The Smorgasbord Club Certification

Do you want to have direction to your observations? Are you looking for a plan when you're out on a date with your telescope? Still not sure where to start? Why not pick an observing club with "something for everyone"? How about the Universe Sampler Club Certification from the Astronomical League?

Last month I provided an overview of the programs offered by the Astronomical League with a flow chart to help you find your niche. This month is the start of a series of in-depth looks at the individual certifications, and we will start with the Universe Sampler Club Certification.

First, the assumptions:

• To do this certification you do not need a telescope. There are two versions Naked Eye or Telescope. Telescopes must be operated manually (no "goto").

• The AL has this one defined as a starter certification for members. They do not provide the requirements on the website, you need to buy the booklet from them. It is not too expensive, and I will loan my copy to anyone who would like to look at it. I also have the requirements transcribed into an Excel spreadsheet, which I will give to anyone interested.

• Dark skies are helpful for some of the fainter objects.

• Some observations require you to observe during a specific time during the celestial cycle. This can't be done in a month... 

The booklet from the AL has 12 "chapters" that introduce the new astronomer to the world of astronomy. I strongly recommend this for anyone getting started. Some of it is very basic, but all of it is invaluable to a new observer, and even an experienced observer would pick up some useful tips. Since this certification is designed to give you a perspective on the many different realms on astronomy, the booklet covers everything from soup to nuts. Chapters are: Basic Sky Movement, Finding North, Star Charts and Constellations, Angular Measurements and Coordinates, Star Hopping, Eyepiece Orientation, Keeping Records, Seeing, the Moon, Variable Stars, and the Sun.

There are three lists provided in the booklet. If you go for the naked-eye certification, you complete lists I and III. If you are going for the telescope certification, you complete lists I and II. List I includes skills such as star identification, angular distance estimation, variable star observation, meteor watching, and viewing the sun. Lists II and III are very similar, but you view different objects. The challenges include: planets or a comet, the moon, and deep sky objects (15 to 20 of them of assorted types).

If you are just starting out, or would like to just try an assortment of objects, I encourage you to give the Universe Sampler Club a try. None of the requirements were particularly tough. Some objects were fairly tough to see.