Why hello there! After everything our entire planet has been through in the last year, it feels strange to dust off this web space. I intended to use this site to discuss our club and its membership, and our shared love for astronomy… but it’s hard to encourage people to …
The cinderblocks could still use a sealant. The roof needs a repair. The rails need staining. There’s still a lot to be done out at LaGrange Observatory, and the punch list seems like it doesn’t get any shorter. But one thing is for sure: “telescope” can now be checked off …
You’ve heard the grade-school imponderable question before: “If a tree falls in the woods, but no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?” Members of Shoals Astronomy Club may take a liberty to rewrite this thought experiment, by asking, “If an astronomy club gets ready for …
Brand marketing uses the term “relatable” to convey a product’s allure to the public. Amateur astronomy’s “product”, for lack of a better term, is an elusive clear sky unencumbered by light pollution; a difficult thing to find within city limits on select nights. Couple that with cultural disconnects about stellar …
There’s a compulsion to stay snuggled in a blanket, especially for a December meteor shower. For one, clear skies mean cold temperatures. Another, as peak times vary, it’s incredibly inconvenient to set an alarm for 12:30 or 1:00 a.m.; why can’t we just be up late, or wake up early? …
“What size were the boots you wore on the Apollo mission?” Many minutes into the Q&A that followed Thursday’s presentation given by Dr. Harrison Schmitt, someone asked him to recall the strangest question asked of him after the Apollo 17 mission. He easily recalled his flat, unambiguous response: “I have …
At our meeting on November 30th, we took up several topics of recent interest: our introduction to Roy May and the star atlas he gave the club, our upcoming Christmas dinner on December 14th, and the flyby of 3200 Phaethon two days after that. I’ll get back to that topic in a …
An allure for events like Christmas In The Country is clearly nostalgia. Surrounded by saddle-notched buildings and people in period clothing often affords a sense of “time-travel”, as visitors witness a village filled with the trappings of a time long passed. And while the arrow of time may irrevocably fly …
In a word, First Fridays Florence was amazing, considering that an unfavorable early forecast gave way to partly sunny skies and incredible evening temperatures on Friday. But what really made the event was the overwhelming response from the community, as people oftentimes surrounded the tables. The lure of free eclipse shades was …
What a pleasant night on LaGrange Mountain! Everyone’s food contribution was amazing, and we were so grateful to have so many on hand to enjoy some night sky fellowship. It was welcoming just to roll the roof back on the observatory and idly chat about space lore, especially in familiar …
