Introducing the Shoreline Astronomical Society
Hi All,
This is just a short plug for the club I founded in 2023 after working from home for 5 years and feeling the need for a social outlet. Full support from the Mrs. as she works from home too and most likely needed me to get out of the house 😄
Serving the Connecticut coastal communities east of New Haven to New London, the Shoreline Astronomical Society founded in 2023 is a member society of the Astronomical League. We’ve grown from 12 members to 32 in 1.5 years.
Our meetings are once a month on the second Thursday from 7-9 PM at Deer Lake Outdoor Center in Killingworth, CT and they happily douse all the outdoor lights for us to observe after our meetings convene.
Club members have 7 telescopes they can check out and use, membership in the Astronomical League, and access to the clubs' groups.io page where club member observing sessions are organized.
We advertise our events to the public using our facebook page but maintain a simple blogger page for those adverse to social media at www.shorelineastronomicalsociety.blogspot.com . Paid members have access to a groups.io page just for members (coordinate equipment swaps, observing sessions, projects/accomplishments etc)
Club accomplishments this past year include:
- Over 1000 individual interactions and 6 club members have been awarded AL Outreach Awards!
- We recently filed for 501©(3) status and hoping to grow the clubs' funds for meeting space fees, eyepieces for club telescopes, outreach kits, and advertising material.
- Building a close relationship with neighboring club Thames Amateur Astronomical Society (TAAS) - planning a joint Messier Marathon this year and have joint membership and recently had a club-to-club social happy hour.
I joke that my new hobby is running an astronomy club, but it’s not really a joke haha! It’s been a rewarding process and I’m thrilled to have built a community that I and other astronomers can be part of. If you are in the geography described above and are looking for a similar community please reach out! If any of the supporting club members are reading this, just know that I could not have done it without you!
Ad Astra
Jeff Dunn - President Shoreline Astronomical Society
