Orange County Astronomers

OCA Outreach - Portola Hills Elementary
2024-11-22 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Portola Hills Elementary School, 19422 Saddleback Ranch Road, Lake Forest, CA, 92679, United States
Views: 0

OCA Astrophysics SIG Meeting
2024-11-15 19:00 - 21:00, 2024-10-18 19:00 - 21:00, 2024-09-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Orange Coast College, Building 40, Astronomy House, Merrimac Way, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626, United States
The monthly meeting of the Astrophysics Special Interest Group is at 7:00 PM every third Friday of the month at Orange Coast College, Building 40, Astronomy House. Please contact the ASIG chair for details at mark@ocastronomers.org .
Views: 0

OCA Board Meeting
2024-11-10 10:30 - 13:30 | Online
The Board of Directors for the OCA will be having their meeting on Nov. 10, 2024 at 10:30am via Zoom. All current members are welcome, please notify the OCA secretary and a link will be sent out on the day of the meeting. Contact any board member with questions.
Views: 0

Open Spiral Bar
2024-11-09 22:00 - 23:30, 2024-10-12 22:00 - 23:30, 2024-09-14 22:00 - 23:30, 2024-08-10 22:00 - 23:30, 2024-07-13 22:00 - 23:30 | Online
This is a free and open to the public online event.
Join Zoom

Come and socialize with your fellow astronomy enthusiasts face-to-face virtually!
Bring your latest astrophotography, mini-presentation, questions or none and your own refreshments.

Views: 0

Public Outreach: Noche de Las Estrellas
2024-11-09 17:00 - 21:00 | Norton Science and Language Center, 230 S. Waterman Ave., San Bernardino, United States
This is an annual international outreach event that takes place throughout Latin America, and this year one of its organizers has invited the OCA to participate by bringing some telescopes to the local site in San Bernardino. The event begins at 5:00 P.M. on Saturday, November 9th (about half an hour before sunset). There will be a sizable number of educational groups participating, mostly from the Inland Empire, as one would expect by the location, 230 S. Waterman Ave. in San Bernardino.
Views: 0

General Meeting – November 2024
2024-11-08 19:30 - 21:30 | Irvine Lecture Hall of the Chapman University, 336 N Center St, Orange, CA, 92866, United States
This is a free and open to the public hybrid event, held both inperson and online.
Due to the newly effective insurance requirements, we regret that we can not allow people under 18 on the Chapman Campus, they are welcome to attend online.
Join Zoom

This meeting’s speaker will present online from San Jose, CA.

From Vision to Reality:

The Journey of Kosovo’s First Observatory

In 2024, we successfully established the first observatory and science center in Kosovo, a landmark achievement in a country with a rich but turbulent history. This project was not just about building an astronomical facility; it symbolized triumph over obstacles that ranged from logistical challenges to securing international support. Through perseverance, partnerships with organizations like Celestron, and the belief in the transformative power of science, we brought the stars closer to the people of Kosovo. This talk will highlight our journey, the hurdles we overcame, and how this observatory is now inspiring future generations of scientists and stargazers alike.

Pranvera Hyseni is a graduate student from the Republic of Kosovo, currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Science at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is the founder of Astronomy Outreach of Kosovo (AOK), which is recognized as the largest astronomy outreach program in Eastern Europe. Additionally, she manages the Kosovo Chapter of the Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Project.
Ms. Hyseni’s interest in astronomy began at an early age of three, during the late 1990s when Kosovo was affected by the Serbian conflict. She was raised in a family of eight on a remote farm, where economic conditions were challenging. Despite these circumstances, the farm’s location provided her with access to clear night skies, igniting her early passion for astronomy.
She single-handedly brought science to her community by establishing the non-profit organization “Astronomy Outreach of Kosovo” in 2015, which has grown into a significant entity with a global network of professional and amateur astronomers supporting her outreach initiatives across Kosovo. Through these extensive outreach activities, AOK has had a substantial impact, reaching and engaging with over 25,000 individuals annually. Her extraordinary commitment has earned her recognition as one of the five most influential women in Kosovo.
Her impact extended beyond AOK through collaborations with the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology of Kosovo, as well as other governmental institutions. Highly regarded for her expertise, she is in high demand as a speaker at universities and international astronomy conferences worldwide. In 2022, she made history by establishing the first International Astronomy and Planetary Sciences Convention in Kosovo, featuring esteemed astronomers and scientists.
Currently based in San Jose, California, Pranvera Hyseni’s research focuses on understanding the formation histories of asteroids, comets, and meteorites through spectroscopy analysis. In 2017, her contributions to the field received recognition from the International Astronomical Union and the Minor Planet Center, resulting in the naming of an asteroid in her name, 45687 Pranverahyseni. The Mars Generation organization honored her with the “24Under24” award for her leadership in STEM education. She received the “Master Outreach Award” from the Astronomical League in 2019 and the “Michael Reynolds Astronomy Award” from the Association of Lunar & Planetary Observers in 2020.
Pranvera Hyseni’s research achievements extend to her provisional discovery of a Main Belt asteroid, 2020 SS13, utilizing data provided by Pan-STARRS in collaboration with the International Asteroid Search Collaboration. Her research endeavors received financial support with an amount of $5,000 through the “Casey J. Moore Fund Award” from her department at UC Santa Cruz.
Beyond her academic pursuits, Ms. Hyseni is the founder of Kosovo’s first observatory and planetarium. She envisions this science center as a crucial resource accessible to the public, furthering science and technology education. The facility accommodates a Celestron C14 Edge HD telescope with a CGX-L equatorial mount generously donated by Corey Lee, the CEO of Celestron – making it the largest telescope in the entire Republic of Kosovo.
Pranvera Hyseni’s unwavering dedication to advancing science education, outreach, and astronomical research marks her as a notable figure in the scientific community, leaving an enduring impact on generations to come. As a testament to her profound impact, she proudly serves as an Official Brand Ambassador for Celestron, inspiring countless individuals with the wonders of the universe.
Views: 0

OCA Private Outreach: Stanley Elementary School
2024-11-06 19:00 - 20:30 | Stanley Elementary Schol, 12201 Elmwood St., Garden Grove, 92840, United States

Online Beginner's Class
2024-11-01 19:30 - 21:30 | Online
This is a free and open to the public online event, to attend please register with zoom by clicking here at or after 7:10pm.
The 3rd session of the Beginners Astronomy Class covers different methods of finding objects in the night sky. Special topic is learning the constellations.
For details, please visit here and download the sample information PDF package.
Views: 0

Private Outreach- Springbrook Elementary School, Irvine
2024-10-24 20:00 - 21:30 | Springbrook Elementary School, 2700 Seiler Drive, Naperville, IL, 60565, United States

General Meeting – October 2024
2024-10-11 19:30 - 21:30 | Irvine Lecture Hall of the Chapman University, 336 N Center St, Orange, CA, 92866, United States
This is a free and open to the public hybrid event, held both inperson and online.
Due to the newly effective insurance requirements, we regret that we can not allow people under 18 on the Chapman Campus, they are welcome to attend online.
Join Zoom

This meeting’s speaker will present inperson from the Chapman University’s campus.

Direct Multipixel Imaging and

Spectroscopy of Exoplanets

with a Mission to the Focal Region of

the Solar Gravitational Lens

Nature has presented us with a very powerful “instrument” that we are yet to explore and put to use. This instrument is the Solar Gravitational Lens (SGL), which results from the ability of the gravitational field of the Sun to focus light from faint, distant targets. In the near future, a modest telescope with a coronagraph could operate in the focal region of the SGL and, using enormous amplification of the Lens, it could yield multipixel images of exoplanets. A meter-class telescope operating at the focal region of the SGL could yield ~(450×450)-pixel images of an “Earth 2.0” at distances up to 100 light years with spatial resolution high enough to see its surface features and to determine and study the signs of habitability. We discuss the imaging properties of the SGL and introduce a mission concept to the SGL focal region that could provide us with direct, high-resolution images and spectroscopy of a potentially habitable Earth-like exoplanet. We address aspects of mission design and spacecraft requirements, as well as capabilities needed to fly this mission in the next two decades. We rely on solar sailing propulsion which, when combined with rideshare to high Earth orbit and the use of smallsat architecture components, is the key technology that may allow us to reach high solar system transit velocities at a dramatic reduction in mission costs and lead time. With the currently available sail materials, components, and instruments we can fly practical missions with speeds of up to 7 AU/year – twice that of the current speed record holder – Voyager 1. With the sail materials that are being developed, smallsat velocities up to 20-25 AU/year will be reachable in 5-7 years. Benefiting from this progress, the “Sundiver” concept is new and exciting; it offers breakthrough capabilities for which the science community has been waiting for decades. We discuss the Sundiver sailcraft, enabling technology, instruments and unique science opportunities offered by small sailcraft placed on fast interplanetary trajectories – ultimately reaching the SGL’s focal region.
For background, please check: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQFqDKRAROI and https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.14917

Slava G. Turyshev is an astrophysicist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology and a professor at the Physics and Astronomy Department of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Dr. Turyshev earned his M.S. in physics (with honors) and a PhD in quantum field theory from the Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia in 1987 and 1990, correspondingly. In 2008, he earned the Doctor of Science degree (Habilitation) in astrophysics from the same university. His primary research areas include gravitational and fundamental physics in space, research in relativistic astrophysics, astronomy, and planetary science. He is an expert in high-precision spacecraft navigation, solar system dynamics, satellite and lunar laser ranging, astrometry, and related technology efforts. Dr. Turyshev served as the NASA Project Scientist on the CNES/ESA Microscope mission (2016-2020); JPL Project Scientist for the Advanced Lunar Laser Ranging Facility at the Table Mountain Observatory, CA (2015-ongoing); Principal Investigator on the investigation of the Pioneer Anomaly (2003-2012). Recently, he was the Principal Investigator on the 2020 NIAC Phase III effort on the mission concept studies to use the solar gravitation lens (SGL) for multipixel imaging and spectroscopy of exoplanets (2017-2022). He has published over 220 papers, 2 books. Dr. Turyshev is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics.
Views: 0

Online Beginner's Class
2024-10-04 19:30 - 21:30 | Online
This is a free and open to the public online event, to attend please register with zoom by clicking here at or after 7:10pm.
The 2nd session of the Beginners Astronomy Class covers the different types of equipment used to observe the night sky, including telescopes, mounts, eyepieces, filters, and advantages and disadvantages of different options.
This session is a must if thinking about buying a telescope.
For details, please visit here and download the sample information PDF package.
Views: 0

General Meeting – September 2024
2024-09-13 19:30 - 21:30 | Irvine Lecture Hall of the Chapman University, 336 N Center St, Orange, CA, 92866, United States
This is a free and open to the public hybrid event, held both inperson and online.
Due to the newly effective insurance requirements, we regret that people under 18 are not allowed at Chapman campus, they are welcome to attend online.
Join Zoom

This meeting’s speaker will present online from China.

What is the role fungi

in space exploration?

The field of space exploration is currently witnessing great developments and increased attention. As we gear up for new missions, we need to think about the tiny “hitchhikers” we bring along—microbes that come with us, either as part of our microbiomes or as chosen resources. Just like us, these microbes are affected by space conditions. So, understanding how they grow in space is crucial for planning future safe and sustainable missions.
In space microbiology, fungi often don’t get the attention they deserve. They can be a threat to astronauts, especially under stressful conditions like altered gravity, radiation, and exposure to lunar and Martian soil, where, for example, they can develop pathogenicity. However, fungi can also be incredibly useful. They can produce important products like medical drugs, metal nanoparticles, and enzymes. In space, fungal processes can change and sometimes improve, leading to cheaper and more efficient production processes.
This presentation will explore how fungi can help us in future missions and the risks they pose, such as infections, contamination, or damage to infrastructure. Research in astromycology, which studies terrestrial fungi in space and space-like environments, will be key to supporting sustainable, long-term human presence in space.

Marta Filipa Simões (ORCID ID: 0000-0002-8767-9487) is currently working as an Assistant Professor at the State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Science (SKLPlanets), at Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), in China. She is a microbiologist and has worked with a myriad of microorganisms (mycobacteria, environmental and clinical bacteria, mycobacteriophages and filamentous fungi) in several different countries (UK, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, and China). Her research fits within astrobiology and astromycology, focusing on: fungal ecology and biodiversity in environmental analogues to outer-space conditions, fungal development under simulated outer-space conditions, bioprospection and application of filamentous fungi, and fungal growth containment (in the context of planetary protection) and exploitation to human needs in outer-space similar conditions.
Views: 0

OCA Private Outreach: Shady Canyon Golf Club
2024-09-07 20:00 - 22:00 | Shady Canyon Golf Club, 100 Shady Canyon Dr., Irvine, CA, 92603, United States

OCA Private Outreach - Beacon Park Elementary #1
2024-09-06 20:30 - 22:00 | Beacon Park Elementary School, 200 Cultivate, Irvine, CA, Irvine, United States
This event is for the school’s Back-to-School Night. The students and their parents are invited to stay at the campus for the arrival of the OCA astronomers with their telescopes, which will take place around the time that the Back-to-School Night ends.
Views: 0

Online Beginner's Class
2024-09-06 19:30 - 21:30 | Online
This is a free and open to the public online Zoom event, to attend please click here at or after 7:10pm
The 1st session of the Beginners Astronomy Class gives a general overview of all of the different objects you can see in the night and day time skies, with some history and information about what they are and their significance. An overview of the current scientific understanding of the Universe’s beginning, present and future is also covered.
For details, please visit here and download the sample information PDF package.
Views: 0

OCA Outreach - Crystal Cove Grunion Run
2024-08-20 22:30 - 2024-08-21 00:00 | Cottage 21, Los Trancos Beach, Crystal Cove State Park, Newport Coast, 92651, United States
The biggest drawback is a moon that is one day past full. I inquired about new moon dates, but Erin said that her schedule for those dates is full.
Some of the northern and eastern sky is blocked off by a nearby bluff, but, in a kind of exchange, the whole southern horizon is wide open, offering people a view of targets rarely seen from Orange County. Polaris should be visible, although it is fairly close; the northern horizon is at an elevation of about 29 degrees. And, if you get there early enough and are able to align your scope before the guests begin arriving, you may be able to witness the grunion run itself. We will be only about 100 feet from the high-water mark.
Views: 0

OCA Astrophysics SIG Meeting
2024-08-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Orange Coast College, Building 40, Astronomy House, Merrimac Way, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626, United States
The monthly meeting of the Astrophysics Special Interest Group is at 7:00 PM every third Friday of the month at Orange Coast College, Astronomy House. Please contact the ASIG chair for details at mark@ocastronomers.org .
Views: 0

General Meeting – August 2024
2024-08-09 19:30 - 21:30 | Irvine Lecture Hall of the Chapman University, 336 N Center St, Orange, CA, 92866, United States
This is a free and open to the public hybrid event, held both inperson and online.
Due to the newly effective insurance requirements, we regret that we can not allow people under 18 on the Chapman Campus, they are welcome to attend online.
Join Zoom

This meeting’s speaker will present online from Tucson, AZ.

The Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast Initiative,

and follow up projects!

The Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast (DEB) Initiative was a citizen science project for the 2024 total solar eclipse which transited North America on 8 April 2024. Nearly 400 citizen volunteers observed the eclipse with a set of standard equipment from about 70 location both inside and outside the path of totality. During the partial eclipse phases, each site uploaded a processed solar image at a cadence of 1 per minute to our web page. For those sites located in the path of totality, the volunteers collected a set of 5 different exposures every 5 seconds and then uploaded this data to our central repository. These coronal images are currently being processed with the goal of measuring the acceleration of coronal plasma in the inner corona.
The organization and training of the DEB volunteers, their experiences on the day of the eclipse, and the current status of the data analysis will be discussed. In addition, the DEB Initiative follow-up projects which explore white light solar flares, variable stars and asteroid observations will be discussed with the aim of inspiring more people to join our volunteer community.

Matt Penn became interested in astronomy when his parents bought a 3″ Newtonian telescope for him while he was in 6th grade. While getting his undergraduate degree in astronomy at Caltech, Penn did his senior research project using solar oscillations data and began a career in solar physics research. After getting his PhD from the University of Hawaii in 1992, Penn worked with dozens of students, published more than 70 peer-reviewed research papers and developed a citizen science project for the 2017 total solar eclipse. Leaving the research field in 2018, Penn stayed with his family in Tucson AZ and is currently an electro-optical engineer. He holds two patents in the field of image processing. Penn continues to publish research papers in the field of astronomy as a hobby, and enjoys hiking and travel.

Views: 0

Cancelled - Star-B-Que!!!
2024-08-03 17:00 - 19:00 | CA
The star party and Star B Que are cancelled due to fire and mandatory evacuation order. Please do not try to drive to star party Any question please contact any board member.
The August 3rd star party is also the annual Star-B-Que,which is a pot-luck dinner and gathering in front of the OCA Observatory at Anza. It is open to all members and their guests. Please bring something to share with your fellow astronomers and chair to sit on and join us in front of the club observatory. Come on up around 5pm, sunset is at 7:49pm. Enjoy some food and the company of your fellow astronomers. Any questions contact any board member.
See you all there……
Views: 0

In-person Beginner's Class
2024-08-02 19:30 - 21:30 | Orange Coast College, Building 40, Astronomy House, Merrimac Way, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626, United States
This is a free and open to the public event (in person event only)
The 6th session of the Beginners Astronomy Class covers the basics of astrophotography, covering different types of imaging, how different types of cameras are used for this kind of photography, and other equipment and considerations for taking a good picture.
This session is taught by Kyle Coker, who is active in the club’s AstroImaging special interest group.
Free and open to the public as well as members of OCA.
For details, please visit here and download the sample information PDF package.
Views: 0

OCA Board Meeting
2024-07-28 11:30 - 14:00 | Online
The OCA Board will be having their next board meeting on July 28, 2024 at 11:30am via zoom. Current members may attend, contact Alan Smallbone the OCA secretary for a link.

Views: 0

OCA Astrophysics SIG Meeting
2024-07-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Orange Coast College, Building 40, Astronomy House, Merrimac Way, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626, United States
The monthly meeting of the Astrophysics Special Interest Group is at 7:00 PM every third Friday of the month at the Heritage Museum of Orange County. Please contact the ASIG chair for details at mark@ocastronomers.org .
Views: 0

General Meeting – July 2024
2024-07-12 19:30 - 21:30 | Irvine Lecture Hall of the Chapman University, 336 N Center St, Orange, CA, 92866, United States
This is a free and open to the public hybrid event, held both inperson and online.
Due to the newly effective insurance requirements, we regret that we can not allow people under 18 on the Chapman Campus, they are welcome to attend online.
Join Zoom

This meeting’s speaker will present online from Chicago.

What Cleaning the

International Space Station

Can Teach Us About a

Human Health Crisis on Earth

The spread of antimicrobial resistance depends on many factors, including previous exposure of microorganisms to antimicrobial disinfectants. Antimicrobial resistance in the environment ultimately translates into a human health risk. While antimicrobial chemical disinfection is used to prevent infection by pathogenic organisms, it can inadvertently select for antimicrobial resistance. Disinfectants are not only used in hospitals and homes on Earth, but also on the International Space Station (ISS).
To protect crew health, cleaning the ISS primarily using a disinfectant containing the quaternary ammonium compound benzalkonium chloride (BAC) has been done for decades. BAC is not only found in disinfectants, but a range of products from consumer antibacterial hand soap to dryer sheets. Due to its widespread use, BAC has been detected throughout the indoor and natural environment, where it has been linked to antimicrobial resistance. BAC use on Earth has increased dramatically in the past few years, so findings on the ISS may also be indicative of changes in our Earth-based indoor microbiomes. To investigate the relationship between BAC disinfectant use and antimicrobial resistance, Staphylococcus spp. isolates collected between 2009 and 2015 from the ISS were examined. Whole genome sequencing identified multiple BAC resistance genes in addition to resistance to other compounds.
This work highlights the importance of considering the long-term impact of antimicrobial disinfection when selecting cleaning products. Additionally, the benefits of specific products to human health must be weighed against their ability to select for resistance and the long-term risk that then emerges. Examining a range of Staphylococcus spp. isolates for resistance markers has given us a greater understanding of how tolerance varies with specific BAC genes in the indoor environment. Additionally, the ISS environment and long-term BAC disinfection seems to select for BAC tolerance. Further work is needed to understand if there are differences between the frequency of BAC resistance genes in the ISS compared to Earth-based environments.
here are links to a formal research paper about resistance on the International Space Station written by a previous lab member (for those interested in scientific journal style writing on this topic), and a more informal op-ed on use of cleaning chemicals and its relationship to antibiotic resistance.

Olivia is an environmental engineer interested in fundamental rules that govern how microbes adapt to their environment. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from University of Maryland, College Park where her research focused on optimizing developments to minimize stormwater flooding. She then moved to England to study in the Environmental Engineering Master’s degree program at Imperial College London. Her dissertation focused on barriers to the implementation of novel microbial wastewater treatment in Serbia. After completing her Master’s, she spent a year working in industry as a consultant engineer for drinking water projects before returning to academia. Olivia recently completed her PhD in Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University in the Hartmann Lab where her research focused on how disinfectant use impacts antimicrobial resistance and strategies to combat the resistance trend.

Views: 0

Beginner's Class In-person event
2024-07-05 19:30 - 21:30 | Orange Coast College, Building 40, Astronomy House, Merrimac Way, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626, United States
This is a free and open to the public event (In-person event only).
The 5th session of the Beginners Astronomy Class is the “How to Use Your Telescope”.
If you have a telescope and would like some help learning to set it up and use it, attend this Hands-on class.
For details, please visit here and download the sample information PDF package.
Views: 0
