SAS meeting at Big Bear

From: Joe Patterson <*jop_at_astro.columbia.edu*> Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 04:27:54 -0400 · jop_at_astro.columbia.edu

Dear CBAers,

   I hope some of you will be giving papers/presentations at the Big Bear
SAS meeting.  Whether you know it or not, if you submit data to the CBA,
you've overcome hurdles which the great majority of CCD amateur astronomers
are stopped by.  Judging from the number of queries I get, and the number of
people who actually submit data, I know this for sure!  Even if you
don't have "scientific" results to present, consider giving a talk along
the lines of "here's my rig and here's my path from the telescope to the
time series".

   This is just the kind of talk the audience needs to hear.  Most audience
members have the equipment, but need to hear talks which will make them
react, "hey, I think I could probably do that".  Those talks would do
more to move our enterprise along than the more traditional science/data
analysis fare.  I hope some of you decide to give 'em!

   And one more thing - short is good!  There are good long talks and good
short ones, but generally audiences like the short ones better.  Consider
the Gettysburg Address.

   The deadline for submitting abstracts for talks is nigh - today, I think
(from memory).  I imagine a few days late is OK, though.  Anyway, CBA talks
would raise our profile, likely be impactful on the audience, and quite
possibly help us focus better on what directions we might want to move our
enterprise (collaborative small-scope photometry research) in the future. 

    joe