RAC Indoor Meeting Minutes

11 March 2022

Co-chairperson Mike Keefe hosted the meeting using the Zoom platform.

36 participants

RAC Announcements by co-chairperson Mike Keefe

Upcoming meetings and events:

  • March 17 – Imaging Meeting
  • March 25 – RACOBS
  • March 28 – April 3 – Staunton River Star Party
  • April 8-9 – Statewide Star Party
  • April 8 – RACOBS
  • April 14 – Imaging Meeting
  • April  22 – RAC Meeting

Presentation: “Electronically Assisted Astronomy (EAA)” by RAC co-chairperson Mike Keefe

Business

Treasurer’s Report by Steve Izzo

Membership – 427 total (11 new memberships)

  • 305 single memberships
  • 73 family memberships with 73 secondary members (49 registered)
  • 37 cancellations/inactive members removed

Balances

  • Business checking: $ 527.86
  • Savings: $ 23075.31
  • Special purpose checking: $ 576.52

Outreach Committee Update by Matt Lochansky

  • Upcoming outreach events
    • April 1 – NC Science Festival at White Deer Park in Garner
    • State-wide Star Party Events:
      • April 8 – SWSP at Prairie Ridge
      • April 8 – SWSP at Annie Wilkerson
      • April 9 – SWSP at Williamson Preserve with Triangle Land Conservancy (East Raleigh)
    • May 15 – Skywatching at Dix for Lunar Eclipse (9:30pm-Midnight)
    • June 7 – Stargazing on the Willard Rooftop, Downtown Raleigh
    • June 15 – Stars for Ft. Bragg
    • August 28 – Skywatching at NC Museum of Art

We need one volunteer with a telescope to participate at an April 8 SWSP event at  Imagination Station in Wilson.

ALCOR Update by ALCOR Doug Lively

Email Doug for helpful links to get started with AL observing programs. RAC members Dana Bostic (Beyond Polaris) and Al Hamrick (Herschel 400) are mentioned in this month’s Reflector magazine.

Observing Sites Discussion

Steve Izzo: Bigwoods is the primary site for RACOBS. Howell Woods is the alternate site in case a Bigwoods keyholder is not available. Members are always welcome to observe there instead of Bigwoods.

Matt Lochansky: Webmasters need default text explaining this to include in RACOBS calendar entries.

Doug Lively: Need to post instructions so that the Howell Woods rangers are contacted before an observing event.

Mike Keefe: Need to rethink whether we want Howell Woods as an official RACOBS site, because we may be automatically asking them to turn off the lights even if no one shows up.