Regular Monthly Meetings

The AAAA and the Story County Conservation Board host monthly educational programs for the public from January to November. Meetings are on the 3^rd Saturday of each month, except December, at 7:30 PM. Visitors are encouraged to join us. A list of the programs for this year can be found below.

All programs will be held at the Story County Conservation Center at McFarland Park unless noted otherwise in the program for that month. Afterwards, weather and and sunset permitting, we will move to the club's observatory located just East of the Story County Conservation Center for astronomical observing. Telescopes and binoculars will be available for your viewing pleasure.

At each of our meetings we include a short description of a few of the astronomical sights that can be seen during the coming month.

2012 Programs

• January 21, 2012
  BRR! January/Cold-Weather Observing
  

  January skies in Iowa can be beautifully dark and crystal clear, but cold! Join us for an exploration of January astronomical observing. We'll talk about what there is to see in January skies, how to dress for the weather, precautions to take for safety, and equipment issues you might have. It will probably be clear; so after the meeting we'll retire to the observatory to see some of the things that we were talking about. And did I mention that the observatory has a warming room?

• February 18, 2012
  Hubble Deep/Ultra Deep Fields
  

  Beginning 1995 astronomers began exploring the very early universe. They pointed the Hubble Space Telescope at a very tiny, very empty looking spot in the sky near the big dipper. The telescope was set to gather photons from that small spot for a total of ten days, allowing it to record some incredibly faint objects. Later, the telescope was used to take photos that were even deeper into space. The objects that the telescope recorded are very far away and very far back in time; so using these data, astronomers are able to probe the early life of the universe. Join us as we look at impressive and beautiful astronomical images and explore the distant past.

• March 17, 2012
  Computers in Astronomy
  

  There is a plethora of astronomy programs and apps available to the amateur community. Join us for an overview of the many software packages that are available (many of them free!) for doing things like observing satellites, planetarium software, astrophotography, searching for extraterrestrial life and more. We have many club members who have used some of this software and can give evaluations to help you decide which packages might be right for you.

• April 21, 2012
  Mythology and Astronomy
  

  Throughout recorded history (and before with oral histories) human cultures have developed traditions and mythologies about the night sky. These stories were sometimes explanations about why things happenin the world and sometimes ways of learning to identify constellations. But whatever the reasons, mythologies represent a rich tapestry for the objects in space. Join us as we talk about mythologies from many cultures on earth, from Native American to Greek.

• May 19, 2012
  Telescopes 101
  

  This will be our introductory program on telescopes. We will present information on the types, advantages, and relative costs of a variety of telescopes. All the major types, refractors, reflectors, cassegrains, and binoculars will be on display so we can look at and through them and discuss their attributes. If you would like help or advice on setting up or using your own telescope this would be a perfect time for you to bring in your own. Anyone thinking of buying a telescope would also benefit from our discussion. Weather permitting, we can go out to the observatory after the meeting for a look at some of the night's astronomical delights.

• June 16, 2012
  Robots in Space II
  

  Join us as we review some of the most interesting and exciting robotic space exploration missions currently being flown by NASA. Tonight's program is part two of an entertaining and fact-filled look at human's forays into space. Join us for a talk about the machines that worked, and those that didn't (sometimes spectacularly) to help us explore the solar system and beyond.

• July 21, 2012
  StarBQ
  

  Unfortunately, the summer months are difficult ones for astronomical observing. The sun goes down so late that we can't do substantial observing until after 10:00 p.m. So for the July meeting, we'll have a barbecue at the conservation center starting at 4:00 p.m. If weather is clear we'll have safe solar viewing outside followed by an informal meeting in the conservation center.

• August 18, 2012
  Solar Flare of 1859 — What happens next time?
  

  Our sun is experiencing a strong increase in activity this year as it approaches maximum in 2013. That means opportunities for flares, prominences, coronal mass ejections and aurora. In 1859 a huge solar flare occurred which caused destruction and strange happenings across the globe. Telegraph wires, train tracks and any long lengths of metal sparked or melted. It's only a matter of time before a similar solar flare occurs. Join us on Saturday for some safe solar observing, videos and news about the latest exciting happenings on our closest star and a discussion about what happens in our wired world when the big one comes again!

• September 15, 2012
  Astronomy Day Events
  

  International Astronomy Day is usually in April. But the Astronomical League celebrates astronomy day both in spring and in fall. The meeting this month is our chance to participate in Astronomy Day. Instead of having the usual meeting at the Conservation Center, we'll be doing educational outreach activities around Ames. We'll be sending teams out to places around town to set up telescopes and share some of the night sky sights with people who may not have had the opportunity before to look through a telescope.

• October 20, 2012
  Halloween Hike
  

   

• November 17, 2012
  Multi-Shorts
  

  The November meeting this year will be a compilation of shorts. That is, we'll have short presentations or activities on a variety of subjects — kind of a smorgasbord of astronomy topics. Come join us and be surprised at what you'll learn! We might also have some Pixar shorts too!

We hope you can join us!

© 2012 Ames Area Amateur Astronomers