The meeting was called to order at 3 p.m. by CE Chapter Director Theo Ramakers. The final attendance number was 30 members and guests present.

Following welcoming remarks by Theo was his PowerPoint presentation of a look back at the previous year of events and activities where members of the AAC’s CEWMA chapter participated, including great images of the February lunar eclipse, the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour and the great time experienced by those who helped with the High Tower Elementary School Space Camp, plus much more. The presentation was left running durng the pot-luck dinner.

Afterwards, Theo announced that:
* This year, 2009, has been designated the International Year of Astronomy, with a “100 Hours of Astronomy” event planned for April. From the official IYA website: “The 100 Hours of Astronomy Cornerstone Project is a worldwide event consisting of a wide range of public outreach activities, live science center, research observatory webcasts and sidewalk astronomy events. One of the key goals of 100 Hours of Astronomy is to have as many people as possible look through a telescope as Galileo did for the first time 400 years ago. 100 Hours of Astronomy will take place from 2-5 April when the Moon goes from first quarter to gibbous, good phases for early evening observing. Saturn will be the other highlight of early evening observing events.”
* The January 24 CEWMA program will feature Dr. Chip West, meteorologist in charge, Atlanta Center Weather Service Unit, Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center in Hampton, Ga, and his program is called “Meteorological factors affecting visibility”.

The featured speaker for this evening, Rich Jakiel, covered “The First 2 Billion Years”, the beginnings of the Earth, the formation of the Moon, our atmosphere, the oceans and so on to possibly the first microbial life.

Jon Wood’s “Observing 101″ PowerPoint segment included upcoming rise/transit/set times for celestial objects in the coming weeks and was compiled using the software program Stellarium (available at http://www.stellarium.org/).

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 5:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Ken Poshedly
CEWMA Chapter Recording Secretary