Novac is proud to be a member of the Night Sky Network (NSN). Created by NASA and The Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the NSN is a national coalition of astronomy clubs engaged in public outreach.

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, November 9th at 9 p.m. Eastern for an exclusive Night Sky Network Teleconference with Dr. Massimo Stiavelli. Dr. Stiavelli is an astrophysicist with the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md., and the Hubble Ultra Deep Field project lead. The Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) is a million-second-long exposure revealing the first galaxies to emerge from the so-called "dark ages." For more about the HUDF see: http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/2004/07/ His talk will be followed by a discussion session where you may ask questions and discuss his presentation. NOVAC Members: details are available here.

In 2002, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific conducted a survey of amateur astronomers to determine the nature of outreach by amateurs. In the survey, amateurs express the need for support of their outreach efforts. The main requests were:

• Materials on themed topics
• Training in the use of the materials
• Effective ways to communicate with varied audiences
• Networking with other amateurs doing outreach

Esther amazes the crowd at the 2004 Astronomy Day event. Photo: Phil Wherry

For more information see the official Night Sky Network site at http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/ or contact our coordinator, Esther Li, at .