President Bernie Zelazny opened the meeting at 7:30 PM in the Sul Ross Planetarium, 302 Warnock Science Building.  There were 27 people present.  The business meeting took place after Shannon Rudine's presentation (see below).  The minutes were accepted as printed in the January Newsletter.

       Betty Grimm submitted the following treasurer's report:

       Astronomy Day.  John Bell suggested that we consider doing something for Astronomy Day, or perhaps Astronomy Week, in May.  Doug McCombs thought it might be good to set up a scope on the Sul Ross Campus with a solar filter for showing sunspots.  Doug also pointed out that we can see, and show, the brighter planets in the daytime. 

       Outdoor Lighting.  Jim Walker reported that the Brewster County Commissioners voted in their meeting on February 12 to move forward with the consideration of an outdoor lighting ordinance for the county.  The ordinance was submitted by McDonald Observatory.  Ten BBAS members were present, and four or five of us had an opportunity to speak briefly in favor of the ordinance.  Moving forward is an important step, but it does not mean that the ordinance has been adopted. 
Brewster County Judge Val Beard thought it would take 6 or 8 weeks to bring the ordinance to a vote by the County Commission.  She spoke in favor of an ordinance, but said there might be enforcement problems.  We will be watching developments closely.
No one from McDonald could be present for the introduction of the Brewster ordinance.  Bill Wren, Public Information Specialist, was previously committed to attending the Culberson County Commissioners meeting in Van Horn at the same time as ours, and Mark Adams, McDonald Superintendent, was in Ft. Stockton for the Pecos County Commissioners meeting.  Pecos County actually adopted the ordinance at once after a public hearing.
       I have been meeting with Alpine City Manager Bill Lewis and Director of Development Dave Busey regarding the Alpine Ordinance.  Very soon, we expect to have the pole-mounted floodlights in the city parks reaimed, turned downward so the lenses are tilted no more than 20 degrees above the horizontal.  Reaiming these lights will not turn them into full cutoff fixtures, but will reduce the amount of light going up into the sky, and into the eyes of drivers and pedestrians on the ground.
       There's almost no end to the good news on the lighting front.  I have heard from an Italian astronomer and officer of the Italian Dark-Sky Association that the province of Lombardy has just enacted a very strict outdoor lighting ordinance.  Lombardy is fairly sizable, as Italian provinces go (about half again the size of Brewster County!).  But Lombardy has a population of about 9 million, and includes the major city of Milan.

       New Members.  We were pleased to welcome Dale and Mable Evans, newcomers who just moved to Valentine from Dallas only a couple of days before coming to our meeting.  Such dedication, to seek us out and sign up so soon after moving to our area!
 

       End of minutes.

        Adventurous eclipse chasers will have an opportunity to see the total solar eclipse of June 21, 2001, in Zambia.  As members of the Astronomical League, we are entitled to a special price of $4,895.00 from JFK Airport.  For further information contact Astronomical Tours, 
888 734-0311, or www.AstronomicalTours.net, or by email, Zambia@AstronomicalTours.net.  Other African eclipse tours are also advertised in the current Astronomy and Sky and Telescope magazines.

        (Edited from AP, Columbia, MD).  The NEAR spacecraft touched down on the barren, rocky surface of Eros, successfully completing history's first landing on an asteroid.  The spacecraft was named for the Near Earth Asteroid Research program.  NEAR's landing was confirmed Monday when mission control received a beacon signal from the craft resting on the surface of Eros, some 196 million miles from Earth.
        Although the spacecraft was not designed to be a lander, it was decided to attempt a landing in the closing days of its life.  Eros is a potato-shaped object about 20 miles long, so its very low gravity made for a gentle landing.

If we have not yet received your dues, then please use the convenient envelope addressed to our treasurer that is included with this copy of your Newsletter.

Betty Lou Grimm, Treasurer
Big Bend Astronomical Society, Inc
1001 N 2nd Street, Apt F-22
Alpine, TX 79830