BHUBANESWAR, India -- reports have been released indicating that a meteorite struck several homes and injured two people in eastern India Saturday.

Shortly after sunset on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2003, a possible bolide struck in the coastal state of Orissa, said the Press Trust of India. PTI reported that a bright fireball lit up the night sky and caused panic among local residents, according to local witnesses.

There were several reports of ear-splitting noise and broken windows as the fireball passed overhead. One part of the meteorite came down in a Mayubhanj district village, injuring two people and causing fires in several homes. It's possible that other parts of the fireball came down in at least one other village, setting fire to another thatched hut.

Local space experts were quoted by PTI as saying that the object was most likely a meteorite. Officials in the area have been asked to collect any remaining samples of the object for scientific analysis.

Originally contributed by AOAS Member Dale Hall.

The Arkansas Oklahoma Astronomical Society brings the first planetarium to Fort Smith's Riverfront Pavillion at Harry E. Kelly Park for MARS 2003, August 23rd, 6 to 10 PM.

Update! City of Fort Smith to run Downtown TROLLEY to shuttle MARS 2003 attendees to Pavillion for Planetarium shows!

I've made some updates to the AOAS web site. We now have a member's Photo Gallery! Those of you interested in security and your privacy, please read our new Privacy Policy. The policy spells out everything in detail.

Based on the limited input I received, I will be implementing a classified ad system next. It appears that a discussion forum will be in our future, but I feel that the low comment level thus far has me inclined towards the classified ads first.

So like the Phoenix that arose from the ashes, AOAS.ORG rises to the challenge!

Man, is this fun or what!? I love this new site and I can't say enough about what Dave Grosvold has done to make it not just user friendly, but an evolving entity with a life of it's own. Every single day, something new has been added or modified to make the site better. Please don't ever forget, this is your site! it gets better every time you add something or make a comment to it. It reflects on all of us as an organization, and right now, it's shining as brightly as MARS herself!

There are a couple of things I'd like to see more of, though. I need to see more comments from the membership. When we have a vote or poll on any subject, try to make some kind of comment. It doesn't matter if its a positive or negative comment, indeed, negative comments are sometimes more constructive in the long run than positive ones. Just take the time to speak your mind occasionally.

Howdy:

The Austin Astronomical Society is proud to host the Central Texas Star Party for a 13th year. The star party is at the Eagle Eye Observatory in Canyon of the Eagles Park, Lake Buchanan, Texas. August 29th and 30th are the dates.

This party is free to anyone who wishes to attend. You have to pay entrance and other park fees.

Friday Night is known as "astronomers only". This means only astronomers and their friends/family are allowed at the observatory after dark.

There will be an observing challenge to complete during the weekend.

If you are a dues-paying member of AOAS, then you can have your own AOAS.ORG e-mail address. To get your address, just e-mail the Webmaster with a request to have an e-mail address set up, and we will reply with instructions on how to access your new e-mail address!

Not a dues-paying member? Download our membership application and submit it. Once your membership is established, you'll be able to get your own AOAS.ORG e-mail and more!

Stargazers are in heaven thanks to the recent opening of the Louisiana Art and Science Museum's Irene W. Pennington Planetarium in Baton Rouge. The $16 million planetarium is considered one of the most sophisticated multimedia presentation facilities in the country, starring the ExxonMobil Space Theater, a giant 60-foot dome theater bedecked in the light of 15,000 stars. The 143-seat ExxonMobil Theater also features a 70mm film projection system offering larger-than-life films capable of convincing you that you're really aboard a Space Shuttle lift-off or navigating outer space. The planetarium also offers 5,000 square feet of out-of-this-world exhibits, where you can weigh yourself on the moon, meet Galileo and even touch a fallen star - a meteorite a billion years older than any earth rock.

Irene W. Pennington Planetarium

Well, it's been a long time in coming, but we have finally completed our web site overhaul! Our new site is intended to be an interactive one, where registered users can post articles, comments, events, and general to-do about astronomy. Anyone can register on the site. Registration gives you an individual user ID and password - registered users will be able to post stories, articles, photos, and events as they come along, and everyone (even non-registered users) may post their comments.