January Program:
History of the Drake University Observatory
At the time the Observatory was built, it was thought to be the first “research grade Observatory” that was open regularly to the public. Dr. Daniel Morehouse, the 6th President of Drake University, with a handshake agreement with the City of Des Moines, and a over abundance of enthusiasm, promised that ongoing public programs would be open for all at no charge, if the City of Des Moines took care of the structure. That agreement still stands today. This November the Drake Municipal Observatory will celebrate 100 years of public programming and student research. The lecture follows the history of Morehouse and the construction of the Observatory.
Herb Schwartz is Adjunct Assistant Astronomer / Observatory Lecturer at Drake University.
January 26, 7:30pm via Zoom
Due to COVID-19, club meetings are held using Zoom. Club members will receive a Zoom link by email. For those interested in joining the club or viewing this meeting, please email our club secretary or use the contact form.
How to Buy a Telescope
Due to covid, we’ve decided to move our annual How to Buy a Telescope presentation to Youtube.
If you’re considering buying a telescope for yourself or as a gift for a family member, the Prairie Astronomy Club can help! In this video an experienced amateur astronomer talks about how to select a telescope and what to look for when making your purchasing decision.
Also we have a Telescope Buyer’s Guide on our website:
https://www.prairieastronomyclub.org/telescope-buying/
Want to Join?
Interested in becoming a member? Contact us below or come to our next meeting and say hi!
REGULAR MEMBER – $30.00 per year. Includes club newsletter, and 1 vote at club meetings, plus all other standard club privileges. FAMILY MEMBER – $35.00 per year. Same as regular member except gets 2 votes at club meetings. STUDENT MEMBER – $10.00 per year with volunteer requirement.