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Tfre Lfocaf Eoint tfre lFocafeoint The Atlanta Astronomv Club. Inc. Vol. X No. 1 June, 1997 19 4 7-1 9 I 7 Celebrating Fifty Years of Astronomy in Atlanta The June 20th Meeting at Emory $5,000thus far for 1997.Our membershiohas increased with 70| peoplejoining.Our budget haJmore funds to The First AAC Amateur"Symposium" work with. A shortsymposium will be conductedby 7 amateu$ofthe RichJakiel presented an awardto Art Russellfor AAC on a wide varietyoftopics: observingall theMessier objects. Art saidit takesabout I yearto completetheir Messier observations and highly . JoeSheppard: Completing a MessierProgram encouragesmembers to gettheir certificates by attendingthe AAC observingsessions. o Art Russell: Havingfun with the Herschel"400" The Yearin Review: o Rich Jakiel: MakingDeep-sky contributions to the WebbSociety Our Club'sAnnual Banquet hosted 56 members. Steve'Smitty" Smith& Larry Higgins:Getting The AAC'Scurrent membership stands at 260 people.Our Involvedwith "Sidewalk"Astronomy largestmeeting in historywas with speakenAlan Haleand o LennyAbbey: The UpcomingVenus Transit Tom Boppwith 360 attendees.This pastyear we hosted o David Hanon: CCD Imaging gggy obsewingsessions. AAC Elections This will be a seriesof shoittalks lasting no morethan 10 minuteseach. Thefollowing people -.vere nomirated ior.the 199?. 1998 AAC Board. * Art Russell- President The Atlant! Astronomy Club x JerryArmstrong - Vice President,Program Chairman May Meeting, May 16, 1997 x Phil Sacco- Vice President,Observing Chairman, Beginner'sInterest Group by Ginny Maudlin- K itmey x PatSammons - Treasurer,Subscriptions and Books The May meetingof the AtlantaAstronomy Club x TusharThrivikraman - NewsletterEditor washeld on May 16, 1997at EmoryUniversity's White * - Hall at 8:00p.m. with approximately55 memberspresent. Ginny Mauldin-Kinney RecordingSecretary, InformationLine After DougChesser called the meeting to order,the * - AAC conductedtheir business meeting. The various DavidHanon Boardof Directors committeesgaYe their reports. JamesMonroe - Boardof Dtecto6 Doug announcedthe upcomingobserving events * KemperSmith - Boardof Directors on behalfof Kim Novak. The AAC will join with the East * Tom Crowley- Boardof Directors CowetaHigh School and host a Spring Starry Night. kt * JoeSheppard - Board ofDirectors, ATM Special will be putting a messageover the web regardingthe date, lnterestGroup time,and location ofthis event. * Don Hall - Boardof Directors Phil Saccoannounced that on June7, the North Nominationswere closed. Motion was made to accept River CrossingSwim will andTennis Club hosta Wine currentnominees. The new boardofficers were confirmed Tasting and StarGaze. The wine tastingwill beginat 8:00 with the I's havingit. p.m.and the observingwill beginat 9:00p.m. (if seeingis still possible).This eventoccurs the sameevening as the GuestSpeaker DausetTrails deep sky observing. Our guest speakerwas Dr. Richard Schmudea Phil Bracken,our clubtreasurer, led in a roundof Chemistryand AstronomyProfessor for Gordon College. applausefor Ken Poshedly.We raised$2,800 during the Introducedby JerryArmstrong, Dr. Schmudediscussed his PeachState Star Gaze. We hadthe biggestmember tumout Mars research.He placedemphasis on his work done at our everwith 150people present. The PSSGis now the Villa Rica Observatory.In addition,he lecturedon the LARGESTstar party in Georgia.The AAC now has mapping,polar capshrinkage and photometryofMars. A $10,600to our name. Our net increasewasjust under questionand answer session followed the lecture. I to bring a stool of some sort to b€ a litde more comfortable for the class, If you bring binoculars, a blanket would be evenbetter. You will note that I said the Saturdav Greetingsto all my fellow nisht-0. membersof the Atlanta programsabove...... I specifiedthat because*"'*iii AsfonomyClub. I am writingyou rhis lenerto inlorm orrermgt-rrday night sessions (the night before, you ot.somechanges typicallvtas to the observingprogram and update ll. thrustof the Fridaynighr sessions you all on l"rl:. wiil be more some of the ideas I have'ha-clfor our irt.re ramrtlanzattonwith our progftrms. facility and -pleasegeneral viewine techniquesand_viewing programs. again. remem;; ro Drng a stootro sit on or a blanketto lie on if you brine I can't stess enoughto ofyou . - 4l! how important binoculars.we don't haveadequate seating at tie eachof youl suggestions siie a! and assistancewill be foi us to most ot us that cometo view will be brinqing havea rruly-awesome our own programthis year. lt is impetative stools. Standingon onesfeet att nigt canie'sore*trai thos:of'you with. observing tiring plans :h11 skills and trainingideas for somefolks. are in the ivorks for benchesbui hetpout in theeducation of our newcomersand belimers weneed to findsome Elves first... alike. Thiswill not only foslertheL interestin butto help them feel welcome "",;;dr. andencourage all ofus to get S"cond: Pleasenote that with the great and welcome to know them. 91.n"* securiryand cal of our .q",p;";; anqlnlul T:rbers. lacrtrtywllt beshessed. The Locks will be changedin Likewiseit is imperative - - for our newcomersand July.afterthe beginnerssession on Saturdaynight. Ant .beginnersalike to offer their -please assistancewith our programs.I memberwho c-ufientlyhas the accessnumbers dl know-those ofyou new to our club or astronomy,niy tf,inL lree[o call me for thenew combos. Newcomers are requircd this a ratherabsurd request. .is thinking ttrai you have to cometo the Begimerssession to get a full exposureto nothtngto ofler you couldn.t be more wrong,-get By ourequipment. and leam rhe ropes to theskies so io speak. volunreeringto }elp out at the programs.you will firit yn,I.ul.r demonsraringa good working knowledge hand wo^rklng and -knowledgeof the tools of our trade. and ramltantyot oursite. instruments and basic knowledge will Denenrrom the assislance of those of us with some the.obs€rvatorycombos be givento a new member.This expenence.I won't ask anyoneto takeon a chorealone. wl hetp-toassure that nobody has any unforeseendimculty bveryonehas something to contribute.The futurepro$ams or rmpedlmenrcto theirenjoyment of the clubssite, I havein 'Flying ani mindwill not require by the seaioiyour thatour tacility will bethere for anyand all. pants'.The material will be printedout foryou to piesent, unlesstt ls. a progmmyou havesuggesred (for the most Third: Some of the programsI hope to promotethis part). Besides, our club wants usiful toc,li and useful c9r,lrng.year though the beginnersintroductory programs people,nor walltlowers anij'unused scopes. you joined the wr tnclude: club 'astronomical' for some reason....whynot lei us know . TheAstronomical Leagues Lunar Club program why andtake part. The AstronomicalLeagues Binary Club pro-gam . TheAstronomical Leagues Binocular Messiel program canonly suggestprograms. I can.tand won.t handtelhem all. Your help is needed.Without enoush andfor you diehards......ofcourse....., the everpresent: volunteers.many prognms will notbe presented. o MessierClub First:,. The Saturdaynight beginnersprogram will beginat andlastly the infamous HERSCIIEL LIST!!! please an earliertime in July. plan to be therereaiv to (hint-do it now before the League increases the take part at 7 p.m. I know, I know, the sun doiiF6 listli)ltemsand objecls for visual srudy wili be down till almost9 you're thinking... Exactly my poin-r! highlightedoffof theselists in rhesessions. This will allow the newcomersto takepan in the irogram Now before_itgets dark and we canget to know what theyioot comesthe crazy new ideas.These programs I will like-. Also, the Beginnersprograms on Saturdaynighis will needvolunteers for... Star be directedtoward jump starting'our beginnerian-d will be Rally-Tandem teams will start at a known a regutarand repeatable program of theessentials toward thar astronomicallocation with their scope, no computers end. The program material for the basicswill be provided or setting circles allowed, and only a pre printei star chart gg4qsta$ to th€ individual(s) presenting it. The number cf showing will be allowed. After two or pafirclpantsat our sessionsbas grown remarkablyover the three star hops following a set of directions, the team pastfew months,and for thatreason l feelwe requireat least will be askedro makea descriptionor identifothe end two people(or teams)to handlethe classes.Tiis is where stop. Theirroles will thenswitch for the hop back. the-beginne$ who volunteercome in... they will be told a Monte Carlo event- Similar to the aboveonly the beforehand exactly what to do, and believeme, every little hops will be typically aroundone constellation. (A bit of help-willcount.__ After the regularpart of theprogram. great event for our newcomersto leam the sky). Laps viewingofrhe constellations will begin. Stress*ill 5. on may be required, with differentrequirements on each helpingany newcomers with their equipmentif needed,and pass..., on the smaller variety of scopesand binocularsto aquatint . our new friendswith our old onesabove. Just a littl; hint The Cross-cormtry-Similar to the abovebut runnine for our newcomers...Membersand guestsare encourag€d horizonto horizon.... The Enduro- For Zombiesonly! A gruesomeevent ru ring the coune of the sky.... and...............The Top Ten Reasonsjoining the Atlanta Night!! Astronomy Club May have . been a Bad Idea Niglt of the Living Dob- An altemateto a Halloween by Zach Davidson costumeparty....You (only can dressit up and eventake it club member permanently exiled to l/illa Rica) somewhere.....! . Descent on Chiefland 2-
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