Hello,

 I am a member of the Roanoke Valley Astronomical Society, and I would like to briefly tell you about
two resources that may be of value to  your local membership.  If you agree, please tell others.

 First and foremost, I have spent many months developing and refining my astronomy links web site.
It has received several thousand visitors so far, and perhaps you already know about my free site.
 Its major purpose is to help us amateur astronomers easily find many  of the most useful resources
on the web.  I have also paid attention to the needs of beginners.

 Kindly pay a visit to my site.  It is not fancy, just functional.  It works very well with slow Internet
connections.       http://members.cox.net/clarkt7/astronomylinks

 Secondly, even though most astronomers use Windows software, a  growing number of us also have
access to Macintosh computers.  I have had the pleasure of collaborating with an exceptional astronomer
and programmer in Canada to help refine his elegant Mac shareware program, EquinoX.

 I asked Darryl Robertson to include several lists of objects that are in the Astronomical League's observe
award programs.  You can precisely find and view individually or together (even with DSS images) double
stars, variable stars, stars with planets, Messier objects, Caldwell objects, the Herschel 400, the Herschel II,
the Arp 338, and all of the NGCs.  EquinoX accurately tracks planets, asteroids, comets, and the major
moons of Jupiter and Saturn.  It controls, even by voice alone, several types of Meade and Celestron
 telescopes, and it works with webcams.  The trial download is free; the full program is $29.

 I recently used custom maps that I prepared with EquinoX, and a laser dot finder, to complete my Messier
list without any go-to assistance -- and I'm mentioned in the current Reflector.

 (In case you wondered, I never have and never will receive any payment for helping develop and telling folks
about Darryl's delicious astronomer's tool.  This is part of my witness to our community.)
                                                          http://www.microprojects.ca/MPjEquinoxPage.html

 Clear skies,          Clark M. Thomas     clarkt7ATcox.net