Meetings are held at noon on the second Tuesday of each month. They often feature a speaker, usually either a Goddard scientist discussing current research or a member of the Goddard community speaking on some aspect of amateur astronomy.
We publish a monthly newsletter, the Nebula, which features club and astronomy news, articles and observations by members, etc.
Membership
Membership is open to anyone who holds a Goddard badge, including both civil servants and contractors, on-site and off. Dues are currently $10/year. The dues pay for club memberships in the Astronomical League and the International Dark-Sky Association, interest on our club bank account and the rest is for equipment for the club observatory.
Members may subscribe to Sky and Telescope magazine at a substantial discount; the member rate is currently $32.95/year.
To join: Fill out the application form and send it along with $10 or for $42.95 if you want a subscription to Sky & Telescope
(make checks payable to the Goddard Astronomy Club) and send it to the Treasurer,
currently Howard Dew at Code 581.0 at extension 4-5329.
I don't work at Goddard, but I'd like to join: Sorry. We considered having non-Goddard members, but concluded that the complications resulting from Goddard's security make this unfeasible. (However, guests are welcome to join us for our off-site activities, such as Astronomy Day and field trips.) Here are some other astronomy clubs in the area that are open to the public. Each has a different flavor, so we suggest trying several before deciding:
Or you can look under Astronomy Links for more area clubs.
Current instrumentation consists of the following:
We also have annual field trips to dark sky observing sites, such as Caroline Furnace
or Big Meadows, VA, and to
astronomy conventions and star parties such as Stellafane,
Mason-Dixon, and
Blackwater Falls.
Here is a detailed listing of our upcoming events.
Club Resources
GAC maintains an observatory on the grounds of the Goddard Geophysical and Astrophysical Observatory (Area 200, off Springfield Rd.). Club members may check out the observatory key from the main-gate guardhouse at any time. If someone has the already checked out, call 301-286-2119 to get someone to come to the GGAO gate to let you in.
Additionally, some members have access to other telescopes at GGAO, and can make arrangements for their use.
Club Activities
Star parties (observing sessions) are held at the observatory every month, usually scheduled on a Friday night close to the last quarter moon. The backup days (if the weather is bad) is the next night, Saturday, and then the following weekend on Friday or Saturday, which is near the new moon.
The star parties are not public, but guests of members are welcome. The
Goddard Visitor's Center does hold public star parties which we often support.