This is an image of Jupiter and its four Galilean moons,  photographed
by Voyager 1. They are not to scale, but in their correct positions. 

Image: Courtesy of NASA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Clarkdale Haunted by Astronomers

AVV gets out the 'scopes for Clarkdale

April 11th, 2003 -- High thin clouds and wide-spreading vapor trails did not keep the Astronomers of Verde Valley from sharing the dark skies of downtown Clarkdale with the local residents. Ten member telescopes and three local resident-owned scopes were on hand to view the heavens from the Clarkdale Town Square. Nearly 60 people came by to look through the variety of telescopes on hand ranging in size from 4 inch to 28 inch. Four computer-guided scopes were also there. The planet Jupiter was the featured object with its Galilean moons flanking its sides. The clouds present barely dimmed Jupiter's bright reflection from our own sun. The cloud belts of the planet were easily seen from our earth-bound telescopes. A special treat for the public (and club members) was the transit of one of Jupiter's moons across the face of the planet. The tiny dot moved slowly across the face of Jupiter paralleling one of the cloud belts. Other objects that were seen included Jupiter's sister planet, Saturn, the always beautiful Orion Nebula and several Messier star clusters. 

-  J. D. Maddy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

   Saturn
   Star
   Party

AVV hosts public star party at Riverfront Park Skating Rink

March 8, 2003 -- The Astronomers of Verde Valley conducted a star party for the public on Saturday, March 8, commencing at 7:00 PM. The theme of the star party was "Observing Saturn". Indeed, Saturn was a spectacular sight high in the sky, its rings displayed in all their glory. Jupiter was a splendid sight, too, with its four Galilean moons arrayed in a line on one side of the planet. The crescent moon provided another compelling target for our visitors. The site was not dark enough for many of the fainter deep sky objects to be revealed in all their splendor, but some of the brighter ones attracted attention. 

According to the official count recorded by Karen Maddy, there were sixteen member telescopes and over 135 public attendees. 

-  P. C. Gadfly

Members setting up for the star party at 6:30PM. JD poses in silhouette.
Other members are not so camera-conscious. 

Photo: Radha Venkat

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Construction of Club Telescope

First Session of the Construction Crew

March 11, 2003 -- The scheduled date for the first session of the AVV telescope construction crew is Saturday, March 15, at 6:00PM. The location for this first session is the conference room at the Verde Valley Medical Center. For more details, members should contact chief of the telescope design bureau, Field Marshal William E. Kelley.

-  P. C. Gadfly

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AstroVerde Is Voted into Existence

AVV members discover path of least resistance

February 15, 2003 -- In a striking example of going with the flow, the attendees at the February 15, 2003 meeting of the AVV authorized by a voice vote a proposal to set up a group message site on Yahoo! Groups under the name of Astroverde. The member who proposed this idea, the club Gadfly, was given license to "set everybody up" on this system. In the best traditions of groupthink, a time frame was not specified. This means anything (or nothing) can happen at any time. Amazingly enough, the group messaging site has been set up and is currently operational at the web address: http//www.groups.yahoo.com/group/astroverde. When members will actually use the group messaging site for communication purposes, is anybody's guess.

An indirect consequence of the group messaging effort is the present website, which is the club's public presence. It was accomplished by totally stealthy means by a committee of one.  

-  P. C. Gadfly

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Election of Officers

New Management Takes Charge

January 18, 2003 -- In the first ever contested elections, the Astronomers of Verde Valley elected a new Board. The following officers were elected:

            President:   J. D. Maddy
            Vice President:   William E. Kelley
            Secretary:   Milt Wilcox
            Treasurer:   Barbara Westhafer
            Member-at-Large:   Robert Schottland
            Professor-at-Large:   Rick Shaffer 

The proceedings went smoothly under the guidance of Robert's Rules guru Dr. Jay Fleischman until a (very small) splinter group of members led by Mr. William E. Kelley proposed an alternative candidate for the post of Vice President. This alternative candidate was most reluctant. Fortunately, most of the members present had no clue about the alternative candidate and refused to endorse this novel experiment. The original slate was carried by a wide margin. Mr. William E. Kelley accepted the majority decision with some dissatisfied vocalizations. He was heard to say something indistinct about "next year".

In keeping with AVV by-laws, the outgoing President of the club, Rick Shaffer, continues as member of the Board.

-  P. C. Gadfly