The Astronomy Club of Asheville 2025 calendar images are here, all taken by club members during 2024, and what a year it was! The solar eclipse in April, the extraordinary aurora borealis in this year of peak solar activity, Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) in October all made 2024 a memorable one. Hurricane Helene left many homes and businesses without power, and many street lights were off, so although the devastation was tragic, our skies were darker than usual, and the Milky Way shined brightly in the darkened sky. Club members were out at night with their telescopes and cameras all year long, sharing the wonders of the night sky. Enjoy this selection from the 2025 club calendar!
Click on the images to see larger views in a slideshow.
May: The Asheville area had several rare and spectacular aurora events in 2024, the result of our active Sun’s giant X-class solar flares that launched energetic electrons and protons into the Solar System. Photos taken on the nights of May 20 and October 10, 2024 by club members Alan Davis, Jerry Sherman, David Krause, Seth Banks and Knox Worde.
October: Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) was easily visible for about 3 weeks in the early evening skies during October, 2024, and several Astronomy Club of Asheville members were able to capture some extraordinary photos of this visitor from the Oort Cloud. Photos by David Johnston, Knox Worde, Tommy Wilkinson, Pamela Mumby and Paul Harris.
November: The Rosette Nebula is an H II (atomic Hydrogen that is ionized) region located near one end of a giant molecular cloud in the Monoceros region of the Milky Way Galaxy (near Orion). The cluster and nebula lie at a distance of about 5,000 light-years from Earth. Photo by club member Vince Castello.
