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Date: May 22-25, 2009
Attendance:
1,199

The theme for this year was "The International Year of Astronomy." The weather was clear and calm throughout the weekend with pleasant daytime and nighttime temperatures. A -7 magnitude Iridium flare was a highlight of Friday night viewing. The swap meet was as successful as ever with stuff being sold all day Saturday.  The kids shows were a big hit with a roving solar system tour and a comet making demonstration, and the Beginners Corner was very popular.

Speakers

Keynote Speaker: E. C. Krupp, "Delivering the Starry Message"

Robert Fulton Goff Invitational Lecture on Optics and Optical Design: Robert Sigler, "Glass-Liquid Apochromats"

Wally Pacholka, "America the Beautiful at Night"
Paul Wicker, "Galileo Lives"
Joel Harris, "Chasing Solar Eclipses"
Arne Henden, "Citizen Science and IYA 2009"
Mike Simmons, "Astronomers Without Borders -- Taking the IYA Into the Future"
Scott Kardel, "Construction of the Hale Telescope"
Alex McConahay, "Astronomy in the Inland Empire"
Ginny Strogen, "Camden County Library Astronomy Club"
Tim Thompson, "Introduction to String Theory"

Workshops/Annex Presentations

Alex McConahay, "Running an Astro Club"
Ginny Strogen, "The Scale of the Universe"
Tom Johnson, "The Beginnings of Celestron Telescopes"
Ralph Megna, "Introduction to Photoshop for Astroimaging"
Bob Fera, "Astroimaging"

Merit Awards

Astronomer's Choice Award
Ross Sackett,
12.5" f/5.6 6-pole truss Dobsonian, 1 2 3 4

Blake Bartosh, Solar spectroscope, 1 2 3

Mark Briggs and Bob Deubler, 25" f/3.85 fork mount alt-az Newtonian, 1 2

Richard Erich, 9" f15 folded refractor, 1 2 3

Steve Overholt, Portaball-style telescope, 1 2


Clifford W. Holmes Award

Don Nicholson


Clyde Tombaugh Award

Don Goldman


Astroimaging Contest Winners

Meteors/Atmospheric Effects: Norm Vargas and Sarah Shaw, "Green Flash Over Santa Barbara Island"
Eclipses/Transits: Robert Stephens,
"Totality"
Solar System: Robert Stephens,
"Venus Eclipsed by the Moon"
Deep Sky: Rob Johnson,
"Flame and Horsehead Nebulae"

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