Capital Astronomers

About NCA

NCA logoServing 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.

Public transportation: Directions/maps to the UM 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.)

Meeting Schedule for 2011 - 2012

Most meetings will be held at the University of Maryland Astronomical Observatory in College Park, Maryland.

Next Meeting Date: Saturday, Feb 11, 2012

7:30 pm at the University of Maryland Observatory on Metzerott Road.

Herschel Space Observatory Spectroscopic Observations of Gas-Rich Mergers of Galaxies: Far-Infrared Line Deficits and Molecular Outflows

Speaker: Dr. Jacqueline Fischer, Naval Research Laboratory

Abstract: The Herschel Space Observatory is an ESA-led space observatory with NASA contributions, launched to the Earth-Sun second Lagrange point in May 2009. It is the first observatory to cover the full far-infrared to submillimeter spectral range and hosts a 3.5-meter diameter telescope with the largest single primary mirror ever launched to space. I will discuss new Herschel Space Observatory observations of local ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) - galaxies with infrared luminosities as large as the optical luminosities of quasars. These galaxies trace a spectacular stage in the morphological transformation of mergers of gas-rich galaxies into gas-poor ellipticals. Our Herschel spectroscopic observations have revealed that this stage is often characterized by massive molecular outflows with velocities ~ 1000 km/sec and with order of magnitude deficits in far-infrared fine-structure line emission from atomic and ionized gas. AGN appear to be the dominant power sources in the ULIRGs with the highest outflow velocities, while the outflow velocity in the ULIRG with the highest line deficit in our sample is only ~ 100 km/sec and barely discernable in our data. I discuss the evidence, still inconclusive, that in many ULIRGs the central active galactic nucleus/nuclei or super-starbursts are fully or partially covered with far-IR thick media and that AGN power both the IR luminosities and the outflows.

Bio: Jackie Fischer is an astrophysicist in the Radio/Infrared/Optical Sensors Branch of the Remote Sensing Division and is head of the Infrared - Submillimeter Astrophysics & Techniques Section. She was appointed as the Herschel Optical System Scientist and joined the Herschel Science Team in 2001. Her research interests are in the areas of the infrared instrumentation, evolution of galaxies, spectroscopic diagnostics of IR-bright galaxies, and in particular, in the role that galaxy mergers play in the morphological transformation of galaxies. She received a B.Sc. degree in Physics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1974 and a Ph.D. in astronomy from the State University of New York in Stony Brook in 1981. She first worked at NRL as a National Research Council postdoctoral associate and joined the Laboratory in 1988.

Weather-permitting, there will be observing through the telescopes after the meeting for members and guests.


Join Us for Dinner Before the Meeting

Join our special guest and members for dinner at 5:30 p.m. in the Garden Restaurant in the Inn and Conference Center University of Maryland University College at University Blvd. and Campus Dr. The restaurant is in the West Wing Lobby Level; they now have new inexpensive menu items just for us.
Dining Establishments Near the UMCP Observatory

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 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 2011!

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. Download the flier!

Date Time Targets of Interest
May 07 9:00PM Astronomy Day; 4-day-old Moon
June 04 9:00PM Solstice 6/21; Saturn pauses in Virgo
July 02 9:00PM Mercury at sunset; Summer Triangle
August 27 8:30PM Andromeda rising; Sagittarius due south
September 24 8:00PM Rock Creek Park Day; Cassiopeia
October 22 7:30PM Pleiades and Jupiter rising in the east
November 05 7:00PM Much of Moon sunlit; winter constellations appear
Exploring the Sky is a presentation of the National Park Service and National Capital Astronomers.

Star Parties

For NCA information by E-mail or phone

NCA Documents

NCA constitution and by-laws current as of August 28, 2005 they need some changes so we can continue to be a healthy organization.
NCA constitution and by-laws revision as of October 25, 2005 proposal.

Observing Resources

Navigation Star Chart
Northern Hemisphere Star Alignment Chart
Southern Hemisphere Star Alignment Chart
Astronomical League Observing Clubs, you might use the above alignment charts if you have a GoTo telescope to accomplish some observing.

Site Host

uaqa: understanding articulation quality assurance, home of the National Capital Astronomers, Inc web page. Check out uaqa's web publishing services and the other people and organizations using uaqa.com. uaqa also hosts Astrolabes.org and Mcstaffunion.org.

HOME | Telescope Making Workshops | Exploring the Sky | Contact Info | Star Dust Archive | Links

Updated by E. Warner on 30 Jan 2012.