Starting Out Right
Rob Lentini
Okay, you've gotten the perfect beginner's scope, you bought a star chart, a quality eyepiece or two, and maybe you have already run through a pair of batteries with your red flashlight.  The planets and a few Messier objects have entertained you over the winter.  If you're like me, you probably aren't in the running for winning a cold weather observing Iron Man award, but you are looking forward to the Spring.  Now is a great time to get organized!

An excellent way to put together a list of objects, get motivated, track your progress, hone your skills, and reward yourself is to pursue an Astronomical League Observing Club award.  Regardless of your interests or skill level, there is probably an Astro League Club that you will enjoy.

Clubs are added periodically, and currently include the Lunar Club, Urban Observing Club, Universe Sampler Club, Binocular Messier Club, Deep Sky Binocular Club, Southern Skies Binocular Club, Messier Club, Herschel 400 Club, Herschel II Club, ARP Peculiar Galaxy Club, Asteroid Observing Club, Double Star Club, Meteor Club, Planetary Observers Club, and the Sunspotters Club.

You don't have to "join" a club to pursue an award; your membership in NOVAC qualifies you for the Astro League programs and awards.  Just visit the Astro League web site (http://www.astroleague.org) to find out the details of what to observe, how to record your observations, and how to submit them to receive the certificate.

As an example, the Lunar Club provides a list of 100 features on the moon to observe organized by naked eye, binoculars, or small telescope.  Getting a chance to view each feature is more important that what equipment you are using to do so... the Lunar Club allows you to move up to binoculars if a naked eye feature isn't apparent, or to move to a telescope if the feature evades your binocular view.  Optional features/activities are even provided in case any of the 100 regular features are just too difficult to spot.

Features include mare, craters, mountains, valleys, and more.  You'll learn a lot about the Moon as you work your way through the list.  The Lunar Club requires you to record the date and time you viewed each feature, and which instrument you used.  That's all there is to it.  Other clubs require drawings, details on the magnification, seeing conditions, or specific equipment used, or suggest projects and activities.

To get your Lunar Club certificate and pin(!), have the NOVAC Astronomical League Coordinator (John Avellone) review your log.  The Astro League will add you to their list of awardees.  NOVAC maintains a list of award recipients at http://www.novac.com/al.html.

Next time you see me at Mickey Gordon, ask me how I'm doing on my Messier and Lunar Club lists.  My pace is a little relaxed, so to speak, so it may be another year or two before you see my name on the awardee lists.  I am definitely having fun, though.  If you catch yourself going back to the Orion Nebula and Andromeda Galaxy a little too often, I strongly encourage you to browse the Astronomical League website and see if one of the observing clubs sounds interesting.