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The Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh (AAAP) was founded on June 9, 1929 by Chester B. Roe and Leo J. Scanlon. Since then, it has grown to over 500 members and operates two observatories in the Pittsburgh region: the Nicholas E. Wagman Observatory and the Mingo Creek Park Observatory. The club also sponsors many star parties that are open to members of the public throughout the year.〔 〕 The club's motto is "We have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night," from the Sarah Williams poem "The Old Astronomer to his Pupil".〔 〕 The Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh, Inc. (AAAP) has promoted popular astronomy in western Pennsylvania for over seventy five years. With over 500 members, it is one of the larger astronomy clubs in the nation. At monthly meetings (open to the public) upcoming celestial events such as meteor showers, comets, occultations, and rare planetary alignments are announced. Observations and techniques are shared so that all members may benefit from the experiences. Each meeting also features a special speaker, sometimes an AAAP member, but also outside experts from various fields. Past speakers have presented topics including meteorite hunting in Antarctica, cosmological modeling using supercomputers, and astrophotography with exotic equipment such as dry-ice cameras. Club members have been involved in many projects in both the astronomical and general communities. Recent accomplishments include the installation of an official Pennsylvania Historic Marker honoring the location of the first ever astronomical dome constructed from aluminum, the naming of an asteroid after the co-founder of the AAAP, making area zoning boards and other officials aware of the need for careful design and installation of nighttime lighting for schools, malls, and housing to avoid adversely affecting the visibility of the night time sky (Light Pollution). Education of the general public in the science and hobby of astronomy has always been a prime focus of the AAAP. Through public Star Parties at the Wagman Observatory and at Mingo Creek Park Observatory, lectures at area bookstores and nature centers, and scheduled classes; AAAP members spread the word about the fascinating and inspiring wonders in the nighttime sky. The membership of the AAAP includes many experienced observers and telescope makers. AAAP'ers contribute articles to magazines and several have written astronomy books. Members are interviewed by the local news media during unusual celestial events, and teach adult education courses in astronomy. Many staff members of Allegheny Observatory, Carnegie Science Center and the science departments of district universities are members of the club. Several AAAP members have notable discoveries to their credit, and the club is proud to have one of the largest number of Messier Certificates in the country (awarded for observing a large and diverse number of distant celestial objects), a clear sign of our members' skill at the telescope. And the influence of the AAAP extends into the solar system: seven members have asteroids named for them. ==Facilities== 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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