About

The CCAS meets at the Williams Observatory in Boiling Springs NC at 7:30 P.M. on the fourth Thursday of each month (Dates changed in November & December due to holidays). CCAS dues are $10 for Individual or Family Membership.

For more information on the Williams Observatory including directions, click here.

New Moon Fever

The CCAS is very much an active observing/astrophotography club. Each month, one of the members who has facilities will host the group, usually on a weekend, for an evening of observing and socializing. It's up to the host each month to set the primary date and a backup date due to weather and seeing conditions. These mini star parties are held each month except June, July and August.

Contact dherndon at carolina.rr.com for more information about upcoming Full Moon Fever nights!

Head to the Hills or the Beach!

If the conditions are right, club members have been know to take off an head to the mountains for ad-hoc observing sessions. Sites around the Blue Ridge Parkway are popular, along with sites at the Outer Banks of NC. Watch the home page for announcments on upcoming trips.

History

Inspired by Comet Halley, the CCAS was founded in 1986 by Paul Webb. In its formative years the club grew to a membership of 15 and acquired a 16" f/4.5 Dobsonian as a clubscope. Paul left in 1988, after which the club kept a low profile until being revived by Ken Vassy in September 1989. BoB Eskridge succeeded Ken as president in 1992, and the club staged the first installment of “BoBfest,” its annual Regional Meeting of Amateur Astronomers, the following year. Since then, The CCAS has continued to be an active organization in amateur astronomy in the region, with Steve Davis, then Roger Ivester succeeding BoB as president. The current president is Don Brooks.

The Club’s members participate in a wide range of programs oriented toward the amateur astronomer and the general public including telescope demonstrations, video and slide presentations, and other educational programs. This regional meeting is known as “BoBfest” for Carolinas’ Astronomy Ambassador, BoB Eskridge.