66 ASTRONOMY • AUGUST 2020
OBSERVING BASICS
In looking over my past Observing Basics
articles, I was surprised to discover that I’ve
never devoted a full column to astronomy
clubs. I’ll remedy that situation this month, but with an
added element — a focus on women in astronomy clubs.
I may not know what it’s like to be a female member of
a group that’s historically been male-dominated, but as a
four-decade member of the Amateur Telescope Makers
of Boston (ATMoB), I’ve seen firsthand how important it
is to have a diverse club. And because female
membership has room to grow, it seems fitting
to highlight some of the club’s female members
— concentrating on what got them into astron-
omy, as well as some of their outstanding
accomplishments. Then, next month, we’ll
tackle how clubs can encourage more women
to join. So, without further ado, let me intro-
duce you to some of our crew.
First is our current treasurer, Eileen Myers. Myers
became interested in astronomy in 1995 after attending
lectures at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for
Astrophysics (CfA) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. At
these lectures, she met several ATMoB members, which
led her to eventually visit our clubhouse in Westford,
Massachusetts. She notes, “I was immediately greeted by
a gentleman who put an eyepiece in my hand and
explained the details of how a telescope works. That eve-
ning, I saw Stephan’s Quintet through a member’s 25-inch
telescope. I was hooked on astronomy.”
Over the past quarter century, Myers’ growing passion
for the night sky led her to undertake terms as both presi-
dent and secretary of ATMoB. She has coordinated publicstar parties, organized social events, and produced the
club’s newsletter, Star Fields. Her contributions to astron-
omy go well beyond ATMoB, too. Myers is also a member
of the Springfield Telescope Makers in Vermont, helping
them with their annual Stellafane Convention.
Then there’s Marion Hochuli, who holds the distinc-
tion of being ATMoB’s first female president. Her love of
astronomy came at an early age. “I had the good fortune
of having a mother who knew the bright stars and major
constel lat ions by na me ,” she rec a l l s. “How ma ny mot hers
would say on a chilly October night after putting out the
garbage: ‘I know winter is coming — Capella is rising over
our garage’?” Thanks in part to her mother instilling an
early appreciation of the night sky, when Hochuli ref lects
on her experience as an ATMoB member, she says, “Being
a female in a male hobby never really occurred to me. We
were all just amateur astronomers with a common love
of this hobby. We all knew the sky well, read and referred
to the same books, had similar equipment, and spoke the
same language (astronomy). I was just one of them.”
Though Myers and Hochuli have been members of
ATMoB for decades, you don’t have to be a veteran mem-
ber to help an astronomy club reach its full potential.
Case in point: Laura Sailor. Soon after joining the club
in 2013, Sailor got involved in our outreach program,
bringing her telescope to public star parties to share with
as many people as possible. And like Hochuli, Sailor’s
interest in astronomy was inspired by a family member.
“The Moon has had a large draw for generations of my
family, who are rooted under the northern lights in
northern Maine,” she says. “My grandfather was an
amazing storyteller and a self-taught astronomer.” Sailor
sums up her reasons for getting involved in ATMoB
activities with a simple but true statement: “The energy
you put in is the energy you get out.”
ATMoB’s grande dame is Anna Hillier, a member since
the days of Sputnik 1. In fact, she was part of a Project
Moonwatch team, which was among the first
to spot the Soviet satellite after its launch in late- A history of ATMoB compiled by Hillier
shows that women have been a driving force in
the club since the very beginning. In 1934,
Thelma Johnson played a pivotal role in the
club’s founding and served as its first secretary.
In recent years, former president Virginia
Renehan headed ATMoB’s Star Party
Committee. With the help of Renehan’s tireless efforts,
thousands of adults and children got their first telescopic
glimpse of the wonders hiding in the night sky.
Although this article was written about one club in
Massachusetts, the narrative could apply to any group.
You want as many enthusiastic members as possible!
Questions, comments, or suggestions? Email me at
[email protected]. Next month: Why should women
join astronomy clubs and how can current members
ma ke t hem fe el more welcome? He a r what fema le re aders
of this column have to say. Clear sk ies!
Focusing on diversity is a win for everyone.
Women in
astronomy clubs
Members of the
Amateur Telescope
Makers of Boston pose
for a picture during
one of their meetings.
From left: Glenn
Chaple, Eileen Myers,
Tom McDonagh, and
Mario Motta. AL TAKEDA“The energy
you put in is
the energy
you get out.”
BY GLENN CHAPLE
Glenn has been an
avid observer since
a friend showed
him Saturn through
a small backyard
scope in 1963.BROWSE THE “OBSERVING BASICS” ARCHIVE
AT http://www.Astronomy.com/Chaple