October astronomy is here.
Dear AOS Members,
September welcomed us back to our regular meetings. October brings earlier sunsets, longer observing sessions, and more opportunities to share the night sky with our neighbors. I hope you will join us for another active month at AOS.
Our October General Meeting
Please join us on Sunday, October 4, 2026, at Hofstra University, Berliner Hall, Room 117. Our General Meeting Doors Open at 1:00PM and our meeting begins at 1:15 PM, followed by the guest lecture at 3:00 PM. Meetings are free and open to the public, so please invite a friend who might enjoy an afternoon of astronomy.
Our October Guest Speaker
We are pleased to welcome Professor Robert David Stein, who will join us in person to discuss “‘Wandering’ Black Hole Spotted at the Edge of a Galaxy.” Professor Stein is a researcher at the University of Maryland’s Joint Space-Science Institute, a partnership with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. He led the study of TDE 2025abcr, an event that revealed a black hole far from the center of its host galaxy when it tore apart a passing star. He will explain how the team found it and what the discovery may tell us about other wandering black holes.
October Celestial Highlights
October 4 — Saturn at opposition. Saturn will be well placed for evening observing.
October 10 — New Moon. The surrounding evenings offer a dark-sky window for galaxies, nebulae, and other faint targets.
October 21–22 — Orionid meteor shower. Watch during the late-night and predawn hours, though moonlight will reduce the number of faint meteors visible.
October 25 — Full Moon. A fine opportunity to share the rising Moon with family and friends.
October Outreach Events
Stars on Sunday returns to Hofstra this month at 7:00 PM. We need four volunteers to welcome visitors and support the observing session. Please let me know if you can help, telescopes provided by Hofstra Physics Department. We will circulate the date and meeting details in a separate announcement.
On Saturday, October 17, AOS will be at the Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center (JBENC) with our NYS Friends. We look forward to another opportunity to share the night sky with visitors at Jones Beach. Event time and volunteer details will follow.
On Friday, October 23, AOS will participate in No Space for Hunger at Robert Moses. This event brings our public outreach together with a cause that supports our community. Please watch for details on how members can volunteer and take part.
On Friday, October 30, we will join Girl Scouts Nassau County at JBENC for an evening of astronomy. It is an opportunity to help young people explore the sky and ask questions at the telescope. We will share the event time and volunteer arrangements as they are finalized.
While the Meetings Continue, So Does AOS
Thank you to everyone who made this summer’s Music & Astronomy Under the Stars events possible. Members brought telescopes, answered questions, and helped turn summer concerts into memorable encounters with the sky. Your e*orts carry directly into our fall programs.
Sixty-one years after our founding, AOS continues to bring the wonders of the night sky to the public because members choose to participate. Whether you attend a lecture, volunteer at an event, or bring someone new to look through a telescope, you are part of that tradition.
I look forward to seeing you at Hofstra on October 4.
Clear skies,
Jason Cousins
President
Amateur Observers’ Society of New York, Inc.
