Astronomy Students Association
UT Astronomy Students Association
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Information For:

Astronomy Majors
 

Prospective
Members
 

Educators and
Event Organizers
 

List of Past Events

May 2003

5/24-26 - McDonald Observatory Trip
Brief Tentative Trip Itinerary:
Saturday, May 24th
8AM - Meet at UT campus to head to McDonald
Observatory (approx. 8 hour drive with stops
along the way to eat at your own expense)
6PM - Dinner at McDonald Obs., hang out, rest,
observe.
Sunday, May 25th
More observing and activities!
Monday, May 26th (times tentative depending on group)
10AM - Leave McDonald Observatory for Austin
~9PM - Travel arrangements from UT campus to your
home are up to you.

April 2003

4/11 Fri. - Camping Trip
  • We will be camping at Lake Somerville State Park.
  • ASA will pay for the campsite fees and provide tents.
  • You will need to pay $5 for food in advance and a $3 park entrance fee at the gate.
  • You will need to bring your own sleeping bag or blankets. If you don't have a sleeping bag you can rent one with your student ID at Gregory Gym for the weekend at $10.
  • You must commit to the trip by 6:30pm Wednesday, April 2nd, preferably during the ASA meeting, if not, by emailing Phill.
  • To purchase your food we need the $5 by 4:30pm Thursday, April 10th in RLM 13.130.
  • For those that have signed up and paid, we will be meeting at the RLM escalators at 5:30pm on Friday to load up and head out.
  • Some students are leaving earlier, maybe around 1:30pm, if you want to go with them contact Phill for more info.

    • March 2003

    3/1 Sat - UT Explore
    We will have a table set up during Explore UT - The Biggest Open House in Texas, and have some astronomy demos for the public to enjoy.

    February 2003

    2/22 Sat - Breakthrough
    We will be giving a tour of the RLM observatory to a group of "at-risk" teens from the Austin community Breakthrough program.

    2/19 Wed - Eanes Elementary School Visit, 4:00PM
    ASA will be participating in the Eanes Elementary school "Science Night" with comet and crater making demos along with some telescope observing.

    2/7 Friday - Girl Scout Star Party
    We will be participating in a star party for Girl Scouts at the Whitetail Observatory.

    January 2003

    1/31 Fri - Whitetail Observatory
    Star Party for Girl Scouts along with Williamson County Astronomy Club.

    1/29 Wed - Open House Meeting
    We will be discussing what ASA is all about, describing the various activities that we participate in and how we have fun in general. All majors are welcome and there are no dues for membership. Free food and drinks will be served.

    November 2002

    11/16 Sat. - ASA-SPS Joint Camping Trip
    The Society of Physics Students will be joining us on our camping trip to Inks Lake State Park. The trip is scheduled for Nov. 16 so that we may view part of the Leonid Meteor Shower!
    Please let us know if you are interested in attending.

    11/15 Fri. - Outreach Lecture Series
    We will have pre-lecture(5:45-6:45pm) activies for the public in the Welch foyer.
    Dr. William Cochran's lecture will be on the search for extrasolar planetary systems.

    11/8 Fri - Whitetail Observatory
    We will be assisting with the Whitetail Observatory Star Party for the Block House Creek Elementary School.
    Contact Katherine for more info.

    Spring Semester 2002

    ASA T-Shirt Design "Contest"
    This semester ASA would like to make T-Shirts that we can wear to activities like school visits and public star parties (and around campus if you're not too embarrased). For this purpose, we need creative members to come up with a T-Shirt design. Rebecca would like all prospective designs to be presented at the February 13 general meeting (Wednesday @ 6:15PM in RLM 15.612A).

    Things to consider for your design(s):
    - Simple color schemes work best (to keep costs down)
    - You may want to design a front and back (or just a front)
    - The T-Shirt should clearly say "Astronomy Students Association"
    - Be sure you would wear it yourself!

    Remember, please bring your designs to the February 13 meeting. If you come up with color schemes, great, but if not, we can decide that at the meeting as well.

    February 2002

    02/20 Wed - Eanes Elementary School Visit, 5:00PM-7:30PM
    ASA's first activity of the semester will be volunteering at Eanes Elementary school as part of their "Science Night." It's a great way to get involved! Please read the following message from ASA's President, Rebecca, for more details.

    I need to know who would be interested in going to the school visit at Eanes Elementary. I need to know people who can for sure go because the lady contacted me and needs a number. Here are the details: Wednesday, February 20th 5:30-7:30, we need to leave campus at 5PM on the dot. We will have a table or two of demonstrations and a star party. There will be practices for both prior to the trip. The children will range from ages 3-11. Dinner will be provided, but I need to know of special dietary conditions ( vegan, non-dairy, etc. ). Please email me ASAP regarding this.

    Thanks!
    Rebecca

    Email Rebecca if you would like volunteer.

    January 2002

    01/23 Wed - Open House, 6:15PM
    The ASA Open House will be held Wednesday, January 23, 2002 @ 6:15PM in RLM 15.216B. Meet the officers, find out what we have planned for the semester, find out how you can get involved, and enjoy free pizza and liquid nitrogen ice cream. All majors are welcome! Join us and discover what ASA is all about!

    December 2001

    12/07 Fri - End of Semester Party
    Just wanted to let you all know that next Friday, December 7, is the end of the semester party. It will be at Pamela's residence, and it starts at 7:00 PM. Pamela will provide punch, non-alcoholic beverages, and food. For those of you who like cheese ( cause I know a lot of you do! ) there will be plenty of that. Also there will be a gift exchange. If you would like to participate in the gift exchange, purchase a unisex gift under $10, wrap it, but don't put a name on it. Make sure you purchase something that you would appreciate getting yourself...no gag gifts. Directions to Pamela's residence will be posted on the web sometime next week. If you need a ride, you will need to arrange it yourself. I am sure that there are people who would be willing to give you a lift if you need one. That's about it for now, look for a reminder next week!

    Rebecca

    For more information, come to the 12/05/2001 ASA meeting.

    October 2001

    10/31 Wed - Wild Basin Halloween Star Party
    ASA will be hosting a Star Party at Wild Basin on Halloween. There should be 30-40 people attending. More details will be send out by email. If you can volunteer, please contact Rebecca. There will be a practice session sometimes during the week of 10/21 to 10/27/2001 (learn how to use/point the telescopes, etc.).

    CANCELLED 10/20 Sat - Camping Trip Make-up CANCELLED
    The camping trip make-up has been cancelled as well. We're going to schedule *another* camping trip for later this semester. Come to the meetings and watch your email for more information.

    CANCELLED 10/12 Fri - Camping Trip CANCELLED
    Cancelled due to bad weather. Rescheduled for Saturday, 10/20/2001 (see below).

    September 2001

    9/29 Sat - ASA Information Table on Parents' Day, 9:00AM-11:00AM
    Held at the Texas Memorial Museum. Everyone who volunteers by Friday (9/28) at 2:00PM will receive a free College of Natural Sciences T-shirt! Contact Rudy to volunteer (remember to send him your T-shirt size!).

    9/28 Fri - Parents' Weekend Star Party, 7:30PM-10:30PM
    We will meet at 7:30PM on the 15th floor of RLM. The star party will be on the roof and starts at 8:00PM. Refreshments will be served (possibly by you, but still served for ALL to have!). Contact Rudy to volunteer!

    9/19 Wed - Guest Speaker, 6:00PM (Following the general meeting)
    Dr. Bradley Schaefer will be speaking at the ASA meeting. The meeting will be held at 6:00PM in the RLM 15.216A lounge. Following the general meeting we will move to the 15.216B lecture room to hear Dr. Schaefer's talk entitled "The Great Ptolemy-Hipparchus Feud":

    Who was the observer of the star catalog in the Almagest; Ptolemy or Hipparchus? For the last four centuries, this question has split historians into the most vicious dispute in all astronomy, even putting the Hubble Constant debate to shame. I have a new technique for determining the latitude of the observer, and the answer is...

    This is a great opportunity to learn more about astronomy from a member of UT Astronomy Department!

    CANCELLED 9/15 Sat - First Star Party, 5:00PM CANCELLED
    The star party previously scheduled for Saturday, September 14, 2001, has been cancelled. I hope people aren't too disappointed. We'll try to schedule another star party ASAP!

    9/12 Wed - Open House, 6:00PM
    The ASA Open House will be held Wednesday, September 12, 2001 @ 6:00PM in RLM 15.216B. Meet the officers, find out what we have planned for the semester, find out how you can get involved, and enjoy free pizza and liquid nitrogen ice cream. All majors are welcome! Join us and discover what ASA is all about!





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