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BEST BUY FIRST TELESCOPE...
Most club members tend to recommend Dobsonian type telescopes as a first scope. Dobsonian Telescopes are reasonably priced for the aperture, are rugged and easy to use. These are not usually sold in the Department Stores, but they can be found in any telescope store. The Dobsonian telescope looks much like a cannon on a swivel. You point it in the direction you want, and then look. There are no fancy bells or whistles to confuse the beginner, and you develop a better feel for the sky. The price for a 6" varies around $400 to $500. Some Suggestions For first Telescopes The 6" Orion Deep Space Explorer and the Meade Starfinder both sell for around $400, the 6" Celestron Starhopper has a few more features and sells for about $450. These scopes are great for children about 9

and up to use alone. For sm aller children, Celestron m akes a 4.5" Dobsonion and a com pany called "Stargazer Steve" (http://stargazer.isys.ca) sells a 4.5" kit scope you can build in an afternoon and use the sam e night.
Most telescopes come with a small finder scope that is usually the cause of a lot of frustration. W e recommend the use of a reflex sight for beginners. The "Telrad" is the most popular of these; it has no power or image reversal and shoots a red "Bulls Eye" into space. You put the Bulls Eye on what you want to look at, and then with a low power eyepiece you can usually find the obj ect quickly. There are Telrad maps you can purchase that show the Bulls Eye in relation to the bright stars. A crude but workable set of maps for the 110 Obj ect Messier Catalog of Deep Space Obj ects is on our web page at:

INTERESTED IN ASTRONOMY?
Join with others having the same interest by becoming a member of the Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston and Bond Astronomical Society -- one of the nation's largest and oldest astronomy clubs .

Visit our Club Web Site at www.atmob.org
Revised 6/17/2014
INTRODUCING AMATEUR ASTRONOMY... AMATEUR TELESCOPE MAKERS OF BOSTON
The Am ateur Telescope Makers of Boston, Inc. (ATMoB) is an am ateur astronom y club devoted to telescope m aking, observing, and the study of the stars. The ATMoB was founded in 1934 with the cooperation of Dr. Harlow Shapley at Harvard Collage Observatory. In 1973, the Bond Astronom ical Society, another long-standing club, m erged with the ATMoB m aking the club one of the oldest and largest general interest astronom y clubs in the country. W e m eet form ally every m onth (except August) to hear a speaker, to discuss club acti vities, and to just socialize. W e also m aintain a clubhouse with an observatory, workshop, library, and observing area in W estford, MA. Mem bership is open to all those interested in pursuing astronom y as a hobby. M eetings: Our m onthly m eetings are held at 8 p.m . on the second Thursday of the m onth (except August) at the Phillips Auditorium of Harvard-Sm ithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The center is located at 60 Garden Street in Cam bridge (see m ap on the last page). Visitors are always welcom e and free parking is available on the grounds. Clubhouse & Observatory: Our Clubhouse and Ed Knight Observatory are located on the grounds of the MIT Haystack Observatory in W estford, Massachusetts (to reach the clubhouse, see m ap on last page). It is officially open every Saturday, (except holidays, Full Moon W eekends, and during certain astronom ical events) from 7 p.m . to 12 m idnight. Visitors are always welcom e. Please contact one of the two clubhouse com m ittee m em bers who are on duty the night you decide to visit. W e will be happy to show you around our clubhouse and observatory or answer any questions you m ay have. Since the opening and/or closing of the clubhouse is subject to the varying weather conditions (especially in the winter m onths), please call ahead between 7 and 8 p.m . (978) 692-8708. Mem bership: Joining the ATMoB provides a special network with others who also enjoy astronom y as a hobby. Included in the yearly dues is a subscription to our m onthly newsletter, STAR FIELDS. Other privileges of m em bership include discounts on subscriptions to astronom y m agazines as well as books and telescope m aking supplies.

www.atmob.org/library/member/skymaps_jsmall.html OUR CLUB OFFICERS... PRESIDENT:

HOW TO FIND US......
16 Rt
2 Rt

Neil Fleming Glenn Chaple Sidney Johnston Eileen Myers
Observing the sky on a clear, starry night can be an enjoyable and even inspiring activity for people of all ages. It is an experience that is particularly rewarding if you observe from a suburban or rural location away from the glare of Boston lights. Using binoculars or a sm all telescope can also greatly increase your enjoym ent of the night sky. However no m atter where you observe from , or whether or not you have a telescope, exploring the m any aspects of astronom y can be an exciting hobby. It can be an activity shared with thousands of other am ateurs all over the world. These individuals have the interest, curiosity, and im agination to want to explore the m ysterious universe around them for the sim ple joy of it or to better understand their place in the schem e of things. The popularity of am ateur astronom y is not only due to its intriguing subject m atter, but also because it is a m ultifaceted hobby enjoyable on m any levels. Astronom y can be explored from your arm chair by reading about how astronom ers have probed the depths of space to learn the nature of the universe. You m ay pursue astronom y m ore actively by joining a local astronom y club like the Am ateur Telescope M akers of Boston and learning by direct association with other am ateurs. If you enjoy building things, you m ay want to fabricate your own optics and build a telescope, as m any am ateurs have done. However, if you want to begin observing im m ediately, you m ay decide to purchase a telescope or binoculars. The telescopic study of the Moon, planets, and deep sky objects such as star clusters, nebulae, and distant galaxies can be a challenging adventure. By adding a film or video cam era to a telescope, you can also learn to obtain striking astronom ical im ages. The m ore experienced am ateur astronom ers contribute scientifically to astronom y by searching for com ets and novae (exploding stars), observing sunspots and m eteors, or by regularly observing a class of stars known as "variables" to determ ine how their brightness varies with tim e. This data is of great im portance to the a stronom ical com m unity in exploring the nature of these objects. Just plain star gazing without optical aid is also a lot of fun. Making friends with the brighter stars and constellations, watching the seasonal changes in the sky, and observing the five naked eye planets and their m ovem ents is a fascinating activity. The occasional eclipse of the m oon or sun, an aurora display, or a m eteor shower adds extra excitem ent to visual observing.

Haystack Observatory To N.H. ATM's
Turn Right off Rt. 40 at Obser vatory sign

2 Rt
Exit Rt. 40 Westford/ Groton

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V. PRESIDENT:
t. nS ea na Lin

SECRETARY: TREASURER:
Massach usetts Ave.

Rt. 40 5.0 miles

nd Bo

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N

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION:

95 Route 4

Tom McDonagh (617) 996-5221 membership@atmob.org

ATMoB Clubhouse & Workshop
Route 128
N S

Route 3

Center for Astrophysis (Phillips Auditorium)
N

St. Mason

Mall Exit 32A

CAMBRIDGE
Br attle St. Havard Sq.

Harvard College Observatory
Center for Astrophysics

T HE A MA T E UR T E L E S C O P E MA K E R S O F B O S T O N
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION PLEASE PRINT

e. Av ord nc Co

COMMIT T EES:
CLUBHOUSE DIRECTORS: John Reed (781) 861-8031 David Prowten (978) 369-1596 Steve Clougherty (781) 784-3024 OBSERVING: Bruce Berger (978) 387-4189

CLUBHOUSE phone:
Member Information

(978) 692-8708

Family Regular Senior Membership Student Membership Optional Sky & Telescope Mag. Astronomy Mag.

$35.00 $25.00 $12.50 $12.50 Choose one Only

Name Family Members: Address: City: State & Zip: Home Phone:

$32.95 $34.00

Work Phone: Occupation:

E-Mail: Donation* (Your gift in any $__________ amount is needed. Thank you!) TOTAL Enclosed $__________ Please make your check payable to the: "ATM's of Boston" and mail it along with this form to the: ATM's of Boston, c/o Tom McDonagh, Membership Secretary 48 Mohawk Drive, Acton, MA 01720
* Your gift is tax deductible. The ATM's of Boston is a tax-exempt 501C-3 organization.

Unless otherw ise specified, Your Name, Tow n, Home Phone and E-mail are published yearly in a (members only) club directory. Please Check the box below if you do not w ant your name on this list.

Do not publish


To join the Am ateur Telescope Makers of Boston, use the application included on the back of this brochure, or download a m em bership application from the "Join Us" Section of our W ebsite.

ASTRONOMY MAGAZINES...
These m onthly m agazines, which can be found on m ost newsstands, contain general astronom y articles, m onthly observing inform ation, and star charts. SKY & TELESCOPE, Sky Publishing Corp. 90 Sherm an Street, Cam bridge, MA 02140, $42.95/year. This publisher also supplies a free catalog of astronom y books. Telephone: (800) 253-0245. THE NIGHT SKY, Sky Publishing Corp. 90 Sherm an Street, Cam bridge, MA 02140, Back Issues available. A great m agazine for kids and/or beginners. (Recom m ended age group: 8 and up) ASTRONOMY, Kalm bach Publishing Co., P.O. Box 1612, W aukesha, W I 53187, $39.95/year. Telephone: (800) 533-6644

The m ajor New England conventions are: STELLAFANE, one of the biggest and oldest conventions in the country. As m any as 2000 am ateurs gather annually on Breezy Hill in Springfield, VT for a weekend in late July or August for telescope judging, swap tables, talks, and observing under dark skies. This world-renowned event is sponsored by the Springfield Telescope Makers, PO Box 50, Belm ont MA 02478.

ASTRONOMICAL RESOURCES IN THE BOSTON AREA...
POPULAR ASTRONOMY LECTURES are presented by the Harvard-Sm ithsonian Center for Astrophysics every third Thursday of the m onth at Phillips Auditorium of the Harvard Observatory in Cam bridge starting a 8 p.m . Adm ission is free. Telescopic observing is available after the lecture. For m ore inform ation call (617) 495-7461. The Astronom y Departm ent of Boston University conducts PUBLIC TELESCOPIC observing every clear W ednesday night. Adm ission is free. Since the tim e varies throughout the year, call (617) 353-2630 on W ednesdays after 5:30 p.m . for up-todate inform ation. SKY SHOW S are presented daily at the Hayden Planetarium of the Boston Museum of Science. For m ore inform ation and adm ission prices, call (617) 723-2500. PUBLIC TELESCOPIC observing is conducted at the W heaton College Observatory every clear Friday Night from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m . when college is in session (Sep-May). Located at the intersection of routes 123 and 140 in Norton, MA, the observatory is on the roof of the Science Center. Adm ission is free. Call (508) 286-2700 to listen to STAR TAPE for m ore inform ation. SKY SHOW S are given daily at the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium , Concord, NH 03301. For inform ation and show tim es call (603) 271-2842.

exceeds that of anything you can buy. Grinding a m irror is quite a com m itm ent, but grinding a high quality m irror m eeting tolerances of 1/1,000,000 of an inch can be very rewarding. You will have the help and support you need to finish the job. Mirror m aking kits for popular sizes are kept in stock at the Clubhouse. Need to finish that kit you started as a kid? Bring it up and we wil l get you going again. Mirror m aking supplies can also be purchased from : W ILLMANN-BELL, Inc., P.O. Box 35025, Richm ond, VA 23235, (804) 320-7016 www.willbell.com Parts and Accessories can be purchased from : ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS, 89 Hanger W ay, W atsonville, CA, 95076 (800) 447-1001

www.stellafane.com
STARCONN, an annual event held at W esleyan College in Middleton, CT, is host to several hundred am ateurs. This convention is usually held in the m onth of April and includes talks, swap tables, and com m ercial vendor exhibits. The Astronom ical Society of Greater Hartford, P.O. BOX 2271, HARTFORD, CT 06145, sponsors this event. ASTRO ASSEMBLY is an annual weekend October at the Seagrave Mem orial Observat RI. It features telescope judging, talks, observing. It is conducted by Skyscrapers, Rd., North Scituate, RI 02857. event held in early ory, North Scituate, swap tables, and Inc., 47 Peep Toad

OBSERVING GUIDES FOR THE AMATEUR...
Check your local library, or contact Sherm an Street, Cam bridge, MA, (800) wide variety of astronom ical books, guides. The following observing guides am ateurs: Sky Publ 253-0245, including have been ishing Corp., 90 as a source for a m any observing very popular with

http://www.OrionTelescopes.com/
Local distributors of com m ercial telescopes are: HUNTS CAMERA, 100 Main St, Melrose, MA (781)662-8822 Meade, Celestron RIVERS CAMERA, 454 Central Ave., Dover, NH (603) 742-4888 Meade, Celestron, Televue, Orion, Bausch & Lom b ASTRONOMY SHOPPE (603) 382-0836 "Buying Guide" articles appear frequently in Sky and Telescope and Astronom y m agazines. Their W eb Sites have m any of the past articles. Consult your local library for back issues or contact the publishers. Astronom y: www.astronomy.com Sky & Telescope:

SKY CALENDAR, Monthly calendar and star m ap for beginners is published quarterly, and is developed by the Abram s Planetarium , Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1324.

www.pa.msu.edu/abrams
TURN LEFT AT ORION, By Guy Consolm agno & Dan Davis, designed for beginners and use with a sm all telescope. NIGHTW ATCH, An Equinox Guide to Observing the Universe by Terence Dickinson is a great beginner's book. It has a little bit of everything, and is available at m ost bookstores. THE OLD FARMER'S ALMANAC can be bought at any superm arket. Take the lore for what it's worth, but there is a wealth of astronom ical inform ation such as sun, m oon, planet and bright star rise and set tim es. A cheaper guide you will not find. Great for naked eye astronom y.

CONJUNCTION, a sm aller, but no less enjoyable gathering of am ateurs at Northfield, Mass, held around Labor Day weekend. Usually attended by approxim ately 100 people, the event is com prised of talks, discussions, swap tables, evening dinner, and guest speaker. For m ore inform ation, contact: Richard Sanderson P.O. Box 54, Monson, MA 01057. ARUNAH HILL DAYS, A fun gathering of telescopes and people at one of the darker sites available in Massachusetts. Held in late August or early Septem ber of each year. Check out the web site at www.arunah.org There is lots going on there at other tim es of the year as well. A very active group. ABOUT TELESCOPES... The m ost popular am ateur telescope is the ref lecting type. It uses a precisely curved m irror as the m ain optical elem ent to collect light and form an im age. The m ost im portant criteria of an astronom ical telescope is its diam eter. The larger the diam eter of the m irror (or lens in the case of a refr actor type telescope), the m ore light is collected and the brighter the im age becom es. Typical am ateur telescopes are 4 to 8 inches in diam eter and m agnify the im age 50 to 200 tim es. To be useful, a telescope m ust be pointable while rem aining rigidly supported. If you want to own a telescope, you have three options: (1) purchase a com m ercial unit, (2) purchase com m ercially m ade optics and assem ble the rest of the telescope yourself, (3) grind and polish your own m irror and com pletely assem ble your scope. Option 1 m ay be the hardest to do if you are just starting. If you are not sure of the capabilities you want in a telescope, you m ay wind up purchasing a telescope too com plex for your skills. Even if you know what you want, and just buy the m ini m um needed, it could cost $400 - $500. The last two options will save you m oney and give you the pride and satisfaction of building a fine telescope. TELESCOPE BUILDING... W ith the exception of the second Thursday of the m onth, Thursday nights are Mirror Grinding Nights at our Clubhouse. If you want to build your own telescope, take advantage of the help from our experts who can show you how to m ake your own m irror. W ith newer grinding m ethods, m em bers are com pleting 8" m irrors in less than 6 m onths. The quality of a handm ade m irror usually

www.skytonight.com

ASTRONOMY HOTLINES...
For general observing inform ation on the Moon, planets, and sky phenom ena SKY REPORT, (617) 496-7827, Harvard-Sm ithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The three m inute recorded m essage is updated every Thursday afternoon. Norm al telephone rates apply. SKYLINE (617) 497-4168, Sky and Telescope. The three m inute recorded m essage is updated every Friday afternoon. Norm al telephone rates apply.

TELESCOPE MAKING BOOKS...
These books m ay be available at your local library, or from Sky Publishing Corp., 90 Sherm an Street, Cam bridge, MA 02140. (800) 253-0245. Build Your Own Telescope, Richard Berry, Scribner, 1985, 276 pgs., hardcover, $24.95. (Beginner am ateur) All About Telescopes, Sam Brown, Edm und Scientific, 1975, 192 pgs, soft cover, $14.95. (Covers telescope m aking, observing, astrophotography, and m ore. A m ust for all am ateurs) Making your own Telescope, Allyn J. Thom pson, Sky Publishing Corp., 1947, 211 pgs. $14.95. How to Make a Telescope, 2nd Ed., Jean Texereau, 424 pgs, Anchor Books, hardcover, $24.95. (Advanced am ateur) John Dobson, the am ateur astronom er who has popularized the widely used Dobsonian telescope design, has m ade a Telescope Making Video. This 90-m inute video gives a detailed description of how to build a low-cost 8 to 16 inch telescope and describes m irror grinding, polishing, and testing as well as tube and m ount fabrication. Available from : Dobson Astro Initiatives, P.O. Box 460915, San Francisco, CA 94146. $39.95 plus $3.50 S & H.

ASTRONOMICAL SOFTWARE...
There are hundreds of astronom y program s for your com puter, ranging from free shareware to program s costing several hundred dollars. Most of the ones that apply to the am ateur astronom er will be advertised in astronom y m agazines. There is a com prehensive W ebsite for all platform s, m aintained by Bill Arnett at:

ASTRONOMY ON THE INTERNET
SKY ON LINE, an astronom ical news and inform ation site on the W orld W ide W eb. www.skyandtelescope.com TELESCOPE MAKING inform ation can be found at:

www.seds.org.billa/astrosoftware.html
Som e of our m em ber favorites are: SkyMap, The Sky, MegaStar, Skyglobe, Starry Night, Voyager II, Redshift and The Guide. W hich is the best? Opinions are widely varied. Many of the com panies offer dem o versions that can be downloaded and evaluated from their websites. Rem em ber the night sky cannot be fully appreciated from your com puter. These program s are helpful but not the real thing. Get out to a dark sky and observe!

http://www.atmsite.org/
MIRROR MAKING inform ation can be found at:

http://www.bbastrodesigns.com/tm.html
SPACE W EATHER, an update of the conditions relating to our solar-terrestrial environm ent can be found at:

www.spaceweather.com
METEOR SHOW ER info can be found on the N. Am erican Meteor Network: www.namnmeteors.org

AMATEUR CONVENTIONS...
There are several am ateur astronom y conventions within the New England area. These m eetings are very enjoyable and provide am ateurs an opportunity to network with other am ateurs from the local area, across the country and throughout the world.