News

ALCON 2024 tickets and room reservations are now open for purchase and booking!

Purchase ALCON Tickets HERE

Room reservations are now open for the special ALCON rate at the Overland Park Doubletree Inn. Book now at  https://group.doubletree.com/hp0506

Highlights include:

• Gottlieb Planetarium at Union Station in downtown Kansas City, Mo., will provide a private presentation in their facility.
• Linda Hall Library, a world-famous science and technology research library, will feature guest speaker David Levy and a chance to visit the library’s rare book room, featuring such books as two of the few extant copies of Galileo’s Siderius Nuncius (1610).
• Powell Observatory for a presentation by ASKC member and astronomy student Rachel Cionitti and an evening of stargazing with the 30-inch Ruisinger Telescope (weather permitting). The observatory visit will be preceded by a stop at the beautiful Overland Park Arboretum for a StarBQ dinner featuring a local Kansas City-style BBQ.
• The Banquet features a local jazz band, and Brown University professor of physics and astronomy and jazz musician Stephon Alexander will discuss his latest book, The Jazz of Physics.

For an up-to-date list of the speaker lineup, please check here:
https://alcon2024.astroleague.org/speakers/

LOCATION

DoubleTree by Hilton Kansas City - Overland Park, 66210

The beautiful Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens is the site of the Traditional Friday night Star-B-Que Zarda Hickory Pit Bar-B-Q, which has been serving its special offerings for almost 50 years in the Kansas City area. They are also strong community partners with many Kansas City area charities and non-profits such as Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City, The America Royal, and The Bishop Sullivan Center, which is committed to helping people cope with financial hardships.

The Great American Eclipse of 2024 is just around the corner. To accommodate those who would like to see the eclipse but can’t or won’t be traveling to the path of totality, DAS is planning to hold a special partial solar eclipse observing event at DU’s historic Chamberlin Observatory on Monday, April 8, weather permitting. We need volunteers to set up and operate solar telescopes and binoculars on the park lawn for public observation, and at least one volunteer to help sell eclipse glasses (while supplies last).

What: Partial solar eclipse observing event

When: Monday, April 8, 2024, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. MT

Where: Chamberlin Observatory, 2930 E. Warren Ave., Denver

If you’re able to help with this event, plan on showing up between about 10:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to set up. We recommend that volunteers bring and wear sunscreen and a hat. The observatory will not be open for tours, but will be open for restroom access.

Please let Mark Christman (AprilEclipse@denveratro.org) know if you would like to be among the volunteers.

AprilEclipse@denverastro.org

Denver Astronomical Society Eclipse Glasses Bundle

We have quite a few eclipse glasses left and really need your help* in moving through some of them.

The DAS Eclipse Bundle includes one pair of ISO12312-2-certified solar viewing glasses and a commemorative 2023/2024 Great North American Eclipse Tour sticker.

Our eclipse glasses are certified to meet all safety standards for direct solar viewing and are produced in the USA by American Paper Optics.

Glasses and the free commemorative sticker can be ordered through through our special Eclipse Glasses Store.

If you've got friends or family anywhere along the eclipse, especially within the path of totality, these would make a great gift!

*Each purchase helps us a great deal to continue our mission of educating the public about all things astronomy, maintaining the Chamberlin Observatory, the Kline-Dodge Dark Sky Site, and much more!

All Week: Observing Opportunities

Feb 26: E-Board Meeting via Zoom (follow for Zoom link)

Feb 28: NSN Webinar Series: Astromycology in Space Exploration

Feb 28: DAS MakerSIG Meeting
Link for Members

Mar 01: Zoom Event: Experiencing Totality - The Great Eclipse of 2024
Presented by the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society

Mar 01: AL Presents: Seeing Faster-Than-Light Objects and Other Perspectives on Distance
Presented by the Astronomical League

Reminder: Voting is now OPEN for Executive Board Officers and Trustees

This is your opportunity to select who will play a leadership role in Denver Astronomical Society, one of the largest astronomy clubs in the U.S. We urge you to participate!

Your ballot invitation has been emailed to the email address you used to register your account with DAS.

Per our Bylaws (https://denverastro.org/docs/20230925BylawsSigned.pdf), Executive Board Officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) and Trustees (eight positions) serve one-year terms.

For this year's nominations and election, Greg Fogarty is our Election Chairperson. If you have any questions, please email elections@denverastro.org

Here are some key dates to remember:

February 4, 2024 - Nominations close at midnight.
February 5, 2024 - Electronic voting begins at 9:00 p.m.

February 12, 2024 - Voting will end during our Annual Business Meeting; the results will be announced after the meeting's presentation.

March 24, 2024 - Newly-elected Officers and Trustees will be seated during our Spring Banquet.

DAS General Meeting
April 22, 2022
with Dr. Charles Nick Arge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltQON7PQg9g

DAS In-Reach March 26, 2022

"Women in Space and Astronomy" presented by Sabrina DeSoto

Zoom Link for Annual Meeting & Election:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85222895465?pwd=ZmU4WlpTaHZUK0ladm1XTE1mSGxOQT09

Agenda:

Introductions:
   New Members
   Guests
Tim Pimentel:
   Online Voting Advisory - until 8:30 p.m.
John Bickel:
   Astronomy Minute
Mehmet Unsoy:
   In-Reach Certificate Program for Attendees
   In-Reach on Feb 26, Intro to Solar Observing
Announcement of Past & Current Membership Figures
Treasurer Jon Mesick:
   Recap of 2021 Financial Statement
VP July Candia:
   Introduction of tonight's speaker
Tim Pimentel:
   Election Results
Observing Reports

Here is the link for the February 7 In-Reach with Dave Tondreau, "The Absolute Beginner's Guide To The Moon"
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82764397364?pwd=QmIrTldmTTRJMHZITWJEWU9ieE1QZz09