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The Decatur Area
Astronomy Club came into being as the result of a chance meeting
of several of its founding members. That meeting took place at the 19th
annual Astronomy Jamboree, hosted by the Macon County Conservation
District, and held at Friend's Creek Conservation Area, on August 24th,
2002. At the jamboree, a group of people started talking about the need
and desire for a club. That night we decided that we would form an
astronomy club. In prior years there had been another astronomy club in the Decatur area. It too was called the Decatur Area Astronomy Club, but for various reasons that was club disbanded. The founding members of the new club decided to reuse the name because it defined who we are and the area we wanted to bring the joy of astronomy to. The club works closely with local schools, scout troops, park districts, and other civic organizations through its’ public outreach programs to bring astronomy to the citizens of our area. Those outreach programs include: Public observing session, where the club invites the general public to view through our telescopes, lectures on astronomical topics, bringing fun, and educational astronomy topics to area school children’s classrooms, and helping local scouts earn their astronomy merit badges. Being a member of the club however, is not just about bringing astronomy to the masses. The club was started because the founding members love astronomy, and astronomy involves observing the heavens. So the club holds member only observing session once a month, on the Saturday closest to the new moon. Those dates are posted on the club’s website. In addition we hold semi-regular meetings where the membership gathers to take care of club business. At these meetings, in addition to business being taken care of, one can hear lectures related to astronomical topics, discuss the newest piece of astronomy software or hardware, or just enjoy one another’s company. The club runs and maintains this website where there is a wealth of information related to the club, upcoming club events, monthly almanacs, star charts, lunar maps, meteor shower dates, and numerous other astronomy related topics. The club also publishes a monthly newsletter titled Through The Eyepiece. This newsletter is more than a newsletter it is almost a magazine. In addition to news items relating to the club each month, you will find numerous articles on the latest breaking news related to the astronomical world. The newsletter is distributed to the membership via email, and is also available on the website The club has established an astronomy library. This library holds numerous books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, software, and video tapes related to astronomy or space exploration. The materials in this library are available for loan to any member of the club. The club also has a 10” Dobsonian telescope, binoculars, and other optical aids. These are also available for loan to members of the club. David F. Berns, |