by Gene Allen, Secretary

The meeting was convened in Peyton Hall and on Zoom by Director Rex Parker at 1938 with his agenda and opening remarks:

◦ No meeting next month due to officers all traveling for the eclipse.

◦ A memorial service for Member John Miller will be held at the Dinky Bar and Kitchen on April 6 from 1230 to 1430.

◦ Sidereal Times will be posting astroimages by AAAP members.

◦ It’s galaxy season, with the Leo Triplet (M65, M66, NGC 3628) well positioned and M83 a challenge low in the south.

◦ To the two open observing/astrophotography challenges Lunar South Pole and Jupiter Moon Double Shadow Transit he is adding the repeating nova τ Coronae Borealis.

At 1949 Program Chair Victor Davis introduced speaker Erika Bernadette Hoffman, who gave us a presentation entitled Super-Massive Black Hole Winds: An X-Ray Perspective. A ten minute question session ended at 2055 and was followed by a ten-minute break. Present in the auditorium were 30 attendees.

The meeting reconvened at 2105 with 30 attendees in the auditorium. It opened with an Unjournal Presentation by Member Dr John Church about his lecture at Cornell University about the optics of their 12” refractor.

***********REPEAT OF IMPORTANT CHANGES*****************************************************

Due to most of the AAAP leadership traveling for the April 8 eclipse, it was previously decided that:

● The 2024 observatory season will be delayed for two weeks. The first Public Night will be on April 19.

● There will be no hosted, live eclipse event at the observatory. Folks will be referred to online coverage.

● The April meeting is cancelled.

Solar obscuration in the Princeton area will be 85-90%, still dramatically different from totality. Glasses or filters will be needed throughout the event.

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Rex expanded on his challenge to be ready to observe or photograph the variable star τ Coronae Borealis when it brightens dramatically but briefly. It is one of only 5 known repeating novae and its next flare up is expected sometime this year. He reminded us that his Lunar South Pole and Jupiter Moon Double Shadow Transit challenges remain unanswered.

Observatory Co-Chairs Dave and Jennifer Skitt are passing on requests from local organizations for eclipse support. Members Joanna Hertz and Dave Misiura will be staying in the area and have stepped up to provide a AAAP response.

Merchandise Chair Rich Sherman pitched us about buying any needed warm AAAP logo clothing before the store changes over to spring and summer articles. He also proposed a renaming to the John Miller Outreach Chair to honor the memory of John’s many decades of enthusiastic dedication to the AAAP. Response was favorable but no formal action was taken.

Observatory Co-Chair Dave Skitt reported that the water valve that feeds the observatory from the Nature Center is undergoing replacement. It has been leaking for years. We may be getting stone in the drive, but only between the two inner gates. The entry to the soccer fields may remain deeply holed. He mentioned that Burlington is hosting a star party on April 5, when many of us will be traveling for the eclipse. New Keyholder schedule information has been published. He is planning to create brief video clips detailing the individual steps needed to open the observatory. They will be available to Keyholders as a refresher and may be used in training. He and Jennifer had attended the planetarium program at TCNJ and found it worthwhile, although their schedule is very limited. They are open this spring only on March 1, April 5, and May 3. They want to know you are coming, so check out further information at
         https://observatory.tcnj.edu/planetarium/

The meeting was adjourned at 2150.

Membership currently numbers 205, with 11 having joined in 2024. There have been 32 renewals while 8 have allowed their membership to expire, giving us a 80% retention rate.