APL Astronomy Club

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In August of 1996 Amateur Astronomy Club received a TASS telescope from Tom Droege (DRog-ie) of Chicago. Donated on the condition that the APL Astronomy Club would participate in both the operation of and development in software for TASS. Since that auspicious occasion the club as developed an one-of-a-kind site for this unique telescope (S&T: February 1998, page 42).

Tom started his work on TASS in 1994 after watching the dramatic events of the comet Shoemaker-Levy as it collided with the planet Jupiter. Soon he began working on a new design for comets detection. Software programmers, engineers and astronomer started to collaborate through news groups, now it's e-mail and a FTP site, we have a URL http://www.tass-survey.org . TASS is capable of detecting Asteroids, Near-Earth-Object (NEO's), Comets, Satellites and an occasional aircraft. The TASS telescope network is located from coast to coast Now joined together this college studies a new concept in observational astronomy.

The APL TASS telescope is location atop building 40, operated by the APL amateur Astronomy Club as part of the TASS organization.

Pictures from Friends of Astronomy

Picture taken by Jim Blades, of Scotland, while working at JHU/APL. It appears to be daytime, but this is due to the very long exposure while the Moon was up. The thin long streak is the light from an airplane, follow it to the comet in the lower left of the picture.