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CAS has entered into a partnership with The Moeller Observatory, which brings significant capabilities to the local amateur astronomy community.

Prospective members should understand the nature of the partnership, and how we are conducting activities, prior to committing to a membership with CAS, to avoid any confusion about what members have access to, how frequently the site is available, and how CAS has set up this partnership for the long run by managing these activities on site.

Starting with the shared mission of The Moeller Observatory and CAS, everything we do falls within this framework and this is our focus for the partnership.

• Push the boundaries of amateur astronomy

• Provide inspiration through a deeper engagement with fundamental science

• Support local eco-tourism and development

Eligibility:

In order to be eligible to attend CAS events at The Moeller Observatory, members must fulfill three requirements.

1 ) CAS members must be in good standing - all dues must be paid and members cannot be on any other kind of restrictions such as a membership probation or other similar conditions.

2 ) All adult members within a CAS membership, must attend an orientation program (usually conducted online) to familiarize themselves with all things about The Moeller Observatory including access info, safety info, details about the partnership and more. This orientation is only required to be taken one time, not every time you go to the site. Due to the nature of this live program and the timing of the schedule, it could take up to 45 days for new members to be eligible to attend events on site. We make every attempt to keep this period of time as short as possible.

3 ) Members and their family who may attend must sign a waiver. This is required by Dieter Moeller and CAS. Note: For family members to attend, they must be on the Family Membership. Individual memberships exclude other family members from attending (and we currently do not allow members to bring guests to The Moeller Observatory).

In an effort to foster a long-term relationship between CAS and The Moeller Observatory, CAS has chosen to implement a program referred to as Structured Access, which will enable us manage activity on the site, and preserve the integrity of the equipment, the facility, and the site itself into the distant future.

The backbone of this Structured Access is the CAS Moeller Observatory Team; a small group of dedicated members with varied set of skills, and a solid history within the organization. This team is trained and experienced on the equipment, understand the goals, guidelines and restrictions of operating on the Moeller site, and personally know Mr Moeller, so as to maintain his vision for how he wishes the observatory to be operated. This team currently consists of 20 CAS members.

What can members expect in terms of access to the site?

The CAS Moeller Observatory Team (CASMOT) attempts to schedule at least one members’ night per month. This members night is typically reserved for the first 40 members who sign up, due to limitations on the site such as parking etc.

The frequency of member events can be affected by any or all of the following: Moon phases, weather, and availability of the team to host events. We typically do not hold events about 6 days on either side of the full moon, since the bright moon washes out the sky making observing and imaging very difficult. Weather is a big factor, as most members do not wish to make the travel commitment to go to the site if the weather is going to be unfavorable. And on occasion, we may not have enough team coverage to hold an event, as we typically prefer to have at least 4 CASMOT members on site to hold the event. This occurs infrequently however.

The process for holding a members event is as follows:

Step 1 - Clearing Dates with Dieter Moeller
The Moeller Observatory Team chooses a weekend for member activity, and clears those dates with Dieter. 

Step 2 - Call for Sign-ups
We email the entire membership and announce a weekend for activity. We then will accept sign-ups for that weekend from members on a first come first served basis.

Step 3 - Forming a Guest List for Each Night
We will form a guest list for each night offered for the event. We are typically going to cap the number of attendees at 40 max due to parking availability and also to make sure everyone gets the best experience

Step 4 - Waiting on the Weather
As the dates get closer on the calendar, typically 1-2 days before, we will look at the weather and determine which of the nights we will have the event. We will typically not do both a Friday and Saturday, it will be one or the other.

Step 5 - Instructions for the Event
Once the date is chosen, we will reach out to members signed up for that particular night and provide details such as start times and access codes to enter the facility.

Step 6 -  Last Minute Member Cancellations
The day of the event we ask members whose plans change at the last minute and they cannot attend to notify us as soon as possible so we can inform members who may be on a stand-by list so they can attend.

Event Cancellations
If we cancel the event because of weather (or some other unforeseen reason) the process starts over for the next event date.

Ad Hoc Events

There is a potential for other kinds of events that aren’t the full blown member nights. For example, if one of the CAS Moeller Team members is going to the site for maintenance or some other non-event work, they could offer to host a small number of members for the evening, which may or may not include opening the observatories. This would allow members to be on the grounds and do their own observing and imaging. These types of events will likely be rare but they could allow for more nights per year if we are able to have them.

Members typically will arrive on a Saturday (most frequently) or a Friday (less frequently) later in the day, and are welcome to camp overnight. At least one member of the CASMOT will host the remainder of the members who sign up, and operate the equipment for members on site. No one outside the CASMOT is permitted to operate the equipment. Members are welcome and encouraged to bring their own gear to set up and observe in the camping area or on the Moeller Observing Platform. 

Unless stated otherwise, we expect all members who attend these events to exit the site by around noon the following day.

More information about our processes for managing activity at The Moeller Observatory will be detailed during the online orientation. If you have questions please email moellerobs@cinastro.org

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