BPAA’s Annual Meeting
The BPAA Annual Meeting was held at the Battle Point Observatory on Saturday January 10 and was attended by 20 members and staff.
February 2026
January 17th Star Party!
After weeks of clouds and rain we finally had a clear night. Multiple telescopes were set up in the parking lot including Miles Starkenburg’s 14” (equipped with binocular eyepieces) in addition to our Takahashi 6” refractor, an 8” Dobsonian, and two Seestar (an S30 and an S50) telescopes. Additionally, the CDK on the roof was used in visual mode for the first time at a star party.
Astrophotography Special Interest Group Kickoff Meeting
The first Astrophotography Special Interest Group meeting was held on January 24th. An excellent turnout of 14 attendees filled the observatory’s library.
If you’re interested in joining this group of ~20 astrophotography enthusiasts, please contact Chuck (cawraith@bpastro.org) with your name and best contact information to get you in the loop.
Perfect February
2026 has delivered us a perfect February, with the first and last days of the month falling on the first and last days of the week, respectively. These perfect months are rare, never occurring more than once every six years, and provide a wonderful insight into the quirks of the Gregorian calendar.
Cosmic Conversations
The Aurora have been in the news recently. What are they? What causes them? Why are they Northern lights? Where do the colors come from? Why do they shimmer?
Come to Cosmic Conversations and share your questions and knowledge with your neighbors.
Second Saturday Science Talk – Is AI coming for your binaries?
February’s Science Topic – Binary Stars and Artificial Intelligence
14 Feb 2026 18:00 – 20:00
Paint Nights at the Planetarium
Saturday, February 28th from 5 to 7 pm
Featuring BPAA Artist in Residence, Deborah Milton
“Myths of the Pleiades”
February Planetarium Shows
Our weekly planetarium shows continue this month every Saturday at 12:30 and 2:30! Exact content is flexible based on audience interest, but common topics include constellations, planets, seasons, and astronomy history.
Women in STEM Book Club
Women in STEM Book Club had a great first session and we’re back in February with more!
Zoom Programming: What’s Up Next Month?
Erin Leigh Howard, Rubin scientist and BPAA Education Director will host one more free preview of what’s happening in the night sky in March. Bring your stargazing questions and join in a lively Zoom discussion!