AAA President Message – September

Welcome back, AAA’ers.

I hope your summer has been fantastic so far with some downtime and recreation. Nearing the end of a season, we’re not far from the fall equinox. For many, school season returns and as does the club’s annual Autumn Starfest.

Autumn Starfest falls on the autumnal equinox, 22 September. In conjunction with Urban Park Rangers, we meet at Sheep Meadow in Central Park. More details are found within this issue.

Announcement Change in Membership

The Board of Directors has made a change to membership  This simplifies membership as an annual subscription  beginning from the member’s enrollment and reduces significant effort during what was renewal season around New Year.

Effective August 1, 2018, the membership year for new members will run for 12 months, starting on the date they join.  Renewal notices will be sent out starting 2 months prior to the expiration date.

For legacy members who joined prior to August 1, 2018, the membership year will continue to run from January 1 to December 31.  Renewal notices are sent out in November and December for the following year.

Details are available on the Membership page on the AAA website.

Two New Fall Classes

Two classes have been added for Mid- and Late Fall 2018.

Registration opened for the Mid-Fall 2018 Stargazing Skills Workshop, which runs from 09 October through 03 November. It is a classroom and hands on approach to help new or beginner observers learn to operate their scope and develop skills to confidently locate and appreciate solar system and deep sky objects.

The Late Fall 2018 Measuring Distances in Space class is an intermediate course focuses on astrometrics. Ten methods are considered to estimate the vast distances to objects in space, while reviewing the physics each method is based upon.

Roster for Lectures Season 2018–19 Set

David Kraft has fashioned a wonderful 2018–19 Lectures season, running from October to April. To maximize the opportunity to use American Museum of Natural History Kaufmann Theatre, this year’s schedule deviates a bit from the first Friday of the month. Consult the Lectures page, the web site, “Upcoming Events”, or the AAA Calendar for dates and details.

Pick your favorite star…and best wishes!
Peter