Our winter skies contain one of the more famous small asterisms of the sky – the Pleiades. They resemble a tiny dipper and are often confused as the little dipper. Western mythology describes the Pleiades as the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione. In the Navajo story, the Pleiades were known as the Flint boys and was the first constellation placed in the sky by Black God. The Lakota legend speaks of seven young girls being chased by a bear. The frightened girls leapt upon a small rock and the Great Spirit made the rock grow taller, pushing the seven little girls into the stars, leaving only the great Mateo Tipi; what we call today the Devil’s Tower.

Bruce Bookout is a Program Manager with Peraton Inc; and is a life-time member of the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society (CSASTRO). Bruce is an Adjunct Professor of Astronomy at Pikes Peak State College where he developed their course in Archeoastronomy, besides teaching Planetary and Stellar Astronomy. He has been awarded the Astronomical League Master Observer's Award. Bruce has a MS in Space Systems Operation from Webster University and previously served in the US Air Force as a Space Operations officer.

The meeting will begin at 7:30 PM Friday, November 20 in McDonnell Hall, Room 162, on the Danforth campus of Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63105. McDonnell Hall is accessible from Forsyth Boulevard via Tolman Way. Free yellow zone and garage parking spaces are available. The event, cosponsored by NASA's Missouri Space Grant Consortium, is open to the public free of charge. The event will also be available via Zoom online conference.

To receive a ZOOM link to participate in the meeting, please select this link: contact us . 

1. Main Speaker
2. A101 - Roman Space Telescope
3. Telescopes for Sale - Link
4. Jefferson College Observatory Newsletter (Link) and 2026 Schcedule (Link)
5. McDonnell Planetarium/SLSC Telescope Viewing - Link
6. Is it time to renew your membership? Check your expiration date. Join/Renew link

    

Aurora Forecast

• NOAA Dashboard - Link
• Spaceweather.com

- Observing Tips for Nova T Corona Borealis - Downlink Link

- Follow in Galileo’s footsteps and recreate his historic observations. Download our object guide here: Link

-Download our "Winter Bright Star Challenge" - Link

- Download this presentation by SLAS member Mark Jones entitled "Interesting Astronomical Events for 2026" Updated 12-26-2025.

• November-2026 – "The Pleiades: Seven Daughters of Pleione"; Bruce Bookout; Colorado Springs Astronomical Society
• December-2026 – “How remote observing is changing amateur astrophotography”; Bray Falls; Starfront Observatories

• Annual Star-B-Q, October 24, 2026, 2-6pm, Stacy Park - Link
• Washington University Physics Department Science Saturday - Link
• Washington University Physics Department Calendar - Link
• New Movie Premiere - "Cosmic Dawn: The Untold Story of the James Webb Space Telescope" - Link
• McDonnell Planetarium/SLSC Telescope Viewing - Link

Here are the websites that Dr. Gokhale mentioned in his talk in June

Dark Sky Missouri:  https://www.darkskymissouri.org

Saving the Dark' A film on Light Pollution by Sriram Murali: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fHxNn-FEnc

Globe at Night program for light pollution: https://www.globeatnight.org/

• SLAS Telescopes For Sale- Download Link
• SLAS Member has the following item For Sale: 10" Celestron StarSense Explorer- Link to download

Our new SLAS coffee mugs have arrived. They will be available to purchase at
our regular meetings at Washington U. Price: $10 each, 2 for $15 

All shirts are $10!!!

Moon Shirt
Globular Cluster Shirt
Pleiades Shirt
There is also a Dobsonian shirt

New Poster from Guy Ottwell you might be interested in. It's called the Zodiac Wavy Chart:  

https://www.universalworkshop.com/zodiac-wavy-charts/?mc_cid=cfa6f33be8&mc_eid=9d6fcdbdfa

Your contribution ensures that we can continue our work advancing the science of astronomy in the metro St. Louis area.  As a 501(c)(3) established in 1936, your donation is tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.  

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NOTE: We welcome telescopes and other astronomy equipment as a donation. For more information about donating a telescope, please contact us.

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