In this special meeting, ASLI Program Coordinators, Daniel Sha and Shannon Sha, will present an overview of the programs and events for the upcoming year.They will also introduce/reintroduce of tools that help new and old members to stay connected with the club, and announce a new initiative from our club. Board member, Don Simon will introduce a new Mentorship Program.

We are thrilled to welcome George Garcia, the astrophotographer and social media sensation behind GeorgeSpacesOut! George’s journey began like many of ours—a first attempt with a Celestron 5SE and a Canon Rebel T3 that left him intrigued and smitten. But George’s talent isn’t just for capturing the cosmos; it’s for sharing it. In a remarkable story of digital outreach, he taught himself a Mandarin introduction and joined the predominately Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu (Rednote) in early 2025, where he gained a staggering quarter-million followers in just two weeks. This viral explosion helped propel him to over half a million dedicated fans across all his platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Threads. Join us to hear how he blends technical skill with social media savvy to inspire a global audience!

This is an ASLI Club Observing Night, open to everyone!  We set up in the parking lot of the Vanderbilt Museum and the lights are turned off for us for the evening. Bring your telescope or binoculars to our public observing session, or look through our telescopes which we set up for everyone to look through.  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.  Check this website the day of this event before coming to the event, just to make sure it has not been cancelled because of weather.

We use them every day, but how many of us truly understand the technology that powers our phones, laptops, telescopes and even the most advanced spacecraft? For this session, we’re bringing the focus down to Earth—with a deep dive into batteries.  Our very own Daniel Sha, who has over 20 years of experience as a battery engineer, will be our guide. Dan has specialized in lithium-ion batteries for demanding applications in the military, commercial, and aerospace sectors. He’ll break down the science of what a battery is, how it works, the critical importance of safety, and what the future holds for the power sources that enable everything.