Club Status July 1, 2020

     We wanted to update our members and friends about the status of the club, given the COVID-19 situation. We understand that people want to return to normal, and club members want to get together with the public and view the skies. Our club exists to bring knowledge of astronomy and the beauty of the night sky to the public, and for the last four months it has been very difficult to do that. We regret the inability to fulfill our mission. However, the most important thing for us to consider is the health and safety of our members and the public.
     It is very difficult to have a star party, and to expect everyone who attends, including children, to stay six to ten feet apart. It seems to be harder and harder to convince people to wear masks when out in public, and it is difficult to sanitize a telescope eyepiece, focuser and hand paddles every time a new person comes to view through a telescope. Additionally, our observatory s on the property of the Lorain County Metro Parks, and the parks, very correctly, have been very careful to limit or avoid public events.
       Sadly, all this means that the Black River Astronomical Society is cancelling all public events for the month of July. Our monthly meeting will be Wednesday July 1st at 7:00 PM and will be on Zoom. All members and friends who are on our mailing list will receive an email with the Zoom meeting number and password shortly. Please join us. Dave Lengyel will be speaking on Astronomy from the Desert. We will also present the July Observers Calendar, and the constellation of the Month.
     Please check our Facebook page for other opportunities to go outside and view. We will try to keep you posted on events you can enjoy from home. Please be assured that we will evaluate the situation near the end of July in order to make a decision about events in August. We are also in communication with our sister astronomy clubs in northern Ohio so we can share ideas and look for best practices to keep everyone safe while doing the astronomy we love. Please feel free to contact me with questions, comments or suggestions at the address below.
Steve Schauer
BRASPres@gmail.com