Astronomical Society of the Pacific

Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Abbreviation	ASP
Formation	1889
Legal status	Non-profit organization
Purpose/focus	scientific research and public education in astronomy
Location	US
Region served	worldwide
Executive Director	James Manning
Website	ASP
Remarks	William A. Gutsch, Jr., Ph.D. (President, 2011-present)

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) is a scientific and educational organization, founded in San Francisco on February 7, 1889. Its name derives from its origins on the Pacific Coast, but today it has members all over the country and the world. It has the legal status of a nonprofit organization.

It is the largest general astronomy education society in the world, with members from over 40 countries.

The ASP's goal is to promote public interest in and awareness of astronomy (and increase scientific literacy) through its publications, web site, and many educational and outreach programs. These include:

• Project ASTRO - a national program that improves the teaching of astronomy and physical science (using hands-on inquiry-based activities) by pairing amateur and professional astronomers with 4th through 9th grade teachers and classes.

• Family ASTRO - a project that develops kits and games to help families enjoy astronomy in their leisure time and trains astronomers, educators, and community leaders

• Astronomy from the Ground Up - a national program to help educators at smaller science museums, nature centers and environmental education organizations create or enhance astronomy education programs.

• The Night Sky Network - a program with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory that supports a community of over 350 amateur astronomy clubs around the U.S. in public outreach activities, providing them with kits and training. The clubs have sky gazing events, solar viewings, and give presentations for the public.

• Classroom materials and resources in astronomy (many developed by the Society's educational staff) sold through their online AstroShop or made available free through their web site

The ASP assists with astronomy education and outreach by partnering with other organizations both in the United States and internationally, and organizes an annual meeting to promote the appreciation and understanding of astronomy.

Presidents of the ASP have included such notable astronomers as Edwin Hubble, George O. Abell, and Frank Drake. George Pardee, who later became Governor of the State of California, served as President in 1899.

Publications

The society promotes astronomy education through several publications. The Universe in the Classroom, a free electronic educational newsletter for teachers and other educators around the world who help students of all ages learn more about the wonders of the universe through astronomy.

Mercury, the ASP's quarterly on-line membership magazine, covers a wide range of astronomy topics, from history and archaeoastronomy to cutting-edge developments. First published in 1925, Mercury is now disseminated to thousands of ASP members and schools, universities, libraries, observatories, and institutions around the world.

The ASP also publishes the journal Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (PASP) aimed at professional astronomers. The PASP is a technical journal of refereed papers on astronomical research covering all wavelengths and distance scales as well as papers on the latest innovations in astronomical instrumentation and software, and has been publishing journals since 1889.

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series (ASPCS) is a series of over 400 volumes of professional astronomy conference proceedings. Started in 1988, the Conference Series has grown to become a prominent publication series in the world of professional astronomy publications, and now publishes an average of 20-25 volumes per year. Volumes are sold to the attendees of the conferences of which the proceedings are published, as well as being offered through the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's AstroShop, and can be found in the libraries of major universities and research institutions worldwide. In 2004, the ASPCS stepped into electronic publishing, offering electronic access subscriptions for libraries and institutions, as well as individual access to volumes which they have purchased in hard copy form.

Astronomy Beat is an on-line column, which comes out every other week, and features a behind-the-scenes report on some aspect of astronomical discovery, astronomy education, or astronomy as a hobby, written by a key participant. Authors have included:

• Clyde Tombaugh, retelling the story of his discovery of the (dwarf) planet Pluto
• Michael E. Brown, discussing the naming of the dwarf planet Makemake
• Noted astronomical photographer David Malin describing the transition from chemical to digital photography
• Virginia Louise Trimble explaining how she selected her list of the top ten astronomical discoveries of the last thousand years.

Awards

The ASP makes several different awards annually:

• The Bruce Medal for lifetime contribution to astronomy research. The medal is named after Catherine Wolfe Bruce. This award is arguably the most prestigious award given in astronomy.
• The Klumpke-Roberts Award for outstanding contributions to the public understanding and appreciation of astronomy, named for Dorothea Klumpke-Roberts.
• The Amateur Achievement Award in recognition of significant contributions to astronomy by one not employed in the field of astronomy in a professional capacity.
• The Bart Bok Award, named in honor of astronomer Bart Bok, awarded jointly with the American Astronomical Society to outstanding student projects in astronomy at the International Science and Engineering Fair.
• The Thomas Brennan Award for exceptional achievement related to the teaching of astronomy at the high school level.
• The Maria and Eric Muhlmann Award for recent significant observational results made possible by innovative advances in astronomical instrumentation, software, or observational infrastructure.
• The Robert J. Trumpler Award, named in honor of astronomer Robert J. Trumpler, given to a recent recipient of a Ph.D degree with a particularly notable thesis.
• The Richard Emmons Award is given for a lifetime of contributions to the teaching of astronomy to college non-science majors.

Affiliations

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific is an affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Recent Presidents

• 2011 (elect) William A. Gutsch (St Peters College, Jersey City)
• 2009–2011 Bruce Partridge (Haverford College}
• 2007-2009 James B. Kaler (U. of Illinois)
• 2005-2007 Dennis Schatz (Pacific Science Center, Seattle)
• 2003-2005 Catharine Garmany (U. of Colorado; National Optical Astronomy Observatories)
• 2001-2003 Alexei Filippenko (U. of California, Berkeley)
• 1999-2001 Frank N. Bash (U. of Texas)

Past Presidents

• 1997-1999 John R. Percy (U. of Toronto)
• 1995-1997 Bruce Carney (U. of North Carolina)
• 1993-1995 Russell Merle Genet (Fairborn Observatory)
• 1991-1993 Julie Lutz (Washington State U.)
• 1989-1991 Frank Drake (U. of California, Santa Cruz)
• 1987-1989 James Hesser (Dominion Astrophysical Observatory)
• 1985-1987 Sidney Wolff (U. of Hawaii, NOAO)
• 1983-1985 David Morrison (U. of Hawaii & NASA Ames)
• 1981-1983 Halton Arp (Hale Observatories)
• 1979-1981 Leonard Kuhi (U. of California, Berkeley)
• 1977-1979 Ann Boesgaard (U. of Hawaii)
• 1975-1977 Geoffrey Burbidge (U. of California, San Diego)
• 1973-1975 Ray Weymann (U. of Arizona)
• 1971-1973 Harold Weaver (U. of California, Berkeley)
• 1969-1971 George O. Abell (U. of California, Los Angeles)
• 1967-1969 Helmut Abt (Kitt Peak National Observatory)
• 1965-1967 Louis G. Henyey (U. of California, Berkeley)
• 1962-1965 Robert Petrie (Dominion Astrophysical Observatory)
• 1960-1962 Seth Barnes Nicholson (Mt. Wilson-Palomar Observatories; 2nd term)
• 1958-1959 Nicholas Mayall (Lick Observatory; 2nd term)
• 1956-1957 Andrew McKellar (Dominion Astrophysical Observatory)
• 1954-1955 Olin Chaddock Wilson (Mt. Wilson & Palomar Observatories)
• 1952-1953 Gerald Kron (Lick Observatory)
• 1951 Otto Struve (U. of California, Berkeley)
• 1950 Dinsmore Alter (Griffith Observatory)
• 1949 Robert Julius Trumpler (U. of California, Berkeley; 2nd term)
• 1948 Ira Sprague Bowen (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
• 1947 C. Donald Shane (Lick Observatory; 2nd term)
• 1946 Ralph Elmer Wilson (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
• 1945 Ferdinand Neubauer (Lick Observatory)
• 1944 Roscoe Frank Sanford (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
• 1943 Armin Otto Leuschner (University of California, Berkeley; 3rd term)
• 1942 Nicholas Mayall (Lick Observatory)
• 1941 Arthur Scott King (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
• 1940 C. Donald Shane (University of California, Berkeley)
• 1939 Alfred Harrison Joy (Mt. Wilson Observatory; 2nd term)
• 1938 Hamilton Jeffers (Lick Observatory)
• 1937 Harold D. Babcock (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
• 1936 Armin Otto Leuschner (U. of California, Berkeley; 2nd term)
• 1935 Seth Barnes Nicholson (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
• 1934 Sturla Einarsson (U. of California, Berkeley)
• 1933 Edwin Hubble (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
• 1932 Robert Julius Trumpler (Lick Observatory)
• 1931 Alfred Harrison Joy (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
• 1930 William Meyer (U. of California, Berkeley)
• 1929 Frederick Hanley Seares (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
• 1928 Joseph Haines Moore (Lick Observatory; 2nd term)
• 1927 Paul W. Merrill (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
• 1926 Bernard Benfield (2nd term)
• 1925 Bernard Benfield (San Francisco engineer)
• 1924 Arthur Black (San Francisco banker)
• 1923 Walter Sydney Adams (U. of California, Berkeley)
• 1922 Exum Lewis (U. of California, Berkeley)
• 1921 Charles Cushing (San Francisco attorney, 2nd term)
• 1920 Joseph Haines Moore (Lick Observatory)
• 1919 Beverly L. Hodghead (San Francisco, attorney)
• 1918 William Wallace Campbell (Lick Observatory, 3rd term)
• 1917 Frank Cornish (San Francisco)
• 1916 Sidney Dean Townley (Stanford U., 2nd term)
• 1915 Robert Grant Aitken (Lick Observatory; 2nd term)
• 1914 Russell Crawford (U. of California, Berkeley)
• 1913 Alexander George McAdie (U.S. Weather Bureau)
• 1912 Heber Curtis (Lick Observatory)
• 1912 John Galloway (Berkeley)
• 1911 Fremont Morse (U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey)
• 1910 Wlliam Wallace Campbell (Lick Observatory, 2nd term)
• 1909 Charles Burckhalter (Chabot Observatory, 2nd term)
• 1908 Charles Cushing (San Francisco attorney)
• 1907 Armin Otto Leuschner (U. of California, Berkeley)
• 1906 Sidney Dean Townley (Latitude Observatory, Ukiah)
• 1905 George Edwards (University of California, Berkeley)
• 1904 Otto von Geldern (San Francisco)
• 1903 Charles Dillon Perrine (Lick Observatory)
• 1902 John Dolbeer (San Francisco lumber businessman)
• 1901 James Edward Keeler (Lick Observatory)
• 1900 George Pardee (eye doctor and Governor of California)
• 1899 Robert Grant Aitken (Lick Observatory)
• 1898 William Alvord (San Francisco merchant/banker; Bank of California president; 14th mayor of San Francisco)
• 1897 William Hussey (Lick Observatory) and William Alvord (San Francisco bank president)
• 1896 Charles Burckhalter (Chabot Observatory; Co-founder)
• 1895 William Wallace Campbell (Lick Observatory)
• 1894 Eusebius Molera (San Francisco civil engineer)
• 1893 John Martin Schaeberle (Lick Observatory)
• 1892 William Montgomery Pierson (San Francisco attorney; drew up Society's articles of incorporation)
• 1889-1891 Edward Singleton Holden (Lick Observatory; Founder}

Sources

History of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific [1]

External links

• ASP website
• ASP Conference Series website
• PASP website

Research resources

• Online guide to Astronomical Society of the Pacific records, 1909-1969, The Bancroft Library