From the President
A regular message from DAS’s president is something past presidents have done and I want to continue this tradition. My intent is to share goals, ideas, and encourage participation in the Denver Astronomical Society. Please feel free to contact me at president@denverastro.org.
One of the benefits of membership in DAS is our monthly General Membership Meetings, which occur on the second Monday of each month. These are conducted in-person and virtually via Zoom. Each month, we have speakers from a variety of backgrounds that provide engaging presentations on a wide range of topics for those who are advanced astronomers as well as beginner astronomers. In-person attendance provides members the ability to meet other members, discuss astronomical topics, and engage with leadership. Pre-Covid, attendance at these meetings was very high. This year, we hope to increase attendance at our General Membership Meetings.
Our typical agenda for a General Membership Meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. with introductions and updates on DAS activities. At 7:30 p.m., we introduce our guest speaker for the evening. The presentations typically run for 45 minutes. After that, we have 15 minutes of questions and answers. The evening wraps up with any additional announcements and Observation Reports from members. In-person attendees are encouraged to stay after the meeting to socialize and “talk shop.”
This year, we are also focusing on our many volunteers who make DAS the amazing organization that it is. If you check out our website, you will see that we provide many opportunities for our members and the public. Our main mission is providing educational opportunities to the public. Two of our many activities include:
Astronomy Night events every Tuesday and Thursday where the public can sign up for tours of historic Chamberlin Observatory for a small fee, enjoy a presentation by a volunteer speaker, and then have the opportunity to view the night sky through the 132-year-old Clark-Saegmuller refractor telescope! Please visit our website to sign up.
Monthly Open House events at Chamberlin Observatory are free to the public. DAS members set up their telescopes on the south lawn of the observatory and allow the public to view and ask questions. Open Houses occur most months, usually on a Saturday closest to the first quarter Moon; please check our website’s calendar for dates. In addition, the public is allowed to go into Chamberlin Observatory in groups of 15 to see the dome and look through the 132-year-old Clark-Saegmuller refractor telescope.
We will be restarting our Learners Land at these events where we will have members available to answer questions about the night sky, telescopes, and anything else related to astronomy.
In the next Letter, I will talk about other benefits of membership and more of our public educational opportunities. Our goal is to share the enjoyment of the night sky!
Sincerely,
Katherine Bond
President, Denver Astronomical Society
