The New Pacific Stargazer Newsletter of the Western Amateur Astronomers Founded 1949 www.waa.av.org/

2016 G. Bruce Blair Awardee: Nathan McKenna

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he Western Amateur Astronomers organization is proud to present Nathan McKenna with this year's G. Bruce Blair award for meritorious conduct above and beyond the ordinary in promoting amateur astronomy to the public. Each year, the WAA's member clubs find an individual who is a game-changer in their capacity as a volunteer, and Nate certainly fits that profile. His most recent and wildly successful endeavor was taking the initiative to raise the funds to assess and repair the Chabot Space and Science Center’s $3M Zeiss Mark VIII planetarium projector. This projector is one of four similar state of the art planetariums in the United States (the other three being at Griffith, Haydn, and St. Louis), and was the only one sitting sadly idle for the last ten years. The projector is now completely restored and usable, almost like it was new. Nate is also passionate about outreach. He has acted

Issue No. 8 May, 2016 as liaison at numerous community events involving the Eastbay Astronomical Society and Chabot Space and Science Center, including Random Acts of Science, where the Oakland Fire Department, Chabot and EAS would show up at schools for science and astronomy presentations; worked with the Bay Area Scouts Council to bring about the first STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) Encampment at the Alameda County Fairgrounds; coordinated multiple outreach events for the Otsukimi Japanese Moon Viewing Festival in Oakland; coordinated outreach events on the Google campus in Mountain View to celebrate Google's donation to the Lick Observatory; and coordinated Earth Day outreach events for Qualcomm. These are just some of the events that he has either spearheaded or helped coordinate. His home club, The Eastbay Astronomical Society, is deeply grateful for his efforts - he’s made a real difference. 

 Inside this issue: 

The AANC Pg 2 Major Upcomings Pg 4

AANC Then & Now by Kenneth Frank, President

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he AANC, what a mouthful! The Astronomical Association of Northern California. Envisioned by "stellar" local amateur astronomers such as: comet finder John Bally, Astronomy Day Founder Doug Berger, John Dobson, Creator of the Dobsonian Telescope Revolution, Frank Miller, an officer of the Western Amateur Astronomers organization, Joe Farkas, President of the Eastbay Astronomical Society, and several very active observers of the area, Denni Frerichs (now Medlock), Ralph and Elsa ParDaytime solar views during Astronomy Day event lette, Gerry Rattley, and Bruce Rhodes. As Doug Berger recalls, the We also work together to organize annual activities: AANC was founded September, 1971 at Fremont Peak. "The first name given to the new organization was Astro ASTRONOMY DAY — A worldwide celebration of asIntercom, but that didn't last very long, and it became the tronomy. The AANC created this "Day" in 1973. AANC." MESSIER MARATHON STAR PARTIES — Try to So, what is the AANC? It's an umbrella "club of find all 110 Messier Objects in a single night. To motivate clubs," in which delegates from many of the astronomy clubs, educational institutions, and commercial vendors of and inspire aspirants, the annual apparition of French astronomer Charles Messier walks amongst the telescopes the area met over the years to exchange views and anon Mount Tamalpais State Park while handing out French nouncements. Current members include: pastries, for the San Francisco Amateur and Sidewalk As Astronomical Society of the Pacific tronomers.  California Academy of Sciences SPECIAL EVENTS — We help coordinate special ac Eastbay Astronomical Society tivities related to unusual celestial occurrences such as comets, close approaches of Mars, Transit of Mercury,  Fremont Peak Observatory Association etc.:  Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society https://sites.google.com/site/aancsite/calendar/transits  San Francisco Amateur Astronomers ANNUAL STAR-B-QUE — Each year (usually in Au San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers gust) AANC holds an astronomy-themed barbeque at Fre San Jose Astronomical Association mont Peak State Park in conjunction with FPOA where  San Mateo Astronomical Society we hold a gastro/astronomical contest, enjoy Night Sky  Sonoma County Astronomical Society Network activities, give out door prizes, and otherwise experience a weekend of observing fun. Check it out at:  Stockton Astronomical Society http://www.fpoa.net  The Planetary Society  Tri-Valley Stargazers Continued Page 3

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Club Spotlight cont’d from Page 2 REGIONAL STAR PARTIES — Promote dark sky site observing such as GSSP, Golden State Star Party: http://www.goldenstatestarparty.org ...and end-of-summer, non-commercial star party CALSTAR: http://calstar.observers.org MEETUP — In 2010, to help organize various club meetings, events and amateur telescope making classes. We started one of the first Meetup Groups: http://www.meetup.com/A-A-N-C/ AstroCon 2007 doorprize giveaways MAJOR REGIONAL CONFERENCES — In the past, we held conferences with great success. The last AANC Con theme was the International Year of Astronomy held near SFO and cosponsored by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. As an example, the prior con was called Reach for the Stars, which assisted the College of San Mateo fund their new planetarium: STRIKING SPARKS PROGRAM — AANC helps purchase telescopes (266 to date!) for students residing in Sonoma County, encouraging a love of amateur astronomy and nurturing an interest in science education. ONLINE RESOURCE GUIDE — We maintain the AANC Northern California Resource Guide listing astronomy clubs, planetaria, observatories, and northern California astronomical businesses. Evening astronomy talk at Star-B-Que on Fremont Peak And finally, the AANC is a member organization of the Western Amateur Astronomers. The AANC has been promoting amateur astronomy to the public in Northern California for over 45 years through the plans and actions of educated volunteers with a passion for the space sciences. Through this multi-decade campaign, hundreds and thousands of people have been shown an entirely new universe of possibilities, and inspired them to support science, or even pursue a scientific career. This is how we are helping to make our world a better place for all. 

Third Graders receiving their Striking Sparks telescope awards

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Upcoming Events

May 26 - 30: The 48th annual Riverside Telescope Makers Conference Astronomy Expo will be held at YMCA Camp Oakes (Lat/Lon N34° 13.833' W116° 45.250'). It’s about 50 miles ENE of Riverside in the San Bernardino mountains, and 7,253’ ASL. Guest speakers, awards, vendors, dark skies, and lots and lots of telescopes! For more info: http://www.rtmcastronomyexpo.org/general.html

June 29 - July 3: The Golden State Star Party is a 4 night dark sky event held each summer at Frosty Acres Ranch in north-eastern California, near Mt Lassen, alongside rural Adin, Calif. (Lat/Lon N41° 8.065', W120° 58.693'). At an elevation of 4,311’ ASL, GSSP has dark skies from horizon to horizon, and room for 100s of astronomers! http://www.goldenstatestarparty.org/

Eastbay Astronomical Society and Tri-Valley Stargazers: Barcroft High-Altitude Star Party Aug 30 - Sep 4: A six-day event where the insanely over-achieving astrophotographers go to ply their hobby at a site once considered for the Twin Keck Telescopes which now reside on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Located just south of White Mtn in California’s Owens Valley (Lat/Lon N37 35.026', W118° 14.205'), and at an elevation of 12,457’ ASL, the BHASP may well be the highest regularly held star party in the world. BYOO2 . Note: This event is almost sold out! For more info contact [email protected]. Sponsored by the San Jose Astronomical Association and Left Coast Observers (Golden State Star Party). Located at the Whisper Canyon campground (Lat/Lon N35° 48' 10.23" W121° 02' 16.55") ~3 miles west of Lake Naciamento in approximately 5 miles from the old LSA site. For more info, click here http://calstar.observers.org/. Presented by the Riverside Astronomical Society, Inc. (RAS). Unique among star parties because it takes place at a desert resort (Lat/Lon N33° 15’ 19.52”, W116° 23' 52.48”) a bit north of the Anza Borrego State Park that creates a dark, red-light-only environment for at least three nights. The skies are beautifully dark yet there’s a hardware store, grocery store, and restaurants just down the street. http://nightfallstarparty.com/ 

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