STAR PARTY CANCELED 3/13 PVCC

The PVCC Star Party for March 13th is CANCELED. It is spring break and the campus will be closed. No Star Party At PVCC on the 13th.

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

PAS Events for 3/4 to 3/16

Hello & Happy Tuesday to you!

We sure have a line up of events these next 2 weeks, and we need volunteers at all of them.

Mar 6: PAS meeting. Our wonderful speaker for this month is Steve Coe. He has done talks to our club previously and he does a great job and is appreciated. He will be bringing his new book for sale and signing.
We have snacks for this meeting, thanks to those who brought snacks to the MOM Assembly Party this past Thursday, and we never got around to eating them. We will also have bottled water. Please plan to bring a spare $1 to donate to the snack fund.
Also, we will be raffling off a wrapped gift this meeting, donated by Mark Stephenson. He arrived late at the PAS Social and donated his gift to be raffled off to raise money for the club. $1/ticket.
We will also be raffling off a meteorite donated to PAS by Astronomy Magazine to raise funds for gas those attending the Mayer event on Apr 12th. Proceeds from this raffle will be divided up among the vehicles driving up to Mayer. $1/ticket. 12-15 meteorites were donated for this event. We will only raffle off 1 per meeting starting with Mar PAS Meeting, and the the Mar MOM's, and then the April PAS Meeting. The others will be used at other events in a raffle to help raise funds. More info on that as it becomes available, and if you have any ideas on other ways to do this, to use up all 15 meteorites prior to the Apr 12th event, let me know by email events@pasaz.org. Thanks.
The 50/50 raffle will also happen. So, you can purchase for any of the above raffles by getting $1./ticket or $5/6 tickets to put into which ever raffle you are interested in joining. Purchase tickets from Terri at beginning of meeting, and we will raffle everything off at the end of the meeting, after the speaker has finished. You DO need to be present to win all items listed above.

Mar 7: Wow Star Party at S. Mountian Park. Chet needs your help. RSVP your attendance with him today at chetsch@cox.net. Wow star parties are NOT open to the public. Only PAS Telescope operators attend these events. If you can help that night from 6pm to 9pm, that would be awesome! Thanks for your assistance.

Mar 8: Star Party at 2 Trees Site. RSVP your attendance with Barbara. We have the star party from sundown to early morning if everyone attending wishes to stay that late. Weather permitting. Watch for changes in plans. RSVP with Barbara at: webmaster@pasaz.org. Please arrive prior to sundown.

Mar 13: PVCC Star party, 6pm to 10pm by telescope domes. We would love to have volunteers to assist at this star party. Please RSVP with me today Events@pasaz.org if you plan to attend. Weather permitting, and we do hope for clear skies and fun times. CANCELED

Mar 14: What a busy day!!!
There is a star party at N. Mountain Park Visitor Center, the first of 3 this season and more to come. Come with your telescope and everyone you know. This should be an awesome night for viewing. RSVP with me events@pasaz.org. We are setting up at 4:30pm and showing fro 5pm to 9:30pm. Park closes at 10pm so we must be out by then. Public invited and 8 public have RSVP'd with the park and 2 more have RSVP'd with me so far. I have Don, Rod and Sam assisting with me on this one. If you wish to volunteers or RSVP attendance, please do it today. Thanks for your help.
And there is a Wow Star Party at the Phoenix Zoo. RSVP with Chet if you can attend to help out. Chet needs your help. RSVP your attendance with him today at chetsch@cox.net. Wow star parties are NOT open to the public. Only PAS Telescope operators attend these events. If you can help that night from 6pm to 9pm, that would be awesome! Thanks for your assistance.

Mar 15: A very special night. This is a star party for the public to LEARN TO USE YOUR TELESCOPE! PAS telescope owners and operators will be assisting the Public with learning to use their telescopes. WE chose a night that has a Moon so that you can use the light of the Moon to get familiar with how your telescope works so that when you come to a dark sky location with PAS in the future, you will know how to run you telescope in complete darkness. We will be at PV Park from 6pm to 10pm and RSVP is required. If no one RSVP's from the public, the event will be canceled. Watch for announcements on this as the date gets closer. RSVP is with me events@pasaz.org.

This covers the events for the next 2 weeks. Please RSVP the correct person by the day before the event, if you plan to attend or volunteer. Everyone attending either as a volunteer or a guest needs to RSVP in case we need to cancel the event due to weather. Would love to see you at our events.

For more fun PAS events, please go to www.pasaz.org and in the left column choose UPCOMING EVENTS. See our events for all of 2008, including upcoming Speakers at the PAS meetings & more. WE ARE THE MOST FUN CLUB IN TOWN! LET PAS BE YOUR TICKET TO THE STAR!

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Newsletter is posted

Just a qucik not to let everyone know that the newsletter is up on the club website www.pasaz.org.

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Don Boyd
PAStimes Editor
editor@pasaz.org

Comments on PAS Digest Blog

Good afternoon,

Because I am the moderator of the Digest Blog, I have removed the comment option. In stead of commenting to the blog and it posts, which is what it was supposed to do and we discovered it isn't working right, I decided that if you have a comment to something that is posted on the blog, please just email it directly to who ever posted it. Only 4 persons are authorized to post to this blog. The purpose of allowing others to post is that if I am not near a computer when we decide to cancel a star party, I want Rod, Don, Barb to be able to post that we have canceled that star party for me, or each other. So, I have turned off comments. The only people posting on this blog will be the ones mentioned at the top of this blog.

Why Rod? Because I need him to be able to cancel star parties that he is the RSVP for, and because he is awesome at predicting the weather. His job has him in S. Phoenix where most of the storms begin. He can see the sky while at work, and let us know if a storm is coming. He is more accurate than several of the weather sites. So, I need Rod to have access to post when needed about star parties, and other things he may wish to mention. Please check out his blog in his profile, in the column to your right.

Why Don? Don does the newsletter. He usually emails me to say "The newsletter is done and posted on the site." Why wait. He can post directly to this blog and let everyone know at once to go download the current issue of the newsletter. Plus, he also is the RSVP for some of the more South star party location because he lives in Chandler. So, his help in canceling S. Phoenix star parties is very helpful to me. Remember, you might also get a notice of WE ARE DOING THE STAR PARTY, instead of we are Canceling the star party. So, read the notice you get, don't just assume that an email in your inbox says we are canceling.

Why Barbara? As webmaster, and RSVP for N. Phoenix star parties, I need her to have access for announcement she may need to make. She may wish to post in this blog items that have to do with what's going on on the website. New additions, new pages, updates... like if she gets the upcoming events updated and wants everyone to notice the change... such as a lot of different items changed, then she might want to tell everyone about it. So, I need her in this blog for that purpose, as well.

Right now, those are the only authorized PAS Members posting to this blog. As the need arises, I may add or delete access for others. Please have an awesome day. Would love to have you send comments directly to Events@pasaz.org as well as other items you'd like posted to this blog.
And thank you for understanding why I took away the comments option. It wasn't working so why have it.

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Photo Links on Blog

Good afternoon,

I've added something new to the blog. Please take a look, in the right hand column at the bottom. Here you will find the photos links of all the active links for PAS Event photos. If you are looking to see what we did recently at an event that you might have missed, just pop into the photo link section and check them out. And if you have an account where you can post albums of the photos you take at an event, please send them over and I'll add them to my photo link section of the blog.

Today I posted the photos from last night Meeting of the Minds Assembly Party. There are only 9 photos that I took but you can see we were having fun and getting things done quickly. Thanks to all who attended and helped out. Enjoy some photos at: http://tinyurl.com/2v596u.

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Flashlights

I received this info from a friend.
You may wish to get some for yourself.

Harbor Freight now has on sale at their stores (2) aluminum, 9-LED flashlights for $3.99

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

CANCEL Scouting of N. Mt Park on Sun 3/9

Due to a situation that has changed my free time to join you on this scouting trip to North Mountain Park Visitor Center parking lot, we are canceling, with agreement from Don and Rod, the trip. The original idea was to check out the location we will be setting up our telescopes the following Friday for a star party. Rod has been at that location and has chosen the location. I hadn't been there in the evening, only daytime, so I was curious to know how the situation was for lighting, etc. So, since we have it covered, please note we have canceled this trip. Thank you all, those of you who had said they would join us for this mini scouting event. See you the following week at the Star Party!!!

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

The Updated version of PAS Upcoming Events

Good afternoon,

Attached you will find a document you can view or print called PAS Upcoming Events. It is current as of today. Please print a copy for yourself so you know what PAS is doing, when, where, and who to RSVP with. This doc and all future ones can be found on line in the Downloads section of www.pasaz.org. There are other really awesome documents that can be found there as well, and we'd love to for you to take a look and see what's new.

We hope to see you at Tomorrow's MOM Party. We can use the help assembling the bags, stickering the 900 copies of Astro Mag's Meteorite issue, and stickering the back of playing cards with PAS info, for the game we will be doing at Sally Ride this year.

Speaking of Sally Ride, your RSVP to attend is needed to me by email no later than Thursday at 3pm, tomorrow. The Sally Ride coordinator needs your first and last name in order to have enough lunches available and name badges so you can be there officially. Please RSVP in time so I may get that info to her with a day for her to get the name tags printed.

Attached: PAS Upcoming Events 2008 2.27.08.pdf

In trying to attach this file, I found that I can not attach a PDF, so for the PAS members, I will send it via email, and for the rest of you, give Barbara a day or so to get it posted on the website and then download it. Make sure it says it was last updated, on the page at the bottom, on today's date, as mentioned above, and then you know you have the current copy. Sorry about that, i didn't know Blogger doesn't support PDF's. It will take image files and video files, but no pdf's. Strange.

See you at our events!!!

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

PAS Meeting 3/6/08

Happy Tuesday to everyone!

Thursday 3/6 is our next PAS Meeting. We have Steve Coe, author, as our presenter. Steve was telling me his new book will probably be ready for that night, for purchase, and signing. If you wish to purchase a book, bring some cash. I don't know the details as of yet but I will post them here in the Digest when I find out.

Also, since we are back on schedule as to a normal PAS meeting, the meeting will go as follows. We'd like some snacks and drinks brought to the club for sharing. PAS will provide water from the PAS snack fund, but snacks should be brought by the attendees, please. Rod can bring the plates and napkins.

We will open the meeting at 7:30 with some short announcements, and then turn it over to Steve around 7:45. We are expecting a large turnout, so please try to arrive early enough to get a good seat. Steve has done presentations for us in the past and is an awesome presenter and a great author. His books are really useful in the field, meaning at star parties. You won't want to miss this talk.

At 9pm we will end the talk and open for Q & A. Please hold your questions until the end of his presentation, unless he says otherwise. Everyone is welcome, and BRING A FRIEND! We would like to see you there!

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

PAS NEEDS VOLUNTEERS MAR 1ST

THE SALLY RIDE FESTIVAL IS ABOUT A WEEK AWAY.

Below is the schedule. Volunteers should meet around

9:30 at our location. See list below of how the day will

play out. I currently only have Rod,. Sue, Don, Terri, William,

Ed, Bruce as volunteers. If you are helping us at this event,

I need to know about it right now!!! RSVP today!

This next part is from the coordinator of the Sally Ride

event, our contact, Tracy.....

Greetings Festival Exhibitors!

We're just about a week away from the Festival - time for

some more details! We will need to see you around 9:30-10:00am

to get you all set-up for the Street Fair, with kickoff around

11:00am. Lunch and drinks are provided. The Street Fair

location will be the same as at last year's ASU Festival,

outside on the walkway next to the Gammage auditorium,

so please remember your hats and sunscreen! Also, if you have

requested power for your exhibit, please bring a 50ft. extension

cord along with a power strip (if you need to plug in more than

one electrical device!) with you so that we can be sure that all

of our exhibitors can reach the power outlets.

The entire Festival schedule is...

Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University

Sally Ride Science Festival, Saturday March 1, 2008

9:30am - 10:00am

Exhibitor's check-in and set-up their exhibits

11:00am - 1:00pm

Registration, eat lunch (provided!), enjoy the Street Fair

1:00pm - 2:00pm

Keynote with Sally Ride (you're welcome to attend!)

2:00pm - 2:20pm

Break (attendees assemble and go to workshops)

2:20pm - 3:05pm

Discovery Workshop #1 for kids (and adult workshops:

offered once only/90 minutes)

3:05pm - 3:25pm

Break (attendees assemble and go to workshops)

3:25pm - 4:10pm

Discovery Workshop #2

4:15pm

Close of Festival

When you arrive on Saturday, (map and driving directions below) if

you have heavy materials you will need to drop-off before parking,

please proceed directly to the drop-off location located in front of the

Gammage Auditorium (drop-off location instructions below).

There will be volunteers and balloons to mark the drop-off

area. We will have volunteers available to help you unload

your materials on to carts and transport them to your

booth while you check-in and park your vehicle in the Gammage

Parking lot. If you do not have materials to drop-off,

please proceed directly to the Gammage Parking Lot

(can use entrance marked Reserved Parking Lot #3) to

park your vehicle. After you have parked, come back to the

Street Fair area and check in at the

"Exhibitor's Registration Table" (there will be

volunteers, signs and balloons to

help you find your way). One of our crew

members will be there to greet you, provide you with your

IDs and set-up information, the location of your booth, and

can answer any lingering questions you might have.

If you have any last minute questions/concerns, please feel

free to send me an email. I will not be attending the

Festival, so if you have any questions or problems while at the

Festival please ask for Becky Decker or Kasey Walsh

and they will be able to assist you. If you have not completed

and emailed me the ASU exhibitor form (attached for your

convenience) please do so right away. Again, many many

thanks for your participation. It will be an exciting and very fun day!

Don't hesitate to drop me a note if you have any questions or suggestions.

Have fun and enjoy the Festival!

Best wishes,

Tracy

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society