meetings

Our indoor, or Business Meeting, is held the first1 Tuesday of every month beginning at 7 p.m. at PRISMA Medical Park 9, Conference Room 130 located at 9 Medical Park in Columbia, SC. Our newsletter, website, and Facebook page will advise of any changes in date or location. The meetings include some brief club business, a report of astronomical events, and featured speakers. Three times each year (Spring, Summer, and Fall) MAC has an AstroPhoto Contest with the annual run-off of the year's winners in November. We also try to include some time for "Show & Tell" near the end of each meeting to give members a chance to show off new equipment and related bits of information. After each meeting we have time for refreshments and fellowship.

1 Except when there is a major holiday or a special meeting program that requires specific scheduling. The revised date will be noted in the calendar and newsletter.

General Meeting Location

The monthly meetings are currently held at PRISMA Medical Park 9, Conference Room 130 located at 9 Medical Park in Columbia, SC. The meeting announcement will specify location.

Annual Holiday Party

The year-end party is another opportunity for club members and their families to have fun. Awards, door prizes, games and food are part of the festivities.

When: TBD
Location: TBD
RSVP: TBD

Past Meetings & Minutes

Date Speaker/Topic Minutes
04.06.2019 GS: Dr. Don Walter - Exoplanets: Past, Present, and Future PDF
03.07.2019 GS: John Hodge - New Horizons & Ultima Thule
MP: Spring Astrophoto Contest
PDF
02.07.2019 GS: Wes Munn - Astronomical Sketching
PDF
01.10.2019 GS: Marc Bremmer - Telescopes 101
PDF
12.13.2018 GS: Holiday Party & Raffle
PDF
11.01.2018 GS: South Carolina State Museum - Tour of Planetarium, Observatory, Telescope Collection
PDF
10.04.2018 GS: Pranvera Hyseni - Astronomy Outreach of Kosovo
PDF
09.06.2018 GS: Bryan Demarcy - Astro Jeopardy!
MP: Favorite Astronomy Software Applications
PDF
08.02.2018 GS: Jack Dunn - Video: "Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos'"
PDF
07.05.2018 GS: Bryan Demarcy - South Carolina State Museum Outreach
MP: Summer Astrophoto Contest
PDF
06.07.2018 GS: Mark Buie, New Horizon's Mission Team - Pluto and Kuiper Belt Objects
PDF
05.03.2018 GS: Amanda Holland & Hap Griffin - Big Rockets!
PDF
04.05.2018 GS: Jarred Metz - Halley's Comet
PDF
03.08.2018 GS: John Hodge - Southern Skies: A Chilean Adventure
MP: Spring Astrophoto Contest
PDF
02.01.2018 GS: Amanda Holland - Trip to Goddard Spaceflight Center
MP: Jack Dunn - Laser Ranging
PDF
01.04.2018 GS: Jack Dunn - "The Search for the 9th Planet" featuring Mike Brown
PDF
11.02.2017 GS: Liz Klimek, Tom Falvey, Matthew Whitehouse - Tour of Planetarium, Telescope Collection, and Observatory
PDF
10.12.2017 GS: Marc Bremmer - Cassini Mission
PDF
09.07.2017 GS: Discussion - Solar Eclipse Experiences
MP: Fall Astrophoto Contest
PDF
08.03.2017 GS: Eclipse Extravaganza! - Varios Solar Eclipse Topics
PDF
07.06.2017 GS: Jack Dunn - Solar Eclipse
PDF
06.01.2017 GS: Martin Bowers - Southern Star
GS: Amanda Holland - AAS Solar Eclipse Conference
PDF
05.04.2017 GS: Dr. Steven Rodney - NASA's Next Generation Space Telescope
PDF
04.06.2017 GS: Alexandra Dominguez - NASA's Space Launch System
PDF
03.02.2017 GS: Hap Griffin - Deep Space Astrophotography
PDF
02.02.2017 GS: Brian Ford - Planetary Astrophotography
PDF
01.05.2017 GS: Documentary - Scott Kelly's "A Year In Space"
MP: Solar Eclipse Updates
PDF
11.3.2016 GS: John Hodge - Asteroids, Meteorites, and Comets: Agents of Geological Change
MP: Astrophoto Runoff Contest
MP: Club Officer Elections
PDF
10.13.2016 GS: Hap Griffin - NASA's OSIRIS-REx Mission
PDF
09.01.2016 Video: The 2017 Eclipse
MP: Fall Astrophoto Contest
PDF
08.04.2016 GS: Dr. Varsha Kulkarni - Long Ago, When Galaxies Were Young
PDF
07.07.2016 GS: Liz Klimek, Matthew Whitehouse - Night at the South Carolina State Museum
PDF
06.02.2016 GS: Hap Griffin - Getting Started in Astrophotography
GS: Bryan Demarcy - Planetary Observing at the Melton Observatory at USC
PDF
05.05.2016 GS: Jack Dunn - A History of Planetariums
PDF
04.07.2016 GS: Documentary - "The Last Man on the Moon"
PDF
03.04.2016 GS: Hap Griffin - James Webb Space Telescope
MP: Spring Astrophoto Contest
PDF
02.04.2016 GS: Dr. Steven Rodney - Stellar Explosions, Strongly Lensed
PDF
01.07.2016 GS: Rick Boozer - Galileo's Fingers
PDF
11.05.2015 GS: John Hodge - Hot Topics in Planetary Science: Ceres, Vesta & Pluto
MP: Astrophoto Run-Off Contest
MP: Election of 2016 Club Officers
PDF
10.01.2015 GS: Hap Griffin - Updates on the Latest Astronomical Events, Discoveries & Human Spaceflight Endeavours
MP: Fall Astrophoto Contest
PDF
09.03.2015 GS: Tom Falvey - "South Carolina State Museum"
PDF
08.06.15 GS: Alex Mowery - "Imaging the Solar System"
MP: Martin Bowers - "BackYardNIKON DSLR Imaging Software"
PDF
07.02.15 GS: Christi Whitworth - "Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute"
PDF
06.04.15 GS: Dr. Varsha Kulkarni - "Galaxies and the Cosmic Distance Scale"
MP: Summer Astrophoto Contest
PDF
05.07.15 GS: Gayle Riggsbee - The Eclipse of 1900
PDF
04.02.15 GS: Larry Stepp & Warren Skidmore - Thirty-Meter Telescope Project
PDF
03.05.15 GS: Chris Hetlage - Deerlick Astronomy Village
MP: Spring Astrophoto Contest
PDF
02.05.15 GS: Hap Griffin - NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission
MP: Alex Mowery - Astronomical Events of 2015
MP: Hap Griffin - Infrared Camera Tracking Mount
PDF
01.08.15 GS: Hap Griffin - Orion Spacecraft
PDF
12.11.14 GS: Holiday Party
11.06.14 GS: Jack Dunn - From the Midwest to the Midlands
MP: Larry Metcalf - ASAE
MP: Astrophoto Runoff Contest
2015 Officer Elections
PDF
10.02.14 GS: Hap Griffin - Mars MAVEN Mission and Comet Siding Spring
PDF
09.04.14 GS: John Hodge - The Early Evolution of the Early Solar System: A Tale of Migrating Planets
MP: Fall Astrophoto Contest
PDF
08.07.14 GS: Hap Griffin - Planetary Orbits & Orbital Resonances
MP: Martin Bowers - Southern Star
PDF
07.10.14 GS: Sara Howard - Engineering the Apollo Saturn V Rocket
MP: Summer Astrophoto Contest
PDF
06.05.14 GS: Gayle Riggsbee - The Moon
PDF
05.01.14 GS: Tom Falvey & Matthew Whitehouse - New Observatory and Planetarium Tour
PDF
04.03.14 GS: Stephen Ramsden - Solar Astronomy & Outreach
Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Program
PDF
03.06.14 GS: Brian Peterson - Astronomy Adventures in Tanzania
MP: Spring Astrophoto Contest
PDF
02.06.14 GS: Dr. Monique Aller - Supermassive Black Holes: The Hidden Hearts of Galaxies
PDF
01.09.14 GS: Rick Boozer - Spreading Americans into the Solar System, Starting Now!
MP: Hap Griffin - MAVEN
PDF
12.12.13 GS: Holiday Party
PDF
11.07.13 GS: Alex Mowery - Comet ISON
MP: Alex Mowery & Will Nelson - Apps for iPad and iPhone
MP: Astrophoto Runoff
MP: Election of 2014 Officers
PDF
10.03.13 GS: Dr. Terry Huntsberger - Space Robotics: Interactions of Humans and Machines
MP: Hap Griffin - Mars MAVEN Mission
MP: Larry Metalf - DragonCON Event
PDF
09.05.13 GS: John Hodge - Exoplanet Update 2013
MP: Fall Astrophoto Contest
PDF
08.01.13 GS: Gayle Riggsbee - The Herschals
PDF
07.11.13 GS: Hap Griffin - The Development of America's Moonport
PDF
06.06.13 GS: Varsha Kulkarni - Astronomy in the News
MP: Summer Astrophoto Contest
PDF
05.02.13 GS: Frank Barnes - Astrophotography: Getting the Most From Your Equipment
MP: Martin Bowers - Online Astronomy Course Review
PDF
04.04.13 GS: Tom Falvey - Astronomy at the Museum
PDF
03.07.13 GS: Marc Bremmer - Space Telescope Institute
MP: Spring Astrophoto Contest
PDF
02.07.13 GS: Hap Griffin - History of the MAC-Hunter Project
MP: George Walters - Astronomy Software
PDF
01.03.13 MP: Hap Griffin - Comets of 2013
MP: Paul Romanyszyn - Observing Tips
PDF
12.06.12 Topic: Annual Holiday Party at Casa Linda
MP: Raffle
PDF
11.01.12 GS: Gayle Riggsbee
Topic: History of the Yerkes Observatory
MP: AstroPhoto Runoff Contest
MP: Martin Bowers: Online Astronomy Courses
Other: Election of 2013 Club Officers
PDF
10.04.12 GS: Dr. Monique Aller
Topic: Galaxies in the Local Universe and Beyond
MP: Will Nelson - Astronomy Apps
PDF
09.06.12 GS: John Hodge
Topic: Discovering Galaxies & What Happens When Neighboring Galaxies Crash the Party
MP: Fall AstroPhoto Contest
PDF
08.02.2012 GS: Hap Griffin
Topic: Astrophoto Processing Techniques
PDF
07.12.2012 GS: Alex Mowery
Topic: Melton Observatory Tour (Rained-Out)
GS Back-up: Hap Griffin
Topic: Slideshow of NASA launches and Space Shuttle preparation for museums
PDF
06.07.2012 GS: Rick Boozer
Topic: Magellanic Clouds
Topic: Summer AstroPhoto Contest
PDF
05.03.2012 DVD: In the Shadow of the Moon
MP: Martin Bowers
Topic: Southern Star Astronomy Convention
PDF
04.05.2012 GS: Tom Falvey
Special Location: SC State Museum 301 Gervais Street
Topic: Night at the Museum
PDF
03.01.2012 GS: Tom Field
Topic: Amateur Spectroscopy
Topic: Spring AstroPhoto Contest
.doc
02.02.2012 GS: Hap Griffin
Topic: Mars Science Labratory Launch
.doc
01.05.2012 GS: Mark Yeager
Topic: Apollo, A Space Brat's Perspective
.doc
12.01.2011 Holiday Dinner  
11.03.2011 GS: Dr. Varsha P. Kulkarni Life of a Star
MP: Astrophoto Runoff
.doc
10.06.2011 GS: Paul Wieber History of the space program  
09.01.2011 GS: John Hodge Juno Mission to Jupiter  
08.04.2011 GS: Rick Boozer Using Remote Robotic Telescopes for Astrophotography
MP: Doyle, Hap, Alex, Stuart Last Shuttle launch
 
07.07.2011 MP: Charles H. China Trip
MP: Paul R. Stellarium tips and tricks
 
06.02.2011 MP: Summer Astrophoto Contest  
05.05.2011 GS: Gayle Riggsbee The History of the Discovery of Neptune  
04.07.2011 GS: Dr. Safko Exo-Planets
MP: Martin B. Prague Astronomical Clock
MP: Bob L. CyberSky astronomical software
 
03.03.2011 MP:Joe R. software Starry Night
MP:Hap G. Astro Photo Processing
MP: Spring Astrophoto contest
.doc
02.03.2011 MP: Tom Falvey Night at the Museum  
01.06.2011 MP: Doug Lybrand How to dress for cold weather
MP: Joe Bowers Astronomy Software
MP: Video Cosmic Collisions
.doc
12.02.2010 Holiday dinner and raffle
MP: Christopher Edwards Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life in Our Universe
 
11.04.2010 The Blast Video  
10.07.2010 GS: Elizabeth Warner,UM, EPOXI and Observing Comet Hartley  
09.09.2010 GS: Dr. Varsha P. Kulkarni, Interstellar Matter Across Time
MP: Joe B. Astronomical League Award Program
.wav audio
08.05.2010 Al Parker, Colliding Galaxies  
07.01.2010 Dr. John Safko Exoplanet discoveries update
MP: Beginner's Corner: Observing weather resources
 
05.06.2010 Chris Edwards Scientific Methods Used to Determine the Age, Size and Composition of the Universe
MP: Beginner's Corner: Reflecting Telescopes: Newtonians and Catadioptrics
.wav audio
04.01.2010 John Hodge Mercury and the NASA Messenger Mission
MP: Beginner's Corner: Refracting Telescopes
 
03.04.2010 Spring Astrophoto Contest
Gayle Riggsbee Construction of the Hale 200" Telescope
MP: Beginner's Corner: The Messier Marathon
 
02.04.2010 Chris Edwards, Evolution of Our Universe
MP: Beginner Corner: Basic telescope types
 
01.07.2010 Frank Barnes, Remote Astrophotography
MP: Raffel,Items did not make the Dec meeting
MP: Show and Tell
MP: Macware is in
 
12.3.2009 Brian Peterson Astro Adventures in Tanzania  
11.05.2009 .doc
10.01.2009 .doc
09.03.2009 Fall AstroPhoto Contest
Al Parker Saturn
 
08.06.2009 Tom Falvey Night at the Museum
SC State Museum
301 Gervais Street
 
06.04.2009 .doc
03.05.2009 Spring AstroPhoto Contest
Adrienne Huffman Windows to New Worlds
 
02.05.2009 Chris Edwards Scientific Methods: Understanding Our Universe Through Reason and Evidence .txt, .doc
01.08.2009 Brian Peterson Astro Adventures in Tanzania .txt, .doc
12.04.2008 James Spurck Has the Bethlehem Star Mystery Been Revealed  
08.07.2008 Elizabeth Warner, UM, NASA Missions & Amateur Astronomers  
07.03.2008 Hap Griffin Astronomical Coordinate Systems and Basic Astronomical Motions
Steve Foster Planetary Imaging
minutes
06.05.2008 Summer AstroPhoto Contest
Mary Riley A Brief History of Celestial Navigation
John Hodge II Light Curve Analysis of Cataclysmic Variable Star Systems: CAM VAR 06, FS AUR, HT CAS, IP PEG, and EQ AQR
 
05.01.2008    
04.03.2008    
03.06.2008 Spring AstroPhoto Contest  
02.07.2008   minutes
01.03.2008 John Hodge, SSA, Hot Topics in Planetary Science: Liquid Water on Enceledus, Rivers on Titan, Voyager update, and the Kitchen Sink minutes
12.06.2007 Elizabeth Warner, UM, Behind the Scenes: Deep Impact, Dawn, EPOXI  
11.01.2007 AstroPhoto Runoff
Hap Griffin Astrophoto Processing 101
minutes
09.06.2007 Fall AstroPhoto Contest
Adrienne Huffman The OPT Project
minutes
08.02.2007 Dr. John Safko Recent Progress in the Searches for Extra-Solar Planets  
07.05.2007 AstroPhotography Basics minutes
06.07.2007 Summer AstroPhoto Contest
MP: The Dawn Mission and Vesta
MP: MAC-Hunter AstroPhoto Highlights
minutes
05.03.2007 Marcus Goodkind History of Manned Space Flight minutes
04.05.2007 John Hodge Rock Glaciers and Lava Flows in the High Andes of Chile: An Analogue for Mars  
03.01.2007 Spring AstroPhoto Contest
Dr. V. Kulkarni, USC, Quasar Spectroscopy and Galaxy Evolution
photos
02.01.2007 MP: Comet McNaught, Hubble photos
01.04.2007 Christmas Show & Tell
Winter Weather Wear
minutes
photos
12.07.2006 John Hodge WWII B-25 from Lake Murray
Hap Griffin New construction at MAC-Hunter
 
11.02.2006 Elisabeth Benchich, UNCC, Galaxy collisions and mergers  
10.05.2006 Hap G. Star Gazing Video
John H. Practical Problems Landing Large Payloads (Humans) on Mars
 
09.07.2006 Fall AstroPhoto Contest
Johnny Horne His latest astrophotography approaches
 
08.03.2006 Gayle Riggsbee History of the observation of the rings of Saturn  
07.06.2006    
06.01.2006 Summer AstroPhoto Contest
Dan Overcash, USC, ??
 
05.04.2006 Neil Carroll, Starbuckets Telescopes  
04.06.2006 John Hodge Asteroids, Comets, and Meteorites: Agents of Geological Change  
03.02.2006 Spring AstroPhoto Contest
Elizabeth Warner, UM, Results from Deep Impact
 
01.05.2006 Christmas Show & Tell
Winter weather survival