SOUTH SHORE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

BOARD MEETING Topics

Saturday January 31, 2009

4:00 PM

Officers: Paul Grueter, Louis Gentile, Charles McCarthy & Bill Luzader

Directors: Rolf Egon, Steve Zulon & Mal MacDonald

50 YEARS

1. Finances and Membership – Chuck McCarthy

a. Recent deposit of $1029 plus balance of $1324.23 = $2353.23 in club treasury

b. 21 paid members and 2 life members

2. International Year of Astronomy

a. 100 hours of Astronomy April 2-5, 2009

Bill Luzader will email Principals at South, Hedge & Indian Brook Eementary school in Plymouth about evening telescope observing on Thu, Fri & Sat

Monday April 6 Plymouth Library Program at the Blake Planetarium about Moons

b. Steve Zulon will check with Whitman Public Library about a spring space science activity

c. Paul Grueter suggests another 6-inch Dob telescope donation to the St. Colletta Cushing Center in Hanover

3. Astronomy Day plans for May 2, 2009

a. Louis Gentile will check with the Scituate Public Library about hosting Astro Day activities and will talk to Joe Metter about a repeat performance Galileo explainng telescopes

b. Bill Luzader will check on the Project STAR telescope kits and the ‘Galileoscope’ kit and work with Joe Metter’s presentation & check with Mark Petersen (LochNess Productions of Groton, MA, & Geodesium) about a “Space Music” performance at Astronomy Day

4. Stellaphane amateur astronomy gathering in Springfield, VT, is August 13-16, 2009. Members will organize “a caravan” get a BIG group from SSAS to attend.

5. Astronomical League Viewing Clubs – encourage club members to work on completing the requirements to get Certificates of Accomplishment for the following:

a. Double Star

Mal MacDonald comments that there problems with recording observations because of changing separation and position angles – Paul Grueter suggests that the required information does not have to be that detailed

b. Messier Viewing

c. Outreach Club – many members of the club could get certificates doing telescope observing for public groups

6. Wompatuck Viewing Night – Feb 27 – more information forthcoming

7. Astronomical League Convention at Hofstra Universtiy, Hempstead, (Long Island) NY on Aug 7-8, 2009

8. Messier Half-Marathon on the Saturday evenings March 21 & 28 at Centennial Park, Norwell (see Astronomical League note from above)

9. other topics:

Kalmbach Publishing (Astronomy magazine) sent club two “free” iron meteorites found in Argentina - one given to Rolf for his meteorite collection and one will be used as a ‘door-prize’ at the February club meeting