I'm Chuck Bueter, an amateur astronomer embracing public outreach. Let's make ideas happen--be energy at the speed of life!
Nightwise is my portal to the night sky and other personal interests. Blog posts about recent and upcoming events often have an emphasis on astronomy.
AstroCamp is a stargazing adventure at YMCA Camp Eberhart in Three Rivers, MI. See intro here or go directly to the www.astrocamp.us.
Clear your calendar for April 8, 2024. Totality for solar eclipse will be visible along a swath from Texas to Maine. Make a Sun Funnel for your telescope so a crowd can view safely.
Here are my 100+ ideas to inspire better outdoor lighting practices and lessen waste. I have personally field-tested most of these activities, ranging from easy to ambitious. Go!
Capture the essence of time--an image of the sun arcing across the sky between the solstices--by making a simple pinhole camera.
Using sufficient yet sensible light will benefit the night sky and human health, too. In lessening light pollution we gain many upsides. Avoid the blues (blue light, that is).
Nightwise.org expresses my astronomy outreach and personal interests. Content includes blog posts, upcoming events, projects, dark sky advocacy, and other pursuits. I welcome your feedback.
-Chuck Bueter
Transit of Mercury
The innermost planet Mercury zips directly in front of the sun, visible only with sun-safe magnification. Not a naked eye event. After witnessing a transit of Mercury, Edmund Halley showed how the transit method could measure size of the solar system. Halley's prediction was famously tested in ensuing transits of Venus.
11 NOV
Transit of Mercury in South Bend
South Bend, IN
Witness the Transit of Mercury through a telescope at the Sunrise Cafe at 1805 Lincoln Way West from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. and again at the JESUS Gallery at 2113 Elwood Ave. from 10:00 a.m. to noon.
21 DEC
Location: Anywhere
Make a solargraph between the solstices to show the annual path of sun. With an aluminum can, some duct tape, and photographic film, your pinhole camera will capture a long-duration snapshot of time and place. Get comfortable with and informed about the sun, starting with your own unique and personal solargraph.
2019
Additional Local Astronomy
Michiana
Other Michiana parties with an emphasis in celestial pursuits are listed under Local Astro at the South Bend Astro website. Enjoy a Science Cafe, take in a Universe Revealed presentation, hear speakers at a Michiana Astronomical Society meeting, launch rockets, visit a planetarium, or check out a large collection of meteorites.
Events
July 7, 2019
