by Gene Allen, Secretary

Assistant Director Bob Vanderbie opened the meeting in Peyton Hall at 1931 with photos from his recent trip to Egypt while describing his frustration at being unable to do astrophotography in our greatly improved weather. There were 20 who had braved the cold to attend in the auditorium and 30-some online.

Outreach Chair Bill Murray reported a surprising number of stargazing requests for the winter season but very few with scopes have volunteered to support them.

February 20 – Cub Scout Pack 91 in Hamilton expects 60 scouts plus parents for stargazing
February 24 – request from Brunswick Township
February 28 – an event at the Plainsboro Preserve
March 1 – Montgomery Friends of Open Space will host a presentation by Bob Vanderbie and stargazing
April 18 – stargazing at the Mercer Meadows Pole Barn
April 22 – the Newgrange Star Party

Program Chair Victor Davis introduced our speaker for tonight, Dr John Bochanski, member of the LSST Discovery Alliance. His talk was titled From Sloan to Rubin: a Journey Through the Age of Sky Surveys.

After the question period Director Rex Parker continued the meeting without a break. Ten remained in the auditorium as he called our attention to the following hot topics:

Watch for the upcoming Artemis 2 manned mission intending to orbit the Moon.

NASA has omitted funding for the critical Mars Sample Return Mission. He reminded us of his October 14 presentation about fossil biosignatures.

Watch for results of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group meeting on April 21-23.

Observing Challenges :
February 20: Saturn-Neptune conjunction
February 23 2200-0000: Pleiades lunar occultation

Note the recent discovery of a central bar of ionized iron in the frequently-imaged Ring Nebula M57: https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/the-ring-nebula-has-an-iron-bar/

Merchandise Shop Lead Facilitator Rich Sherman is excited about dark energy discoveries described in a Sky & Telescope March issue article Evolving Dark Energy – Cracks in Cosmology by Paul Sutter, pages 34-40. He is also wondering if a Moon simulator would predict when Shackleton Crater at the Lunar South Pole might be visible.

Astroimaging Chair Michael DiMario reported that the new AAAP website is essentially done and only a few details remain to be worked out.

Observatory Co-Chair Dave Skitt is hoping to be able to resume Keyholder training in March.

Rex is planning to be back east to attend the March meeting in person.

The meeting was adjourned at 2130.

As of February 22, we have 211 active members. So far in CY2026, renewals number 18 and expirations number 5, giving us a 78% retention rate. We have added 8 new members.

Submitted by Secretary Gene Allen
February 23, 2026