AAA President Message – May 2020 – Amateur Astronomers Association

Dear AAA Members,

We continue to meet the challenges of these times, adapting in ways that keep AAA active today, and that will make it more accessible in the future.

During the month of April, we adapted most of AAA’s events to online platforms. Stan Honda has continued organizing the Astrophotography Meetups on Sunday afternoons via Zoom. We began two online classes, taught by David Kiefer, and Matthias Schmitt, our newest AAA Class Instructor. The John Marshall Memorial Lecture was livestreamed for the first time in AAA history – a tremendous presentation by Rob Coyne, which you can view on AAA’s YouTube Channel. Some observers and astrophotographers have livestreamed their views through telescopes, and astrovisual tours of the night sky and local universe.

Sadly, we have also experienced loss in our community. A long-time AAA Member who many of you may know from observing and from his contributions to Eyepiece, Alan Rude, passed away. We recognize and celebrate his passion for sharing astronomy.

May brings more online events, including the AAA Annual Meeting. All AAA Members are encouraged to attend the May 20 meeting to hear details and ask questions about the status of the Association, and elect Directors. If you haven’t yet registered, please do so. Check the Event site for updates on pre-meeting practice-runs on Zoom, for anyone as yet unfamiliar with the program.

The safety of our members and our community is always a top priority. We will continue to monitor and abide by all guidelines of health and local government officials regarding gatherings. When it is deemed safe to do so, updates and protocols for any group observing sessions will be posted on the main website and Observing page.

There are many ways to safely stay connected with other AAA Members and participate in our mission of promoting the study of astronomy. If you haven’t yet, join one or more of the Special Interests Groups. Follow AAA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @aaadotorg. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel, which will soon be renamed as Amateur Astronomers Association of New York.

For all events, see the Upcoming Event section on the main page, or the AAA Calendar. For more online astronomy events with local organizations, visit the Astronomy NYC Calendar.

Clear Skies,
Irene Pease
AAA President