Martz-Kohl Observatory

4 days ago

Yes, Neptune has rings and a bunch of moons. What do we see in Webb's latest image of the ice giant Neptune? Webb captured seven of Neptune’s 14 known moons: Galatea, Naiad, Thalassa, Despina, Proteus, Larissa, and Triton. Neptune’s large and unusual moon, Triton, dominates this Webb portrait of Neptune as a very bright point of light sporting the signature diffraction spikes seen in many of Webb’s images.
Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI ... See MoreSee Less

Martz-Kohl Observatory

3 weeks ago

Jupiter’s auroras in infrared from the James Web Space Telescope (JWST). Wow!Earth's auroras are cool, but Jupiter's auroras are next level. They are the most powerful auroras in the Solar System, and they are absolutely huge.

JWST, the new space telescope, got this view of Jupiter in infrared light. Human eyes can't see in infrared, so citizen scientist Judy Schmidt recolored this image into shades of visible light to reveal all the gorgeous details.

Jupiter's auroras appear in redder colors in this image, while the hazes near the poles are mapped to greens and yellows. The famous Great Red Spot, a storm larger than the Earth, is the big swirly white object on the lower right of the planet. So beautiful!

Have you seen the auroras on Earth?

(Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, Jupiter ERS Team/Judy Schmidt) ... See MoreSee Less

Martz-Kohl Observatory

2 months ago

WEDNESDAY, July 20, 2022 7:30pm. Observatory Lecture Series: The Man on the Moon. Ray Garner III, a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, will present live at the Martz-Kohl Observatory a talk entitled “The Man on the Moon.” Over fifty years ago, America became the first (and so far, only) nation to put a man on the Moon. That momentous event is one for the ages and was watched by millions of people worldwide. What is less remembered are all the smaller steps required to get to the Moon. This talk will take you through that journey. martzobservatory.org/zoom/

We encourage you to come to the observatory to meet our speakers either in-person or virtually on our high-resolution, conference screen and join in our always lively Q&A after presentations. Later, if the weather cooperates, we offer tours and viewing opportunities. ... See MoreSee Less

Martz-Kohl Observatory

3 months ago

First released image from the James Webb Space Telescope covers a patch of sky approximately the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length by someone on the ground – and reveals thousands of galaxies in a tiny sliver of the vast universe.

Webb’s sharp near-infrared view brought out faint structures in extremely distant galaxies, offering the most detailed view of the early universe to date - some 13 billion light years distant! ... See MoreSee Less

Martz-Kohl Observatory

3 months ago

Holy Smokes! A two-stage Falcon 9 rocket was launched from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Sunday (June 19) at 12:27am EDT carrying a communications satellite for the Louisiana-based company Globalstar to orbit. Member, Dave Wilkins, was in the right place and time (2:20am) to capture these images from the Martz-Kohl Observatory parking lot. These bright clouds are called noctilucent clouds. They are brighter than any surrounding clouds because they are significantly higher, 100,000s of feet up. At this height in the atmosphere, the contrail is made up of tiny ice crystals. ... See MoreSee Less

Martz-Kohl Observatory

3 months ago

The five naked-eye viewable planets are hanging out together in the pre-dawn sky for the month of June. The alignment is very rare as the planets are lined up in order from distance from the sun. The alignment will be at its peak before sunrise on June 24. Look toward the east and south around 4:30-5:00 AM EDT to see our neighbors in the solar system put on a dazzling display. Mercury may be difficult to see as it is close to the sun and low in the sky but you should easily see Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Get up early and enjoy! Photo by observatory member, Dave Wilkins. ... See MoreSee Less