meetings
Our indoor, or Business Meeting, is held the first1 Thursday of every month beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the ETV Telecommunications Center, at 1041 George Rogers Boulevard2. Our newsletter will advise of any changes in date or location. The meetings include some brief club business, a report of astronomical events, and featured speakers. Three times each year (Spring, Summer, and Fall) MAC has an AstroPhoto Contest with the annual run-off of the year's winners in November. We also try to include some time for "Show & Tell" near the end of each meeting to give members a chance to show off new equipment and related bits of information. After each meeting we have time for refreshments and fellowship.
1 Except when there is a USC football game or other major program at the stadium or Fairgrounds. The revised date will be noted in the calendar and newsletter.
2 Except in December where it is held at a special location.
General Meeting Location
The monthly meetings are currently held at
the
ETV Telecommunications Center
1101 George Rogers Boulevard
Next Meeting
Date: 06.06.2013
Speaker: Dr. Varsha Kulkarni
Topic: Astronomy in the News
Location: SC ETV at 1101 George Rogers Blvd., Columbia, SC
Annual Holiday Party
The year-end party is another opportunity for club members and their families to have fun. Awards, door prizes, games and food are part of the festivities.
When: Thursday, 5 December, 7:00 pm
Location: TBD
RSVP: TBD
Past Meetings & Minutes
| Date | Speaker/Topic | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 05.02.13 |
GS: Frank Barnes - Astrophotography: Getting the Most From Your Equipment MP: Martin Bowers - Online Astronomy Course Review |
.docx |
| 04.04.13 |
GS: Tom Falvey - Astronomy at the Museum |
.docx |
| 03.07.13 |
GS: Marc Bremmer - Space Telescope Institute MP: Spring Astrophoto Contest |
.docx |
| 02.07.13 |
GS: Hap Griffin - History of the MAC-Hunter Project MP: George Walters - Astronomy Software |
.docx |
| 01.03.13 |
MP: Hap Griffin - Comets of 2013 MP: Paul Romanyszyn - Observing Tips |
.docx |
| 12.06.12 |
Topic: Annual Holiday Party at Casa Linda MP: Raffle |
.docx |
| 11.01.12 | GS: Gayle Riggsbee Topic: History of the Yerkes Observatory MP: AstroPhoto Runoff Contest MP: Martin Bowers: Online Astronomy Courses Other: Election of 2013 Club Officers |
.docx |
| 10.04.12 | GS: Dr. Monique Aller Topic: Galaxies in the Local Universe and Beyond MP: Will Nelson - Astronomy Apps |
.docx |
| 09.06.12 | GS: John Hodge Topic: Discovering Galaxies & What Happens When Neighboring Galaxies Crash the Party MP: Fall AstroPhoto Contest |
.docx |
| 08.02.2012 | GS: Hap Griffin Topic: Astrophoto Processing Techniques |
.docx |
| 07.12.2012 | GS: Alex Mowery Topic: Melton Observatory Tour (Rained-Out) GS Back-up: Hap Griffin Topic: Slideshow of NASA launches and Space Shuttle preparation for museums |
.docx |
| 06.07.2012 | GS: Rick Boozer
Topic: Magellanic Clouds Topic: Summer AstroPhoto Contest |
.docx |
| 05.03.2012 | DVD: In the Shadow of the Moon
MP: Martin Bowers Topic: Southern Star Astronomy Convention |
.docx |
| 04.05.2012 | GS: Tom Falvey
Special Location: SC State Museum 301 Gervais Street Topic: Night at the Museum |
.docx |
| 03.01.2012 | GS: Tom Field
Topic: Amateur Spectroscopy Topic: Spring AstroPhoto Contest |
.doc |
| 02.02.2012 | GS: Hap Griffin
Topic: Mars Science Labratory Launch |
.doc |
| 01.05.2012 | GS: Mark Yeager
Topic: Apollo, A Space Brat's Perspective |
.doc |
| 12.01.2011 | Holiday Dinner | |
| 11.03.2011 | GS: Dr. Varsha P. Kulkarni Life of a Star MP: Astrophoto Runoff |
.doc |
| 10.06.2011 | GS: Paul Wieber History of the space program | |
| 09.01.2011 | GS: John Hodge Juno Mission to Jupiter | |
| 08.04.2011 | GS: Rick Boozer Using Remote Robotic Telescopes for Astrophotography
MP: Doyle, Hap, Alex, Stuart Last Shuttle launch |
|
| 07.07.2011 | MP: Charles H. China Trip
MP: Paul R. Stellarium tips and tricks |
|
| 06.02.2011 | MP: Summer Astrophoto Contest | |
| 05.05.2011 | GS: Gayle Riggsbee The History of the Discovery of Neptune | |
| 04.07.2011 | GS: Dr. Safko Exo-Planets
MP: Martin B. Prague Astronomical Clock MP: Bob L. CyberSky astronomical software |
|
| 03.03.2011 | MP:Joe R. software Starry Night
MP:Hap G. Astro Photo Processing MP: Spring Astrophoto contest |
.doc |
| 02.03.2011 | MP: Tom Falvey Night at the Museum | |
| 01.06.2011 | MP: Doug Lybrand How to dress for cold weather
MP: Joe Bowers Astronomy Software MP: Video Cosmic Collisions |
.doc |
| 12.02.2010 | Holiday dinner and raffle
MP: Christopher Edwards Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life in Our Universe |
|
| 11.04.2010 | The Blast Video | |
| 10.07.2010 | GS: Elizabeth Warner,UM, EPOXI and Observing Comet Hartley | |
| 09.09.2010 | GS: Dr. Varsha P. Kulkarni, Interstellar Matter Across Time
MP: Joe B. Astronomical League Award Program |
.wav audio |
| 08.05.2010 | Al Parker, Colliding Galaxies | |
| 07.01.2010 | Dr. John Safko Exoplanet discoveries update
MP: Beginner's Corner: Observing weather resources |
|
| 05.06.2010 | Chris Edwards Scientific Methods Used to Determine the Age, Size and Composition of the Universe
MP: Beginner's Corner: Reflecting Telescopes: Newtonians and Catadioptrics |
.wav audio |
| 04.01.2010 | John Hodge Mercury and the NASA Messenger Mission
MP: Beginner's Corner: Refracting Telescopes |
|
| 03.04.2010 | Spring Astrophoto Contest
Gayle Riggsbee Construction of the Hale 200" Telescope MP: Beginner's Corner: The Messier Marathon |
|
| 02.04.2010 | Chris Edwards, Evolution of Our Universe
MP: Beginner Corner: Basic telescope types |
|
| 01.07.2010 | Frank Barnes, Remote Astrophotography
MP: Raffel,Items did not make the Dec meeting MP: Show and Tell MP: Macware is in |
|
| 12.3.2009 | Brian Peterson Astro Adventures in Tanzania | |
| 11.05.2009 | .doc | |
| 10.01.2009 | .doc | |
| 09.03.2009 | Fall AstroPhoto Contest
Al Parker Saturn |
|
| 08.06.2009 | Tom Falvey Night at the Museum
SC State Museum 301 Gervais Street |
|
| 06.04.2009 | .doc | |
| 03.05.2009 | Spring AstroPhoto Contest
Adrienne Huffman Windows to New Worlds |
|
| 02.05.2009 | Chris Edwards Scientific Methods: Understanding Our Universe Through Reason and Evidence | .txt, .doc |
| 01.08.2009 | Brian Peterson Astro Adventures in Tanzania | .txt, .doc |
| 12.04.2008 | James Spurck Has the Bethlehem Star Mystery Been Revealed | |
| 08.07.2008 | Elizabeth Warner, UM, NASA Missions & Amateur Astronomers | |
| 07.03.2008 | Hap Griffin Astronomical Coordinate Systems and Basic Astronomical Motions
Steve Foster Planetary Imaging |
minutes |
| 06.05.2008 | Summer AstroPhoto Contest
Mary Riley A Brief History of Celestial Navigation John Hodge II Light Curve Analysis of Cataclysmic Variable Star Systems: CAM VAR 06, FS AUR, HT CAS, IP PEG, and EQ AQR |
|
| 05.01.2008 | ||
| 04.03.2008 | ||
| 03.06.2008 | Spring AstroPhoto Contest | |
| 02.07.2008 | minutes | |
| 01.03.2008 | John Hodge, SSA, Hot Topics in Planetary Science: Liquid Water on Enceledus, Rivers on Titan, Voyager update, and the Kitchen Sink | minutes |
| 12.06.2007 | Elizabeth Warner, UM, Behind the Scenes: Deep Impact, Dawn, EPOXI | |
| 11.01.2007 | AstroPhoto Runoff
Hap Griffin Astrophoto Processing 101 |
minutes |
| 09.06.2007 | Fall AstroPhoto Contest
Adrienne Huffman The OPT Project |
minutes |
| 08.02.2007 | Dr. John Safko Recent Progress in the Searches for Extra-Solar Planets | |
| 07.05.2007 | AstroPhotography Basics | minutes |
| 06.07.2007 | Summer AstroPhoto Contest
MP: The Dawn Mission and Vesta MP: MAC-Hunter AstroPhoto Highlights |
minutes |
| 05.03.2007 | Marcus Goodkind History of Manned Space Flight | minutes |
| 04.05.2007 | John Hodge Rock Glaciers and Lava Flows in the High Andes of Chile: An Analogue for Mars | |
| 03.01.2007 | Spring AstroPhoto Contest
Dr. V. Kulkarni, USC, Quasar Spectroscopy and Galaxy Evolution |
photos |
| 02.01.2007 | MP: Comet McNaught, Hubble | photos |
| 01.04.2007 | Christmas Show & Tell
Winter Weather Wear |
minutes
photos |
| 12.07.2006 | John Hodge WWII B-25 from Lake Murray
Hap Griffin New construction at MAC-Hunter |
|
| 11.02.2006 | Elisabeth Benchich, UNCC, Galaxy collisions and mergers | |
| 10.05.2006 | Hap G. Star Gazing Video
John H. Practical Problems Landing Large Payloads (Humans) on Mars |
|
| 09.07.2006 | Fall AstroPhoto Contest
Johnny Horne His latest astrophotography approaches |
|
| 08.03.2006 | Gayle Riggsbee History of the observation of the rings of Saturn | |
| 07.06.2006 | ||
| 06.01.2006 | Summer AstroPhoto Contest
Dan Overcash, USC, ?? |
|
| 05.04.2006 | Neil Carroll, Starbuckets Telescopes | |
| 04.06.2006 | John Hodge Asteroids, Comets, and Meteorites: Agents of Geological Change | |
| 03.02.2006 | Spring AstroPhoto Contest
Elizabeth Warner, UM, Results from Deep Impact |
|
| 01.05.2006 | Christmas Show & Tell
Winter weather survival |