November 2019 President’s message
by Steve Hubbard
Welcome to Fall!
Hopefully the danger of mosquito born EEE virus infections will be past soon and we can all get back to some to what we love to do best. Getting out under a clear night sky and enjoying the show!
There’s lots to see and the nights are cool, but not cold and usually bug free. It’s one of the best times of the year for observing before the bitter cold of winter curbs our efforts.
This Fall, there is a special treat in store on Monday, November 11. If the skies are clear, there will be a bunch of us at Seagrave Observatory to watch the progress of Mercury as it crosses in front of the Sun. While not as rare an event as a transit of Venus, Mercury transits are uncommon with only about 13 or 14 happening each century. Mercury in general is not easy to see and there’s no better or easier time to see the small planet than during a transit. This will be primarily a member focused event and will be ongoing for a large portion of the day. The 11th is Veterans Day so it should be easy for many of you to come by and join the fun.
Our annual AstroAssembly this year was another smashing success. We had some of the best weather for this that I can remember and the speakers, friends that joined us and food were all fantastic. Thanks SO much to everyone who helped out and especially our point people on this, Bob Horton and Kathy Siok. This is always an event that takes a lot of time and planning to put together and it was great to see so many of our members help out. I’m already looking forward to next year’s AstroAssembly.
See you at our next meeting on Friday November 1.
