Come one, come all !! The Red River Astronomy Club in Nashville, AR. is hosting their Fall Burgerburn and
Star Party on the weekend of September 26, 27, and 28th, 2008 at the R.R.A.C. club property west of Nashville, AR.
For directions and more info, go to their club website at:
http://www.rrac.org

Also, for those of you who monitor the AR_Astronomy Yahoo group, there will be announcements
at that site too as the event nears, so tune in there as well for more details.

This year, we also have an added event going on there at the same time. We are having the first
meeting of the International Dark-Sky Association's IDA-Arkansas State Section. We will form
the organization at this meeting, elect officers and conduct our first business. Everyone is welcome
to attend this meeting which is scheduled for 3:00 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 27th, also at the R.R.A.C.
site. You don't have to belong to an astronomy club or even IDA's national organization to join our
state section so come on down and help us band together to promote sky-friendly outdoor lighting
alternatives for Arkansas.

And lest we forget, there's some great observing, camping, and eating to be had that weekend too,
if the weather will cooperate.

The R.R.A.C. site has some very dark skies, nice facilities, great food, and some of the finest
southern hospitality around! If weather is good, we anticipate a very nice turnout with plenty
of great telescopes and lots of amateur astronomers eager to share the views through their scopes.

So come on down to Nashville everyone, and join in on the fun! We hope to see you all there!

Thanks,
Wade Van Arsdale
C.A.A.S.
Little Rock, AR., USA

Hi Wade!

Sounds like a great time to me. I'm planning on being there, at least on Saturday afternoon and evening. Hope to see more AOAS members there as well!

Hi everyone!

Our AOAS contingent will be myself, Dave Grosvold and Leonard Lynch, at least as of September 7. ALL other AOAS members, or any other Arkansas amateur astronomers for that matter, should consider coming to the event at the RRAC site. Whether you practice astronomy totally on your own, in total privacy, without any affiliation with any clubs or established groups, this is an opportunity for every astronomer in Arkansas to speak out about what a dark sky means to you and your children. As a 30-something guy (honestly, 30-something....well, plus a few I guess) we may well have the distinction of being the only generation that did NOT see the skies over Arkansas in a pristine way. Our grandparents and great-grand parents saw truly dark skies, and if we do the work that needs to be done now, we have at least an opportunity to help the next generation, and all further generations, to again see and appreciate dark skies over Arkansas.

It means a great deal to all amateur astronomers to pull together in some ways, and to act as a group instead of as individuals, to help promote the idea of dark skies. If you have no other plans for Saturday, September 27, 2008, then come and join us as a small group of dedicated people acting in unison to form the Arkansas Section of the International Dark-sky Association. It may turn out to be a momentous day, but only the future will decide that....at least, the future and some upcoming hard work by those who really care to act instead of just talk.

An opportunity to form a local section of the IDA, good food, good times, good grief, let's do it!

Bob Moody
Pres. AOAS
Van Buren, AR

Welcome to our forum...................I am looking forward to your event and IDA Meeting......

HI all -

I received word from Roy Clingan that the RRAC will be opening the Burgerburn gates on Thursday, the 25th instead of Friday the 26th, so we now have an extra day to stargaze.

My plan is still to attend on Saturday, the 27th, and stay overnight to the 28th. So nothing's changed there.