DESCRIPTION

Our primary goal is the promotion and broadcast of Astronomy in Panama through lectures addressed to members and to the general public, through the scientific observation of astronomical events and through publications in mass media. Our activities are not limited to the national scope, and we have links with several astronomical organizations in the international community.

The APAA has its seat at the Postgrade building of the Technological University of Panama (UTP), Ricardo J. Alfaro Ave., classroom no. 215 (or 214) 2nd floor, where its meetings take place every Thursday from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. At these ordinary meetings astronomical news of the week, speeches and videos are delivered, and occasionally we have the participation of national or international special guests. The speeches include all topics of Astronomy and compatible sciences, but a non technical language is used for easy understanding.

Everyone who is interested is warmly invited to attend our meetings and do not need to be or become a member neither to pay any type of fee.

We make our observation sessions especially in the summer months and in special events (meteor showers, occultations, comets, etc.) throughout the year. Our association counts with its own astronomical equipment with the latest technology (GPS = Global Positioning System, interphase for PC, etc). In addition, many of these advanced observing equipment is used and enjoyed by all members during the APAA's Star Parties. Recently the APAA signed a lease  in the vicinity of Punta Chame for its use as a site for astronomical observation and for the possible construction of the Observatory "Buoys of Punta Chame".

The board of directors for the period 2005-2006 is conformed by:

President		Joaquin Fabrega
Vice-president		Raul Zavala
Secretary		Maruquel Berguido
Treasurer		Maria Rosa de Rodriguez
Fiscal		Aulio Hernandez
Educator		Felix Rodriguez
Observer		Ivan Jaen
Advisor		Tony Earle

HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER

Any person can be a member of the Panamanian Association of Amateur Astronomers. In order to become one, it is only necessary to fill an inscription form that can be requested at the seat of the APAA the days of meetings, provide a carnet size photo, to contribute with a inscription quota of $10,00 and one monthly payment of $5,00 (or the equivalent with a single $60,00 annual payment). Students pay a reduced monthly quota of $2,50.

The condition of being an active member grants the right to use the library and the videoteca, as well as the borrowing of observational material property of the APAA; in addition, to receive the bi-monthly Bulletin that the organization publishes, to attend lectures, courses, tours of observation and, in general, all the activities that the group organizes.

Through our members we have direct and indirect contact with several national and international institutions within the frame of cooperation for the development of Astronomy in our country:

National Scope

- National Secretariat of Science and Technology [SENACyT]
Through several agreements [1, 2, 3] between APAA and the SENACyT, our association has offered lectures and seminaries on Astronomy to several public elementary, middle and junior high schools through the country, with the purpose of promoting, among other things, the development of the scientific thought among the young population, using as an educational tool the fascinating field of Astronomy. We have participated in events like the "Workshop on the Communication of Science" and the "Young Ingenuity Fair", where we gave talks to high school teachers and to enthusiastic young people. We have also organized events of astronomical observation with the Smithsonian Institute of Panama. In addition, APAA participated in the 'II Latin American Workshop on Science, Communication and Society - 2004' (see the link of the program), organized by the SENACyT, with the goal of exchanging experiences with other countries in the area of Education and Sciences.

- Universities
We have received strong support from several academic institutions of our country: Technological University of Panama (UTP), Florida State University (FSU), Latin American University of Science and Technology (ULACyT), University of Panama (UP). The ULACyT invited APAA to participate in the "I Round Table on Astrophysics". Several observation of astronomical events with the UP have been made. The FSU offered us their facilities to establish our seat in this institution during a certain period of time. The UTP also had offered us (agreements) their facilities for our present seat and we have celebrated several events altogether, among which was the "1rst French Scientific Fortnight in Panama", together with the Uranoscope of France, the Embassy of France and the French Alliance, and the "2nd French Scientific Fortnight in Panama" (French Alliance, mirror, program 1, 2), organized by the Embassy of France and the French Alliance in collaboration with the University of Panama (UP), the Technological University of Panama (UTP), APAA and the Panamanian Association for the Advancement of Science (APANAC).

-III French Scientific Fortnight- Panama 2005
The France Embassy, the French Alliance, the Technological University of Panama (UTP) and APAA have organized the 3rd French Scientific Fortnight (sept. 21-oct.1, 2005), held at the UTP's and the Alliance's installations, in order to put in contact french scientists with their panamanian counterparts and to establish, if possible, cooperation treatments between both countries. As was emphasized by the Director of the French Alliance, Panama is the only Latinamerican country to have this priviledge. APAA had already participated in former events of this kind, and it's expected to continue with this participation in future fortnights. In this event, conferences on various topics were given: Nanomaterials, Astronomy and Seismology (see the program).

- Mass media
Also the public disclosing labor of different astronomical events has been made through different mass media [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]


International Scope

-Dr Carl Sagan
In 1985/Dec/29 (sunday), we had the honor to meet the famous Astronomer Carl Sagan [1934-1996], who during his travel course to Chile, through the Panama Canal, to see the Halley's Comet, joined us during the celebration of a star party in Balboa, Canal Zone, city of Panama. It was in our land where he saw for the first time the Halley's comet (see a news-note and a gratefulness letter from Sagan and 2 photos).

-LIADA = Ibero-American League of Astronomy
This institution has named one of our members as the Panamanian delegate in the degree of Local Coordinator for Education and Broadcasting of Astronomy, which fills us with pride and motivates us to continue with our work.

-Associations of Amateur Astronomers in Central America
We have contacts with: Guatemalan Association of Astronomy [AGA], Salvadoran Association of Astronomy [ASA], CIENTEC Foundation of Costa Rica.

-Electronic Bulletin "The Cyberastronomer"
We also participate actively in the forum of this Central American bulletin, managed by Edgar Castro, Eng., who has managed to unite the communities of amateur astronomers of Central and South America through Internet.

-Contact with NASA
Paul Maley [coordinator of certain international operations of NASA] has recently visited Panama and worked altogether with our association in aspects related to the 2005 solar eclipse and also related to the observation of an asteroid occultation. Also, we have contact with the Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society, 1998.

-Contact with STAR of Stockholm, Sweden
Through the membership of one of us we have obtained contact with the STockhomls AmatörastronomeR. We hope that some of their members visit us during the 2005 Solar Hybrid Eclipse.

-Astronomical observatory of Suyapa in Honduras
The APAA participated in the "United Nations/European Space Agency VII Workshop on BASIC Space Science: Small Astronomical Telescopes and Satellites in Education and Research", event held in Honduras, June 16-20, 1997, which was sponsored by the International Astronomical Union, the United Nations, the European Space Agency and National University Autonomous of Honduras [UNAH]. During this event the Astronomical observatory of Suyapa for Central America was inaugurated [OACS].

-Uranoscope of France - L'Uranoscope de l'ile de France
With the aim to establish a strong cooperation between France and Panama for the development of Astronomy in Central America, the Uranoscope of France, the Embassy of France in Panama, the UTP and the APAA signed an agreement that compromises the parts to carry out several activities to achieve this objective. Within the support that is being granted to us by the French government is the donation of a telescope (Meade LX-200) Maksutov-Cassegrain of 14 inches, for its use in collaboration with the UTP.

-Central American Astronomy and Astrophysics Course [CURCAA] and the Assembly of Astronomers and Astrophysicists of Central America [AAAC]
Through some members of the APAA, we've participated in the IV CURCAA and V AAAC, Feb. 25-March 1, 1998, which was celebrated in our country in occasion of the Total Solar Eclipse of 1998 whose central trajectory crossed through Panama.