Prior Challenges and Special Observing Awards

These awards are no longer active.  They had specific dates by which they were to be completed.  This page is provided for members who are interested in those past awards.  Additional ones will be added as they are completed.

You may review the entire list, or jump to specific types of awards.

NASA

NASA Observing Challenges

  • New Horizons rendezvous with Pluto on July 14, 2015 (deadline: August 14, 2015).
    • Observe Pluto.
    • Image or sketch Pluto.
    • Do an outreach event.
  • Comet Siding Spring rendezvous with Mars on October 19, 2014 (deadline:  November 19, 2015).
    • Observe Mars.
    • Image or sketch Mars.
    • Do an outreach event.
  • Rosetta Spacecraft rendezvous with Comet Comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko on November 11, 2014 (deadline: January 12, 2015).
    • Observe Comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasinemko.
    • Image or sketch the comet.
    • Do an outreach event.
  • TESS – Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (deadline: July 31,2018)
    • Observe any star that is on the list of stars with known exoplanets.
    • Image or sketch the star.
    • Do an outreach event.
  • Mars InSight Mission – landing is scheduled for 11/26/2018 (deadline: December 31, 2018)
    • Observe the Landing Site on Mars for the InSight Mission.
    • Image or sketch the observation.
    • Do an outreach event.
  • Apollo – 50th Anniversary (deadline: August 31, 2019)
    • Observe the six Apollo Mission Landing Sites.
    • Image or sketch the Landing Sites.
    • Do an outreach event.
  • Mercury Transit of the Sun (deadline: December 11, 2019)
    • Observe the Transit.
    • Image or sketch the Transit.
    • Do an outreach event.
  • Landing of the Perseverance Rover on Mars (deadline: March 18, 2021)
    • Observe the Landing Site on Mars for the Perseverance Rover.
    • Image or sketch the site.
    • Do an outreach event.
  • James Webb Telescope (deadline: July 20, 2022)
    • Observe the alignment star that was used by the telescope:  HD 84406 (also known as SAO 14987 or HIP 48034)
    • Image or sketch the star.
    • Do an outreach event.
  • Parker Solar Probe – Perihelion #20 Special Observing Award. (deadline: 8/3/2024)
    • Safely observe the Sun.
    • Image or sketch the Sun.
    • Compare your results with images from NASA to compare what you see vs. what the Parker Solar Probe sees.
    • Do an outreach event.
    • Note:  This was a Special Observing Award and included a pin.
  • Parker Solar Probe 2.0 – Perihelion #22 Special Observing Award. (deadline: 1/31/2025)
    • Safely observe the Sun.
    • Image or sketch the Sun.
    • Compare your results with images from NASA to compare what you see vs. what the Parker Solar Probe sees.
    • Do an outreach event.
    • Note:  This was a Special Observing Award and included a pin.

 

Return to top.

AL

AL Observing Challenges

  1. The Great Conjunction Observing Challenge(deadline: February 21, 2021)
    • Observe the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter.
    • Image or sketch the conjunction.
    • Do an outreach event.
  2. 2021 Observe The Moon Challenge (deadline: November 16, 2021)
    • Naked-Eye Observation List:
      • Mare Crisium
      • Mare Fecunditatis
      • Mare Frigoris
      • Mare Imbrium
      • Mare Nectaris
      • Mare Nubium
      • Mare Serenitatis
      • Mare Tranquillitatis
      • Crater Copernicus
      • Crater Tycho
      • Crater Rays – Crater Copernicus
      • The Woman in the Moon
    • Image or sketch the observations.
    • Do an Outreach Event.
  3. The AL 75th Year Anniversary Observing Challenge (deadline: December 31, 2021)
    • Requirements are the same as the Jupiter Observing Program, with these additions.
      • It had to be done in 2021, the year of the 75th anniversary.
      • Do an outreach event.
  4. Astronomical League Galaxy Season Observing Challenge(deadline: June 30, 2022)
  5. Astronomical League Globular Cluster Observing Challenge (deadline: October 31, 2022)
  6. 2022 Observe the Moon Observing Challenge(deadline: November 9, 2022)
    • Binocular Observation List:
      • Mare Crisium
      • Mare Fecunditatis
      • Mare Frigoris
      • Mare Nectaris
      • Mare Tranquilitatis
      • Mare Serenitatis
      • Sinus Asperitatis
      • Lacus Somniorum
      • Lacus Temporis
      • Crater Copernicus
      • Crater Tycho
      • Crater Theophilus
      • Crater Aristoteles
      • Crater Endymion
      • Crater Langrenus
    • Image or sketch the observations.
    • Do an outreach event.
  7. Astronomical League – Moons Observing Challenge (deadline: December 31, 2022)
    • Required targets:
      • The Moon
      • Io
      • Europa
      • Ganymede
      • Callisto
      • Titan
      • Rhea
      • Iapetus
      • Dione
      • Tethys
      • Enceladus
      • Mimas
    • Optional targets:
      • Phobos
      • Deimos
      • Titania
      • Obervon
      • Umbriel
      • Ariel
      • Miranda
      • Triton
  8. Astronomical League – Galaxy Observing Challenge 2.0 (deadline: July 15, 2023)
  9. Astronomical League – 2023 Observe the Moon Challenge (deadline: November 21, 2023.)
      • To complete the challenge, locate and observe the 20 objects on this target list:

                          Craters:

          1. Albategnius
          2. Atlas
          3. Cassini
          4. Catharina
          5. Cleomedes
          6. Cyrillus
          7. Endymion
          8. Eudoxus
          9. Fracastorius
          10. Hercules
          11. Macrobius
          12. Picard
          13. Piccolomini
          14. Plinius
          15. Posidonius

                          Other Features:

          1. Lacus Mortis
          2. Mons Hadley
          3. Rupes Altai
          4. Rima Hyginus
          5. Vallis Alpes
      • An Observation should include this information:
        • Date and Time of the observation.
        • Location where you did the observation.
        • Sketch or image those 20 objects.
      • Do an outreach activity related to the Moon and the International Observe the Moon Night.
  10. (in progress)
  11. Solar Maximum Observing Challenge.  (deadline for submission is April 30, 2025)
    Effective immediately, the Astronomical League is bringing you another Observing Challenge.  This Challenge is to experience the Solar Maximum.  There will be one level of this award and recognition is in the form of a certificate.  You do not need to be a member of the Astronomical League to participate in this challenge and to receive the certificate.  Although no telescopes of binoculars are required for this award, you will need to build an inexpensive homemade magnetometer.  Note:  For Astronomical League members, these Observations may be used and submitted as part of the Space Weather Observing Program.Submission Requirements:

    • Build a soda bottle magnetometer.
      • Instructions can be found here:  https://www.astroleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Soda-Bottle-Magnetometer-2.pdf
      • Materials needed are:
        • An empty 2-litre soda bottle.
        • A couple inches of ballast (sand or small pebbles) to keep the bottle stable.
        • A small lightweight mirror.
        • A small bar magnet. One to two inches long to fit inside the bottle.
        • A drinking straw.
        • Thread.
        • A small index card.
        • A yard stick or a meter stick.
        • A white flat target.
        • A light source (a faint red laser works well).
    • Use that magnetometer to detect variations in the Earth’s Magnetic Field.
      • Do a minimum of 50 observations.
      • Note: this can be done inside and even in bad weather.
      • Challenges we have noted with the Magnetometers can be found here:  https://www.astroleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Magnetometers-Challenges.pdf
      • You may start immediately but must finish them by March 31, 2025.
      • You may do up to two observations daily, ideally about 12 hours apart.
      • The magnetometer must be somewhere where it will not be disturbed.
      • Note:  we have received some feedback that it is critical to place the magnetometer and the laser on a very solid surface.  If not, the spot (and the mirror) move due to vibrations.
      • In your observation log, note the location along the yard stick or meter stick where the reflected laser spot is located.
    • Compare your observed activity with observations from NASA.
    • Note sunspot activity on the Sun.
    • Predict expected auroral activity in the Earth’s Atmosphere.
      • Light reaches the Earth from the Sun in a little more than 8.33 minutes.
      • Charged Particles in the solar wind (space weather) travel slower.  Charged Particles in the solar wind travel from 250 to 750 km/second, or roughly 560,000 miles/hour to over 1,675,000 miles per hour.
      • The Sun is roughly 93 million miles (149 million kilometers) from the Earth.
      • This means that charged particles will reach Earth some time between 55.5 to 166 hours or between 2.3 and 6.9 days.
    • Compare your prediction with actual activity.  (Personal observations of the Aurora are not required, but certainly would add a level of excitement to those who can see them.)
      • Auroral activity can be seen on the same page as the sunspot activity:  https://www.spaceweather.com/.
      • Scroll down to the current auroral activity map.  Default is for the northern hemisphere, but there are alternative maps if you are observing elsewhere.
      • Click on the image of the auroral map on the left side of the web page to see more detail.  Include copies of these images in your observation logs.
    • Do an Outreach Activity to share this event with the public.
    • Observations must be done before March 31, 2025.  Submissions for this award are due to the Coordinator by April 30, 2025.  Late submissions will not be processed.
  12. 2024 International Observe the Moon Night Observing Challenge.  (deadline for submission is October 14, 2024)To earn this Observing Challenge certificate you must:
    • Do an outreach activity.
    • Observe the Moon between September 14 and September 21, 2024.  The best date is the Internation Observe the Moon Night: September 14, 2024.
    • Either sketch of take an image of the Moon.
    • This year’s challenge is naked-eye.  No equipment is required.
    • Identify and label these 10 Maria:
      • Mare Crisium
      • Mare Fecunditatis
      • Mare Nectaris
      • Mare Tranquilitatis
      • Mare Serenitatis
      • Mare Vaporum
      • Mare Imbrium
      • Mare Nubium
      • Mare Cognitum
      • Mare Insularum

Return to top.

Transit

Transits

·Transit of Venus 2004

  • Calculate the distance to Venus.
  • Calculate the value for the A.U.
  • Calculate Venus’ Orbital Period.
  • Calculate the mass of the Sun.
  • Detect the Venusian Atmosphere.
  • Get the timings for the four Contacts.
  • Do an Outreach Event.

·Transit of Venus 2012

  • Observe the Transit using one of these methods:
    • Pinhole Projection.
    • Eyepiece Projection.
    • Solar Sunglasses.
    • Binoculars with a Solar Filter.
    • Telescope with a Solar Filter.
    • A Solar Telescope.
    • #14 Welder’s Glass.
  • Sketch the observation.
  • Calculate the value of the A.U.
  • Do an Outreach Event.

·Transit of Mercury 2016

  • Calculate the distance from Mercury to the Sun.
  • Observe the contacts.
  • Measure the Parallax Angle.
  • Calculate the distance between the two Observing Stations.
  • Calculate the value of the A.U.

·Transit of Mercury 2019

  • Calculate the oblateness of the Sun.
  • Calculate the oblateness of Mercury.
  • Calculate the inclination of Mercury’s Orbital Path.
  • Calculate Mercury’s Orbital Period.
  • Calculate Mercury’s Orbital Velocity.
  • Answer 4 questions:
    1. Why do you think The Sun would have such a small oblateness?
    2. Why do you think the planet Mercury would have such a small oblateness?
    3. Of the assumptions that we made, which one do you think caused the largest error in the calculations of Mercury’s orbital period?
    4. What might be the cause for error in calculating Mercury’s orbital inclination?

Return to top.

AL-Con

AL-Con Observing Challenges

·2019 – Binocular Observing Challenge

Return to top.

Solar Eclipse

Solar Eclipses

·2017 Total Eclipse

  • Observe the Solar Eclipse if you can.
  • Sketch or image what you see.
  • Calculate the deflection of stars that appear very close to the Sun during the Total Solar Eclipse.
  • Do an Outreach Activity about the Solar Eclipse.

·2023 Annular Eclipse

  • Observe the Solar Eclipse if you can.
  • Sketch or image what you see.
  • Observe the Moon for 6 months and calculate the Saros Cycle.  For instructions on calculating the Saros Cycle, click here.
  • Do an Outreach Activity about the Solar Eclipse.

·2024 Total Eclipse

  • Observe the Solar Eclipse if you can.
  • Sketch or image what you see.
  • Observe the Moon for 6 months and calculate the Saros Cycle.  For instructions on calculating the Saros Cycle, click here.
  • Do an Outreach Activity about the Solar Eclipse.

Return to top.

 

Scroll to top