Matthew "Tippy" D'Auria (1935–2018) was the founder of the

Winter Star Party The Winter Star Party, aka WSP, is an annual convention of amateur astronomers where the primary activity is nighttime astronomical observation. This February event is run at Camp Wesumkee located on Scout Key in the Lower Florida Keys. It is hos ...

held each year in the

Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and e ...

sponsored by the

Southern Cross Astronomical Society The Southern Cross Astronomical Society, founded in 1922, is one of the oldest amateur astronomy societies in the Western Hemisphere. It is located in the Physics Department of Florida International University in Miami, Florida. See also * List o ...

. D'Auria was an

astrophotographer Astrophotography, also known as astronomical imaging, is the photography or imaging of astronomical objects, celestial events, or areas of the night sky. The first photograph of an astronomical object (the Moon) was taken in 1840, but it was no ...

who used both cold camera photography and

video Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syste ...

for his work and taught Creative Photography and Darkroom Techniques for 5 years at the

Miami-Dade College Miami Dade College (Miami Dade, MDC or Dade) is a public college in Miami, Florida. Founded in 1959, it has a total of eight campuses and twenty-one outreach centers throughout Miami-Dade County. It is the largest college in the Florida College ...

in Miami, Florida. He maintained affiliations with The Local Group of Deep Sky Observers, the Institute for Planetary Research Observatories (IPRO),

Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers The Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO or A.L.P.O.) is an international scientific and educational organization established in March 1947 in the United States by Walter H. Haas, and later incorporated in 1990. ALPO is an organizati ...

(A.L.P.O.), and the

Astronomical League The Astronomical League is an umbrella organization of amateur astronomy societies. Currently their membership consists of over 280 organizations across the United States, along with a number of Members-at-Large, Patrons, and Supporting members. ...

. An active astronomer since 1980, D'Auria was of a member of the Southern Cross Astronomical Society and served as a member of the Societies Board of Fellows for 14 years and was a Vice President of that Society for many years as well. Asteroid 11378 Dauria (1998 SV60) was named in honor of D'Auria. The citation reads: "Florida amateur astronomer Tippy D'Auria (b. 1935) is founder of the Winter Star Party. For many years he has worked to encourage both beginning and advanced sky-watchers in the hobby."11378 Dauria (1998 SV60) on the JPL Small Body Database Browser
/ref> D'Auria was a frequent guest speaker and lectured on astronomy at universities, high schools, astronomy clubs, star parties and civic groups as well as at state and national parks. D'Auria died in July 2018, of unspecified causes, surrounded by his family.

References

External links

* ttps://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/subsecrets/life08dauria.html NOVA: Tippy D'Auriabr>Biography for Tippy D'Auria
on the Meade 4M Community website {{DEFAULTSORT:DAuria, Tippy 1935 births 2018 deaths Amateur astronomers American astronomers Place of birth missing