BPAA
The Winter BI Parks And Rec Catalog Is Here — And We’re In It!
We’re teaming up with Parks and Rec once again for out-of-this-world classes! Introduction to Astronomy 101 (ages 16+) is back with another fantastic lineup of classes to get you off to a great start in astronomy.
Women in STEM Book Club is On!
The Women in STEM book club will meet on Zoom on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 6pm, starting in January. While we are still putting everything together, we have the first three books ready for you!
January 27th: Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
February 24th: The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict
March 24th: Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel
Another Geek Girl Con in the Books!
Our Education Director Erin Howard reported another successful year at Geek Girl Con!
Planetarium Shows in December
Saturdays on December 6, 13 and 27: Planetarium Shows at Battle Point Observatory. Shows offered at 12:30 pm and again at 2:30 pm.
Camp Promise Invitation
The Battle Point Observatory has been invited by the Jett Foundation to attend a stargazing event for their Camp Promise summer camp this June.
BPAA Members: Save the Date for the Annual Meeting
The Board of Directors invites all members to attend BPAA’s Annual Meeting on Saturday, January 10th, 2026 at 6 pm. The meeting will be held at Battle Point Observatory (10800 Battle Point Dr NE, Bainbridge Island, WA), with a virtual option for those who cannot attend in-person.
Why Did the Sundial Lose Its Numbers?
If you’ve visited the Battle Point Sundial recently, you’ll have noticed that the number decal marking the hours is missing. The numbers had faded almost to invisibility after 10 years (has it really been that long?) in the sun. Additionally, kids have scratched their names, initials, and worse into the painted surface with whatever hard implements they can find. We’ve removed the decal in preparation for repainting in the spring, when the weather improves. After painting, a new decal will be applied. If you’d like to help with this project, click this link to volunteer.
Astrophotographers Unite!!
Chuck Wraith is setting up a special interest Astrophotography Group. Read the post for details!
The Rosette Nebula (Caldwell 49)
Credit: Chuck Wraith
The Rosette nebula is a large, stunning nebula found approximately 5,000 Light-years from us in the constellation Monoceros. It is nearly 130 light-years wide and composed primarily of ionized hydrogen (red) with hints of twice ionized oxygen (blue) showing near its center.