TAS Virtual General Meeting on Zoom
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How to Attend the TAS Virtual General Meeting on Zoom
Friday, August 27, 2021 @ 7:30 pm CDT
The General Meeting of the Texas Astronomical Society is held on the fourth Friday of each month, except November. No meeting is held in December.
Members in good standing of the Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas will receive an email notification containing information about how to join the virtual meeting.
7:00pm | Zoom open for Q&A |
7:30pm | Meeting called to order Opening remarks from the President Speaker Introduction by Vice President Speaker Presentation |
8:45pm | Break |
9:00pm | TAS Business Meeting |
9:30pm | Constellation of the Month |
10:00pm | Adjourn to BAMSIG |
TAS MEMBERS: TAS sends out ZOOM meeting notifications and links via Constant Contact. If you are not receiving our e-mail:
President's Letter - August 2021
Dear Fellow TAS Members,
It's a busy time of year in the life of TAS, and I continue to be impressed with the dedication of TAS members. As I write this, summer has just now really heated up, with temperatures approaching 100. Your board of directors have been busy getting ready for the end of the fiscal year and preparing a budget for the year that starts in August.
Atoka has been abuzz with activity as well. Glenn Fitzgerald, Greg Jones and Jason Pyron have been working behind the scenes to inspect and document the aging electrical infrastructure at our Bortle 3 dark site. At the July General Meeting, Greg presented their findings and their ideas for upgrading the wiring that provides electricity to the member observing pads as well as the leased pads. We are indebted to Glenn, Greg and Jason for everything they’ve done so far. The Board of Directors and the General Membership approved the concept that Greg’s presentation laid out for us, so now they will further develop their ideas and ultimately propose a plan of action for completing the work. This will include estimated costs as well as timeframes for each phase of the work. Several TAS members volunteered their expertise and experience to provide additional perspectives to the plan, which will make the final product even better.
TAS officially has a new Junior Texas Astronomical Society, thanks to the leadership of Kevin Cobble and Cathy Hao. JTAS is actively conducting their own meetings already, under the leadership of Hanson Du, who is President of JTAS.
I am happy to announce that the bunks project has been fully funded, thanks to the generosity of TAS members! The General Membership approved the purchase of the new bunks, and Gary Carter is working with the selected vendor to place the order. The new bunkhouse is open for member use now. Just remember to bring whatever you need in terms of a chair, a sleeping bag, a cot, etc., since the new bunkhouse is not yet furnished. We will need volunteers to do some finish work in the bunkhouse, and volunteers to install the bunks once they are delivered. If you are interested in helping, contact Gary Carter or myself.
Weekly star parties are resuming gradually, so watch the calendar on the TAS website for updates. So far star party leaders have held events in Cedar Hill and in Frisco.
At the July General Meeting, our VP, Tammy Onufreiczuk, facilitated a discussion of members’ favorite astronomy accessories, tools and resources. Lots of good ideas were shared, and it was nice to have the chance to interact with other members on Zoom. Thanks, Tammy!
The gate code at Atoka has recently been changed, so be sure to register your visit on the Membership Portal of the website before going.
Lastly, we’re coming up on officer and director elections in September. The nominating committee has been busy building a slate of candidates for your consideration. We’re still in need of one director at large, so please contact me if you are interested. My email is president@texasastro.org.
We are closely monitoring the situation with the COVID-19 delta variant, and will take whatever action the board deems necessary if CDC guidance should change materially. Everyone’s overwhelming preference is to keep moving forward, of course.
See you at the next General Meeting on Zoom, Friday, August 27th at 7:30 pm.
Thank You and Clear Skies!
Dodie Reagan
President
Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas
TAS Short Sleeve Logo T-shirts
Three column web layout courtesy of Matthew James Taylor
Sun, Moon, and Tonight's Sky
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(times in CDT): Sunrise today: 7:12am Sunset today: 7:31pm Moonrise today: 6:40pm Moonset today: 4:39am 90% of moon illuminated |
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Current Phase
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Phase Calendar
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Courtesy USNO |
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Click the above image for a chart. Popup blockers must be disabled. Chart courtesy of Fourmilab Switzerland. |
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| Major Planets and Moon Charts |
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Bright Minor Planet Charts Observable Comet Charts Magnitudes observed within the last 5 days:
Minor planet and comet lists, and corresponding orbital elements, are courtesy of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Charts courtesy of Fourmilab Switzerland |
Special Interest Groups
APSIG (Astrophotography Special Interest Group) is sponsored by the Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas, Texas.
APSIG meets once a month to share information and learn more about the art and science of Astrophotography -- taking photographs of objects in the night sky such as planets, galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. Imaging these celestial objects requires special techniques and equipment, but are attainable by anyone willing to point their camera skyward. Come learn how! For more information on APSIG just follow this link...
ObSIG (Observing Special Interest Group) is sponsored by the Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas, Texas. ObSIG meets once a month to promote astronomical observing with telescopes, binoculars, and naked eye. We are also here to help new comers to the hobby of amateur astronomy to get started, learn the sky, and get help picking out the right equipment. For more information on ObSIG, follow this link.
Our meetings are held online via ZOOM, on the SECOND Wednesday of each month. All ObSIG meetings start at 7:00.
ObSIG Meeting Schedule
If you would like to attend an online ObSIG meeting, send an e-Mail to:
Lloyd Lashbrook
Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas
lloydlashrook@gmail.com
ATMSIG (Amateur Telescope Makers Special Interest Group) is sponsored by the Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas, Texas.
The ATMSIG meets every other month to explore the design, construction and adjustment of both do it yourself and professionally built telescopes. Anyone interested in building their first scope will find this group a big help in finding the best place to start. You don’t need to have a well equipped workshop, just a few simple tools and an interest in building or modifying it yourself. The ATMSIG is a wonderful place to see projects built locally by TAS members and to share new ideas for the future! For more information, just follow this link...
Please Note: ATMSIG is currently inactive.
Clear Sky Clocks
Dallas, TX:
Atoka, OK:
Comanche Springs, TX (Home of 3RF):
Click an image for a complete sky condition forecast.
TAS In Action
Donate to TAS
Atoka Weather Station
TAS Recurring Star Parties
Please call the Public Observing Hot Line for the latest star party information and any notices of cancellations.
TAS holds 4 regular monthly Star Parties where our members get together to observe and educate about the night sky. Come join us to look at planets, stars, and other celestial wonders. The monthly Star Party schedule is as follows:
Our full schedule of activities is on our calendar. Please come out and join us or volunteer at one of our events.
Member Resources
Visit the members' discussion forum to discuss astro-type stuff with fellow TAS members.
Visit the Members Only section for access to:
Constellation of the Month: September: Pegasus and Andromeda
Check out our Telescope Buying Guide ,Telescope Mount Buying Guide, and Star Charts for beginners. These can also be found under the "Features" section of the Main Menu.
Visit our Deep Sky and Solar System Galleries and see the work of our world-class astro-imagers!
We invite you to further explore our website for more information and hope you consider becoming a member of our Society. TAS is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, donations to which would be tax deductable for U.S. taxpayers under IRS rules. Donations may be given by using our secure PayPal site and indicating "donation" on the form.
Thank you for your gracious support of the Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas.
About the Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas
Our annual membership dues are very reasonable and can be paid on-line using the PayPal link listed below. Membership is open to anyone having an interest in Astronomy and the night sky. Please visit the Club Information section for more on TAS. New members can download the New Members Handbook from the Members Only Section of the website. Follow @TASObserveContact TAS Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas P.O. BOX 830742 Email: Membership@texasastro.org Officers: Contact Officers
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TAS is a member of
| TAS is a member of
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Dr. Michael McGuigan
The Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas was chartered in 1955
to promote interest and research, and to give instruction in the
science of astronomy and related disciplines. Membership is open to
anyone having an interest in astronomy and related subjects and
includes benefits such as a our monthly newsletter, discounts to
the top astronomy magazines, access to our dark sky observing site
and many more. 
