Club Meetings:
We meet at the Mallard Lodge in Smyrna, Delaware on the first Tuesday of each month from 7-9 PM. in the months September through June
Directions: Rt. 13 take Rt. 6 in Smyrna heading East, at Rt. 9 turn left, the lodge is a short distance on the right. See our home page for complete directions.
The normal meeting format includes discussion of club activities, observing highlights, constellation and deep sky object of the month, an advertised presentation and possible guest speakers. We welcome the public to our meetings and are open to suggestions for topics and guest speakers.
Club Observing:
Observing is (usually) scheduled for the Friday and Saturday nearest the New Moon to maximize the observing hours during complete darkness. During the summer months when the park is open the observing site will be at the baseball field in the camping area at Tuckahoe State Park. In the winter we observe at the Equestrian center. Observing at Tuckahoe is limited to members of the Delmarva Stargazers only. This is a park mandate to protect both us and the park with a limited guard force. The observing area must be left in the condition it was found, any unusual circumstances, damage or activity should be reported to the park rangers and the club president. Check the Delmarva Stargazers Yahoo Group for observing plans. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/delmarvastargazers/. The Rangers must be notified of our expected presence 24 hours in advance. The cloud or rain date for the monthly Friday observing will be the following Saturday, but don't trust the weather man! Go outside and look for yourself or check the CNN weather link on our web page.
Club Events:
We will continue to host 2 regional star parties. We had a great Star Gaze XV on April 23rd and ending Sunday the 26th with guest speaker Dr. Neal Gehrels, Chief of the Astroparticle Physics Lab at GSFC and the Principal Investigator for the SWIFT Gamma-Ray Burst and Compton Gamma Ray Observatory missions.
The No Frills XIV will be in September from Thursday the 17th until Sunday the 20th. Both events will be at the Tuckahoe Equestrian Center.
We held our 9th Mid Atlantic Mirror Making Seminar March 20-22 with 12 successful mirrors completed. If you've ever thought about making your own telescope this is a must event to attend
Our regular club meetings are done for the summer but we have our club picnic on July 11th at Tuckahoe's Pavilion. All are welcome, you don't have to be a member, come on over and meet us. We'll have hamburgers and hot dogs and lots of other picnic stuff because we like to eat.
The Delmarva Stargazers are dedicated to promoting amateur astronomy in our area. Particularly this year as 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy. Our members are also promoting "Astronomy at the Library", giving presentations and providing people of all ages with the opportunity to look at the night sky through a telescope at our local libraries. We have developed relationships with local schools, summer camps and scouting organizations to provided both classroom and observing opportunities for people of all ages. For more information contact one of the club officers.
The Star Gazer News is usually composed on or after the middle of each month and published seven days before the club meeting. Please send items you wish to have published on or before the 15th of the month to editor PJ Riley
.
Corrections and updates to the mailing list, including e-mail addresses, should also go to club secretary Michael Lecuyer
(Please note, emails are images not links).
Our annual dues are $15. Anyone with an interest of astronomy is welcome to join the Delmarva Stargazers regardless of skill level, we are all amateurs and trying to learn. Meeting attendance is not required but highly recommended to get the most out of the club. To join click on Membership above for our form.
