Astronomical Events

November 10 - Full Moon. The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 20:16 UTC.

November 17, 18 - Leonids Meteor Shower. The Leonids is one of the better meteor showers to observe, producing an average of 40 meteors per hour at their peak.

November 25 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 06:10 UTC.

November 25 - Partial Solar Eclipse. This partial eclipse will only be visible over Antarctica and parts of South Africa and Tasmania.

December 10 - Full Moon. The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 14:36 UTC.

December 10 - Total Lunar Eclipse. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of Europe, eastern Africa, Asia, Australia, the Pacific Ocean, and the North America.

December 13, 14 - Geminids Meteor Shower. Considered by many to be the best meteor shower in the heavens, the Geminids are known for producing up to 60 multicolored meteors per hour at their peak.

December 22 - December Solstice. The December solstice occurs 05:30 UTC. This is the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the northern hemisphere and the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the southern hemisphere.

Contact

Sandor Kruk

Newman House
111 Gower Street, Room 219
London, WC1E6 AR, United Kingdom
+(44) 755 3693403
sandor-iozsef.kruk.10@ucl.ac.uk

"Vasile Lucaciu"National College Astronomy Club

It is the first club of this kind in Maramures, Romania and it was founded in 2008 by my Physics teacher, Lucian Stoian and me. Now, there are over 20 members and classes are held regularly at two levels (acording to the age): junior and senior, every Friday from 5 pm. The aims of the project are to provide youngsters a chance to learn a subject that is not taught in schools, to organise events to increase the scientific awareness and to present the excitement of Astronomy to general public. If the weather is good, observing sessions are held on Friday night using the Meade ETX-125 and the Sky-Watcher Dobsonian 12" telescopes.

Most of the studens participate in the National Astronomy Olympiad every year. In 2011, 4 students from the club represented Romania to two different International Olympiads: two junior students were awarded a Bronze Medal and a Silver Medal, respectively, in the XVIth International Astronomy Olympiad, Almaty, Kazahstan and two senior students won the Gold Medal with the Romanian team in the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics, Chorzow, Poland.

In April 2011, the National Astronomy Olympiad was organised by the Astronomy Club in Baia Mare. There were over 150 participants competing in three different rounds: theoretical, practical and observational. The best 10 students were selected to represent Romania in international competitions, 4 being members of the club. Some photos with the Astronomy Club and the National Astronomy Olympiad organised in my home town this year can be seen below (I designed the logo:D):