The University Lowbrow Astronomers

Who Are We?

We are a diverse group of around 200 amateur astronomers, ranging from amateur telescope makers to professional rocket scientists (really!). Some of us just like to read, while others like to get out and observe or photograph the heavens. The bottom line is that we all have a more than casual interest in astronomy, and you do not have to be a student or alumnus of the University of Michigan to join! Whether you are a novice or a seasoned veteran, we hope that you will find us to be friendly, knowledgeable, and fun to be with. The University Lowbrow Astronomers are an Internal Revenue Code (IRC) 501(c)(7) “Social Club” organization. While the Lowbrows do not make a profit, in the eyes of the IRS we are NOT a not-for-profit organization. This means that donations to us ARE NOT tax-deductible.

Benefits

Your dues (see below) entitles you and your immediate family (spouse and children) to the following benefits:

• Monthly newsletter. Eight pages full of late breaking astronomical news, information, reports, and club business. Many articles are written by our own members, see catalog of all newsletters.
• Magazine subscription discounts. As a Lowbrow, you can receive Sky and Telescope magazine for $43.95 per year, and Astronomy magazine for $34.00 for one year, $60.00 for two years, or $83.00 for three. Subscribe to them both and you might save enough to cover your dues!
• Access to a 24 inch(!) telescope. The Lowbrows have access to the University’s 24 inch McMath Cassegrain telescope on Peach Mountain near Pinckney. See for yourself what REAL light gathering power is! Also, if you own your own telescope, there is room at the observatory site to set it up at one of the darkest sites in the Ann Arbor area. The observatory is on North Territorial Road, 1.1 miles west of the Dexter-Pinckney Road intersection.
• E-Mail list. All members have the option of being included in our e-mail list. A variety of information is distributed in this way.
• The University Lowbrow Astronomers are a member of NASA’s Night Sky Network. More information is available here.

Activities

• Unless otherwise indicated, monthly meetings are held on the third Friday of every month, at 7:30 pm. Besides club business, meetings always feature a speaker and/or some kind of presentation. Unless otherwise indicated, meetings are held in the main conference room at the Detroit Observatory on the campus of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor [Map to the Detroit Observatory]. (The July meetings are usually held on the campus of Eastern Michigan University). Per tradition, after each meeting we adjourn to the nearby Pizza House for food and camaraderie. See the calendar of astronomy events for meeting topics.
• Public Open Houses at Peach Mountain are scheduled on a regular basis. When it is clear, these are well attended by visitors, so you are encouraged to help with these events, whether directing parking or foot traffic, or providing a telescope for viewing. The Lowbrows are also involved with a variety of other astronomy related events over the course of the year.

Officers

President	Charles Nielsen	(734) 747-6585
President Emeritus	Dr. Mark Vincent
Vice Presidents	Adrian Bradley	(313) 354-5346
	Jim Forrester	(734)-663-1638
	Dave Snyder
	Brian Ottum
Treasurer	Doug Scobel
Newsletter Editor	Amy Cantu
Observatory Director	Jack Brisbin	(734) 455-7827
Observatory Director Emeritus	Percival Lowell (deceased)
Webmaster	Krishna Rao
Online Coordinator	Jeff Kopmanis

The Observatory Committee

Jack Brisbin	Ken Cook	Jim Forrester	Tom Ryan
Kurt Hillig	Yasuharu Inugi	Mike Kurylo	D C Moons
Nathan Murphy	Charlie Nielsen	Mike Radwick
Dave Snyder

Joining the Club or Renewing Your Membership

For comments about this web site or to obtain more information about the club, contact us.

By-Laws

The club operates under a set of by-laws. The by-laws were approved in April 2003 and revised in April 2010 and in September 2020. View the current by-laws.

Links

• The Home Page for the University Lowbrow Astronomers.
• The University of Michigan Astronomy Department.
• The University of Michigan Gateway.
• A List of Other Astronomy Clubs in SE Michigan.
• Other Astronomy Related Pages.

Copyright Info

Copyright © 2023, the University Lowbrow Astronomers. (The University Lowbrow Astronomers are an amateur astronomy club based in Ann Arbor, Michigan).

University Lowbrow Astronomers Privacy Policy

This page revised Saturday, August 19, 2023.

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