ASP Annual Report 2020

While the COVID-19 pandemic created a year of anxiety and challenge, our staff forged ahead, finding creative ways to transition from in-person programs to online presentations.

This annual report describes some of the many ways the ASP helped spark curiosity and share joy, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. This report also celebrates the innovative and creative spirit of ASP staff who not only made these new virtual programs successful, but are using what we learned in 2020 to bring astronomy to communities across the globe.

Linda S. Shore, EdD
CEO, Astronomical Society of the Pacific

 

A Note from CEO Linda Shore

Edward Holden, founder of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, gaveled the first meeting of the organization to order on February 7, 1889.  He described a unique vision for a society on the West Coast that would serve both professional and amateur astronomers eager to share ideas and discoveries.  In the century that followed, the ASP became a celebrated national organization with a scope and reach far beyond what Edward Holden had imagined.

Today, we continue to serve the needs of professional and amateur astronomers, but now we support astronomy educators of all kinds. Visit any high school astronomy teacher and you will find ASP materials on their shelves; ask a museum educator to tell you where they get great ideas for engaging the public in astronomy, and they will mention the ASP.  We provide programs and materials to astronomy educators working in a variety of settings, including universities, community colleges, national parks, libraries, afterschool programs, preschools, and more.

This year’s annual report describes how ASP is expanding our reach even further. Through our many new virtual programs and online resources, we support an increasingly international community of astronomers and astronomy educators – many of whom work in the developing world. This report offers you a glimpse into what surely will be the future of the ASP as a global organization dedicated to increasing science literacy through the awe and wonder of astronomy.

Linda S. Shore, EdD
CEO, Astronomical Society of the Pacific

A Note from Board President Kelsey Johnson

As I reflect on the last year, my thoughts continually go back to a single refrain, “If only people had listened to the scientists.” To my mind it is clear: If our society better understood how science works, what scientists do, and how scientists make decisions, this last year would have played out quite differently. This reality shines a spotlight on the importance of science literacy, and how essential it is that our society has “herd immunity” to anti-science and pseudoscience claims.

Far too many people believe that science is too hard, or too boring, or too uncreative. In fact, anyone can be a scientist—even if they’re just experimenting at home. We need to help every child from every walk of life see science as an integral and fun part of everyday life.

Astronomy has long been a “gateway” science, sparking curiosity and introducing people of all ages to the wonders of the universe. The work that the ASP does to help people better understand science through the lens of astronomy has never been more important. Please join me in supporting the ASP to help future generations understand the joy of science.

Kelsey Johnson
President, ASP Board of Directors

 

Young Learners

The ASP creates exciting experiences for young learners curious about the sun, moon, stars, and mysteries of outer space

“Astronomy@Home: Storytime” Charms Young Learners

With so many families sheltering in place this year, the ASP reached out by offering live, interactive, “Astronomy@Home: Storytime” online programs to pre-K and early-elementary children. Programs featured staff (and sometimes special guests!) reading illustrated science and astronomy storybooks.

In September, we read Zoo in the Sky by Jaqueline Mitton—and were joined live by the author, all the way from England! Our October program was part of the virtual Bay Area Science Festival and included a reading of the ASP’s own Breakfast Moon, followed by a discussion with author Meg Gower and illustrator David Barker. In December, author Angela Dalton read her storybook If You Look Up to the Sky. After each reading, children were guided through simple home-based activities and talked with staff and guests.

“We’re from Argentina, and wanted to thank you for making this available for free. We’ve just discovered your site, and we are amazed by all the resources you provide.”

—Storytime Parent

“I am so glad Finley’s school schedule allows us to join you guys every month. Thank you so much for taking the time to give these kids something to look forward to!”

—Finley’s Mom


Reaching for the Stars: NASA Science for Girl Scouts

In July 2019, new Space Science badges became available to Girl Scouts at every level of program participation. Funded by NASA and supported by a collaboration of space-science educators, including the staff of the ASP, the new badge is part of the Girl Scouts’ STEM initiative, which focuses on helping girls succeed in science, technology, engineering, and math.

Typically, girls working to earn their badges would be exploring activities at meetings or attending camps and events together. This year, however, with COVID restrictions keeping Scouts from gathering, our team created and distributed web-based materials as part of the “Girl Scouts at Home” initiative. With these materials, Scouts working toward their badges could continue their efforts online. ASP educators also helped Scout leaders by sharing resources and supporting virtual summer camps.


Virtual Astronomy Field Trips Open New Worlds to YMCA Youth

This year, ASP staff worked with the San Francisco YMCA to bring virtual astronomy field trips to hundreds of children of essential workers, and to high-need elementary and middle school students throughout the Bay Area. Research scientists trained by the ASP in public engagement practices led children in astronomy activities and answered their questions about the universe.

Linda Shore (top center) and Theresa Summer (top right) deliver a special digital reading of the ASP children’s book Breakfast Moon to students of the San Francisco YMCA HUB sites, with Maybelle Miranda (top left), YMCA Senior Director of STEAM Initiatives. Below, students show off the astronaut helmets they created from ASP activity worksheets.

Thank you SO much for the read-alouds and virtual field trips you hosted for the young people [that the] YMCA of San Francisco serves throughout the city’s HUB sites and virtual youth programs. 2020 has been a year of innovation, and your willingness to try something new by virtually engaging our young people has been invaluable.”

—Maybelle Miranda, Senior Director of STEAM Initiatives
YMCA of San Francisco


Amateur Astronomers

The ASP is dedicated to supporting the amateur astronomers who share their knowledge—and their telescopes—to create unique astronomy experiences for the public

NASA Night Sky Network Reaches Out to Global Audiences Online

The core of NASA’s Night Sky Network (NSN) is in-person public outreach through astronomy clubs across the country, a mission that proved challenging in 2020.

This year, the ASP’s Night Sky Network team created tip sheets for virtual events, developed best practices for small, socially distanced in-person events, and added capabilities to the NSN event calendar that will help clubs reach audiences across the globe. We also helped champion efforts pioneered by amateur astronomers across the country by hosting webinars and popular new YouTube livestream simulcasts.

The Night Sky Network YouTube channel offers livestreamed presentations ranging from outreach training for amateur astronomers to family-friendly astronomical activities. NSN—including its Webinar series—is managed and hosted by the ASP.

Catch some of the most amazing astronomical moments of the year here, in this Night Sky Network webinar, presented live on Thursday, December 17, 2020.


ASP Facilitates Diversity Workshops

This year, the ASP created “Confidence and Curiosity: Girls at the Telescope” workshops for NASA's Night Sky Network and Reach for the Stars: NASA Science programs. These free workshops offered Scout-tested, effective ways for amateur astronomers to interact with girls learning astronomy.

With four virtual sessions offered in 2020, and two more planned for 2021, our goal is to help create welcoming environments for girls, Girl Scouts, and people not traditionally represented in science as they discover the wonders of the universe.

“Learning ways to encourage Girl Scouts to pursue an interest in science was more valuable than just being trained on specific exercises in astronomy.”

—Workshop Participant

“Highly recommend the workshop; a huge value to my astronomy outreach efforts.”

—Christopher Mick, NASA Solar System Ambassador
Executive Director, Space St. Croix


Educators & Outreach Experts

The ASP supports educators and outreach coordinators who share their passion for astronomy while promoting science literacy

ASP Conference 2020: A Virtual Gathering of Astronomy Educators from Around the World

The core of NASA’s Night Sky Network (NSN) is in-person public outreach through astronomy clubs across the country, a mission that proved challenging in 2020.

Participants from six continents representing 16 countries and 42 U.S. states joined us for our first online Annual Meeting.

Due to COVID restrictions, this year’s Annual Meeting—a professional conference for scientists, educators, and communicators working in astronomy and related fields—shifted to an online platform and became ASP2020: A Virtual Conference.

The event, entitled “Engaging the Future: Astronomy Teaching and Public Engagement,” took place online December 3–5, 2020, attracting 360 registrants from around the world. During the conference, more than 70 sessions were presented, all hosted online and recorded for later access.

Feedback from the meeting was positive and encouraging: Our online format afforded the opportunity for many more participants than usual to attend, with no travel costs incurred. We’re excited to do this style of conference more often, reaching a broader worldwide astronomy community and expanding the ASP’s impact worldwide.

ASP2021: A Virtual Conference plenary session with Jessica Merritt Agnos presenting “Astronomers for Planet Earth: An International Collective Working to Address the Climate Crisis.”


ASP’s Summer Astronomy Institute Goes Virtual

Our popular Summer Astronomy Institute has gone virtual! For the 2020 season, ASP staff reconceptualized content designed for a traditional four-day, in-person Institute, and created a new program designed for an online audience.

Through the fall and winter of 2020, Brian Kruse, Director of the ASP’s Teacher Learning Center, presented six interactive modules to 25 participating teachers. Each five-week module included live sessions on topics ranging from exploring the solar system to examining the ways in which telescopes work.


Publications

The ASP reaches out with a wide variety of publications for amateur and professional astronomers alike

Mercury and Mercury Online: From Digging Up Ancient Egyptian Astronomy to Tracking Down Dazzling Comets

n the Spring of 2020, science writer and editor Liz Kruesi took over the helm of Mercury magazine and its companion blog, Mercury Online. The digital quarterly publication has featured everything from the humans associated with the Hubble Space Telescope to ancient Egyptian astronomy to gravitational ripples in space-time.

In addition to posting popular content from the magazine itself, Mercury Online also included observations on the brilliant comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE), which lit up night skies in the spring and summer of 2020, and breaking news about the demise of the Arecibo Observatory, lost to science at the end of the year. Liz is now gearing up for the 2021 publications that will make up the 50th volume of Mercury, and finding new ways to increase access to these exciting, reader-friendly publications.


Publications of the ASP (PASP) and the Global Research Community

PASP—the technical journal of the ASP—publishes refereed manuscripts on astronomical research by scientists worldwide.

This year, PASP expanded its impact by providing researchers with a more seamless publication process. PASP’s publisher, the Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP), has negotiated an increasing number of agreements with global research institutes to make their work available to PASP on an open-access basis.

The result is that those papers can be immediately read online and used by researchers all over the world. As open-publishing models become increasingly popular, PASP is excited about the prospect of making the research it publishes available to a wider audience.


ASP Conference Series for Professional Astronomers and Space Scientists

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific serves the professional astronomical community by publishing the latest advances in astronomy and astrophysics as they are presented in conferences and workshops around the world.

While the global pandemic restricted the number of conferences held, the ASP’s Conference Series published a special volume of papers by undergraduate students, many open-access papers on topics related to astronomical data processing and software and, most recently, a new monograph on the topic of assessing research impact in astronomy. We look forward to resuming in-person conferences in the near future and support publication of those held virtually.


Awards & Achievement

Each year, the ASP presents awards for outstanding accomplishments by professional and amateur astronomers and science educators

Celebrating the achievements of the astronomical community is an important part of the ASP’s mission, and something we’ve been proud to host since 1898. The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, however, caused us to pause our celebrations for the first time since World War II.

We’ll resume the presentation of awards—and begin initial planning for the new Nancy Grace Roman Award, introduced here—at our 2021 virtual Annual Meeting. All 2021 awards will be presented as though 2020 did not happen, so that eligible nominees will not lose a year. We look forward to 2021 being a better year for us all.

—Linda Shore, CEO

Introducing the Nancy Grace Roman Award for Promoting Gender Equity

The ASP is proud to announce the creation of a new award named in honor of Dr. Nancy Grace Roman, an icon in astronomy research and space exploration, and a generous supporter of the Society. Calls for nominations for the inaugural award will be announced in early 2022.

Dr. Roman (1925–2018) has often been referred to as the “mother” of the Hubble Space Telescope for her work in spearheading its development. She was also a vocal advocate for encouraging girls to participate in STEM fields.

Roman earned a degree in astronomy from Swarthmore College in 1946, followed by a doctorate in astronomy from the University of Chicago in 1949. Ten years later, she became the first woman to hold an executive position at NASA, overseeing a new “program for space astronomy.” In the years that followed, Roman planned many highly successful programs and experiments for NASA’s space missions, including SpaceLab, Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab.

In 1979, NASA felt ready to develop its first space-based telescope. Dr. Roman helped pitch the project to a variety of skeptical government agencies, including Congress. Her passionate advocacy is credited for the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990, the instrument that for decades has provided the research community with images and data that has fundamentally transformed humanity’s understanding of the cosmos.


In Memoriam

The ASP celebrates the lives and legacies of our extended community, and remembers those we lost in this challenging year

Eleanor Margaret Burbidge (1919–2020) Recipient of the Bruce Gold Medal, 1982

Margaret Burbidge, a British-born American scientist best known for her studies of quasars and the process by which chemical elements are created within stars, passed away in 2020 at the age 100.

Burbidge held a number of distinguished positions in the field of astronomy, and was recognized as a champion for women in the sciences. She was the first woman director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, President of the American Astronomical Society, and first director of the Center for Astronomy and Space Sciences at UCSD. Her work in the 1960s and 1970s focused on the rotational motion of galaxies. In the 1980s and 1990s she turned her attention to developing instrumentation for the Hubble Space Telescope.

In 1982, Dr. Burbidge received ASP’s prestigious Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal for outstanding contributions to astronomy.


George Carruthers (1939–2020) Recipient of the Arthur B.C. Walker II Award, 2017

Esteemed astrophysicist and inventor Dr. George Robert Carruthers passed away in December 2020 at the age of 81. He was a pioneer in the use of ultraviolet spectroscopy and an inventor who developed the first moon-based observatory for the Apollo 16 mission.

Among the prestigious honors received by Carruthers were the American Astronomical Society’s Helen B. Warner Prize, NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation presented by President Barack Obama in 2012.

In 2003, Dr. Carruthers was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his far-ultraviolet electrographic camera, which uses ultraviolet light to study the atmosphere. In 2017, he received the ASP’s Arthur B.C. Walker II Award in recognition of his outstanding scientific achievements and his dedication to promoting diversity in science.


Katherine Johnson (1918–2020) Inaugural Recipient of the Arthur B.C. Walker II Award, 2016

Katherine Johnson, renowned space scientist and mathematician, calculated and verified the launch windows, trajectories, and return paths that took the first Americans safely to the moon and back.

Johnson, who began her career as a teacher, was hired by NASA (then NACA) in 1953 to analyze data from flight tests. During her 33 years there, Johnson made substantial contributions to the U.S. space program. Known for the accuracy of her orbital calculations, she determined the trajectory for Project Mercury and the 1969 Apollo 11 moon flight.

In 2015, Johnson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. In 2016, she became the inaugural recipient of the ASP’s Arthur B.C. Walker II Award. Johnson passed away in 2020 at the age of 101.


About the Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal: The ASP’s highest honor, the Bruce Gold Medal has been awarded since 1898 for a lifetime of outstanding research in astronomy. The medal has gone to some of the greatest astronomers of the past century, including Giovanni V. Schiaparelli, J. Edwin Hubble, Fred Hoyle, and Vera Rubin.

About the Arthur B.C. Walker II Award: Established in 2016, the Walker Award honors outstanding African-American scientists who demonstrate a commitment to mentoring students from underrepresented groups pursuing degrees in astronomy, and/or creates or supports STEM programs for underrepresented students or their teachers.


Thank You!

Our sincere thanks to the following individuals and organizations for their generosity during the 2020 calendar year

Thank You for Believing in the ASP

Funds raised support our ongoing mission to foster curiosity, advance scientific literacy, share the joy of exploration and discovery, and encourage the development of tomorrow’s science, technology, and academic leaders.

 

Society Benefactor
($25,000 and above)

The Estate of Nancy Grace Roman 

President’s Circle
($5,000–$24,999)

Anonymous
Kenneth & Linda Dulaney
Guttmann Family Donor Advised Fund
Catherine Langridge+  

Edward S. Holden Society
($2,000–$4,999) 

Jeffrey Bennett+
Jessica Broitman Foundation, Inc.,
Jessica Broitman and Gibor Basri+ 
Michael Bennett & Leslie Larson
George W. Cogan & Fannie Allen
Charitable Fund
Shannon Keith in memory of Ben Thompson
Ron Rosano
Wayne Rosing 
Al Whaley  

ASP Associate
($1,000–$1,999) 

Edward Conklin
Edna+ & Chuck DeVore
Jo Ann Eder in honor of Brian Kruse
Lynne Hillenbrand
Linda Shore**
Constance+ & Christopher Walker

ASP Sponsor
($500–$999) 

Anonymous
Eric Becklin
Timothy & Carolyn Ferris 
Daniel Fong
Heidi Gerster Kikawada in memory
of Isaac Kikawada
Gregory Giving Fund 
Arnold Heiser
Francis Keeler, Jr.
Michael Koop
David Monyak  

ASP Contributor
($250–$499) 

Allan & Katie Alcorn
Christo Bekiaris
Joycelin Craig** 
Reginald Dufour
Andrew Fraknoi in honor of
Gregory Schultz
Werner Graf
Mary Kay Hemenway
Alan Jaroslovsky
Tim Lynch
Leslie Proudfit 
Schyleen Qualls
Dennis Schatz
Douglass Stewart, Jr.
Don & Grace Wheeler 
Robert E. Wilson  

Friend of the ASP
($100–$249) 

Amy Abe
Scott Adler
Constance Armitage
Ralph Barbee
Thomas Barnes III
Walter & Sally Bonsack
Katherine Bracher
Bruce Carney
John & Eleanor Cary
Richard & Marie Cavello 
Susan Chambers
Steven & Juel Craig
Patrick Crane
Larry Cooper
Sara Benning-Bolle
Sandra Faber
Richard Fienberg
Virginia Fontana
James Fry
John Gaustad
Dennis Goedken
John Golcher
Otto Hall
James Hesser
Deidre Hunter
David Illig

 

David Jenner
Joseph Jensen**
Steven Klean
Morgan Kulla
Jeff Lockwood
Tim Lynch
Alan Marscher
Robert Matcovich
Wesley N. Mathews, Jr.
Deborah Meckler
J & L Miller Family Fund 
Stephen Pompea
Tyler Riggs
Anna Rochester
Eric Rydgren
Janet Simpson
W. Thomas Stalker III 
Terry Stephenson
Arthur Thomas
Melita Thorpe
Austin & Shana Verive 
William Vinton
Frederick Walter
Stephanie Wilborn
Kay Wilson

Supporter’s Circle Membership 

Michael Beckage
Eric Becklin
Jeffrey Bennett+
Michael Bennett & Leslie Larson
Jackie (Jacqueline) Beucher 
Stephen Burroughs 
Brian Casey
William Cochran
Christopher Cokinos
Lynn Cominsky
Edward Conklin
Andrea Dobson 
Reginald Dufour
Kenneth & Linda Dulaney
Mary Dussault
Alice Enevoldsen
Alexei & Noelle Filippenko 
Catharine Garmany
Frank Ghigo
Alan Gould
Thomas Greene
Edward Harris
Lynne Hillenbrand
Richard Hose
Alan Jaroslovsky
David Jenner
Richard Joyce
Jeanne Kirkwood
Catherine Langridge+ 
William Latter
Patricia Lawton & Joel Offenberg
Amy Mainzer+
Chuck McPartlin
Richard Messina
David Monyak
Shirley Perkins
J. Posey, Jr.
Roland Roberts
John & Monique Reed in memory of
Drs. Eli S. & Nola A. Haynes; Dr. Frank
N. Edmunds, Jr.; Mr. R.C. Maag 
Ron Rosano
Dennis Schatz
Andrew & Danielle Schlei
Michael Sowle
William Straka
Constance & Christopher Walker
Rene Walterbos
CL Weeks
Don & Grace Wheeler

Program Support 

American Astronomical Society
Arizona State University
California Space Grant
Harold L. Wyman Foundation
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
NASA
National Science Foundation
SETI Institute  

Corporate Partners and In-Kind Support 

Great American Insurance Company

 

+ ASP Board Member and/or Officer
** ASP Staff Member
 

 

Our Partners


By the Numbers

The year in numbers: Statement of activities and financial position for the year ending September 30, 2020


Behind the Scenes

Board of Directors

BOARD OFFICERS
President
Kelsey Johnson*+, University of Virginia/National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Vice President & Co-Treasurer
Sunil Nagaraj*+, Ubiquity Ventures
Co-Treasurer
Derrick Pitts*+, The Franklin Institute
Past President
Chris Ford*+, Prezi Inc.
Secretary
Edna DeVore*+, SETI Institute (retired)

BOARD MEMBERS
Jeffrey Bennett*+, Big Kid Science
Katy Caouette
Christine M. Darden*+, NASA (retired)
Steven Dupree*+, Brandeis University
John Keller, Fiske Planetarium, University of Colorado Boulder
Catherine Langridge*+, Recology
Amy Mainzer*+, Lunar & Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona
Renee Rashid*+, Facebook
M. Katy Rodriguez Wimberly*+, University of California, Irvine

JUNIOR BOARD FELLOW
James Negus*+, University of Colorado, Boulder
* served in 2020
+ serves in 2021
 

ADVISORY COUNCIL
Michael Bennett, Astronomical Society of the Pacific (retired)
Bruce Carney, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Edna DeVore, SETI Institute (retired)
Lynn D. Dierking, Oregon State University and Institute for Learning Innovation
Timothy Ferris, University of California, Berkeley
Richard Fienberg, American Astronomical Society
Alex Filippenko, University of California, Berkeley
Christopher Ford, Prezi Inc.
Andrew Fraknoi, Foothill College (retired)
Catharine D. Garmany, National Optical Astronomy Observatory (retired)
Marc Gineris, Incyte Capital Holdings, Dallas, Texas
Russ Harding, Educator (retired)
Mary Kay Hemenway, University of Texas at Austin
Jim Hesser, Dominion Astrophysical Observatory and Strategic Advisor, Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics
Programs, National Research Council of Canada
Catherine Langridge, Recology
Schyleen Qualls, Arkeon Entertainment & Arkeon Education
Ron Rosano, Astronomy Educator, Virgin Galactic Spaceflight Participant
Jeffrey D. Rosendhal, NASA (retired), Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at George Mason University
Wayne Rosing, Las Cumbres Observatory
Dennis Schatz, Pacific Science Center
Constance Walker, National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory
Al Whaley, Internet Travel Network (retired)


MEET THE TEAM
ASP San Francisco Office
 

Like so many, ASP staff worked from home throughout most of the year. This image captures just one of our many online meetings. Row 1 (top): Vivian White, Director of Free Choice Learning; Joycelin Craig, Director of Membership and Communications; Theresa Summer, Astronomy Educator; and Anna Hurst, Director of Museum, Parks, and Library Programs. Row 2: Liz Kruesi, Editor, Mercury Magazine and Mercury Online; Linda Shore, Chief Executive Officer; Brian Kruse, Director of the Teacher Learning Center and Formal Education Programs; Noel Encarnacion, Customer Service and Operations Manager; and Jay Yanos, Finance Manager. Row 3: Greg Schultz, Senior Scientist and Educator; Dave Prosper, Program Manager for Amateur Astronomy Outreach; Eva Furmanska, Program Coordinator; and Perry Tankeh, Accounting Manager. Row 4: Pablo Nelson, Office Administrator and Membership/Development Coordinator.

Utah Conference Series Office
Utah Valley University, MS 179, 800 West University Pkwy, Orem, UT 04058
Joseph Jensen, Managing Editor
Jonathan Barnes, Associate Editor
Beth Wardell, Publication Manager
Pepita Ridgeway, Editorial Consultant
Anh Phan, e-Book Specialist

PASP
Jeff Mangum, Editor (National Radio Astronomy Observatory)
Daniel G. Fabricant, Associate Editor (Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Chief Executive Officer
Linda Shore 

Project Manager
Joycelin Craig 

Editor
Ruth Tepper Brown

Designer
Mando Daniel 

Image Credits (top to bottom)
WELCOME: NASA

YOUNG LEARNERS: Trisha Page; Zoo in the Sky courtesy Jacqueline Mitton; If You Look Up to the Sky courtesy Angela Dalton; Girl Scouts of America; Space project artwork by San Francisco YMCA HUB site students; ASP/YMCA

AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS: Ryan Wick, Wikimedia Commons (detail)  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:People_with_telescopes#/media/File:Sky_gazing_on_top_of_a_mountain,_AOFPK.jpg; Night Sky Network Webinar Series

EDUCATORS & OUTREACH EXPERTS: ASP Summer Teacher Institute 2018, Joycelin Craig; ASP2021: A Virtual Conference plenary session; ASP Summer Astronomy Institute 2021, host Brian Kruse

PUBLICATIONS: NASA; Mercury magazine; from “Enhancing Direct Exoplanet Spectroscopy with Apodizing and Beam Shaping Optics,” PASP 133:024503, © 2021 The Astronomical Society of the Pacific; ASP Conference Series

AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS: NASA; ASP Annual Awards Dinner 2017, Marcella Gries; NASA

IN MEMORIAM: NASA (top); NASA (Burbidge); David Barker (Katherine Johnson)

THANK YOU! Brian Kruse

BY THE NUMBERS: Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), Chile

BEHIND THE SCENES: © Miloslav Druckmuller. Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic