January 25, 2008

• Meeting began at 6:40 pm, after a short wait for more people to show up, but they never did. Kudos to those who came, though! And welcome new members!
• Announcements about the new Listserv, the new meeting schedule (every other Friday as opposed to every first Friday of each month), and other regular activities in which the members participate.
• Possible NYC Hayden Planetarium trip organized by the Central Pennsylvania Observers - more information coming.
• Discussion of possible field trips organized by the club itself. If you're interested in touring the Swift satellite control center, please email Lu (lwf5001 at psu.edu) with a list of available times, preferably for at least 2 continuous hours, during weekdays.
• Discussion about possible club activities, such as the roundtable discussion, astrophotography, and (new) astronomy headline news, in addition to the Solar System project. More club projects to revamp activities for AstroFest / AstroNight / SpaceDay also mentioned.
• Small group - casual discussion - about various topics followed. Pizza.
• A short planetarium "show" before the Open House. Mars and Saturn are two of the objects observed in the cold night.

March 21, 2008

• Meeting begins at 6:30 pm with miscellaneous chatting
• Meeting officially begins at 6:40 pm
• Introduction of our new grad student adviser: Jason Young (the new "Kim")
• Discussion of the Messier Marathon (date, location site, etc) - mostly likely in April
• Old web master Colleen Konsavage visits briefly
• Pizza ordered
• Open House: phone message update (cloudy!) and website concerns
• Possible trip to Altoona for planetarium show at Corey's (VP's) high school - likely to be a Friday evening or Saturday
• Astro News: GRB 080319B, methane on exoplanet, most supermassive black hole found to-date
• Solar System Tour discussion of practicality and its connection to AstroFest
• Possible fund-raising idea by selling astrophotographs taken by our own telescopes during ArtsFest
• Ideas to fix the 24" telescope
• Solar System Tour task divided
• Planetarium show at 8:45pm - decent attendance; success

April 4, 2008

• Meeting begins at 6:35 pm with a call for volunteers for Exploration Day
• Discussion of possible Messier Marathon dates (Apr 25, Apr 26, Apr 18)
• Update on Solar System Tour
• Hot Topics: smallest black hole (3.8 solar masses), Dexter the Magnificent?
• Elections - unexciting, same officers as present
• Astro game

April 18, 2008

• Presidentless meeting, and vice president takes over for the first time
• Happy weather!
• Unable to decide on pizza...
• New forum set up for astro club: http://doinitinddark.forumwww.com
• Forum mostly for Solar System Tour
• Puzzling over Blue & White game and its effect on Open House
• Obligatory astro news (Mars simulation)
• Solar System Tour discussion - template, Earth, Jupiter, units for the public
• Pizza arrived at 7pm
• Discussion about 24" telescope and departmental politics
• Solar System progress report dates: information May 20, first draft (everything put together for critique purposes) June 15, final draft (what will be printed out) July 1
• Mercury: Lu Feng, Venus: Andrew Shevchuk, Earth: Jason Young, Mars: Theresa Tauscher, Jupiter: Corey Friedenberger, Saturn: , Neptune: Keegan McCoy, Uranus:, Pluto: John Shepard
• Ice-cream - Jason cracks under pressure

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