But my Neighbor has a Floodlight!
By: Aaron B. Clevenson, ALCor

Welcome to another installment of our tour through the Astronomical League Certifications: This month, the Urban Observing Club Certification.

The Astronomical League, in an effort to provide something for everyone, has provided a club that is perfect for those of us who live in locations that are not ideal for stargazing. I hear you cry “But I really am too tired after work to pack up all my gear, wander into the dark unknown, and set it all up. I really want to observe from home, but my neighbor has a floodlight!” Have I got a deal for you, so if you would like to do a certification from home, and you are not as fortunate as Sammy Neal, then the Urban Observing Club may be for you. In fact it is a requirement that your observations be done from a light-polluted site (one where you can’t see the Milky Way).

The club gives the observer the challenge of finding deep sky objects as well as double stars and variable stars. To get the certification and the pin, the observer needs to see all 100 objects (13 stars, and 87 deep sky objects). A telescope is required, but all of the objects are quite bright and wonderful to behold. The deep sky objects include a number of the better Messiers, but there are also many treats from the NGC list and some lesser known lists as well. Treats include large multiple star systems, open and globular clusters, nebulas, planetary nebulas, and some galaxies.

Some times the nights with the best seeing are when you can’t get to a dark site. This certification is worth going for on those nights when you are stuck near the city. There is hope, even if your neighbor does have a floodlight: Do the Urban Observing Club Certification. Join us again next month for a Tour of the Planets: The Planetary Observers Club. Happy hunting.