John Holtz

There have been many reports of a shiny object seen over the skies of Pittsburgh on the evening of August 4, 2016. Many members of the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh (AAAP) also saw the object while viewing the planetary line-up (Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn). Thanks to AAAP member John Pane, we know that the object was a high-altitude balloon launch as part of Google’s Project Loon. The balloon was launched from Washington state and drifted over Pittsburgh at just the right time for it to be illuminated by the sun’s last rays while the sky was getting dark.

AAAP member John Holtz spotted a balloon shortly after arriving at Schenley Park to look for the planets. He used the positional data from flightradar24.com to calculate the position of the Google balloon as seen from his observing location. “The position relative to the star Arcturus, and the size of the object based on the range, all match what I calculated” he said. At 9 pm, the object was [Read more…] about Mystery Object Identified: Google Project Loon Balloon

A photo-montage of the 2014 AAAP Award winners

Our Association succeeds thanks to the involvement of our members – whether it is devoting time to our events (star parties, Astronomy weekends, etc.), or simply participating in our events (meetings, lectures, members-only events, etc.) Whatever the level of involvement, we appreciate all of our members.

The December meeting/party is our opportunity to recognize those members who deserve a special recognition. It is with great pleasure we announce those members who received an award for 2014… [Read more…] about 2014 AAAP Service Awards