The President’s Message

Welcome to our new normal. We had a great in person meeting at Hofstra in Sept, then went back to digital in Oct because I tested for Covid and the potential for severe weather. Now, our Nov meeting will be at the Cradle of Aviation Museum. They just recently opened a new NASA exhibit on Exo-planets which is a complimentary exhibit to the one at the East Meadow Library which we helped to open on Oct 16. 

The Oct Stars on Sunday program at Hofstra was canceled due to rain but we hope to get that in after our Nov and Dec meetings. If you would like to help with this public outreach program, contact our Activities Director, Barbara C. We need at least 5 people to run the telescopes and handle the public up on the roof of Berliner Hall after Prof Lubowich gives his presentation in the classroom. It’s always a well-attended program. From no programs for nearly 3 years, we were inundated with multiple outreach opportunities in Oct. Many thanks to all who helped at the school for special needs students, at Clark Gardens, the Jones Beach Nature Center, the Northshore Synagogue and the East Meadow Library. It was a busy month. An event at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Garden was canceled and rescheduled for the spring.

Many thanks to Dr Andrea Dupree – Director of Astrophysics, Harvard University, who discussed the Surficial Mass Ejection from Betelgeuse during the dimming event in 2020 and its potential consequences, https://wsvn.com/news/us-world/supergiant-betelgeuse-had-a-never-before-seen-massive-eruption/ at our Oct virtual meeting. The speculation surrounding this event caused quite a stir. Now, we think we have a better understanding and the results are startling.

Many thanks to Glen Chaple of the AAVSO who provided a digital program on the basics of observing variable stars on Oct 16. The best part of observing variables is that you don’t need pristine skies because what you’re doing is comparing stars of known brightness to those which change. They teach you everything you need to know. Determining why stars become variable may be essential to learning more about our own star and its. And our, future. 

Our next meeting is November 6 at 1:30pm, Cradle of Aviation Museum. Please be considerate of those who prefer to wear masks in large gatherings. Remember, the only dumb question is the one you don’t ask. Friends are like stars. You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there!

Please, everyone, be safe and be careful.

Sue Rose, AOSNY President