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Attention Master Observers!

The officers of the League would like to again give special recognition to Master Observers who attend ALCon 2018 in Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota.

At the awards banquet on Saturday evening a special wall plaque will be presented in commemoration of your accomplishment. It does not matter what year you became an MO. We only require that you be present at the banquet to receive this recognition – and have not received the award at an earlier ALCon ceremony.

Over the last three years we have presented Master Observers with special plaques and it will be our pleasure to repeat the honor again, as well as at future ALCons. If you will be attending, please contact vice president William Bogardus at wfbogardus@yahoo.com before June 11, 2018.

Lunar Images Needed

The Astronomical League is considering whether or not it should offer a special moon map showing the features included in the Lunar and Lunar II Observing Programs. We are looking for high quality images of the 3 or 4 day old moon, the 8 day old moon, the 21 day old moon, and the 25 day old moon. These images will be used to guide users to specific program features.
If you have something you’d like to contribute, please contact John Goss, president@astroleague.org

Mars is here – are you ready to battle the god of war?

This apparition of Mars has begun.  It is still a bit small, and still a morning object (yawn), but now is the time to start honing your skills to meet the demands of the Mars Observing Program.  The Astronomical League developed this observing program to take advantage of Mars’ closest approach (opposition in July).  To accomplish the requirements, you need to begin observing as soon as possible.  Some requirements may take some time to acquire.  If you miss this opposition of Mars, the next one is in 2020.

The Mars Observing Program can be found on the alphabetical listing of observing programs under the Observe dropdown menu, or you can go directly there: https://test.astroleague.org/mars-observing-program.  This is a challenging observing program but we are hopeful that many of you will accept and conquer the challenge.  We look forward to reviewing your accomplishments.  It is time to “go to Mars.”  Join us on this journey.

Aaron Clevenson – Coordinator

Astronomy Day 2018

Be sure to list your Astronomy Day events on

https://test.astroleague.org//al/general/news/request.html

Wouldn’t it be great if clubs were recognized for their innovation and efforts in putting amateur astronomy directly in front of the public? The Astronomical League, with help from Sky and Telescope and the American Astronomical Society, presents three $150 cash awards, one each for the best event in a large, medium, and small populated service area. In addition, $50 is awarded to a club that consistently holds a quality event.

The Astronomical League is here to help. Wouldn’t it be great if there were helpful aids assisting clubs and individuals in their Astronomy Day and outreach endeavors? There are – download the Astronomy Day Handbook. Wouldn’t it be great if there were materials answering many common questions the public may likely ask? There are – download the numerous Astronomical League Outreach Downloads in either handout or poster format. 

With all the great reasons for participating in Astronomy Day (and other outreach activities), what might be the most important one is also one of the most critical for the continued success of our hobby: Light pollution awareness. Simply put, the more the public knows about the sky and its marvels, the more they will appreciate dark skies, and the more likely they will actively speak out against senseless outdoor lighting. This is a great opportunity for you to affect the course of our hobby and to help benefit your community.

During the weekend of April 21 bring the sun, the moon, the planets, and the stars to the people on Astronomy Day. You may very well cause a few of them to want to experience more. You will have touched their lives!

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Nominate one of your club members!

Nominate your newsletter editor for the Mabel Sterns Newsletter Editor Award
https://test.astroleague.org//al/awards/sterns/sternss.html

Nominate your club webmaster for the AL Webmaster Award
https://test.astroleague.org//al/awards/webmst/webmstr.html

Nominate qualified youths for the Horkheimer Service, Imaging, and Journalism Awards
https://test.astroleague.org//al/awards/horkhmr/horkhmrs.html

Remember, these awards are here to recognize those people who make amateur astronomy happen!

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Enter your astro-image in the Astronomical League’s OPT Imaging Awards competition!

Do you have an astro-image taken since March 31, 2017 that you are particularly proud of?? Why not enter it into the 2018 OPT Imaging Awards competition! There are first, second, and third place winners for three categories: Wide Field, Solar System, and Deep Sky. All first place winners receive a $250 gift certificate from OPT, all second place winners receive a $125 gift certificate, and all third place winners receive a $75 gift certificate.

For details, see
https://test.astroleague.org//awards/OPT-Imaging-Awards-Program

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