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From the President

I hope that each of you had a very Happy Holiday Season, and I hope that Santa brought you that special astronomy gift you had been hoping for all last year! With the winter season upon us we can anticipate clear, crisp nights to try out our new toys. It was great to see so many at our Robinson Holiday Party in December, and I hope to see all of you at our observing sessions soon.

I am pleased to continue as your President for another year. I want to thank all those who served on the CFAS board or volunteered last year during the many CFAS events. Only through your efforts were we successful in accomplishing so much for the membership and the Central Florida community. I am pleased to announce that we again have a terrific team in place for this year, and the board comprised of your elected officers and committeee chairmen look forward to another great year of CFAS activities.

I am especially pleased to announce CFAS will again provide funding for monetary grants to the SCC Planetarium and a scholarship to a worthy UCF astronomy student. A quick reminder to all that all this is made possible through our membership fees, and that CFAS membership dues for 2005 need to be paid by the end of this January.

Despite the best efforts of many, the remains of the hurricane season still haunt us. The SCC Planetarium remains closed at least through January until the repairs to adjacent buildings are completed. We will continue to hold our monthly meetings at the Orlando Science Center until we are able to return to the SCC planetarium. The SCC Gun Range is back in business, but is fully occupied even on weekend nights to meet area law enforcement training needs. Therefore we will continue to have all dark sky observing sessions to Harmony. As changes occur to the situation at the SCC facilities we will update the membership via the web and email.

We continue to increase observing opportunities for the membership. The Losmandy G-11 mount for the TEC 140mm refractor should have arrived by the time this issue of the Astrolog is published. This mount was purchased so that the TEC could be used by CFAS members at our monthly observing sessions and for community outreach programs. Also available is our 12 inch Meade LX 200. Members may reserve time for either of these instruments by contacting Walt Hamler, the chairman of the observing committee.

We are very fortunate to have a major university close by that is willing to work with us. CFAS close cooperation and joint efforts with the Robinson observatory and its visitor observing program are examples of our close ties. The UCF astronomy department has recently filled all of its astronomy professor positions. We hope to be able to have each of them participate in our general meeting programs throughout the next year. It would be great to hear about their research projects, and track their progress as they develop in the future. David Furrow our new Vice President will be working with these professors to develop such a program.

Last year through a special grant, the UCF was able to purchase several Meade telescopes in order to provide observing labs to astronomy students. However the large numbers of astronomy students (over 1,500) made it impossible for the few instructors to conduct observing sessions to these students. Even with a full complement of astronomy professors, UCF is still not able to sponsor an astronomy observing lab during 2005. In my opinion taking astronomy with out an observing opportuity really misses the mark, and seldom gives students the desire to continue an interest in astronomy.

CFAS is in a position to significantly help the UCF astronomy department by providing observing opportunities to UCF astronomy students. To do so however will require a commitment from the membership. I propose that CFAS sponsor a student observing night program to the university. Such a program would require no more than three CFAS members to conduct each observing session. These two hour sessions would be hheld at the Robinson observatory , and would utilize UCF’s Meade telescopes. Sessions would be for up to 100 students, and would provide observing for 3 objects (one in each telescope). CFAS members would run the telescopes. A proposed start-up program would schedule 8 sessions, one per week on a Tuesday or Thursday evening. Also needed is one CFAS member to coordinate this program with the UCF astronomy department. Observing could start as early as February 2005.

I completed a preliminary inquiry with the head of Physics Department and each astronomy professor, and can report that all are very excited about the possibity of CFAS providing this valuable opportunity to its students. CFAS would only do this until a formal astronomy lab program can be established. This is a great opportunity for CFAS to provide a very valuable service to the university. I ask each member to seriously consider participating in this effort. Contact me as soon as possible if you are interested in volunteering in this very worthwhile program.

There is interest by a local art museum to have an exhibit of astrophotography by CFAS members sometime late next year. If you are interested in working with the museum to make this happen, please contact me direct. You would in essence be the liasion with the museum and the CFAS members that wish to contribute their work to the exhibit. I see this as an excellent opportunity to bring astronomy to the general public, show off the great work our members are doing, and it should be a fun event.

Although the details have not yet been worked out, please mark down the CFAS Astrofest dates of March 11 and 12 on your calendars. We expect to use the SCC Star Range again. Scheduled events will include a Beginning Observing course and a Digital image processing course on Saturday along with the usual BBQ and prize drawing. This is one event you must not miss. The event is limited to CFAS members and their guests only. Further info will be provided on the CFAS web, by email, and at our general meetings.

I need to remind all of our CFAS members that we are a volunteer organization, and that for us to succeed requires member participation in the running of the organization. We are fortunate to presently have all committee chairperson positions filled, but each committee can always use more member participation. Check out the list of committees and call the chairman to find out what you can do to help out. If each member takes on a little piece of the necessary work, no one gets burdened with a major effort. In particular both the Robinson visitor program and the Orlando Science Center NASA Night sky program continue to need volunteers. For Robinson Visitor Night program please contact Frank Gutowski FGutowski@yahoo.com , and for the Night Sky Program contact Paul Kronenwetter at (407) 388-7962 or email: kronenpj@netzero.net. .

Clear skies to all. Ray Jones