Kim, I would argue that ancient astronomy, in the form of fortune-telling, messages from deity, ritual, etc., has no relation to modern astronomy and is better suited to a sociology, history, or anthropology group. Historical astronomy, on the other hand, seems much more relevant. I'd love to have insight on the life and work of historical individuals and institutions. That said, I know how difficult it can be for SLAS officers to come up with guest speakers and topics they feel the membership-at-large would be interested in. I applaud their efforts; most meeting topics that I have been made aware-of sound extremely interesting. I would also challenge those who have complaints to come forward and actually make a presentation themselves, or produce a qualified speaker. I've managed to give one about every other year recently, and we'll give points to Rich for assisting me in the Bino-meeting about a year ago. I've met many of you personally; there are dozens of club members who I know have material of interest to us all. I urge you to contact the appropriate SLAS officer and offer to give a presentation at a meeting. Share your expertise and/or experiences, even if it's just a travelogue and not necessarily technical. C. --- Kim Hyatt <khyatt@smithlayton.com> wrote:
I might have missed something. Why is it "inappropriate" and "off topic" for amateur astronomers (or professionals, for that matter) to discuss ancient origins of astronomy?
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