The Astronomical League is an umbrella organization of amateur astronomy societies. Currently their membership consists of over 280 organizations across the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, along with a number of Members-at-Large, Patrons, and Supporting members.
The mission of the Astronomical League is to promote the science of
astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...
by (1) fostering astronomical education; (2) providing incentives for astronomical observation and research; and (3) assisting communication among amateur astronomical societies.
The Astronomical League provides a number of observing awards to members locating and describing certain specified astronomical objects or events, and produces a
periodical publication
A periodical literature (also called a periodical publication or simply a periodical) is a published work that appears in a new edition on a regular schedule. The most familiar example is a newspaper, but a magazine or a journal are also example ...
, ''The Reflector''.
History
The beginning of the Astronomical League dates back to 1939 when members of eleven amateur astronomical societies met at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Similar meetings followed in Pittsburgh, 1940, Washington D.C., 1941, and Detroit, 1946. At the last meeting, final plans laid the foundation for a permanent organization constituting a nationwide federation of societies.
The next convention took place in Philadelphia, July 4, 1947, where the federation came into being with the adoption of bylaws was adopted, the election of officers, and the name "Astronomical League" was selected. Shortly thereafter, the organization was incorporated as a non-profit organization.
In 2003, The Astronomical League achieved the long-sought goal of a permanent, National Office. This provided a central location for communications, file storage, and general operations. At the same time, the Astronomical League hired its first employee, an office manager. The National Office is located at 9201 Ward Parkway, Suite 100, Kansas City, MO 64114.
Awards
Awards given by the league include the Leslie C. Peltier Award, the
Jack Horkheimer
Jack Horkheimer (born Foley Arthur Horkheimer; June 11, 1938 – August 20, 2010) was the executive director of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium. He was best known for his astronomy show '' Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler'', which started airi ...
Award, and the National Young Astronomer's Award.
Leslie C. Peltier Award
The Leslie C. Peltier Award is an annual award given by the Astronomical League to an
amateur astronomer
Amateur astronomy is a hobby where participants enjoy observing or imaging celestial objects in the sky using the unaided eye, binoculars, or telescopes. Even though scientific research may not be their primary goal, some amateur astronomers ...
who has contributed observations of lasting significance. It was created in 1980 and was first awarded in 1981.
The award is named in honor of
Leslie Peltier
Leslie Copus Peltier (January 2, 1900 – May 10, 1980) was an American amateur astronomer and discoverer of several comets and novae, including Nova Herculis 1963. He was once described as "the world's greatest non-professional astronomer" by ...
, an amateur astronomer from
Delphos, Ohio
Delphos is a city in Allen and Van Wert counties in the U.S. state of Ohio approximately 14 mi (23 km) northwest of Lima and 13 mi (21 km) east of Van Wert. The population was 7,101 at the 2010 census.
The Allen County po ...
, who was described by
Harlow Shapley
Harlow Shapley (November 2, 1885 – October 20, 1972) was an American scientist, head of the Harvard College Observatory (1921–1952), and political activist during the latter New Deal and Fair Deal.
Shapley used Cepheid variable stars to estim ...
as "the world's greatest nonprofessional astronomer".
National Young Astronomer's Award
The National Young Astronomer Award is an award given by the Astronomical League to students of high-school age who have excelled in astronomical research.
Past Presidents
#Harlow Shapley Interim (June-July 1947)
#Edward Halbach 1947-48
#Helen Federer 1948-49
#Charles H. LeRoy 1949-51
#G. R. "Bob" Wright 1951-52
#Rolland LaPelle 1952-54
#James Karle 1954-55
#Grace Scholz 1955-57
#Russell C. Maag 1957-58
#Chandler Holton 1958-60
#Norm Dalke 1960-62
#Ralph Dakin 1962-64
#Arthur P. Smith, Jr. 1964-66
#Gene Tandy 1966-68
#William DuVall 1968-70
#W. C. Shewmon 1970-72
#G. R. "Bob" Wright 1972-74
#Robert Fried 1974-75
#Rollin P. VanZandt 1975-77
#Robert Fried 1977-78
#Robert Young 1978-80
#Orville Brettman 1980-82
#Jerry Sherlin 1982-84
#George Ellis 1984-86
#Jim Brown 1986-88
#Ken Willcox 1988-90
#James H. Fox 1990-94
#Barry B. Beaman 1994-98
#Charles E. Allen, III 1998-02
#Robert L Gent 2002-06
#Terry Mann 2006-10
#Carroll Iorg 2010-14
#John J. Goss 2014-2018
#William "Bill" Bogardus 2018 (died in office)
#Ron Kramer 2018-
See also
*
List of astronomy awards
This list of astronomy awards is an index to articles about notable awards for contributions to astronomy. The list is organized by region and country of the sponsoring organization, but awards are not necessarily limited to people from that count ...
*
List of astronomical societies
A list of notable groups devoted to promoting astronomy research and education.
Africa
* African Astronomical Society
South Africa
*Astronomical Society of Southern Africa
Asia
China
* Chinese Astronomical Society
India
* Akash Mitra Mandal
*A ...
References
External links
The Astronomical League
{{Authority control
Amateur astronomy organizations
Astronomy in the United States