Western Amateur Astronomers

News:
G. Bruce Blair Award recipient for 2013

The Western Amateur Astronomers has awarded the G Bruce Blair Award  for 2013  to Albert J. Highe, Ph.D.

The prestigious G. Bruce Blair Medal is awarded annually by WAA to an individual who has made truly outstanding contributions to amateur astronomy.

Albert Highe is an active observer and telescope designer, active with TAC (The Astronomy Connection), participating in outreach, a regular attendee at Calstar
and other Northern California star parties. Albert, a professional design engineer recently authored "Engineering, Design and Construction of Portable Newtonian Telescopes,"
an engineering viewpoint of amateur telescope making and materials science.

The award will be presented Memorial Day Weekend on Saturday May 25 th during the 2013
Riverside Telescope Makers Conference-Astronomy Expo. at Big Bear, California.

Our congratulations to Albert Highe


RTMC (Riverside Telescope Makers Conference) is held yearly during Memorial Day weekend, at Y.M.C.A."Camp Oaks".
This is located about 50 miles northeast of Riverside in the San Bernardino mountains east of Big Bear Lake.
Follow Highway 38 east and north off Interstate 10 in Redlands.
Take Lake Williams Road about eight miles east of Big Bear City on Highway 38,  between mile posts 44 and 45.
Follow the telescope and RTMC signs from this intersection to the camp.

WAA sadly announces the loss of Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore on Dec. 6, 2012

Sir Patrick was a world renowned amateur astronomer, he became known as a specialist in Moon observations and created the Caldwell catalogue.
Best known for the BBC television series "The Sky at Night" which has become the worlds longest running series with the same original presenter.
In 1976, then Mr., Patrick Moore was awarded the G. Bruce Blair Medal by WAA.
During his lifetime, he also, attained prominent status in the field of astronomy as a writer, researcher and radio commentator.

WAA sadly announces the loss of John R. Sanford in Dec. 2011

John Sanford was a longtime Orange County Astronomers member, past recipient of the G. Bruce Blair Award and past President of WAA.
John was also the editor of many of the WAA Convention Proceedings and also did editing for other organizations including OCA and RTMC.
 Retiring, in the early 2000s, he relocated to Springville, CA (near Porterville), with several other So. Cal. amateurs in search of darker skies.
He graciously opened his Starhome Observatory to the WAA Board and Representatives for our winter meetings many times between 2002-11.

CLEAR SKIES JOHN !!

September 22-23, 2012
Pasadena Convention Center

WAA had a booth at PATS
Hope you stooped by while you are there.
6 WAA organizations were represented at the table at various times during the 2012 event.

We Welcome our new Commercial Member

Explore Scientific is the home of the "Astronomy Outreach Network"

Join WAA as a Commercial Member Info


• WAA     Objectives • WAA   2012 G. Bruce Blair Award
• WAA     History • WAA   2011 G. Bruce Blair Award
•WAA Current Membership • WAA   2010 G. Bruce Blair Award
• WAA      Officers • WAA   2009 G. Bruce Blair Award
• WAA     Membership Requirements • WAA   2008 G. Bruce Blair Award
•WAA G. Bruce Blair Award • G. Bruce Blair Award  past recipients
•The first WAA meeting  (Link)  or  (PDF) •John Goodricke Award     a local award

Questions about WAA should be directed to:

WAA Sec. Tim Thompson
or
your local WAA representative


ASTRONOMY   LINKS

•Astronomy Magazine •SAS •National Space Society •J P L
•Sky & Telescope Magazine •AAVSO •Planetary Society •Night Sky Network
•Heavens-Above •IOTA •Visit a local Planetarium •Astronomy Outreach Network
•Space Weather •ALPO •SETI Institute •Space Science Web Pages
•APOD •Antique Telescope Society •Mars Society •CalTech Astronomy
•Hubble Heratige Site •Citizen Sky •Mars Institute •NASA
•Clear Sky Chart • • •NASA-Missions
•CalSky •MrEclipse •International Dark Sky Association •Weather or NOT
• • • •

Thanks:
                        WAA wishes to extend our thanks and special recognition to some of the
                many people that have provided their assistance in helping us to secure meeting places
                and the additional hospitality extended to the WAA board and WAA representatives
                during recent board meetings.


Crab Nebula - M1

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Site last updated on 25 March 2013