A.L.P.O.
Why We Have Conventions,
Conferences, and Meetings
By
Matthew Will
ALPO Secretary and Treasurer
The ALPO of Today
The 2011 ALPO
Conference here in Las
Cruces will be the 62nd
meeting of its kind
over the last 55 years.
The ALPO itself has
always been a forum
for amateur and
professional
astronomers interested
in Solar System
astronomy.
The ALPO of Today
Today’s ALPO
members are active
in our observing
programs.
They read about
analyses from their
observations in the
Journal ALPO,
The ALPO of Today
Utilize the ALPO web
site for assistance and
guidance with
observations, and
Exchange perspectives
on lunar and planetary
astronomy through
email and ALPO blogs
The ALPO of Yesteryear
In 1956, the ALPO had its first every annual
meeting in Flagstaff, Arizona.
The 9 year old astronomical organization by
this time had earned not only a following of
loyal members but had established itself as
a focal point for serious amateur
observation of the Solar System through its
observing programs.
Solar System Astronomy
Anyone ?
While ALPO had its
Journal otherwise
known as The Strolling
Astronomer, as its
main outlet, the
organization lacked the
face-to-face contact
local astronomy clubs
had.
Credit Dennis Milon, Journal A.L.P.O.
Solar System Astronomy
Anyone ?
With limitations of mail and
long distance phone calls, it
was thought that a meeting
of several days with
multiple presentations,
personal contacts, and
exposure to a variety
subject matter could make
for a very enriching
experience for the budding
amateur of the mid 20th
Century.
Solar System Astronomy
Anyone ?
Thus the ALPO
Convention,
Conference, or
Annual Meeting was
born !
Today’s Presentation!
Today I will discuss why we have ALPO
annual meetings, especially in this day
and age of mass and fast
communications.
And a little bit of history behind our
annual meetings.
What is the A.L.P.O.?
An international
group of individuals
that study the sun,
moon, planets,
asteroids, meteors,
and comets and
other topics of
study that relate to
Solar System
astronomy.
Our Goals Are To…
stimulate, coordinate,
and generally promote
the study of these
bodies
using methods and
instruments that are
available within the
communities of both
amateur and
professional
astronomers.
We welcome and provide services for all
individuals interested in lunar and
planetary astronomy.
For the novice observer, the A.L.P.O. is a place to
learn and to enhance observational techniques.
For the advanced amateur astronomer, it is a place
where one's work will count through participation in
observing programs.
For the professional astronomer, it is a resource
where group studies or systematic observing
patrols add to the advancement of astronomy.
ALPO Sections &
Programs
The A.L.P.O. has a kaleidoscope of different
programs related to Solar System astronomy
managed by up to 19 separate sections.
All Solar System bodies and phenomena are
covered by coordinators that manage these
sections.
Section Coordinators
Collect and study submitted observations
Correspond with observers
Encourage beginners, and
Contribute reports to our Journal at
appropriate intervals.
The ALPO of Today
Our mission and all of the
elements that make up the
ALPO have not changed in
64 years as the ALPO has
always been a vibrant
organization in that regard.
What has changed is the
ability for ALPO members
living vast distances apart
from one another, to
communicate almost
instantaneously, using email
and the World Wide Web.
The Early ALPO
But in the early years, that
was a far different world…
The fledglings ALPO
produced The Strolling
Astronomer as a
mimeograph in its first few
years.
The publication had
managed to publish lunar
and planetary drawings by
February of 1950.
The Early ALPO
It wasn’t until 1953
that The Strolling
Astronomer
achieved the
professional print
quality look to it
resembling an
established journal.
The Early ALPO
Still with all of these advancements, the
ALPO, with its Journal, could not be a total
substitute for human contact.
The ALPO was growing, to 350 members by
1953. A personal contact would be helpful
in the editor understanding his readers and
vice-versa.
The ALPO’s First
Annual Meeting
“…we would like to voice
a hope for the future –
that some day we will
have A.L.P.O.
Conventions and shall
get to know each other
better.”
Walter H. Haas, from The Strolling
Astronomer in 1953
Photo credit, Frank Delaney, Sky &
Telescope
The ALPO’s First
Annual Meeting
That dream became a reality in 1956.
The Western Amateur Astronomers, a US
group adept at organizing conventions since
1949, went in with the ALPO to jointly host
this convention.
The venue would be Flagstaff, Arizona.
The ALPO’s First
Annual Meeting
This convention would follow a formula or format that
would repeat itself in coming years.
Separate ALPO technical paper sessions that
establishes a more in depth scientific perspective to
the convention.
The larger partner organization and/or local society
shoulders the burden of coordinating the basic
logistics.
The ALPO’s First
Annual Meeting
Both meeting organizations benefit from their
mutual presence in attracting new members.
Planned field trips to interesting sites near the
meeting place enhanced interest to travel to these
meetings.
The meeting concludes with a banquet, awards
presentation, and after banquet presentation.
The ALPO’s First
Annual Meeting
The first meeting that the ALPO
participated in ran from Wednesday,
August 29 through Saturday,
September 1, 1956.
The ALPO’s First
Annual Meeting
Paper sessions were held
at a local high school
auditorium in Flagstaff,
with the banquet
Thursday evening.
The “after dinner”
speaker was Dr. Otto
Struve who also
received the WAA’s G.
Bruce Blair Award later
that evening.
Credit, Jack Eastman, Journal A.L.P.O.
The ALPO’s First
Annual Meeting
Visits to other sites
such as a star party
at Lowell
Observatory and a
field trip to Meteor
Crater filled out
convention
activities.
Credit, Sky & Telescope
The ALPO’s First
Annual Meeting
Actually, while the WAA
had primary control of
the logistics, the
convention was cochaired by two ALPO
people, Tom Cave and
Tom Cragg.
The Caves left, and the Craggs right,
credit, L. J. Robinson, Sky &
Telescope
The ALPO’s First
Annual Meeting
Over 260 attendees, 120 of which were ALPO
members, met at this convention.
Credit, Fronske Studio, Sky & Telescope
The ALPO’s First
Annual Meeting
ALPO papers
included timely
papers from Clyde
Tombaugh and
Chick Capen
concerning the
geology of Mars
and observational
techniques with
color filters.
Tombaugh left, Capen right, courtesy Don C.
Jardine
The ALPO’s First
Annual Meeting
Other papers
discussed lunar
topics by David P.
Barcroft, Steadman
Thompson, and
John Westfall (in
picture).
Credit: Jack Eastman, Journal
A.L.P.O.
The ALPO’s First
Annual Meeting
Other section papers by various “recorders” for
Saturn, Venus, Uranus, and Neptune.
And many member generated papers regarding
observing techniques.
Also the BAA was also represented with papers
from Patrick Moore and H.P. Wilkins.
All told 15 ALPO papers were presented on the last
day of the conference.
ALPO Meetings
at a Glance
62 meetings have been held since
1956.
In years 1958, 1960, 1961, 1967,
1968, and 1996, had two meetings
usually in the summer, at diverse
geographic locations.
ALPO Meetings
at a Glance
The ALPO has either been hosted or met with other
groups, sometimes multiple groups, at 53 meetings.
Some of these organizations have been:
- Astronomical League, 35 times
- WAA, 22 times
- AAVSO, 9 times
- Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 4 times
- International Occultation Timing Assoc., 4 times
- Royal Astronomical Soc. Canada, 3 times
ALPO Meetings
at a Glance
The ALPO has either met by itself or
been hosted by a local astronomical
society 9 times.
3 of those times in Las Cruces, with
today’s meeting being the fourth.
ALPO Meetings
at a Glance
ALPO has met outside the US 3 times, twice
in Canada and once in Mexico.
We have met in California more often than
any state in the US, with 16 different
meetings.
We have met in the Southwest more than
any other region in the US, 29 times.
ALPO Meetings
at a Glance
In terms of metropolitan areas, the ALPO has
met:
- In the Los Angles area at various venues
8 times.
- In the San Francisco Bay area and Las
Cruces, NM area, 4 times each.
- In Tucson, AZ, 3 times.
ALPO Meetings
at a Glance
Places were we have been scarce
- The South (6)
- The East (8)
- Pacific Northwest (2)
Places were we have never been
- Texas
- New England
- North Central US
ALPO Members vs.
Meeting Sites
Blue Dots = Meetings before
1990
Red Dots = Meetings 1990 or
later
Red = 21 to 30 members
Orange = 16 to 20 members
Yellow = 11 to 15 members
Green = 6 to 10 members
White = 5 or less members
Blue = None
The Las Cruces Meetings
There were 3 meetings in Las Cruces over
the years, in 1968, 1993, 1997, and our
present one today.
These meetings probably exemplify the best
attributes of ALPO meetings and the need
to still have these meetings even in
the age of the internet.
The Las Cruces Meetings
These attributes are:
ALPO Staff could deliver their data and
findings in person, and not just remotely
though the Journal.
Presences of ALPO speakers at the
conventions give attendees frequent
opportunities to interact.
The Las Cruces Meetings
A chance to be familiar with topics not
normally encountered or easily understood
in amateur astronomy.
An opportunity to meet others with similar
interest and challenges in amateur
astronomy – seeing old friends and making
new ones.
And the occasional surprise!
The Las Cruces Meetings
Our first meeting in the Las Cruces area was actually
at the campus of New Mexico State University in
August of 1968.
The meeting was part of a SW Region Astronomical
League convention.
The First
Las Cruces Meeting
Credit: Leonard Jefferson, Journal A.L.P.O.
The convention was hosted by the Astronomical Society of Las
Cruces and also had the WAA in attendance.
Approximately 300 attendees flocked to Las Cruces.
The First
Las Cruces Meeting
This convention must have had a high profile with the
Las Cruces community for the NMSU President and
Commander of White Sands Missile Range were
there to greet attendees at opening ceremonies.
Credit, Frederick W. Jaeger, Journal A.L.P.O.
The First
Las Cruces Meeting
Phil Budine (left), Wini Cameron (right), credit, Frederick W. Jaeger, Journal A.L.P.O.
Several well known present and future ALPO
recorders (coordinators) spoke at this
convention.
The First
Las Cruces Meeting
Credit, Frederick W. Jaeger, Journal A.L.P.O.
And there were numerous opportunities to
meet and converse with speakers and other
convention attendees.
The First
Las Cruces Meeting
This convention had one unique surprise. It was the only
convention to have ever had a comet discovered by its
attendees, Pat Clayton and John Bally-Urban. Naturally, this
11th magnitude comet near the Ring Nebula was named
Comet Bally-Clayton 1968d and confirmed the night of the
banquet.
(Left to right), Mark Whitaker, Pat Clayton, and John Bally-Urban, credit, Jack Eastman.
The 1993
Las Cruces Meeting
The ALPO met again in Las Cruces in 1993. The
organization would this time, meet by itself from
August 5th through the 7th, with 61 registrants
showing up.
Credit, John Westfall, Journal of the A.L.P.O.
The 1993
Las Cruces Meeting
The venue for paper
sessions and
accommodations was
the Best Western
Mission Inn in Las
Cruces. The
community again
greeted us on the
marquee of the
“Downtown Mall”.
Credit, John Westfall, Journal A.L.P.O.
The 1993
Las Cruces Meeting
The topics were
varied and ranged
from our own
founder, Walter H.
Haas giving an
historical outline of
the A.L.P.O…
Credit, Phil Plante
The 1993
Las Cruces Meeting
…to a workshop for
suggested observing
projects for Comet
Shoemaker-Levy, just
in case some lucky
amateur happened to
image or observe the
comet impacting
Jupiter.
A surprise waiting for
us months after the
meeting!
Credit, John Westfall, Journal A.L.P.O.
The 1993
Las Cruces Meeting
And no modern day ALPO meeting isn’t
complete without the dreaded Board
meeting!
(Left to Right) , (insert name), (insert name), (insert name), (insert name), credit , former
Board member.
The 1993
Las Cruces Meeting
By this time the
ALPO had its own
award, the Walter
H. Haas Observer’s
Award, this time
awarded to Jose
Olivarez.
Credit, John Westfall, Journal A.L.P.O
The 1993
Las Cruces Meeting
And Clyde Tombaugh
gave the after
banquet talk, Is
There a Tenth
Planet?
Credit, John Westfall, Journal A.L.P.O.
The 1997
Las Cruces Meeting
To mark the 50th anniversary of the ALPO, the
organization met once more in Las Cruces. About
45 ALPO members attended at the Holiday Inn de
Las Cruces, from June 25-29.
Credit, Phil Plante
The 1997
Las Cruces Meeting
In addition to the usual
scientific papers given
by ALPO coordinators,
some were historically
reflective of past ALPO
accomplishments.
Julius Benton, credit, John Westfall, Journal
A.L.P.O.
The 1997
Las Cruces Meeting
Founder Walter Haas gave the Banquet address,
aptly reflecting on the ALPO past, present, and
future. He gave his thanks for all who have
participated in the ALPO and his insights about why
it worked all those years.
Credit, John Westfall, Journal A.L.P.O.
The 1997
Las Cruces Meeting
That meeting also
introduced a new ALPO
award, the Peggy Haas
Service Award, for
outstanding service to
the ALPO excluding
observational work. It
was fitting that Walter
was its inaugural
recipient.
Harry Jamieson (left), credit, John Westfall,
Journal A.L.P.O.
And Now
Today’s Meeting…
Once more we are being graciously
hosted again by the Astronomical
Society of Las Cruces.
And in nearly the same location as
that first meeting.
And Now
Today’s Meeting…
Let us begin as we
have done before
and to all those
who have done in
the past… we have
you as an example
to emulate.
Let the 2011 ALPO
Conference begin!
Special Thanks To…



John & Beth Westfall
Thomas Williams
Don Jardine