March 2023

This past month, as we perused our membership roster for candidates for office in our upcoming election and prospects to assist with outreach activities, I don’t know how many times I heard the comment “I don’t know most of the people on this list.” I have to admit, that I know most of the 140+ names, but few of the people. 

Many of you are aware that we maintain our membership roster and our events calendar on the Night Sky Network (NSN). But, I would venture a guess that most have not visited the site or used these features.

The NSN is a nationwide coalition of amateur astronomy clubs. The NSN is supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the Amateur Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP). Some features have been developed through National Science Foundation grants.

The program offers services and resources to astronomy clubs throughout the United States. As a member of Skyscrapers, we automatically register you as a member of NSN so you have access to members-only information once you login.

When we enter you on our roster, we enter only information that you provide on your membership application. And, as a default, we set your preferences so your name is visible to other members of Skyscrapers only (and theirs are visible to you), but not all members of NSN. Your email address is not visible to anyone, but me and four other coordinators.

Now, back to getting to know each other. You have complete control over the content of your personal information and its display on NSN under “My Profile” once you login. I would like you (and others) to tell us a little more about yourself and your interests in astronomy. Knowing something about you and your interests may help us plan for future events. And, please, add a photo of yourself, so we can recognize each other when we meet. 

Please visit the Night Sky Network (nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov) and embellish your profile. Then, browse around.  If you need some guidance, feel free to contact me; my email and phone number are available to all on NSN.

Skyscrapers is known for its congeniality. Let’s keep it going!