Astronomical Society of the Pacific
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The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) was founded in San Francisco in 1889. It has the legal status of a nonprofit organization.
It is the largest general astronomy society in the world, with members from over 70 countries.
The ASP's goal is to promote public interest and awareness of astronomy through education as well as outreach programs, through grants and a number of outreach activities, such as: amateur astronomy clubs, classroom materials and resources sold through their online AstroShop, various workshops, and Project ASTRO - a national program that improves the teaching of astronomy and physical science by facilitating hands-on inquiry-based activities by pairing amateur and professional astronomers with teachers and classess.
The ASP represents astronomy both in the United States and internationally, and organizes annual scientific meetings to promote the appreciation and understanding of astronomy.
[edit] 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 bimonthly 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 over 5,000 ASP members and 400 schools, universities, libraries, observatories, and institutions in 70 different countries.
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 350 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 for libraries and institutions, as well as individual access to volumes which they have purchased in hard copy form.
[edit] 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.
- 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.
