Mabel Sterns Award

The newsletter editor performs the primary function of informing astronomy club members about what is happening in their club. Often the editor is forced to become quite creative in filling the allotted space for each issue when the call for articles doesn’t quite fill up the publication.

In acknowledgement of the important role of the newsletter editor, in 1988, the Astronomical League established the Mabel Sterns Newsletter Award to recognize these essential people.  The Award is named in honor of the first newsletter editor of the League, Mabel Sterns, who served in that capacity from 1948-1952 (see photo).

Purpose

The first-place winner will receive the Sterns Newsletter Award plaque at each year’s national convention, ALCon.  The competition is open to all Astronomical League astronomy clubs.  The award program is chaired by the vice president of the League.  Judges for this program include former club newsletter and League Reflector editors.  Top finishers for this award are recognized in the Reflector.

Procedure for Nomination

The president of the club should email a copy of the designated issue of the club’s newsletter in Adobe Acrobat pdf file format to SternsNewsletter@astroleague.org, along with a cover letter of recommendation in the same file format that includes the postal address of the nominee.   In addition a photo of the newsletter editor, preferably in an astronomical-type setting, should be sent electronically in jpg format to the same email address before March 31. The names of both the newsletter editor and the nominating club officer must appear on the general membership roster of the Astronomical League.

 

For clubs wishing to submit paper documents, please send four copies of the newsletter, the letter of recommendation, and a photo to:

Sterns Newsletter Award
Astronomical  League
9201 Ward Parkway, Suite 100
Kansas City, Missouri  64114

All submissions should be mailed in time to be received before March 31st.

 

David Hutchinson, winner 2010 Mabel Sterns award and Carroll Iorg Vice President Astronomical League

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Hutchinson, top finisher for the 2010 Mabel Sterns Award (left) and Carroll Iorg, Vice President Astronomical League (right). This photo is compliments the International Dark Sky Association.

 

 

 

Top Finishers in the Mabel Sterns Award Program

Year Award Publication, Society, and Location Editor(s)
2023 First Prime Focus, Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Richard Bell
2022 First The Observer, Twin Cities Amateur Astronomers Sandullah Epsicokhan
Second The Eyepiece, Southwest Florida Astronomical Society Mike Jenson
Third The Delaware Valley Amateur Astronomer, Delaware Valley Amateur Astronomers Tom Nolasco and George Keighton
2021 First W.A.S.P., Warren Astronomical Society Dale Thieme
Second Newsletter, San Diego Astronomy Association Andrea Kuhl
2020 First News and Views, Indiana Astronomical Society Bruce Bowman
Second Newsletter, Shenandoah Astronomical Society Mark Reed
Third Monthly Notices, Everglades Astronomical Society Jackie Richards
2019 First Cosmic Messenger,Astronomical Society of Kansas City Marcia Young
2018 First Reflections, Popular Astronomy Club Terry Dufek
Second The WASP, Warren Astronomical Society Brian Thieme
Third Newsletter of RVAS. Roanoke Valley Society Dave Thomas
2017 First The Observer, Twin City Amateur Astronomers Carl Wenning
Second The Sidereal Times, Austin Astronomical Society Joyce Lynch
Third The TAS Spectrum, Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas Maggie Hutchison
2016 First Observations, Chester County Astronomical Society John Hepler
Second The Observer, Twin City Amateur Astronomers Carl Wenning
Third The Guide Star, Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh Eric Fischer
2015 First Back Bay Observer,  Back Bay Amateur Astronomers Virginia Beach, VA Paul Tartabini
Second The Observer Twin City Amateur Astronomers Normal, IL Carl J Wenning
Third Prime Focus Fort Worth Astronomical Society Fort Worth, TX Shawn Kirchdoofer
2014 First Amateur Astronomer, Delaware Valley Amateur Astronomers, Karl Henry
Second Prime Focus, Fort Worth Astronomical Society Shawn Kirchdorfer
Third Observer,  Back Bay Amateur Astronomers (VA)  Paul Tartabini
2013 First Sidereal Times, Austin Astronomical Society Erika Rix
Second Sky Watcher, Boise Astronomical Society David Olsen
Third SCAS Times, Southern Colorado Astronomical Society Alan Knight
2012 First Guidestar, Houston Astronomical Society Bill Pellerin
Second The Observer, Tri-State Astronomers Jim Stanicek
Third The Focal Point, Atlanta Astronomy Club Tom Faber
2011 First Sonoma Skies, Sonoma County Astronomical Society Cecilia Yarnell
Second Prime Focus, Fort Worth Astronomical Society Dean Crabtree
Third The Observer, Tri-State Astronomers Jim Stanicek
2010 First The Spectrum, Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas Dave Hutchison
Second Prime Focus, Fort Worth (Texas) Astronomical Society Dean Crabtree
Third Sonoma Skies, Sonoma County Astronomical Society (Santa Rosa, California) Cecelia Yarnell
Fourth Gazer’s Gazette, Oklahoma City Astronomy Club R. Christian Bruggeman
Fifth Roanoke Valley (Roanoke, VA) Astronomical Society Clark Thomas
Sixth Skywatch, Northeast Florida Astronomical Society (Jackson, Florida) Stephen Peacock
2009 First Austin Astronomical Society Dana Koch
Second Spectrum, Astronomical Society of Dallas Dave Hutchison
Third Prime Focus, Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Richard Bell
Fourth Prime Focus, Fort Worth Astronomical Society Dean Crabtree
Fifth Roanoke Valley Astronomical Society Clark Thomas
Sixth Gazer’s Gazette, Oklahoma City Astronomy Club Christian Bruggeman
2008 First Chester County (PA) Astronomical Society John Hepler
Second Prime Focus, Fort Worth Astronomical Society Dean Crabtree
Third Gazer’s Gazette, Oklahoma Astronomy Club R. Christian Bruggeman
Fourth The High Desert Observer, Astronomical Society of Las Cruces George Hatfield
Fifth Galactic Gazette, Kiski Astronomers Denny Hill
2007 First The Rosette Gazette, Rose City Astronomers Larry Deal
Second The Hypoxic Observer, Colorado Springs Astronomical Society Pam Warren
Third Rochester Skies, Rochester (Minnesota) Astronomy Club Duane Deal
Fourth The High Desert Observer, Astronomical Society of Las Cruces George Hatfield
Fifth Gazer’s Gazette, Oklahoma City Astronomy Club Christian Bruggeman
2006 First Observations, Chester County Astronomical Society James Anderson
Second Event Horizon, St. Louis Astronomical Society Karen Loethen
Third Amarillo Astronomy Chronicles, Amarillo Astronomy Club Rich Merten
Fourth Gazer’s Gazette, Oklahoma City Astronomy Club Rebecca Alestick
Honorable BPAA Newsletter, Battle Point Astronomical Association Vicki Saunders
Honorable PAS-Times, Pontchartrain Astronomy Society Lowell McCormick
Honorable Stars and Scopes, Southern Colorado Astronomical Society Michael Verry
2005 First The Cosmic Messenger, Astronomical Society of Kansas City Marcia Young
First NOVAC, the newsletter of the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club David Yustein
Second The Gazer’s Gazette, Oklahoma City Astronomy Club Debbie Hipp
Third The Delaware Valley Amateur Astronomer Don Marzewski
2004 First Spectrum, Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas Warren Waid
Second Observations, Chester County Astronomical Society James Anderson
Third Desert Sky Observer, Antelope Valley Astronmomy Club Brian Peterson
2003 First The Sidereal Times, The Austin Astronomical Society Anne Adkins
Second The Back Bay Observer, the monthly newsletter of the Back Bay Amateur Astronomers club in Virginia Beach, Virginia Marla Frye
Third The Distant Light, published by the Rockland Astronomy Club Mr. Mies Hora
2002 First Cosmic Messenger, the newsletter of the Astronomical Society of Kansas City Fiske Miles
Second Sky Watcher, Boise (ID) Astronomical Society Kathleen Higgins
Third Prime Focus, Ft. Worth (TX) Astronomical Society Steve Gray
Fourth Skylights, the newsletter of the Astronomical Society of Northern New England Ron Burk
Fifth Battle Point (WA) Astronomical Association’s newletter Bill and Anna Edmonds
2001 First Northern Virginia Astronomy Club Newsletter, Northern Virginia Astronomy Club (Alexandria, VA) Michael Mills
Second Observations, Chester County Astronomical Society (Thornton, VA) Jim Anderson
Third The Webfooted Astronomer, Seattle Astronomical Society (Seattle, WA) Laurie Maloney
Fourth Photon Gazette, Christian Association of Stellar Explorers (Siloam Springs, AR) Patrick Carr
2000 First Back Bay Observer, Back Bay Amateur Astronomers (Chesapeake, VA) Glendon Howell
Second Observations, Chester County Astronomical Society (Thornton, PA) Jim Anderson
Third Via Stellaris, Van Braun Astronomical Society (Huntsville, AL) Michael Cissell
Fourth PAS Times, Pontchartrain Astronomical Society (Pontchartrain, LA) Tom Klekamp
Fifth RVAS Newsletter (Roanoke, VA) Frank Baratta
1999 First Celestial Observer, Amateur Observers’ Society of New York (Floral Park, NY) Peter A. Leavens
Second The Hypoxic Observer, Colorado Springs Astronomical Society (Colorado Springs, CO) Deb Schermerhorn
1998 First The Observer, Twin City Amateur Astronomers (Bloomington, IL) Jean Memkin and Michael Rogers

 

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