With sunset getting later in the evening, we are not planning an observing event for June. Instead, we'll have a club meeting at the home of Sam Knox on Wed, June 14 from 7pm to 9pm. Zach Schierl will provide an overview of the Celestron 11-inch telescope and imaging system that he obtained for Yakima as part of the RECON project in January.

If you're interested in astrophotography, this event is for you! Please RSVP to Sam at: maxamew@gmail.com for directions to the property.

RECON (Research and Education Collaborative Occultation Network) is a network of identical telescopes stationed in communities from Canada to Yuma, AZ. An occultation occurs when a nearby object (such as a planet or asteroid) passes in front of a distant star. The RECON project observes occultations to better understand the size, shape, and orbits of small solar system bodies. The project is currently entering a new phase in which observations will focus on characterizing Trojan asteroids (asteroids which share Jupiter's orbit) in support of NASAs Lucy mission which was launched in 2021. Come learn about how the telescope and imaging system works, and how you can get involved! This will also be an opportunity to discuss other astrophotography related topics.