by Rex Parker, PhD
director@princetonastronomy.org

Treasure on Earth Created by Kilonova.  My long winter sojourn in the midwest ended a few weeks ago.  Upon return I am inspired by nature with the changing of seasons and the imminence of budburst in the forests and meadows around Princeton and central Jersey.  Looking out into the night sky this month I’m grateful for the changing constellations which now bring galaxies beyond count into favored position for our telescopes. With the warmer temperatures I anticipate the walk across a blooming campus to Peyton Hall for our next AAAP meeting on April 8. 

The guest speaker, Eliot Quataert, is the Charles Young Professor of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton (Charles Young is a famed astronomer from Princeton’s past, in the 1870’s). Professor Quataert will delve into some of the most energetic processes in the cosmos which underly the alchemy of the heavy elements.  The heaviest elements found on earth, such as gold, platinum, and uranium, are formed in the violent processes of supernovae and neutron star mergers.  The extreme processes unleashed by the merging of two neutron stars is now being scientifically termed a “kilonova”.  At the atomic physics level, energetic neutrons are “captured” by other nuclei, releasing almost unimaginable amounts of energy and resulting in the generation of gravitational waves by neutron star mergers. This deep dive into neutron stars will extend our education from February’s LIGO presentation from Hanford, WA, where we learned about the origin of gravitational waves from neutron star mergers.  See Program Chair Victor Davis’s section below for more on the speaker.  With the encouraging sign of spring, let’s have a great member turnout at Peyton Hall, face to face.  Of course, if you just cannot be there in person on April 8, do join us by Zoom (updated Zoom link is sent a few days before each meeting, and also posted on the website on page 2 under “Guest Speaker”).

National Academy of Science “Space Science Week 2025”, March 31-April 4.   The past year has been amazing for space exploration. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope discovered the most distant galaxy ever observed, Artemis II is preparing to send astronauts around the Moon for the first time in over 50 years, and three U.S. commercial landers have touched down on the Moon. These discoveries and much more are being reviewed with a focus on the future by the US National Academy of Sciences from March 31 to April 4, 2025 in Washington, D.C. 

This is a joint meeting of the Space Studies Board of the U.S. National Academies in collaboration with the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, and Board on Physics and Astronomy. During the sessions, the oversight committees discuss upcoming advances and challenges in space and Earth science and exploration.  Several of these sessions can be joined remotely by those interested, at this link:  https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/03-24-2025/space-science-week-2025

The “Un-journal Club” Wants You.  After each month’s featured guest speaker, our monthly meetings provide opportunities to highlight club activities and member conversations.  The Un-journal Club, a fun term evoking (provoking?) the journal clubs common in science grad school programs, is one such opportunity.  For AAAP the Unjournal Club is a brief informal presentation given in the second half of the meeting by members.  These don’t need scholarly journal-like topics, but merely engage members with what you care about in astronomy.  You can use PowerPoint slides, JPEG’s, astro-images, travel pictures (e.g., bring on a USB memory stick), book reviews, whatever you want including simply your voice.  A great example is last month’s presentation and excellent photography by member Rich Sherman of his recent trip to Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson AZ. To get onto the schedule for the April or other future meeting, please contact me or program chair Victor Davis.

AAAP Board Election Coming Up May 13.  As directed by the by-laws, each May we hold the election  of officers (the Board) for a one year term.  I have asked member Dan Opdyke to be the Nominations Chair to identify candidates for the upcoming election.  Below is a brief description of the duties involved for each position.  If you are interested in helping AAAP as an officer (this or perhaps a future year), please contact Dan at nominations@princetopnastronomy.org.  Dan will report on a slate of candidates at the April meeting.

Duties of the Officers

Director – The Director shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Trustees and at all general membership meetings. He or she shall appoint such committees as may be necessary to further the operations of AAAP. He or she shall be eligible to vote on all items of business that may be transacted at any meeting.

Assistant Director – The Assistant Director shall assist the Director in his or her duties, and shall act in his or her place in the absence of the Director.

Secretary – The Secretary shall maintain minutes of all meetings of the Board of Trustees and of the general membership, shall keep a record of the membership, and shall notify members of meeting dates. The Secretary may delegate such of these duties as may be appropriate, in consultation with the Director.

Treasurer – The Treasurer shall keep a record of all financial transactions of AAAP. He or she  shall be responsible for the handling, safekeeping, and disbursal of all funds. In case of absence of the Treasurer, the Director shall act in the foregoing capacities.

Program Chair – The Program Chair shall select a Program Committee, over which he or she shall preside. The Program Committee shall be responsible for arranging suitable astronomy related programs at general meetings.

Observatory Chair – The Observatory Chair shall oversee and guide the operation of the AAAP’s observatory facilities and shall, with the assistance of others, make sure they are in good working order and up-to-date.

Outreach Chair – The Outreach Chair shall receive and respond to requests from educators and other community leaders for astronomy outreach and shall coordinate the assistance of AAAP members in responding to these requests.