Presenters – AstroCon2025

Presenter Information

Chuck is president of the Astronomical League and has 12 years of prior service as League president (1998-2002) and vice president. An AstroLeague Lifetime Member, he founded the League’s National Young Astronomer Award in 1993, co-chaired the ALCon ’21 Virtual convention, and received the G. R. Wright Award for service in 1998.

An avid astronomer from age seven, Chuck holds Master Observer-gold status with 43 completed League observing programs, three of which he coordinates. He also holds Binocular Master Observer and Master Outreach status and lacks just 170 objects of completing the 2,379-object Herschel Society gold program. He has given more than 550 public presentations to universities, schools, conventions, societies, museums, and other public audiences. He has also appeared in over 40 Explore Scientific Global Star Parties and League Live events.

Chuck is vice-president of the Evansville Astronomical Society, past president of the Louisville Astronomical Society (1991-94), and a past judge and lead judge for the Intel (now Regeneron) International Science and Engineering Fair (1995-2002). He currently serves as a best-in-fair judge for the Louisville Regional Science Fair.

PROGRAM: PERSONAL PROGRAM/JOURNAL

Planning is the key to any successful night at the telescope. Chuck will detail the process involved in planning for extreme target acquisitions (galaxies at limiting magnitude, quasars, Pluto etc.), the value of pursuing League observing programs, the best ways to pursue multiple programs in a single session, the best use of weather prediction models, and the value of maintaining extensive observing records. Chuck’s records consist of 3,388 pages recorded in twelve 300-page volumes dating back to 1960 (age 12) and, as of late 2024, include records of 530 observing nights, 10,000 observed objects, 4,000 discretely different observed objects, 3,000 deep sky objects, 2,700 NGC objects, 2,400 galaxies, 32 quasars, and over 5,000 sketches.

Scott Harrington is a 30-year-old amateur astronomer from northern Arkansas who lives under very dark and enviable skies. In 2008, at the age of 14, he got interested in astronomy and has since become an avid observer who is quickly becoming known for such extraordinary observations as seeing 80 globular clusters in handheld 8x56 binoculars and 200 planetary nebulae in a 130mm reflector.

However, sharing such observations to encourage others is paramount to him, which is why he enjoys creating free digital publications. His knack for research and writing recently made him the youngest (current) Contributing Editor for Sky & Telescope magazine. He also writes unique pieces for the Reflector, Deep-Sky Observer, and Amateur Astronomy. Plus, he’s coauthored several scientific papers on the brightness of satellite constellations and was awarded Lifetime Membership by the Astronomical League.

His most used telescope is a 1982 Meade 10-inch Schmidt–Cassegrain, passed down from his father and grandfather. And while it’s allowed him to accomplish some incredible visual feats, he gets the ultimate joy from using simple handheld binoculars and his unaided eyes. In 2018, he published a free eBook titled 250+ Deep-Sky Objects Visible with 7x35 Binoculars and the Naked-Eye. It was the culmination of a survey he performed in his first ten years as an amateur astronomer. To this day, though, he continues to revise it as he discovers the visibility of new objects…like the VY CMa nebula!

PROGRAM: OBSERVING: TIPS & IDEAS/EYEPIECES/FILTERS

• Your body: Proper sleep, nutrition, breathing techniques,
• How to use your eyes: Which eye, dark adaption, relaxed with no strain, the sweet spot and the no-go zone. Close one eye when using charts, keeping your body still,
• How to dress
• Telescopes & Binoculars: binoculars, telescopes, how charts are easy for dobs – hard for SCTs, fast vs slow, coma,
• Other equipment: Planisphere, books (iDSA), (other workshop), Red flashlight that is super dim and another one super bright, white flashlight, several pencils, and paper (other workshop)
• Specifically – Filters: How they work, different kinds,
• Specifically – Eyepieces: Different sizes, AFoV vs TFoV, weight, cost, “planetary” vs “deep-sky” eyepieces, why they can cost so much

Cindy Krach is a retired veterinarian from Maui, Hawaii, and has enjoyed astronomy since she was a kid but got more serious about it 20 years ago. She particularly enjoys astronomy sketching, primarily lunar and solar observations, but has no formal training in art.

In 2014, she created the Astronomical League Sketching Observing Program and currently acts as the coordinator. She has had sketches published in Astronomy Magazine, Sky and Telescope magazine, and the Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy series book “Solar Sketching A Comprehensive Guide to Drawing the Sun” by Rix, Hay, Russell, Handy.

Cindy is an active member and contributor to the Cloudynights sketching forum. She volunteers at Haleakala National Park on Maui as an Astronomy Interpreter volunteer and was recently involved in an outreach astronomy program with the Institute for Astronomy for displaced victims of the August Maui fires in 2023.

Presentation: Sketching Workshop

This workshop will give attendees hands-on experience drawing what they see at the eyepiece.

Shane Larson is a research professor of physics at Northwestern University, where he is the Associate Director of CIERA (Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics). He works in the field of gravitational wave astrophysics, specializing in studies of compact stars, binaries, and the galaxy with both the ground-based LIGO project, and future space-based observatory LISA. He grew up in Eastern Oregon and was formerly a tenured associate professor of physics at Utah State University. He is an award-winning teacher and a Fellow of the American Physical Society. He is an avid amateur astronomer, observing with two homebuilt Dobsonians, a 12.5" named EQUINOX and a 22" named COSMOS MARINER. He contributes regularly to a public science blog at writescience.wordpress.com, and tweets with the handle @sciencejedi.

Presentation:

A Storm of Stars: Knowing the Milky Way from Star Counts to Gravitational Waves

For most of human history, we have been aware of the Milky Way, but it is comparatively recent that we have come to understand the Milky Way is our parent galaxy, a vast swirling storm of stars 10 billion years in the making. The story of how we came to understand our home galaxy is one of the central threads in the story of how we have come to understand the Universe far beyond. Historically our ideas about the nature and structure of the Cosmos have grown out of our attempts to understand the Milky Way. For hundreds of years, we didn't know what the Milky Way was, or even that there were other galaxies besides the Milky Way. In this talk, we'll examine the discovery of the Milky Way, and talk about how our perceptions of the Milky Way constantly shape and change our understanding of other galaxies and the Cosmos on much larger scales. There are still some the secrets the galaxy still hides from us, providing astronomers puzzles and challenges to work on for many years yet to come.

Shane L. Larson, Research Professor [he/him] KF7WOZ
Associate Director, CIERA, Northwestern University Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration & Research in Astrophysics
Fellow, American Physical Society

BLOG : writescience.wordpress.com/
TWITTER: @sciencejedi
YOUTUBE: youtube.com/sciencejedi/

"The desire to be connected to the Cosmos reflects a profound reality... that we ARE connected. Not in trivial ways... but in the deepest ways." -- Carl Sagan

Terry Mann became the Vice President of the Astronomical League on September 1, 2024. Currently, she is also the Chair of the Great Lakes Region of the League and a Trustee.

She is the host of Astronomical League Live, a monthly program broadcasted by Scott Roberts of Explore Scientific. The program has been on for about three and a half years and has reached thousands of viewers.

Terry is a night sky photographer. Her images have been seen in local newspapers, television, magazines, and websites such as Astronomy magazine, Sky and Telescope magazine, the Reflector magazine, Spaceweather.com, and Space.com. She has exhibited in art galleries and museums. Terry has spoken at various star parties, conferences, organizations, and events. She has held astronomy and photography workshops at Sally Ride Science Festivals, Alaska, Wyoming and locally.

She is the coordinator for the Astrophotography workshops and the Image Processing Overview and she will be giving a talk titled, “ Different Ways to Image the Night Sky.” This talk includes using dedicated astronomy cameras and DSLR’s and different mounts.

Terry enjoys traveling to the darkest skies she can find. She has been imaging for about twenty years. She started with the simplest equipment, a camera and tripod, then the camera went on a telescope, then dedicated astro cameras and modified DSLR then she added low light video. Terry enjoys solar imaging which makes her chase the northern lights. She likes to shoot nightscapes, eclipses, deep sky, aurora, and anything else that catches her eye. She commented, one thing about imaging, acquisition is only part of the equation. Processing that image to show what is actually there is the rest of the picture. Imaging is a lifelong problem solving, forever learning hobby. Join the workshops and see what suits you!

Jeff retired from the government after working for more than 20 years as an imagery analyst and scientist for the Department of Defense. Before his government work, Jeff had a rich academic history, focusing on research in laser physics, atomic and molecular spectroscopy, Fourier transform spectroscopy, computational physics, and molecular modeling. He has worked on research projects at the University of South Florida, Florida State University, and George Mason University. He went on to earn his PhD in physics in 2002.

Jeff has always been interested in astronomy and photographing the nebula and galaxies, but academia and the lack of time often prevented him from doing more than observational astronomy. After retirement and during the long months of the pandemic, Jeff found himself with more time on his hands and finally purchased the equipment and software needed for astrophotography—a hobby he had often thought about but never pursued fully.

In retirement, Jeff cruises and travels the world, from Antarctica to Alaska to Hawaii to Japan, taking photographs of nature, wildlife, and scenery with his lovely girlfriend. He is an avid tennis player and astrophotographer, is learning to play the piano, enjoys biking and attending church activities.

Presentation summary:

"Imaging Peculiar Galaxies Using a Modest Size Telescope"

In this presentation, I will explore methods for imaging small and faint peculiar galaxies using the Mak-Newt 190 astrograph and Orion G26 camera. I’ll describe the equipment and software for image acquisition, processing, and enhancement while discussing the importance of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for quality images. I’ll address challenges amateur astrophotographers face, like light pollution, and share tips for capturing successful images in urban areas. Finally, I’ll showcase several images of peculiar galaxies taken from my backyard.

Jeffrey W. Mirick, Ph.D.
http://www.bluelaze.com/

Brian Ottum saw a lunar eclipse when he was 12 and has been hooked ever since. He is highly accomplished in many facets of amateur astronomy. He has shared his passion for the night sky with the public at hundreds of events across the United States. He was the “astronomer-in-residence” at resorts in Texas and Florida. Bryce Canyon National Park was his home for a summer, so he could provide volunteer help at the evening programs, the annual festival, and at the front desk.

Brian has supported professional astronomers as well. A year ago, he traveled to Chile’s Cerro Tololo Observatory to assess the University of Michigan’s telescope and was able to help get it working again. Several years before that, he helped Wayne State University re-start its observatory. He is a co-author on a paper on comet morphology. His unique public outreach method was presented at an academic conference.

But astrophotography has been his main interest for over 50 years (yes, film). Results really improved when his camera started to have a “trash” button. Brian had a big 16’ dome in his backyard and used it until the prison nearby “upgraded” its outdoor lighting. So he pushed all his chips to the center of the table and installed a remote-control observatory in the New Mexico desert. His work has been published on magazine covers and websites. He enjoys displaying his work at art galleries, art shows and big astro events. He has given dozens of invited presentations on astrophotography around the US. He’s made all the imaging mistakes, and enjoys helping folks avoid the same fate.

Presentation summary:

“The Astrophotography Decathlon: 10 Events, from Easy to Hard”

The goal of this talk is to help you understand the many ways you can explore this exciting (and addicting) hobby. Brian will show you ten different types of imaging, each requiring different mix of equipment, skills and location. The ten types run from easy (use just your phone) to moderately difficult (camera, tracker, processing) to just plain hard (camera, telescope, mount, guider, filters, lots of time). You will learn how to save yourself stress and money by choosing the right “decathlon event” that matches your skills and resources. You will be able to see where you are and where you want to go.

Brian D. Ottum, Ph.D.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-ottum-9b4b77/
https://www.instagram.com/astropicsdaily/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-2f7OyBr3FK2PDGyLn1r3A
https://ottum.smugmug.com/

As director of the Ott Planetarium and Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Weber State University, Dr. Stacy Palen enabled countless others to reach for the stars.

Dr. Palen has extensive experience in informal education. Through her guidance, the Ott Planetarium instilled inspiration in thousands of schoolchildren and other audiences. Dr. Palen also led Science Saturdays and supported WSU’s Physics Open House for general public audiences. Her interactions with the community are many and varied. For example, she presented “Nature’s Creation Story” at both the Weber State University Storytelling Festival and the university’s TEDx event.

Dr. Palen is revered for her ability to make an impact on students. She worked with hundreds of undergraduate research students on various astronomy projects, including developing the infrastructure and program for two observatories on top of the Tracy Hall Science Center. Her dedication to students was made evident in 2006 when she won the Crystal Crest Master Teacher Award, and again in 2017, when she was awarded the University’s highest honor: Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor.

Dr. Palen often hosted workshops for other astronomy educators and co-led trips for educators to visit scientific sites that include observatories, old uranium mines, and the rim of the Grand Canyon. She co-started the faculty/student group “Women in Physics” and seeks to support those who are underrepresented in science. Dr. Palen also worked with other WSU faculty and community members to obtain International Dark Sky Accreditation for Ogden Valley’s North Fork Park and served on WSU’s Environmental Issues Committee.

In addition, she has published multiple editions of two introductory astronomy textbooks through W.W. Norton and a workbook for hands-on learning activities. Her newest text has been adopted at more than 100 university programs.

Dr. Palen taught at Weber State University for nearly 22 years. Last year, she semi-retired and now focuses on textbook writing, supporting astronomy educators across the country, and teaching horses and riders the ancient art of dressage.

Presentation Outline:

Abstract: Photometry lies at the heart of astronomical progress. Measuring the brightnesses of stars (and other celestial objects) has increased the known size of the universe by many factors of 10, taught us how stars live and die, and shapes our understanding of stellar, galactic, and universal evolution. You can help astronomers take the next steps in furthering our understanding of how the universe changes over time.

1) What is photometry? What is time-series photometry?
2) Some interesting historical notes about Leavitt, Cannon, etc.
3) How to do time-series photometry with ordinary resources
4) An aside: Why you shouldn’t always want to spend more money on bigger telescopes, fancier cameras, or larger filter wheels.
5) Targets of opportunity (variable stars, exoplanet transits, asteroids, etc.)
6) Where to report your results to add to human knowledge.
7) Questions and Answers

Cindy grew up in the rural Pennsylvania town of Wellsboro, known for the gaslight lanterns lining the main street and for being “the gateway” to the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon.

Cindy joined the Air Force after high school in 1982 and was stationed at Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls, Montana. In 1986, she transferred to the Air National Guard at Fairchild AFB in Spokane, Washington. After a year, she became a full-time federal employee working in the finance office.

After 21 years, she transferred to the finance office at the Air National Guard Unit in Phoenix and made her home in Tucson. She retired from the military in 2009. Her federal career continued with the Defense Contract Audit Agency as an auditor. In 2012, she transferred to the Defense Contract Management Agency as a cost/price analyst, retired with 38 years of federal service in 2020, and moved to Portal, AZ. She has a BA in accounting and an MBA in finance.

Her other interests include playing flute, baritone ukulele, cello, astronomy, being a ham radio operator using Morse Code, hiking, riding motorcycles, photography, and horseback riding. Cindy was a Solar System Ambassador for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for 12 years. She is a member of the Cochise County Historical Society and its secretary and treasurer.

She is currently the program coordinator for the Astronomical League's Deep Sky Binocular and Southern Skies Binocular Programs.

Presentation: Observing: Charts/Books/Observing List

Star Charts
- What is a Star Chart
- Examples of Star Charts
- Where to find Star Charts

Star Atlas
- What is a Star Atlas
- Star Atlas examples

Software Programs
- Software Programs available for Windows and Mac
- What each program does
- Cost

Reference Books
- Essentials
- Nice to have
- Oldies but Goodies - Out of Print

Creation of observing lists for different types of objects
- Maximize your viewing time and not searching for objects to look at
- Select objects that are obtainable in your instrument
- Software programs to create your list
- How to use hard copy reference material to create your list

Carl Wenning has been an avid amateur astronomer since his grandfather introduced him to the sky in July 1957. He has been involved with the Twin City Amateur Astronomers (Illinois) since September 1978. He last served as president of that organization from 2024-2025. He is also an Astronomical League Master Observer who spends much of his free time introducing nascent amateur astronomers to observing using his club’s Celestron 11" and PlaneWave 20” telescopes.

Carl served three consecutive two-year terms as NCRAL Regional Chair from 2017 to 2023. He also has served as the Region’s Northern Lights newsletter editor from 2016 to the present. He originated the NCRAL blotter, a monthly newsletter for affiliate leadership. He was recognized for his education and outreach efforts in 2007 when he received the NCRAL Region Award. Carl served as planetarium director (1978-2001) and physics teacher educator (1994-2008) at Illinois State University in Normal, where he resides. Nowadays, he spends much of his free time writing about astronomical topics.

Presentation summary:

Night Vision Technology for Astronomers

Dr. Carl J. Wenning, a Twin City Amateur Astronomers member, will deliver a PowerPoint presentation about using the latest night vision technology available to amateur astronomers. During his presentation on Telescopic Viewing with Night Vision Technology, Carl will describe image intensifiers, explain their use, and describe what can be seen using military-grade image intensifiers with a large telescope. He regularly uses a white light night image intensifier with a 20” PlaneWave telescope at Waynesville Observatory in Illinois. He has many experiences and practical advice to share.

Presenters