Re: (meteorobs) AMS photography interests?

To: meteorobs@latrade.com
Subject: Re: (meteorobs) AMS photography interests?
From: richardson@digitalexp.com (Jim Richardson)
Date: Fri, 17 Oct 1997 09:25:47 -0500
In-Reply-To: <971016230917_1445023528@emout09.mail.aol.com>
Reply-To: meteorobs@latrade.com
Sender: owner-meteorobs

At 02:32 AM 10/17/97 -0400, you wrote:
>I was just looking over the AMS website and noticed in the first paragraph
>that it was ""mainly interested in visual, CCD camera, and radio observations
>of meteor activity,...." For you AMS guru's out there, I assume this means
>you aren't interested in non-CCD camera work?
>George Zay

George,

The opening paragraph on the web site is simply an introductory statement
of CURRENT research interests.  The word "mainly" should not be taken to
imply "exclusively" and nothing is set in stone (only binary digits).  CCD
work also includes video work.

This is simply a reflection of our current infrastructure -- which does not
have the ability to collect and reduce photographic meteor work.  

The important exception to this is meteor spectroscopy, which Ed Majden is
currently working to revive, and Dr. Getman can reduce.

It is important to remember that the AMS does not have some dark office
somewhere with lazy employees milling about.  WE are the AMS, and this is a
volunteer organization.  If WE are interested in photographic meteor work
and would like to organize it in North America, then WE have to be the ones
to do it.  Hans Betlem and others in Europe have developed some nice
programs which could easily act as models.  Such a program would need to be
volunteer organized and volunteer funded - just as the programs in Europe
are.  So far, no one is volunteering to put such a thing together, and
therefore we currently do not have an organized photographic interest.

As i seem to be fond of preaching these days, it will take ALL OF US,
working together, to make the AMS into the organization that WE want it to
become.  This means that if we want to organize and put somethng together,
WE will have to be the ones to roll up our sleeves and do it.  The repair
crew for this ship is us -- and no, George, I ain't just talkin' about
paint jobs either!

Take care,

     Jim

James Richardson
Graceville, Florida
richardson@digitalexp.com

Operations Manager / Radiometeor Project Coordinator
American Meteor Society (AMS)
http://www.serve.com/meteors/

References:

(meteorobs) AMS photography interests?

From: GeoZay@aol.com