Monthly Business Meeting (March 3, 2010)

The meeting will be held in the Motorola Science Theater at the South Florida Science Museum, located on Dreher Trail just north of the Dreher Park Zoo. The business portion of the meeting commences at 7:30 PM and lasts for approximately 45 minutes. We then hold a short intermission, followed by a 45 minute presentation. The meetings are adjourned and we are out of the building by 9:30 PM. All are welcome to attend. View the schedule of upcoming presentations here.

Saturday Night Viewing at Jonathan Dickinson State Park (March 6, 2010)

All are invited to attend. Meeting time is 6:00 PM at the Wendy's restaurant in Tequesta. After dinner, everyone present will depart for the park at 7:00 PM. Be sure to bring an adequate supply of mosquito repellent. Contact Gerry Niksch for additional information.

Future dates: 4/10, 5/8, 6/5, 7/3 & 7/31, no August date, 9/4, 10/2 & 10/30, 11/2.

Saturday Night Viewing at Riverbend Park (March 13)

River Bend park is located on the south side of Indiantown Road about 1 mile west of the Jupiter exit of the Florida Turnpike. Signs for the park entrance are posted on Indiantown Road. This session is not open to the public. Our club is responsible for the security of the gate, which will be locked at 6:30 PM. A club member (Larry Schlaefer) will meet observers by the gate from 6:00 - 6:30 PM. Late arrivers should call the number posted in the Yahoo group for entrance. Please contact Larry for more details.

Future dates: 4/17, 5/15, 6/12, 7/10, 8/7, 9/11, 10/9, 11/6, 12/5.

Gumbo Limbo - Sea Turtle Day (Saturday, March 13)

ASPB will provide exhibit and solar viewing

Clewiston, FL Girl Scout Camp - Environmental Educators Conference (Friday/Saturday March 26 or 27, date to be confirmed)

ASPB will provide telescopes for astronomical observations. Camping for ASPB members available.

Star Gazing at Arnold's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (Saturday, March 20)

Explore the dark night sky at Arnold’s in Okeechobee with Christopher Stephan, an amateur astronomer for over 30 years. He will teach you fun facts about our Milky Way galaxy including constellations, planets and the moon. An added treat: watch the rehabilitated panthers, bobcats and owls on the prowl in their cages! For information: Contact Sue Arnold at suearnold@hughes.net or (863)634-6804. The event will be canceled if it is a rainy night.

Adults: $10.00 - Family rate $20.00 (cash or check). RV campers welcome (call for rates)Please bring your own flashlights. We will have telescopes set up for observing the night sky, and coffee and cookies will be served.

Lunar Graze (Saturday, March 21 UTC)

an 8.1 magnitude star with the event happening at about 02:04:22 UTC (Saturday, 9:04 PM). For details, see Terry's Occultation Page.

Lunar Graze (Saturday, March 27 UTC)

an 6.9 magnitude star with the event happening at about 03:09:26 UTC (Saturday, 10:09 PM). For details, see Terry's Occultation Page.

Girl Scout Astronomy Merit Badge Program, Corbett Wildlife Management Area (update: Friday, April 23)

Located at Seminole Pratt Whitney Road Palm Beach, FL, this has become an annual event where volunteers from the ASPB Club set up telescopes, creating various "stations" where approximately 200 girl scouts and family members can view the night sky as they rotate from station to station in small groups. Among the topics covered for the merit badge program are constellation identification and lore (including the legend of Andromeda and Perseus), the north star and its use in navigation, mapping the stars, observing the planets, the Moon, the parts of a telescope and how they work, and meteors.

ASPB Annual Picnic (Saturday, April 10)

The ASPB annual picnic will be held at JD State Park on the afternoon of Saturday April 10th in the Loxahatchee River Pavilion (which is covered to provide shade & shelter). Chef Fred will again be manning the grill. There will be solar observing during the afternoon and we will have an observing session for the Friends of JD State Park that night.

Area 51 (Check Yahoo Group for Details) (Big Cypress National Preserve in Central South Florida - 26° 8' 30" North :: 80° 52' 40" West)

Area 51 is a primitive viewing site located in one of the darkest places remaining in South Florida. We set up our telescopes at the end of the line on a shell rock road along side a drainage canal. There is no electricity, and there are no facilities of any kind. In fact, the only thing the site has to offer is an unobstructed view of extraordinarily dark skies.

Library Sessions:

Sidewalk Astronomy at Jupiter Library: March 23

Tuesday evening from sunset till 7 PM, we will be showing off the wonders of the night sky to general public on their way into and out of the library. All are invited to attend.

Public Viewing at Hagen Ranch Road Library: March 23

The library is located at 14350 Hagen Ranch Road, just south of Lake Ida Road, in Delray Beach, FL. The session will be from sunset until 8 PM. All are invited to attend.

Public Viewing at Summit Library: Will resume in the fall