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(meteorobs) Recent changes to the American Meteor Society staff

  • Subject: (meteorobs) Recent changes to the American Meteor Society staff
  • From: Jim Richardson
  • Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 21:42:24 -0400
Hello Colleagues,

For your information, the below contains an updated listing of the current
American Meteor Society staff, along with some general information about
us.  Recent changes in positions include the appointment of Robert Lunsford
as the new Visual Program Coordinator, Wayne hally as an Assistant Visual
Program Coordinator, James Bedient as the AMS Journal Editor, and the
welcome addition of Gary Kronk as an AMS Staff Advisor.  I would also like
to publicly thank Mark Davis for his outstanding service as the former
Visual Program Coordinator, and we look forward to a continued high level
of cooperation and interaction between the NAMN and the AMS.  

Further information on meteor science, our society, and our affiliated
groups can be found at the AMS web site (James Bedient, webmaster), located
at:

https://www.amsmeteors.org/

or the outstanding comets / meteors web site created and maintained by Gary
Kronk:

https://www.amsmeteors.org

Additionally, the American Meteor Society publishes a quarterly journal,
called Meteor Trails (James Bedient, editor), which contains a variety of
articles, summaries of recent observations, charts, calendars and other
materials designed for the meteor enthusiast.  The AMS Journal serves as a
nice compliment to the IMO Journal, and a subscription to Meteor Trails is
very inexpensive.  Subscription and AMS affiliation information is included
at the end of this email.


** AMS Officers **

     * Board of Directors *

Dr. David Meisel  (Executive Director)
Geneseo, New York

Michael Morrow  (Secretary)
Ocean View, Hawaii

Karl Simmons  (Treasurer)
Callahan, Florida


     * Operations Staff *

James Richardson  (Operations Manager)
Tallahassee, Florida
email:  richardson@digitalexp.com

James Bedient  (Journal Editor / Electronic Information Coordinator)
Honolulu, Hawaii
email:  bedient@amsmeteors.org

Lewis Gramer  (Assistant Electronic Information Coordinator)
Medford, Massachusetts
email:  dedalus@latrade.com                


     * Visual Studies Program *

Robert Lunsford  (Visual Program Coordinator)
Chula Vista, California
email:  LUNRO.IMO.USA@prodigy.net

Cathy Hall  (Assistant Visual Program Coordinator)
Ottawa, Ontario
email:  chall@cyberus.ca

Wayne Hally  (Assistant Visual Program Coordinator)
High Bridge, New Jersey
email:  meteors@mail.eclipse.net


* Staff Advisors *

Gary Kronk
Troy, Illinois 
email:  kronkg@medicine.wustl.edu

Norman McLeod  
Ft. Myers, Florida
email:  nmcleod@peganet.com


** AMS Special Projects

James Richardson  (Radiometeor Project Coordinator)
Tallahassee, Florida
email:  richardson@digitalexp.com

Edward Majden  (Meteor Spectroscopy Project Coordinator)
Courtenay, British Columbia
email:  epmajden@mars.ark.com


** AMS Affiliated Groups

Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO), Meteors Section
Robert Lunsford  (Recorder)
email:  LUNRO.IMO.USA@prodigy.net

Jordanian Astronomical Society (JAS)
Mohammad Shawkat Odeh  (JAS Administrative Board)
email:  odehjas@geocities.com

Meteor Group Hawaii
Michael Morrow  (President)
email (c/o):  eide@hawaii.edu

New Jersey Astronomical Association (NJAA), Meteor Group
Wayne Hally  (Director)
email:  meteors@mail.eclipse.net

North American Meteor Network (NAMN)
Mark Davis  (Coordinator)
email:  MeteorObs@Charleston.Net


** AMS General Description **

The American Meteor Society, Ltd. is a public foundation established for
the purpose of promoting and conducting scientific research in the area of
meteor astronomy, by both amateur and professional scientists.  We have a
long history, extending back to 1911, when Dr. Charles Olivier founded the
AMS as an off-shoot from the American Astronomical Society (AAS) for the
purpose of encouraging amateur astronomer participation in meteor studies.
To this day, the amateur meteor observer and scientist remains the backbone
and primary focus of the society.  Under our current Executive Director,
Dr. David Meisel (State University of New York at Geneseo), the society
received a modest endowment from the Clinton B. Ford Foundation in 1993,
and was officially incorporated at that time.  The AMS received full public
foundation status in 1998, and maintains its present headquarters at the
State University of New York at Geneseo.

Today, the American Meteor Society consists of affiliated individuals and
groups located throughout the United States and Canada, as well as other
parts of the world.  Our staff consists of a volunteer group of 11
individuals: three Board of Directors members, and an appointed Operations
Staff consisting of 8 enthusiastic amateur meteor astronomers.  Our staff
includes individuals located over a broad cross section of North America
and the eastern Pacific: from Canada to Florida, and from New England to
Hawaii.  This group has worked hard over the past three years to revitalize
our venerable society; including the union of most meteor groups across
North America, improvements in data collection and archive, and the
production of a new class of printed and electronic publications including
our new journal -- "Meteor Trails."

In addition to the above, our society continues to be active in several
areas of meteoric research.  AMS affiliates and members of our affiliate
groups regularly contribute visual meteor observations to the meteor shower
research of the International Meteor Organization (IMO).  Dr. Meisel and
his associates continue to explore the micro-meteor population using the
powerful 305 meter astronomical radar located at Arecibo, Puerto Rico.  The
AMS Radiometeor Project has yielded a joint paper by Dr. Meisel and James
Richardson, which has been recently published in the European journal
Planetary and Space Science.  Dr. Jiri Borovicka (Ondrejov Observatory) and
AMS affiliate Edward Majden have also recently published a joint paper on a
bright Perseid meteor spectrum captured by Ed in 1986.  Additionally, Ed
has also published a paper last fall in the RASC journal on a technique for
capturing meteor spectra using inexpensive holographic gratings.  Based
upon these successes, Ed Majden has been awarded AMS sponsorship for his
work, and has been asked to head an AMS Meteor Spectroscopy Project in
which other amateurs are encouraged to pursue this area of meteor research.
 Additionally, our society continues to look for other new and innovative
ways in which amateurs and professionals can pursue collaborative efforts
in this fascinating field.


** Joining the AMS **

If our work sounds interesting to you, please consider affiliating with our
society.  Your affiliation includes a year's subscription to the AMS
journal, "Meteor Trails," receipt of the society's annual report, and other
occasional publications and bulletins.  There are four types of affiliation:

* Student - $6.50 annually

Persons under age 18 who satisfactorily fulfill the initial Observer status
requirements.

* Observer - $6.50 annually

persons over age 18 who meet the initial Observer status requirements, and
who contribute at least once a year to an AMS observing program or special
project.

* Associate - $8.00 annually

Persons wishing to subscribe to the society's publications, without having
to meet the Observer status requirements or actively contribute to an AMS
observing program or special project.

* Group - $10.00 annually

Organizations of at least 3 persons who participate in the work of the
society (as defined under Observer above).  Affiliation at this level
allows requests of up to three copies of the AMS journal and other
publications sent to one address.


Observer Status Requirements

The AMS welcomes all meteor enthusiasts, and strongly encourages its
members to actively contribute to the work of the society.  In 1993, the
AMS Board of Directors created the special affiliate class of Observer to
encourage this higher level of participation.  The basic requirements for
Observer status are described below, for either visual observations,
radiometeor detection, meteor spectroscopy, or CCD  / photographic imaging.
Those needing more information to get started are encouraged to contact the
AMS coordinator for the field of their particular interest.  

The requirements for visual meteor observers are: 

To go out on three clear, moonless nights, starting not earlier than 10
P.M., and make hourly counts of all meteors seen for a total period each
night of at least 3 hours. The following data should be recorded:

  1. Your location;
  2. The date of observation;
  3. The start time of your observations and type of time;
  4. The condition of the sky at the starting time, noting any haze or
     other obscuration;
  5. A total meteor count for each full hour you observe;
  6. Any changes to the sky conditions during your observing period.

     Note: More experienced meteor observers are welcome to submit full
descriptive data and/or meteor plots in addition to hourly counts.

Alternative forms of meeting the Observer status requirements include the
following:

   * Those interested in radiometeor work should submit three hours of
     audio tapes with meteor signals on them.

   * Those specializing in meteor spectroscopy should submit 1 good quality
     meteor spectrum with two calibrations of wavelength (either an
     artificial source or known natural source).

   * CCD or photographic observers should submit at least three separate
     frames with meteor trails on them.

Copies of the above should be included with your dues, completed membership
form, and sent to the AMS Treasurer (address below).

Please note that all individuals are still most welcome to join the society
as regular Associates without meeting any of the above observer status
requirements.  Payment of the appropriate society dues is the only
requirement for Associates.

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AMS Affiliation Form

Please provide us with the following information:

Name:______________________________________________

Organization:______________________________________

Address 1 (Street, Box,
etc.):_________________________________________________

Address 2 (Apt No., etc.):________________________________________

City: ____________________________

State / Region: _________________

Postal (Zip) Code: ___________________

Country:________________

Email:__________________________________

Membership Status:

-------- New affiliate                    ----------  Renewal

Type of affiliation:

-------- Student ($6.50)

-------- Observer ($6.50)

-------- Associate ($8.00)

-------- Group ($10.00)

Affiliation requires a check or money order made out to the "American
Meteor Society," in US Dollars.  If you live outside of the USA, do not
send checks. Please send postal money orders.  This completed form, society
dues, and Observer requirements (if applicable) should be mailed to:

Karl Simmons
AMS Treasurer
3859 Woodland Heights
Callahan, FL  32011
USA


Please allow us about 2-6 weeks for the processing of new affiliations.

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James Richardson
Tallahassee, Florida
richardson@digitalexp.com

Operations Manager / Radiometeor Project Coordinator
American Meteor Society (AMS)
https://www.amsmeteors.org/