The Celestial Observer

 

Newsletter of the North Shore

 Amateur Astronomy Club

 

 

December, 2005

 

 

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From the President

Members attending the November Business Meeting approved the Member Awards Program which will allow the Board to award two $50.00 gift certificates per year to volunteers who have made significant contributions of time and work which benefits club programs. The first award announcements may possibly be made at the December Business Meeting.

 

Our Treasurer has proposed that we implement a late fee of $5.00 on dues renewals which are not paid by the March business meeting. A discussion and vote on this matter will take place at the December Business Meeting. Each year, the Board does a lot of extra work in the form of emails, letters, and other paperwork due to tardy dues payments. The late fee is intended to discourage members from allowing their renewals to extend well into May and June as they often do.

 

The Young Astronomer Program had been limited to forty kids due to venue and budget restrictions. The venue restriction was lifted when Russ Pinizzotto pointed out to us that Merrimack College is capable of hosting an event with hundreds of kids. Sky & Telescope says they will provide copies of Night Watch magazine, and other door prizes, which may solve our consolation prize budget problem. We are now looking at a projected date of after New Year and before the end of the school year. Members interested in receiving emails pertaining to the planning of this program can request to be placed on the alias list youngastro@nsaac.org.

 

The Merrimack College Observatory staff happily welcomes member Paul Koval for volunteering to be a regular Wednesday night host! Once Paul receives his training we will once again have a staff of four. We still are in need of a fifth volunteer to do the “Blue Wednesdays” and to fill in for others when possible. With Paul filling this position, volunteers have filled the two most needed vacancies in the past few weeks!

 

Our Mars GO-ON which was scheduled to follow the meeting was canceled due to clouds. I showed a movie, The Mysteries of Chaco Canyon, for the evening entertainment instead. There is still plenty of time this month and next to get great views of Mars. If we get a clear weekend night and folks make plans to go to VMP, please post your plans on the list server. Perhaps we can still all get together and enjoy Mars collectively!

 

Winter Solstice occurs on December 21. The Geminid meteors peak on December 13, and the Ursid meteors peak on December 22.

 

Best wishes of health and happiness to all members and their families during this year’s holiday season!

 

Clear skies,

 

Kevin Ackert

President

 

 

NSAAC Welcomes Our New Member:

Tom Raushenbach of Newburyport,MA

 

 

Minutes of the NSAAC Business Meeting November 4, 2005


President Ackert called the November Business Meeting of the NSAAC to order at 8:10PM. President Ackert called for introduction of new members: Phil Moskowitz and John Alabiso.  There were 15 members in attendance plus 7 Board members.  There was an official quorum.

 

Secretary:   Kevin Ackert made a motion that the official minutes of the October business meeting be amended in the section discussing the Treasurers proposed dues policy be changed to read as:

 

“The Treasurer has proposed to make mandatory a new policy that there be a Late Charge Assessment of $5.00 added to any membership renewal which is received later than the date of the March business meeting.  Late renewals that do not include the $5.00 penalty payment will be returned to the member and must be resubmitted with the correct payment.  Lateness will be based on the postmark of mailed materials or the hand delivery date to the Treasurer of another NSAAC officer.”

 

The motion was passed.  The proposed late change policy will be announced in the December newsletter and will be voted on at the December business meeting.

 

The amendment and the amended minutes of the October business meeting were approved.

 

Treasurer:  Checking account balance is $9221.86 and the land fund account balance is $7967.49.  Treasurer’s report was accepted by acclimation.  IDA has requested a midyear donation and the board recommends a $50.00 donation.  A notice about this donation will be placed in the newsletter and a vote on this motion will be taken at the November business meeting.

 

Membership:  There were 4 new members since October 1st.                  

 

Committee Reports:

 

Merrimack College:  Merrimack is getting a lot of people.  Fred Sammartino reported that he had a steady stream of people from 8PM to 10PM. The 20 inch telescope optical tube is back at Merrimack and is performing better than ever. 

 

Salem State:  The Observatory has opened for the winter.  There has been a problem with one of the tracking motors and it will be repaired. The official public observing night has been changed to Wednesday nights for the rest of the year. 

 

Go-On Committee:    John Boudreau and Jim Foy’s CCD Imaging GO-ON will be rescheduled for a later date.  John Hobbs and Mark Mathews will present digital setting circles GO-ON at a date to be determined.  The Mars GO-ON was cancelled for bad weather.

 

Star Parties:   On January 5 there will be a star party at the Proctor School in Topsfield.  See the newsletter for particulars and directions.

 

Upcoming Events:

Bird Seed day is November 5 at IRWS.

 

Old Business: 

The Board has made a motion to establish an award for service to the club.  This would be up to 2 awards a year of a $50 gift certificate to a restaurant.  This would be awarded to a member of the club who does work for the club above and beyond what is expected of them.  The board will select someone for the award.  Officers of the club are not eligible for these awards.  The motion was approved.

 

The President made a motion approved by the board to make a mid-year donation of $50 to the International Dark Sky Association.  Motion was approved.

 

The Young Astronomers Program was discussed.  This year the first prize would be 6” Stargazer Dobsonian telescope.  A second place prize would be a pair of Celestron 10x50 binoculars and a book on binocular observing.  Other participants would receive a free bookmark and Sky and Telescope handouts. The participants will be required to fill out a registration form and answer some simple astronomy questions. The program would include an introduction by the President and Russ Pinizzotto, a visual program by Jim Foy or Ralph Pass, a discussion of telescope types and how to buy a first telescope, viewing through the large telescope or member’s scopes, and finally the drawing for the prizes.  The event will take place at Merrimack College.  The event will be publicized in local newspapers.

 

No movement on the new logo for the club.

 

New Business:

VMP has given the club a letter describing the conditions of using the facilities.  Kevin outlined the issues that the club must adhere to.

 

Board Meeting has been set for November 15th at 8:00PM at VMP.

 

Meeting adjourned at 9:08 PM

 

Respectively submitted,
John Hobbs, Secretary NSAAC


Upcoming Star Party

The next star party is Thursday, January 5, 2005 at the Proctor School, 600 Main St, Topsfield, MA.  Set-up time is 6:30 PM.  Program Starts at 7:00 PM and lasts for 30 minutes.  Observations will start at 7:30 PM. About 150 to 200 people are expected.  This event will not be cancelled for weather.  Three to four telescopes are needed.  This is one of the largest and best attended star parties this year.

 

Directions to Proctor School

 

FROM SOUTH OF TOPSFIELD

 

From I-95 Northbound, take Exit 50 to Route 1 North / Topsfield, - OR -

From Route 1 Northbound, cross over the I-95 interchange in Danvers, staying on Route 1 North / Topsfield.

 

- THEN -

Go through a traffic light and past 2 gas stations.  Continue for about 2 miles.  After the Topsfield Fairgrounds, at the intersection of Route 97 (traffic light and FleetBankBoston), turn LEFT onto Route 97 North.

 

Continue for 1 mile to first STOP SIGN.  Turn LEFT onto Main Street.

 

Go about 50 yards on Main Street.  Proctor School will be on your right.  Turn RIGHT into the parking lot (which is on the left side of the school).

 

Enter the school through the double doors facing the parking lot, directly under the roof-mounted satellite dish.  Office is to your left.

 

 

FROM NORTH OF TOPSFIELD

 

Take Route I-95 Southbound to Exit 53.  At the top of the exit, turn LEFT onto Route 97 South.

Stay on Route 97 for about 2½ - 3 miles.  Once you pass the large, old, hilly cemetery on your right, you are near the center of town:

You will pass the town common (on the left, flagpole) and large white church (on the right).  CONTINUE STRAIGHT.

Go past the gray Victorian Town Hall on your right.

 


Help Wanted

 

Below is a list of positions which need to be filled in our club. They are listed in order of their need. Please consider volunteering for one of these positions if you have the means. Please contact any Board member with questions about these positions.

 

Merrimack Observatory Staff: We currently have four volunteers to fulfill the first four Wednesdays each month. We need one backup staff person. The backup host would staff the observatory on these “Fifth Blue Wednesdays” and may also be called upon to substitute for one of the regular staff when they can not fulfill their evening.

 

Equipment Manager: This person would be in charge of managing the storage and usage of the clubs astronomy equipment. At this time, the position would require almost no effort as we really have little equipment which hardly ever gets used. The Board has decided to not purchase any new astronomy equipment for the club until this position is filled.

 

Young Astronomer Program Volunteers: Volunteers are needed to help with the Young Astronomer Program which is scheduled to be held sometime between January 1 and the end of the school year.

 

Star Party Helpers: As we enter the Star Party season, please monitor dates, locations, and telescope needs of the various star parties and help out whenever you can..

 

Getting to Veasey Memorial Park

From Interstate 95 north, take the Route 133 west (54B) exit, and follow it into Georgetown Center.  Go straight through the light, now on Route 97N.  Go about 1.5 miles and take a left onto Salem Street (Tea Garden Restaurant at this intersection).  Stay on Salem Street and turn left onto Washington Street. VMP is down a bit on the right.

 

Directions to all of the NSAAC observing sites are available on our web site's “About” page at:

        http://www.nsaac.org/about.htm

 

Contact Information

For more information about the club and its activities, contact Barrie Sawyer,  Membership Director, email: membership@nsaac.org or contact Kevin Ackert, President, e-mail at president@nsaac.org.  If you have no email access, you may phone Kevin Ackert at (978) 663-5305

 

Our club web site is: http://www.nsaac.org.

 

The Celestial Observer is edited by Leor Zolman. Feedback, and member contributions are welcome. Contact: newsletter@nsaac.org.

 

Suggestions regarding the content of the NSAAC web site are also welcome; Mike Deneen and I (Leor Zolman) are co-webmasters for the site, with Mike being the go-to guy for “new development” ideas. Do you have a web site you’d like to see listed on the members’ web site page? Suggestions for the Resources (or any other) page? Just email webmaster@nsaac.org with your ideas.