12 March 2010
Thank you to our members and friends who made the Annual General Meeting & Lunch such an enjoyable social occasion on 13th February.
DSO Saturday, 13th March 2010:
In the February newsletter, I over-looked the first DSO night for 2010. Please note that there is a Deep Sky Observing night planned at the Harrisville OATS facility on Saturday night, 13th March. Naturally, if the weather is doubtful, contact Jonathan Bradshaw or Brent Joyce or Allan Cooney...or check for cancellation messages on the website.
February AGM and Annual Lunch
Once again, members and their partners and visitors enjoyed a very sociable AGM and Lunch at Wordsmith's Cafe at the UQ St Lucia campus. As noted on the front page, Jonathan Bradshaw deservedly was the recipient of the Kitty Kent Memorial Award for services to the AAQ. I would also like to welcome the many visitors who mingled with us for the day and in some cases, thank those who joined the AAQ.
For the members who were absent, the new AAQ shirt logo is ready for use so bring any shirts, vests, etc, to the March OGM and arrangements will be made to have the new AAQ logo stitched on at a reasonable cost.
NACAA in Canberra
Some AAQ members have registered for the National Australian Convention of Amateur Astronomers, to be held in Canberra over the Easter period (2-5th April 2010). For more details, see the website http://www.nacaa.org.au/2010/about . If you are interested in the research side of amateur astronomy, please consider attending NACAA. The AAQ has submitted a proposal to host the 2012 NACAA in Brisbane; a decision about the successful bid for 2012 will be made during NACAA 2010.
March OGM & BFN
The first OGM for 2010 will be held in our new venue Room 222 in the Parnell Building, St Lucia campus, UQ. Those members and visitors attending the AGM/Lunch enjoyed a preview of the spacious lecture room facilities. The Main Item talk will be "The noblest triumph of theory - the discovery of Neptune" by Tim Napier-Munn, with reports and astrophotographs on a variety of topics throughout the meeting.
The BFN observing session will be held after the meeting, weather permitting. A variety of telescopes will be available for viewing, but do not hesitate to bring a portable telescope or binoculars if you have them; the plan is to set up telescopes on one of the ovals on campus. Directions will be provided at the meeting. Parking is free on Saturday afternoon/evening, but please avoid using specific sites that require a permit. During the meeting, Tony Dutton will provide a summary of observing targets; experienced and inexperienced members & guests will be catered for.
Membership
Our online payment facility has resulted in more membership renewals than normal, for this time of year. However, as always, there are a large number of members who have either forgotten to renew membership or have chosen not to renew. Next month, non-financial members will no longer receive the newsletter by email, so please check your membership status as soon as possible. Membership fees can be paid directly to the new treasurer, Tim Napier-Munn (at the OGM), or online using the AAQ account details: BSB 014274, Acc 598680257. Remember to identify your payment online so Tim knows which member has paid. 
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