Tri-City Astronomy Club
From AstronomyOutreach network
The League's mission is "To Promote the Science of Astronomy" by:
- Fostering astronomical education.
- Providing incentives for astronomical observation and research.
- Assisting communication among amateur astronomical societies.
Their basic goal is to encourage an interest in astronomy (and especially amateur astronomy) throughout America. Many people have seen pictures of the other planets in our Solar System from spacecraft, but have no idea that they too can see these objects with a telescope. We want people to get access to telescopes, whether it is through their local astronomical society, school, or their own instruments, and use them to view the beauty in the heavens.
The mission of the Astronomical League is clearly stated in the masthead: to promote the science of Astronomy. The major benefit of belonging to this organization is receiving the quarterly newsletter, The Reflector, which keeps you in touch with amateur activities all over the country. The chance to meet the people you read about there occurs during our annual National Convention, or at one of the ten regional conventions that the AL sponsors.
The easiest way to become part of the AL is to join one of our member societies close to you. A benefit of membership in this society is membership in the Astronomical League and part of your society dues goes to pay for your Reflector subscription.
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Membership
The annual dues for full membership are $30, which includes the whole family. This also entitles you to receive a discount on subscriptions to either Sky & Telescope or Astronomy magazines, plus special purchases of some astronomy related books and software. You do not have to own a telescope to be a member, just have an interest in astronomy.
Awards and Recognition
Clubs and Certification Programs
LIGO ObservatoryThe LIGO acronym stands for Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, whose mission is to observe gravitational waves of cosmic origin. LIGO will search for gravitational waves created in the supernova collapse of stellar cores to form neutron stars or black holes, the collisions and coalescences of neutron stars or black holes, the wobbly rotation of neutron stars with deformed crusts and the remnants of gravitational radiation created by the birth of the universe. LIGO is a joint project of scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Robert & Elisabeth Moore ObservatoryThe Moore Observatory is located on the campus of the Columbia Basin College (CBC) in Pasco, Washington. Our main telescope is a 16-inch Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain optical tube assembly on a Paramount ME German equatorial mount. The telescope is housed in a six-meter Ash Dome on top of a 25-foot by 40-foot observatory building. The observatory was developed through the generous donation of Robert (Bob) Moore (who passed away in early 2006) and his late wife, Elisabeth.
Alliance for the Advancement of Science Through Astronomy (AASTA)is a non-profit volunteer charitable organization working to promote scientific awareness in our educational system and among the population as a whole. AASTA assumed management and operational authority of the Rattlesnake Mountain Observatory 0.8-meter Cassegrain-style reflecting telescope in 1996. In 2009, by order of the U.S. Department of Energy, the telescope was removed from Rattlesnake Mountain. The telescope has been fully refurbished and moved to a new location near Wallula Gap. It is now operated as the Pacific Northwest Regional Observatory.
Night Sky NetworkWe are a nationwide coalition of amateur astronomy clubs bringing the science, technology and inspiration of NASA's missions to the general public. We share our time and telescopes to provide you with unique astronomy experiences at science museums, observatories, classrooms, and under the real night sky.