About Us
We now have a new way to communicate with you in real time - the ASEM toolbar - click here for details.
ASEM is sponsoring the 2008 Mid-States Region of the Astronomical League convention, click here for details.
The Astronomical Society of Eastern Missouri (ASEM) is an astronomy club designed to put fun into astronomy. Our members range in age from 8 to 80 (we are very family friendly) and with knowledge levels from beginning to quite expert. We have several meetings each month, each tailored to a different audience (although anyone can "mix and match").
At 7:00 pm on the first Tuesday of the month, we have a meeting devoted to basics. See below for maps and more information. The format is free style in which we try to answer questions at any level, but practice has been at beginning levels. We also help with telescopes and give advice on what to look for when buying one.
On the second Saturday of the month we hold our general membership meeting. We start off at 6:00 pm with a pot luck supper. Participants are urged to bring a salad, side dish, dessert, etc to share (although we always have plenty of food) and the time has proven to be very good for general fellowship, ice-breaking, networking, etc. At 7:00 pm we start the regular meeting which features announcements of activities, videos, programs, etc.
On the fourth Saturday of the month we hold our Digital Imaging group meeting. This meeting is devoted to taking digital images of the sky and consists of demonstrations, theory and practice. It is a bit more advanced, but beginners are welcome (we were all beginners at some point). This meeting is often held at the observatory.
The other Saturday nights are reserved for our Observers group at the ASEM observatory. We have a 32-inch telescope there (the largest telescope in Missouri for the use of the public) and we can teach members how to use it (it is incredibly easy to use) as well as show them around the skies.
Various impromptu meetings at the observatory are held whenever someone decides to go there and wants company. Such events are announced on our email list (more about this below). "Qualified" members may reserve time on the big telescope for their own projects when it is not in use for group activities (mostly Saturday nights).
We also maintain a Yahoo email group which facilitates communication among some 120 folks who are interested in St. Louis area astronomy. To subscribe, send an email to STLAstronomy-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
