RAC Indoor Meeting Minutes

Date: December 12, 2025

Co-Chair: Dana Bostic

On-going Action Item: Need comments from club members about any updates to web pages or if a webpage is obsolete and needs to be deleted.  See Webmaster Report for more details.

Action Item: Astronomy Days Registration Has Begun (raleighastro.org) – Go to the Calendar and register for your shift(s).  Deadline for volunteer sign-up:  Jan. 2nd

Action Item: The Outreach Committee is looking for volunteers to coordinate events and assist at events with or without a telescope. To join the committee send a blank email to [email protected]. Any club member is welcome, regardless of experience level. We will train you! To volunteer for an event, register via the RAC Calendar event. Full report on RAC website!

Meeting Presentation:

  • Meeting Topic: 2025 Imaging Showcase with Chris Cole

Meeting Description:

This was our end of year meeting.  The meeting was divided into two sections.  The first section was a party with Assorted sandwiches, sides, drinks & dessert.  The Astronomy League report was included here to make sure we had enough time for the presentation.  The second section was the presentation and the business meeting.

  • Meeting Description: RAC’s Chris Cole will lead the club’s imaging group in sharing some of their astrophotography pursuits and accomplishments from throughout the year!
  • Imagers:
    • Jim Perciaccante
    • Bill Swanson
    • Chris Cole
    • Paul Runkle
    • Naveen Malik
    • Lijoy Samuel
    • Johnny Horn
    • Chris Wittum
    • Jeff Plummer
  • Speaker: Chris Cole and Imagers
  • Summary:  The presentation was exceptionally good.  The audience was engaged.  There were many photos and imagers.  Chris Cole did a good job of organizing this presentation and making sure everything was on track.

Astronomical League Report:

AL Awards:

Hubble 35th New/Holdovers: Int Obs Moon Oct 4th  (Certificate)

 

 Huygens Toes (Titan’s shadow on Saturn)    Certificate and Pin
·        Adnan Asif – Aug/Sept/Oct/Nov

·        Mustafa Asif – July/Aug/Sept/Oct/Nov

·        Dana Bostic – Oct/Nov

·        Michael Keefe – Sept/Oct/Nov

·        Doug Lively – Oct/Nov

·        Bob Muzzi – Oct

·        Blair Groden – Oct/Nov

·        Al Hamrick – Oct/Nov

·        Susan Herring – Nov

·        Dean Herring Nov/Dec

·        Chris Wittum – Oct (sent)

·        Nathan Raynor – oct (sent)

 ·        Dana Bostic – Messier OP – Imaging #31 –  Cert/Pin; Caldwell OP – Imaging #15 –  Cert/Pin

·        Adnan Asif – Solar System OP – Visual #250 Cert/Pin

·        Randal Finden – Herschel 400 – Imaging #679I Cert/Pin

·        Doug Lively – Hydrogen Alpha – Visual #98 Cert/Pin

 ·        Doug Lively

·        Dana Bostic

·

 ·        Adnan Asif

·        Chris Cole

·        Al Hamrick

 

 

  1. 3I – Atlas Observing Challenge. (deadline for submission is January 31, 2026)

At this time, astronomers have observed three interstellar interlopers traversing our solar system.  The third one is 3I – Atlas.  This observing challenge is to celebrate these visitors from afar.  This visitor will make its closest approach to Earth on December 19, 2025.

Requirements for this Observing Challenge:

  • Do an Outreach Activity related to the Interstellar visitors.
  • Observe 3I-Atlas using a telescope. Observations should be done closest to the date of its closest approach to Earth.
  • Sketch or image the event.
  • Identify 3I – atlas in the sketch or image.
  • Include information on your telescope and camera (if used).
  • Forward the sketch or image, plus the information on the outreach activity to the AL Observing Challenge Coordinator.  Submission deadline is January 31, 2026.

Upcoming Events:

  • Dec 19 – RACOBS
  • Jan 9 – Indoor Meeting – Michael Shull – Local Interstellar Clouds
  • Jan 15 – Museum of Life and Science Teen Science Cafe
  • Jan 16 – RACOBS
  • Jan 23 – Astronomy Days
  • Jan 24 – Astronomy Days
  • Jan 29 – Buckhorn Creek Elementary School
  • Jan 30 – Indoor RAC meeting at Morehead Planetarium

Astronomy Days:

  • Date: January 23, 5p – 7p; 24-25, 2026, 10a – 5p
  • Theme this year: “Passport to the Moon”
  • RAC Exhibits:
    • Astrophotography, same location in the NRC
    • RAC Table/Ask The Astronomer, in the NEC
    • Telescopes on Display, in the NEC
    • Solar Observing, on the fourth floor “Green Roof” of the NRC

Deadline for volunteer sign-up:  Jan. 2nd

Deadline for submitting a presentation: Nov. 25, 2025

Registration Has Begun (raleighastro.org) – Go to the Calendar and register for your shift(s)

  • There are three shifts for 1/24-1/25:

               9:30a-11:30a,

               11:30a-2:30p,

               2:30p-5:30p

  • If you volunteer for more than two shifts, lunch will be provided by the museum.
  • You DO NOT have to sign-up for the same exhibit twice.
  • You can also assist in the setup on the Friday before (5p-7p) – 1/23

Treasurer’s Report:

Memberships:

  • RAC memberships: 534
  • Cancelled Memberships: 21
  • Admin memberships: 1
  • TOTAL memberships: 556

Financials:

  • Checking: $1,541.02
  • Savings: $25,365.72
  • Special Purpose: $0.62

Outreach Report

  • Dec 3 – Willard happened
  • Dec 5 – First Fridays did not happen due to weather
  • Upcoming Willard dates: February 2nd and April 8th.
  • The Outreach Committee is looking for volunteers to coordinate events and assist at events with or without a telescope. To join the committee send a blank email to [email protected]. Any club member is welcome, regardless of experience level. We will train you! To volunteer for an event, register via the RAC Calendar event. Full report on RAC website!

Loaner Scope Report

Type                                   Checked Out  In for Repair    Available

Cassegrains    5                                          1                                         5

Dobsonians    6                                          2                                          4

Maksutovs       3                                          0                                          2

Refractors        0                                          0                                          2

Reflectors        1                                          1                                          3

Binoculars       2                                          0                                         2

Accessories    12                                        0                                         22

Outreach          3                                          0                                         1

Donated Classic Orion XT8 Dobsonian telescope added to the loaner program

Reviewing 2 more telescope donations to be added to the loaner program [email protected]

Loaner Telescopes

Education Committee Report: 

  • December’s class is unfortunately cancelled (due to instructor unavailability).
  • We are not doing a class in January due to Astronomy Days.
  • Committee will be sending out a short questionnaire in the coming weeks to membership about class topics for 2026, and conduct an instructors’ meeting in January.

Webmaster Report – Several updates to pages.

From Web team: – No Updates

Committee Reports

  • Safety – No updates
  • Social Events
  • RAC Holiday Social
  • December 12, 2025 before the RAC Indoor Meeting
  • Time: 6:30
  • Menu: Assorted sandwiches, sides, drinks & dessert
  • Social Media – No Updates
  • A/V
    • New Laptop is being used tonight
    • All passwords and setup are documented
  • Imaging
    • Imaging Showcase
      • December 12th Indoor Meeting
  • Key-Holders – No updates.

Socialize after the meeting at Sammy’s.