June 20, 2015, 7:30 p.m.

Triple Feature!

Saturday night’s program will include a special announcement, a talk about observing the sun, and a full-dome movie about stars.

[1] The announcement of the 2015 recipient of the David M. Brown Memorial Scholarship: Three years ago, the Friends established a new scholarship with the Arlington Community Foundation honoring the memory of David Brown. The third recipient of this prestigious award will be announced at the beginning of our Saturday evening program.

[2] Hydrogen Alpha: Unlocking the Sun's Chromosphere: a talk by Beth Tatum, NOVAC.

In this presentation, amateur astronomer and solar imager Beth Tatum will talk about safely observing and imaging the sun, particularly using specialized telescopes through which you can see the fascinating detail of the solar chromosphere. She will present a series of photographs taken with this equipment to show the different types of features one can observe, such as filaments, prominences, flares, and plage regions. She will also talk about simpler ways to safely observe the sun and the most apparent features of its surface, including sunspots.

Beth Tatum is a software QA engineer who lives in Ashburn, Virginia with her husband Ken and son Kevin. A lifelong amateur astronomer, she built her first telescope while in college, and has been a member of the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club for more than 10 years.

[3] Full-dome movie: STARS: the Powerhouses of the Universe.

Every star has a story. Some are as old as time, faint and almost forgotten. Others burn bright and end their lives in powerful explosions. New stars are created every day, born from vast clouds of gas and dust. Through every phase of their existence, stars release the energy that powers the Universe. Journey to the farthest reaches of our galaxy and experience the awesome beauty and destructive power of STARS. Running Time: 26 minutes.

Our capacity is 58 seats. We set aside 20 seats to accommodate those who arrive without a reservation, so if the show is sold out you can still try to attend by arriving close to 7 p.m. However, although we will do whatever we can to seat all comers, there is no guarantee of admission without a reservation.