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 51st 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).

 

President:

Vice President:

Secretary:

Treasurer:

 Roger Cowley

Steve Kutoroff

Paul Bender

Wade Evans

     

Announcements   Last Update: Sunday, March 18, 2018

Mar 17 New Moon at 9:12 am EDT in eastern Aquarius.
Mar 20 Equinox at 12:15 pm EDT, the Vernal Equinox for the Northern Hemisphere.
Mar 28 Second session of Dan McCauley's Astrophotography Imaging Seminar from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. The third and final session will be held on April 11. Registration closed March 12; see the detailed seminar description sheet.
Mar 31 Full Moon at 8:37 am EST in Virgo. It will be a "Blue Moon" (the second full moon in March).
Apr 6 Formal Meeting, 7:30 pm at the Virtua Health and Wellness Center in Moorestown, NJ. As always, guests are welcome and no astronomical experience is necessary. Use the Main Entrance and check with the security guard who will direct you to the conference room.
Apr 7 Member Star Watch at Atsion (third-quarter moon on April 8 at 3:18 am EDT).
Apr 14 Public Star Watch at Batsto. This will be our first Public Star Watch for 2018. Come on out!
Apr 15 New Moon at 9:57 pm EDT in southeastern Pisces.
Apr 20 Informal Meeting, 7:30 pm at the Virtua Health and Wellness Center in Moorestown, NJ.

Photo Spotlight   Images posted 3.02.2018

Here's a wide-field view looking south from East Point, NJ, looking over the Delaware Bay towards the dark gap between the Cape May peninsula of New Jersey on the left and the state of Delaware on the right. The planet Jupiter is the brightest object in the sky, but Mars is also present, and not far from its rival, the star Antares. However, the primary subject of this trip to East Point was the great globular cluster (or dwarf galaxy remnant?), Omega Centauri (NGC 5139), which at a declination of 47.5°S is not usually considered an object for northerly New Jersey. However, Omega does reach a bit over 3° altitude at transit when viewed from East Point (39.2°N latitude), and when the transparency along the horizon permits, can provide a surprisingly spectacular view. This image was captured by club member Joe Stieber on February 13, 2018, at 4:11 am EST with a Canon 6D digital SLR camera on a fixed tripod and a Sigma 20 mm f/1.4 lens. It was exposed 15 seconds at f/4, ISO 6400. Mouseover for labels. Here's a closer view of Omega.

 

Click here for the previous home page image.

Click to contact the . 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

Star & Constellation Pronunciation Guides

Old SOHO Link Alternate SOHO Link