Astrophotographers Unite!!
Chuck Wraith is setting up a special interest Astrophotography Group. Read the post for details!
Newsletter
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.
Webb First to Show 4 Dust Shells ‘Spiraling’ Apep, Limits Long Orbit
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has delivered a crisp mid-infrared image of a system of four serpentine spirals of dust, one expanding beyond the next in precisely the same pattern. These shells were emitted over the last 700 years by two aging Wolf-Rayet stars in a system known as Apep, named after the Egyptian god of chaos.
Red Giant “Star Songs” Reveal Their Chaotic Pasts
Astronomers have studied two red giants, BH2 and BH3, each orbiting dormant black holes in binary systems Gaia BH2 and Gaia BH3. BH2 shows signs of having consumed its companion star, indicated by its age and rotation, while BH3 is an ancient star defying cosmological expectations by lacking predicted brightness oscillations. These systems are among the closest black hole binaries to Earth, located 3,800 and 1,900 light-years away respectively in the constellations Centaurus and Aquila.
Asteroid Loaded with Amino Acids Offers New Clues About the Origin of Life on Earth
The theory that life on Earth began with molecules delivered from space gains support from recent findings on asteroid Bennu. Samples from Bennu, a primitive asteroid largely unchanged since the solar system’s formation 4.6 billion years ago, contain 14 amino acids and five nucleobases, essential building blocks of proteins and genetic material. Notably, traces of tryptophan, an amino acid never definitively found in extraterrestrial material before, were also tentatively detected. These discoveries confirm that both protein components and genetic blueprints coexist in the same extraterrestrial source, reinforcing the idea that life’s origins may be linked to cosmic deliveries.
The Moon’s Two Faces Don’t Match, And We Think We Know Why
The far side of the Moon is incredibly different from the Earth-facing side. 66 years later, we know why the Moon’s faces are not alike.
One Call for All
It’s that time of year, for the little red envelopes to wing their way across Bainbridge Island! Battle Point Astronomical Association is grateful for the continued partnership of One Call for All in this island tradition and for your generous donation.
Under One Sky
SAVE THE DATE! Saturday, Dec 20th, 2 – 5 pm: Join us for an all-ages Open House solstice event held at BARN (8890 Three Tree Ln NE, Bainbridge Island, WA). Drop by and learn more about Observatory programs, opportunities for education in the new year, and chat with friendly astronomers, Battle Point Astronomical Association Board members & staff. Come and celebrate the Winter Solstice, and looking forward to 2026!
