B.R.A.S. F.A.Q.’s
1) How do I join the Black River Astronomical Society?
First, we recommend that you come to one of our monthly meetings. We meet the first Wednesday of each month at the Lorain County Metroparks Carlisle Visitor Center at 7:00 PM. If you enjoy our meeting and think that the club may be of interest to you, then you can obtain a membership form from one of our board members or officers.
2) How much are the club dues?
Dues for active membership are $20.00 per year, payable in October. We also offer a reduced dues rate of $10.00 per year for junior (under 16) members.
3) Do I need to own a telescope to join BRAS?
No, you do not need to own a telescope. In fact, some people join the club in order to find out what kind of telescope is the best one for them to buy. Other members have been in the club for years without actually owning a telescope, although most members do eventually buy some sort of a telescope.
4) I think I like astronomy, but I really don't know too much about it. Can I still join the club?
Absolutely. One reason to join BRAS is to learn about astronomy. Our monthly meetings feature an informative talk by one of our members about some aspect of astronomy, as well as an update of what is happening in the sky for that month. Also, being a member gives you the opportunity to ask all the questions you want to your fellow members. You’ll find that they are very friendly and helpful. After all, we all were novice astronomers at one time.
5) Does the club have observing sessions?
The Black River Astronomical Society, along with the Lorain County Metroparks, hosts public viewing sessions at the Nielsen Observatory at the Equestrian Center on Nickel Plate - Diagonal Rd. in Carlisle Township. These sessions are usually held twice per month. The observatory has a 14” reflecting telescope and at 4” refracting telescope, and quite often our members bring out their own telescopes as well.
6) Does the club loan telescopes to members?
Yes. BRAS owns a few moderately sized telescopes which it makes available for monthly loans to our members. These are easy-to-use telescopes which can produce some very nice views of planets, star clusters, galaxies and double stars, for example.
7) How do I join?
You can print out a membership form and mail to Dan Walker, 4375 Meadow Lark Lane, Lorain, Oh 44053. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader or another .pdf viewer to view this file.
Get it here.