Amateur
|
|
Amateur
|
|
General Information
The Amateur Astronomers' Association of Princeton (AAAP) is a not-for-profit organization for those in the central New Jersey and Bucks County, Pennsylvania, areas who share an interest in astronomy.
Founded in 1962, the AAAP promotes astronomy-related activities both for members and the public. AAAP has more than 100 members of all ages and from all walks of life, with levels of expertise from beginner to Nobel Prize winner.
Meetings
AAAP holds its regular monthly meetings on the second Tuesday of the month from September through June at Princeton University's Peyton Hall on Ivy Lane in Princeton. Meetings begin with a public lecture at 8:00 p.m., followed by a ten-minute member presentation, and a short business meeting. All meetings are open to the general public and are without charge.
Activities
AAAP Public Starwatches are held at the John W. H. Simpson Observatory in Washington Crossing State Park, with the 6" refractor and 12.5" Newtonian reflector telescopes. The starwatches are held every Friday that the weather permits.
Special Public Starwatches are jointly held with the New Jersey State Museum Planetarium, usually on Friday evenings in October, where the museum presents special shows at the planetarium, followed by starwatching at the AAAP Simpson Observatory.
Super Science Weekend (in January) and Space Day (in July) are annual New Jersey State Museum events in Trenton that have AAAP-sponsored displays promoting astronomy and AAAP.
Jersey Starquest is an annual camping and observing convention weekend held in June at a dark-sky observing site in northern New Jersey. This event is often attended by observers from other New Jersey clubs as well as many from surrounding states.
How to get in touch
Write:
Amateur Astronomers' Association of Princeton
PO Box 2017
Princeton, NJ 08543
Phone:
Observatory - (609) 737-2575 (has voice mail)
E-mail:
Director: Rex Parker - LoracXer@aol.com
AAAP maintains two Websites.
To go there, just click here
AAAP WEB 1
... or here
AAAP WEB 2
Other Items of Interest
In addition to scheduled observing activities, an Astrophotography Working Group meets monthly at the Simpson Observatory throughout the winter and spring which is open to members of all levels of expertise.
Also, introductory amateur astronomy courses are jointly held with the New Jersey Washington Crossing State Park Nature Center.
Maintained by BDM
njastro@erols.com
Page last updated 8/20/98