Astronomical League - Alcon 2025 Horkheimer Youth Awards

Teen/TAS AL Award Winners
Andrew Yu and Amelia Alinkil

The 2025 Jack Horkheimer/Parker
Youth Imaging Award

Andrew Yu

TAS Member and SWRAL Chairman Gary Carter attended ALCon 2025 in Utah, and accepted the Youth Awards on behalf of Teen/TAS members Andrew Yu and Amelia Alinkil. The placques were presented to the proud winners at the TAS General Meeting on September 26, 2025.
Also pictured: AL president Chuck Allen and VP Terry Mann

The 2025 Jack Horkheimer/O'Meira
Youth Journalism Award

Amelia Alinkil

JTAS Membership

How to Join JTAS

If you would like to attend a JTAS meeting or for more information on JTAS and what we do, send an e-mail to JTAS@texasastro.org

You may also scan the code below, or click on the image, to register for JTAS TODAY!

NOTE: Please make sure that the parents of JTAS member join TAS first. TAS registration is easy. Just follow this link to the TAS Membership Portal

Benefits of JTAS Membership

Benefit 1:

You can join fun and engaging zoom/in person meetings bi monthly. We will invite guest speakers and student members from JTAS to share the most exciting topics on aerospace technology.

Benefit 2:

Our second Summer Learning Program is about to start in June 2022. The JTAS Sky Puppy program will roll out soon for the younger group of kids.

The TAS dark site is also open for star observations by JTAS members and their families.

Benefit 3:

You can come to star parties led by our coach, Kevin Cobble. Coach Kevin is the owner of a private observatory in Princeton, TX.

Free rentals of Celestron telescopes are available to JTAS members.

If you would like to learn more about JTAS, send an e-Mail to:

Kevin Cobble
Junior Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas
JTAS@texasastro.org

Jack Horkheimer Youth Awards

The Horkheimer Charitable Fund sponsors four youth awards annually for the Astronomical League:

Two Service Awards,
An Imaging Award, and
A Journalism Award.

These award programs are presented through the generosity of the late Jack Horkheimer, TV’s Star Gazer, in an effort to recognize the importance that young people play in keeping amateur astronomy a vibrant avocation.

Horkheimer/Parker Youth Imaging Award

The Horkheimer/Parker Youth Imaging Award is named in honor of the late Don Parker of Coral Gables, Florida, who had a lifelong interest in astronomy, especially in the art of astrophotography. This award recognizes the imaging accomplishments of Astronomical League members who are 18 years of age or younger at the time of the nomination.

The first place winner will receive a $1000 check and plaque,
The second place winner will receive a $500 check, and
The third place winner will receive a $250 check.

Horkheimer/O’Meara Youth Journalism Award

The Horkheimer/O’Meara Journalism Award is named in honor of photojournalist and vulcanologist Donna O’Meara. Applicants are required to be between 8 to 14 years of age. Applicants are required to compose a 300 to 500 word essay on any science related topic. First place winners of a Horkheimer/O’Meara Award are ineligible to receive that same award again.

The first place winner will receive a $1000 check and plaque,
The second place winner will receive a $500 check, and
The third place winner will receive a $250 check.