JANUARY PROGRAM SCHEDULE 2025
All ASLI Meetings Begin at 8:00 PM
IN PERSON ONLY
Jan 1: New Year’s – NO MEETING
We do not have ASLI meetings during Christmas week and New Year’s week.
IN PERSON AND ON ZOOM
Jan 8: Appreciating Martian Topography, by Frank Melillo
Mars appears more earth-like to us than most of the other planets because we can observe its surface, atmospheric clouds and hazes and its brilliant white polar caps. The Red Planet Mars offers both the casual and serious observer many challenges and delights and the opportunity to study the martian atmosphere and surface.
Mars will reach opposition on January 16th but it can be well observed for several months thereafter, and it will remain visible for the rest of the year. This presentation will share many interesting martian features.
ON ZOOM REMOTELY
Jan 15: A Hundred Years in the Dark, by Sam Storch
We celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the invention of the device that will realistically reproduce the glorious sight of the entire sky on demand, from any location, date, and time, at our command, for young and old alike. The many attempts to “bring the sky to the people” both before and since the invention of the projection planetarium incorporated a combination of technology and ingenuity to reproduce an accurate and pleasurable experience. In recent years the technological evolution of planetariums has given rise to a new kind of venue- the domed theater. Growing up enthralled by the stars and later working in planetariums eventually provided a satisfying place in the “world of work” for our presenter.
Sam Storch was a long-time lecturer for more than three decades at New Yorkʼs Hayden Planetarium. A Professor at Nassau Community College, he conducted classes in astronomy and also worked and consulted at several other planetariums and institutions in the New York City and Long Island areas. He is an elected Fellow of the International Planetarium Society as well as the Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society, which awarded him the Distinguished Service Award, its highest professional honor. Sam also received a Special Service Award from the Northeast Region of the Astronomical League, the largest federation of astronomical societies in the United States.
IN PERSON AND ON ZOOM
Jan 22: A photographic look at some of the astronomical events of 2024, by Stan Honda.
North America was treated to some incredible phenomenon last year, including solar and lunar eclipses, aurora and one of the brightest comets in recent years. Here’s a look at some of these events, all which were visible with the naked eye, and were photographed by ASLI member Stan Honda. He’ll show images taken from Quebec, Canada, Hawaii and even New York City.
IN PERSON ONLY
Jan 29: Observing Night, ALL ARE WELCOME.
Club Observing, open to everyone. Bring your telescope or binoculars to our public observing session or look through our telescopes which we set up for the evening. We can show you some of the wonderful objects in the night sky during the evening. We will only have this observing session if there are perfectly clear skies, however.
EXTENDED ASLI CLUB CALENDAR
