AEA
Astronomy Club Newsletter January
2021
Contents
AEA Astronomy Club News & Calendar p.1
Video(s) & Picture(s) of the Month p.
Astronomy News p. 9
General Calendar p. 13
Colloquia, lectures, mtgs. p. 13
Observing p. 14
Useful
Links p. 16
About the Club p.
17
Club News &
Calendar.
Club Calendar
Club Meeting Schedule:
--
|
7 Jan |
AEA Astronomy Club Meeting |
TBD -- Great Courses video |
(Teams) |
|
AEA Astronomy Club Meeting |
TBD -- Great Courses video |
Teams |
AEA
Astronomy Club meetings are now on 1st Thursdays at 11:30 am. For 2020:
Jan. & Feb. in A1/1735, March 5 in A1/2906 and for the rest of 2020 (April
to Dec.) virtual meetings on Teams.
Club
News:
Photos of the Great Conjunction by
Jim Edwards using the club’s 16” Meade Dobs.
Dec. 18 and 21.
“[1st photo] Three days before the conjunction and Jupiter & Saturn are already so close that they fit into the image frame. In this photo (collected early this evening) you can see them both clearly, along with Jupiter's four large Galilean moons. This image was captured by a very crude "image projection" method using my smartphone and the 16" Dobsonian that the Aerospace astronomy club is having me store for them. Hopefully the 21st (the day of conjunction) will be clear and I'll be able to get some images when they're really close.
[2nd photo] Yeah, I know these are not great. They
were captured using a very crude image projection method and
the planets are very low on the horizon. Still, kind of
interesting.
These are single frames, no
massaging in PhotoShop (other than cropping and reducing the size). I'm
going to try to do some stacking to extract more detail (on the pair not
overexposed to show moons), if anything better results then I'll share that as
well.
The
"Callisto" that is below and very near Jupiter is, of course,
supposed to read "Europa".”
And my feeble Dec. 18 attempt
w. our Meade ETX90 & handheld smartphone camera (the Dec. 21 photo waited
until low in the sky & not worth sharing):
We need volunteers to help with:
·
Assembling
our new 16-inch Hubble Optics Dobs
·
Installing
our new software on our tablet & laptop
·
Populating
our club Sharepoint site with material & links to the club’s Aerowiki
& Aerolink materials – Kaly Rangarajan has volunteered to help with this
·
Arranging
future club programs
·
Managing
club equipment & library (Kelly Gov volunteered to help with the
library)
Astronomy Video(s)
& Picture(s) of the Month
(generally from
Astronomy Picture of the Day, APOD: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html)
VIDEO: Jupiter
and Saturn Great Conjunction: The Movie APOD: 2020 December 30
- Jupiter and Saturn Great Conjunction: The Movie (nasa.gov)
Video Credit: Thanakrit
Santikunaporn (National
Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand); Text: Matipon Tangmatitham
Explanation: Yes, but have you seen a movie of Jupiter
and Saturn's Great Conjunction? The featured time-lapse video was composed from
a series of images taken from Thailand and
shows the two giant planets as they angularly passed about a tenth of a degree
from each other. The first Great Conjunction sequence
shows a relative close up over five days with moons and cloud bands easily
visible, followed by a second video sequence, zoomed out, over 9 days. Even
though Jupiter and Saturn appeared
to pass unusually close
together on the sky on December 21, 2020,
in actuality they were still nearly a billion
kilometers apart. The two gas giants are destined for
similar meet
ups every 19.86
years. However, they had not come this close,
angularly, for the past 397
years, and will not again for another 60
years. If you're willing
to wait until the year 7541,
though, you can see Jupiter pass directly
in front of Saturn.
VIDEO: Earth During a Total Solar Eclipse APOD: 2020 December 29
- Earth During a Total Solar Eclipse (nasa.gov)
Video Credit: GOES-16, ABI, NOAA, NASA
Explanation: What does the Earth look like during a total solar eclipse?
It appears dark
in the region where people see the eclipse, because that's where
the shadow
of the Moon falls. The shadow spot rapidly shoots across
the Earth at
nearly 2,000 kilometers per hour, darkening locations in its path -- typically
for only a few minutes -- before moving on. The featured video shows
the Earth during the total
solar eclipse earlier this month. The time-lapse sequence, taken
from a geostationary
satellite, starts with the Earth below showing
night but the sun soon rises at the lower right. Clouds shift as
day breaks over the blue planet.
Suddenly the circular
shadow of the Moon
appears on the left and moves rapidly across South America,
disappearing on the lower right. The video ends as nightfall begins again.
The next
total solar eclipse will occur next December -- but be visible only from parts
of Antarctica.
VIDEO: Arecibo Telescope Collapse APOD: 2020 December 9 -
Arecibo Telescope Collapse (nasa.gov)
Video Credit: Carlos Perez, Adrian Bague, Arecibo Observatory, NSF
Explanation: This was one great scientific instrument. Starting in 1963,
the 305-meters across Arecibo
Telescope in Puerto Rico USA reigned
as the largest single-dish radio
telescope in the
world for over 50 years. Among numerous
firsts and milestones, data from Arecibo has been used to
measure the spin
of Mercury, map
the surface of Venus, discover the first
planets outside of our Solar System, verify
the existence of gravitational radiation, search
for extraterrestrial intelligence, and, reportedly, locate
hidden military radar by tracking their reflections from the
Moon. In the process of being decommissioned,
the Arecibo
Telescope suffered a catastrophic structural collapse early
this month, as seen in the featured composite video.
VIDEO: Capsule Returns from Asteroid Ryugu APOD: 2020 December 14
- Capsule Returns from Asteroid Ryugu (nasa.gov)
Video Credit: JAXA, Hayabusa2
Explanation: The streak across the sky is a capsule returning from an asteroid. It returned earlier this month from the near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu carrying small rocks and dust from its surface. The canister was released by its mothership, Japan's Hayabusa2, a mission that visited Ryugu in 2018, harvested a surface sample in 2019, and zoomed back past Earth. The jettisoned return capsule deployed a parachute and landed in rural Australia. A similar mission, NASA's OSIRIS- REx, recently captured rocks and dust from a similar asteroid, Bennu, and is scheduled to return its surface sample to Earth in 2023. Analyses of compounds from these asteroids holds promise to give humanity new insights about the early Solar System and new clues about how water and organic matter came to be on Earth.
Jupiter Meets Saturn: A Red Spotted Great Conjunction
Image Credit & Copyright: Damian Peach
Explanation: It was time for their close-up. Two days ago Jupiter and Saturn passed a tenth of a degree from each other in what is known a Great Conjunction. Although the two planets pass each other on the sky every 20 years, this was the closest pass in nearly four centuries. Taken early in day of the Great Conjunction, the featured multiple-exposure combination captures not only both giant planets in a single frame, but also Jupiter's four largest moons (left to right) Callisto, Ganymede, Io, and Europa -- and Saturn's largest moon Titan. If you look very closely, the clear Chilescope image even captures Jupiter's Great Red Spot. The now-separating planets can still be seen remarkably close -- within about a degree -- as they set just after the Sun, toward the west, each night for the remainder of the year.
A Volcanic Great Conjunction
Image Credit & Copyright: Francisco Sojuel
Explanation: Where can I see the Great
Conjunction? Near
where the Sun just set. Directionally, this close passing of Jupiter and Saturn will
be toward the southwest. Since the planetary pair, the Sun, and the Earth are
nearly in a geometric straight
line, the planets will be seen to set just where the Sun had set --
from every location on Earth. When can I see the Great
Conjunction? Just after sunset. Since the two planets
are so near the Sun directionally, they always appear in the sky near the Sun,
but can best be seen when the Earth blocks the Sun but
not the planets: sunset. Soon thereafter, Jupiter and Saturn will
also set, so don't be late! Is tomorrow night the only night that I
can see the Great
Conjunction? Tomorrow night the jovian giants
will appear
the closest, but on any night over
the next few days they will appear unusually close. Technically, the closest
pass happens on 21 December at 18:20 UTC. Will
there be an erupting volcano on
the horizon near the Great Conjunction? Yes,
for example if
you live in Guatemala where
the featured image was taken. Otherwise, generally, no.
In the featured image captured last week, Jupiter and Saturn are
visible toward the right, just above a tree, and bathed in the
diffuse glow of zodiacal
light.
Great Conjunction: Saturn and Jupiter Converge
Illustration Credit & Copyright: Sebastian Voltmer
Explanation: It's happening. Saturn and Jupiter are
moving closer and will soon appear in almost exactly the same direction.
Coincidentally, on the night of the December solstice --
the longest night of the year in the north and the longest day in the south --
the long-awaited Great
Conjunction will occur. Then, about six days from now, Saturn
and Jupiter will be right next to each other -- as they are
every 20 years. But this juxtaposition is not just any Great
Conjunction -- it will be the closest since 1623 because
the two planetary giants will pass only 1/10th of a degree from
each other -- well less than the apparent diameter of a full moon. In the next
few days a crescent
moon will also pass a few degrees away from the converging
planets and give a preliminary opportunity
for iconic photos. The featured illustration shows the approach
of Saturn
and Jupiter during November and December over the French Alps.
NGC 346: Star Forming Cluster in the SMC
Image Credit & License: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing: Judy Schmidt
Explanation: Are stars still forming in the Milky Way's satellite
galaxies? Found among the Small Magellanic Cloud's (SMC's) clusters and
nebulas, NGC
346 is a star forming region about 200 light-years
across, pictured
here in the center of a Hubble
Space Telescope image. A satellite galaxy of
the Milky Way, the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is a
wonder of the southern sky, a mere 210,000 light-years distant in the
constellation of the Toucan (Tucana).
Exploring NGC
346, astronomers have identified a population of embryonic stars
strung along the dark, intersecting dust lanes visible
here on the right. Still collapsing within their natal clouds,
the stellar
infants' light is reddened by the intervening dust. Toward the
top of the frame is another star cluster with intrinsically older and redder
stars. A
small, irregular galaxy, the SMC itself represents a type of galaxy
more common in the early
Universe. These small galaxies, though, are thought to be building blocks for
the larger galaxies present today.
Astronomy
News:
For
videos/images for each of the 10 stories below, go to:
https://www.space.com/biggest-space-discoveries-stories-2020
or click on the black bar link under each title.
The 10 biggest space discoveries and
stories of 2020
By Doris Elin Urrutia 7 days ago
The
coronavirus pandemic affected many sectors of astronomy and spaceflight.
In 2020,
scientists announced the potential discovery of phosphine in in the clouds of
Venus, sparking speculation on its implications for life.
(Image: ©
ESO/M. Kornmesser/L. Calçada & NASA/JPL/Caltech)
For
many reasons, 2020 may be a watershed year for society and science. Astronomers
and space agencies spent the year managing the repercussions of the coronavirus
pandemic. They also made breakthroughs in new technologies and bid farewell to
several important projects.
This
year saw a new age of sample-retrieval missions, protests against a telescope,
an incredible visit from a dazzling comet and the ''great conjunction'' of
Saturn and Jupiter.
Here's
our look back at the 10 biggest space stories of 2020.
Coronavirus affects space science
Click here for more Space.com
videos...CLOSE
— The 10 biggest spaceflight stories of 2020
— Here's what we learned about aliens in 2020
— The rockets we lost in 2020
The coronavirus pandemic affected many
sectors of astronomy and spaceflight. Universities, space agencies and ongoing
projects adapted to cope with the new reality as countries
worldwide took measures to prevent the spread of the respiratory disease
COVID-19. Classrooms turned virtual, astronomical conferences changed format
and higher-learning institutions braced for financial troubles caused by the
virus' effect on the economy.
Social distancing measures affected the
field in many ways. Space agencies like NASA ordered their employees to work from home.
Projects like the Event Horizon Telescope, which captured the first-ever photo
of a black hole, canceled its 2020 observations. Satellites
continued their observations, showing desolate streets and short-term changes to emissions caused by human
activity. Social movements like the protests against the construction of the Thirty Meter
Telescope in Hawaii also halted to keep the elders of the
community safe from the disease.
Spacecraft
like NASA's asteroid sample-collecting OSIRUS-REx mission also had to delay
their most important maneuver -- the material retrieval from asteroid Bennu --
because of limitations caused by virus mitigation efforts on Earth.
The virus' contagious and deadly nature was
apparent to space agencies. On May 6, the head of Russia's human spaceflight program died just
weeks after testing positive for coronavirus. In late April 2020, engineers at
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California developed a new ventilator called VITAL in response to limited ventilators for COVID-19
patients.
Iconic Arecibo Observatory collapses
Click here for more Space.com
videos...
Arecibo
Observatory destruction captured by drone and
PLAY SOUND
This year, the National Science Foundation
(NSF) said farewell to the iconic Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico after two
major cable failures led to the radio telescope's collapse. The 57-year old
structure was once the largest radio dish telescope in the world, and
researchers have used its capabilities to make significant breakthroughs in
astronomy. The Arecibo Observatory also served as the dramatic
backdrop to films like "Contact" and "Goldeneye."
The
facility suffered two cable failures this year, and then in early December, the
suspended platform above the radio dish came crashing down.
The news about Arecibo's structural damage
and subsequent decommissioning was disheartening for the local community, too. Field
trips to its visitors' center are a ''rite of passage'' for Puerto Rican
children.
A boom in sample return missions
Click here for more Space.com
videos...
Touchdown!
China's Chang'e 5 capsule back on Earth with
PLAY SOUND
A new "golden age" of sample retrieval missions is
here.
In October 2020, NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission
to asteroid Bennu successfully stowed away pieces of the space rock to bring to
Earth. On Dec. 7, samples of asteroid Ryugu collected by JAXA's Hayabusa2 mission reached Japanese scientists. A capsule with the
rocky material descended to the Woomera Prohibited Area in Australia on Dec. 5,
and the spacecraft went back out into the solar system on an extended mission.
This spacecraft's predecessor, Hayabusa, was the first mission to bring back
pieces from an asteroid to Earth.
China's Chang'e
5 mission also performed a sampling rendezvous with the moon in
late 2020. The first lunar samples that came to Earth were brought down by
NASA's Apollo program.
China analyzes weird substance on moon's far side
China's Yutu 2 moon rover
captured this image of glassy material from the edge of a small crater. (Image credit: © CNSA/CLEP )
Chinese scientists published an analysis of
a strange substance they detected on the far side of the moon.
The Yutu 2 rover from China's Chang'e 4 mission found the gel-like substance in
July 2019, and this year, Chinese researchers described the material in a new
paper.
The
glassy substance is a dark green color and looks like breccia, or broken
fragments of minerals that were cemented together. Information about the
material was gleaned from Yutu 2's panoramic and hazard avoidance cameras and
the rover's Visible and Near-Infrared Spectrometer (VNIS) instrument.
Researchers wrote that the material may have formed in an impact or a volcanic
eruption.
Phosphine on Venus
Click here for more Space.com
videos...
Signs of
life on Venus? MIT scientists explain
On Sept. 14, a team of astronomers
announced that they had detected the chemical fingerprint of phosphine in
Venus' atmosphere. This compound has been found near microbes on Earth and some
people argued it could be a biosignature, an indication that perhaps some life
form high in Venus' clouds was able to survive the planet's extreme environment.
Astronomers
detected the phosphine chemical signature using the James Clerk Maxwell
Telescope in Hawaii and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA)
in Chile. The levels of phosphine detected perplexed researchers because Venus,
like Earth, has many molecules with oxygen in them, which should destroy
phosphine quickly.
Skeptics are
wary of making the signs-of-life connection. But the discovery
nevertheless fascinated people around the world.
Solar Orbiter launches into space
Click here for more Space.com
videos...
ESA's Solar
Orbiter snaps closest views of Sun yet
In February 2020, a new solar mission from
the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA launched into space. The Solar Orbiter mission is
designed to study the sun up close to understand the bubble that wraps around
the solar system.
The sun influences a region in space called
the heliosphere. The solar system is within it, and beyond this region is
interstellar space. To understand the heliosphere, Solar Orbiter will closely examine the sun's polar
regions. The mission's innovative heat shield can withstand temperatures up to
970 degrees Fahrenheit (520 degrees Celsius).
Related: World's largest solar
telescope produces never-before-seen image of our star
Protests over the Thirty Meter Telescope
An artist's illustration of the
Thirty Meter Telescope atop the volcanic peak of Maunakea in Hawaii. (Image credit: Thirty Meter Telescope)
Native Hawaiians called kia'i, or
protectors, continued their protests against
the construction of the 160-foot-tall (49 meters) Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT)
this year. TMT came about in 2003 when a nonprofit partnership formed between
two California universities and counterparts in Japan, China, India and
Canada.
The
kia'i formed an encampment to protest the start of construction in the summer
of 2019. Maunakea, they argue, is a sacred religious site to Native Hawaiians
and TMT would be a massive new addition to the summit which is already
populated by about a dozen astronomical observatories.
Goodbye, Spitzer Space Telescope
Click here for more Space.com
videos...
NASA's
Spitzer Space Telescope completes last observation
On Jan. 30, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope went offline after
spending more than 16 years taking observations of the universe. The mission
team put the spacecraft into permanent hibernation to end the mission; team
members think the spacecraft will eventually break apart in a debris
field.
Spitzer's
former Project Manager Suzanne Dodd said in a Jan. 23 panel about the telescope
that it had uncovered a "cornucopia" of cosmic details.
Spitzer
collected data using a technique called spectroscopy. This allowed scientists
to study the universe using the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Scientists used infrared data to learn about space dust and particles that
don't shine in visible light the way stars do, thereby providing a more
complete picture of the universe.
Hello, Comet NEOWISE
Astrophysicist Gianluca Masi of
the Virtual Telescope Project captured this view of Comet Lovejoy over Ceccano,
Italy in summer 2020. (Image credit: Gianluca Masi/The
Virtual Telescope Project)
Comet
NEOWISE was discovered in March 2020 by NASA's NEOWISE mission and dazzled
spectators on Earth in the weeks that followed. The icy comet made its closest
approach to the sun on July 3 and survived the encounter, allowing skywatchers
to marvel at its impressive tail as itn headed back toward the outer solar
system. Comet NEOWISE won't be back for another 6,800 years.
In addition to making it more beautiful,
the comet's brightness allowed astronomers to collect high-quality data on the
object. NASA officials said that the last comet to put on such an
impressive show was Hale-Bopp in 1997.
Related: Amazing photos of Comet NEOWISE
from the Earth and space
Plus: Hubble telescope catches
stunning view of Comet NEOWISE after its spectacular summer sky show
Great Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter
Click here for more Space.com
videos...
Great
conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn seen by Griffith Observatory
The final show-stopping celestial event of
2020 was the "great conjunction" of Saturn and Jupiter on Dec. 21,
which was also the date of the Northern Hemisphere's winter solstice.
Jupiter
and Saturn could be seen next to each other low in the evening sky shortly
after sunset. They were separated by just one-tenth of a degree. Their
proximity to one another in the sky has not occurred in more than 400
years.
Conjunctions
between these two planets happen about once every two decades, when Earth,
Jupiter and Saturn form a line through space. Viewers fortunate enough to have
clear skies when observing the conjunction could also see the twinkle of
Jupiter's Galilean moons.
General Calendar:
Colloquia,
Lectures, Seminars, Meetings, Open Houses & Tours:
Colloquia: Carnegie (Tues.
4pm), UCLA, Caltech (Wed. 4pm), IPAC (Wed. 12:15pm) & other Pasadena (daily
12-4pm): http://obs.carnegiescience.edu/seminars/
6,13,20,27 Jan. 7:30pm Virtual Space Tour,
Morrison Planetarium series https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/event-view.cfm?Event_ID=114721
|
|
AEA Astronomy Club Meeting |
TBD -- Great Courses video |
Teams |
|
||||||
|
Cancelled
for now |
|
Friday Night 7:30PM SBAS Monthly General Meeting in the Planetarium at El Camino College (16007 Crenshaw
Bl. In Torrance) |
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Jan.
14 The von Kármán Lecture Series: 2020
Spacecraft
Origami
For years, engineers have had to
deal with "the tyranny of the faring": anything you want to send into
space has to fit into a rocket bearing. A field of advanced design has been
looking for new ways to advance our engineering, using the centuries old
artform to dream bigger.
Host:
Brian White, Public Services Office, NASA/JPL
Co-Host:
Thalia Rivera, Public Outreach Specialist, NASA/JPL
Speaker(s):
Manan Arya, Technologist, NASA/JPL
Lizbeth B. De La Torre, Creative Technologist, NASA/JPL
Webcast:
› YouTube link coming soon
›
Click here to watch the event live on Ustream
Past shows are archived on YouTube.
› Click here for the YouTube playlist of past shows
|
11 Jan |
LAAS General Mtg. 7:30pm Griffith Observatory
(private) |
|
TBD |
UCLA METEORITE SCIENTISTS
No events scheduled currently. |
|
4 Feb |
AEA Astronomy Club Meeting |
TBD -- Great Courses video |
(Teams) |
Observing:
The following data are from the 2020 Observer’s Handbook, and Sky & Telescope’s 2020 Skygazer’s Almanac & monthly Sky at a Glance.
Current
sun & moon rise/set/phase data for L.A.:
http://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/usa/los-angeles
Sun, Moon
& Planets for January:
Moon: Jan 6 last quarter, Jan
13 new, Jan 20 1st quarter, Jan 28 Full
Planets:
Venus
loses altitude at dawn but remains visible throughout January. Mars
transits at dusk and sets around 1 a.m..
Jupiter can be seen at dusk until the 16th, Saturn is visible at dusk until the 7th, Mercury is visible at dusk after the 8th.
Other Events:
|
Cancelled |
LAAS
The Garvey Ranch Observatory is open to the public every
Wednesday evening from 7:30 PM to 10 PM. Go into the dome to use the 8 Inch
Refractor or observe through one of our telescopes on the lawn. Visit our
workshop to learn how you can build your own telescope, grind your own
mirror, or sign up for our free seasonal astronomy classes. Time: 7:30
PM - 10:00 PM Location: Garvey
Ranch Obs. , 781 Orange Ave., Monterey Park, CA 91755 |
|
2 Jan |
SBAS In-town
observing session – In Town Dark Sky Observing Session at
Ridgecrest Middle School– 28915 NortbBay Rd. RPV, Weather Permitting: Please
contact Ken Munson to confirm that the gate will be opened. http://www.sbastro.net/. Only if we get
permission to use the school grounds again and CDC guidelines are reduced |
3 January Quadrantids
Meteor Shower Peak The radiant point of this shower is at the northern edge
of the constellation Bootes, not far from the Big Dipper. It lies between the
end of the handle of the Big Dipper and the quadrilateral of stars marking the
head of the constellation Draco. While it can have ZHRs of 120/hour, the peak
is very sharp, usually only about 8 hours, and the meteors are typically 3rd to
6th magnitude.
10 Jan
Jupiter, Saturn & Mercury in 2.3 deg circle
11 Jan
Mercury 1.5deg S of Jupiter, Venus 1.5deg N of Moon
|
9 Jan |
LAAS Private dark
sky Star Party cancelled but online viewing at
9:00pm |
|
9 Jan |
SBAS
out-of-town Dark Sky observing – contact Ken Munson to coordinate a location.
http://www.sbastro.net/. |
22 Jan Mars 1.7deg N or Uranus
24 Jan Mercury greatest elongation E (19deg)
|
Cancelled |
LAAS Public
Star Party: Griffith Observatory Grounds 2-10pm See http://www.griffithobservatory.org/programs/publictelescopes.html#starparties for more information. |
Internet
Links:
Telescope, Binocular & Accessory Buying
Guides
Sky & Telescope Magazine -- Choosing Your Equipment
Orion Telescopes & Binoculars -- Buying
Guides
Telescopes.com -- Telescopes 101
General
Getting Started in Astronomy & Observing
e! Science News Astronomy & Space
Astronomical Society of the Pacific (educational, amateur &
professional)
Amateur Online Tools, Journals, Vendors, Societies, Databases
The Astronomy White Pages (U.S. & International
Amateur Clubs & Societies)
American Astronomical Society
(professional)
Regional
(Southern California, Washington, D.C. & Colorado)
Southern California & Beyond
Amateur Astronomy Organizations, Observatories & Planetaria
Mt. Wilson Observatory description, history, visiting
Los Angeles Astronomical Society (LAAS)
South Bay Astronomical Society
(SBAS)
The Local Group Astronomy Club
(Santa Clarita)
Ventura County Astronomical
Society
The
Astronomical Society of Greenbelt
Northern
Virginia Astronomy Club
Colorado
Springs Astronomical Society
About the
Club
Club
Websites:
Internal (Aerospace): https://aeropedia.aero.org/aeropedia/index.php/Astronomy_Club It is updated to
reflect this newsletter, in addition to a listing of past club mtg.
presentations, astronomy news, photos
& events from prior newsletters, club equipment, membership &
constitution. We have linked some presentation materials from past
mtgs. Our club newsletters are also
being posted to an external blog, “An Astronomical View” http://astronomicalview.blogspot.com/.
Membership. For information, current dues &
application, contact Alan Olson, or see the club website (or Aerolink folder)
where a form is also available (go to the membership link/folder & look at
the bottom). Benefits will include use of club telescope(s) &
library/software, membership in The Astronomical League, discounts on Sky &
Telescope magazine and Observer’s Handbook, field trips, great programs, having
a say in club activities, acquisitions & elections, etc.
Committee Suggestions & Volunteers. Feel free to
contact: Mark Clayson, President & Program Committee Chairman, Walt
Sturrock, VP, Kelly Gov club Secretary (& librarian), or Alan Olson,
Resource Committee Chairman (over equipment, and club Treasurer).
Mark Clayson,
AEA Astronomy Club President
