Latest News and Posts

  • Neptune’s True Color

    Pluto was reclassified back in 1996. Now, it appears that Neptune has been ”re-colored”, if that is a word. A study just published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society shows that Neptune might not be the dark blue we’ve been used to. It appears to be more of a light blue like…

  • The Winter Night Sky

    It’s cold out. The sky is crisp and clear. It gets dark very early. There are some beautiful stars in the Winter sky. This is absolutely the best time to go stargazing. Here are some notes taken from two earlier FAS Astronomer Blogs. The Night Sky Central to the cool and clear Winter sky is…

  • That’s a wrap! The LAST Public Observation at Kaleideum North on December 30, 2023

    That’s it! We had a great night at Kaleideum North for the LAST observation ever at this location. Kaleideum North closed on December 31st and a brand new Kaleideum will open downtown in the Spring of 2024. Several FAS members including President Justin Nichols, VP Bruce Gavett, Secretary Andrea Nichols, Tony Goebel, and Ken Lyons…

  • That’s a wrap! Public Observation at Forsyth Central Library – December 2023

    We paid a visit to the Forsyth County Central Library on December 14 for a Night Under the Stars. Jupiter, and Saturn were both shining brightly in the night sky. We took a close up look with the telescopes provided by FAS President Justin Nichols, VP Bruce Gavett, Secretary Andrea Nichols, and Wally Otti. The…

  • January 2024 Meeting – Wednesday, January 10 at Kaleideum North (not downtown)

    Please join us for the January 10, 2024 meeting of Forsyth Astronomical Society. The meeting will be held at Kaleideum North (formerly SciWorks), 400 West Hanes Mill Road, Winston-Salem, NC. The meeting will not be at the new downtown location. We expect to begin meeting there in February. The topic will be an overview of…

  • CANCELED – Public observation at Stone Mountain on Saturday, January 6

    WEATHER UPDATE: The public observation at Stone Mountain is canceled due to clouds and the possibility of icy park roads. On Saturday, January 6, Forsyth Astronomical Society will host a public astronomy observation at Stone Mountain State Park. It should be dark enough to observe by 6:30 PM. The planet Jupiter should be visible if…

  • Asteroid 1, Dinosaurs 0

    FAS Astronomers Blog, Volume 31, Number 15. The dinosaurs ruled the Earth for millions of years. Despite their dominance, the dinosaurs disappeared. The commonly accepted theory is that a large asteroid hit the Earth, resulting in the extinction of over two thirds of the species on the planet. For more on dinosaurs, see three previous…

  • Earthrise

    Just recently the world was saddened to hear that former astronaut Frank Borman had passed away. Borman, along with Jim Lovell and Bill Anders traveled to the Moon and back in December 1968. Everyone remembers Apollo 11 and Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the Moon. Apollo 11 was actually NASA’s third manned trip to the…

  • The Case of the Brontosaurus

    FAS Astronomers Blog, Volume 31, Number 14b. When I was growing up, Brontosaurus was almost as famous as T. rex. However, Othniel Marsh made a mistake (maybe). In 1877, he discovered a dinosaur, which he named Apatosaurus ajax (Marsh 1877). Two years later, in 1879, he discovered another similar dinosaur, which he named Brontosaurus excelsus…