Michael Hotka's
Astronomical Accomplishments

• Received Astronomical League's Messier Award, June 14, 1988.
• Received Astronomical League's Double Star Award, Apr 22, 2002.
• Received Astronomical League's Binocular Messier Award, July 20, 2003.
• Received Astronomical League's Lunar Club Award, Nov 18, 2003.
• Received Astronomical League's Deep Sky Binocular Award, Apr 4, 2004.
• Received Astronomical League's Sunspotter Award, June 1, 2004.
• Received Astronomical League's Venus Transit Award, June 8, 2004.
• Received Astronomical League's Caldwell Silver Award, July 9, 2004.
• Received Astronomical League's Herschel 400 Award, July 19, 2004.
• Received Astronomical League's Planetary Observers Award, July 24, 2004.
• Received Astronomical League's Globular Cluster Award, Sept 10, 2004.
• Received Astronomical League's Urban Astronomy Award, Sept 17, 2004.
• Received Astronomical League's Master Observer's Award, Oct 8, 2004.
• Received Astronomical League's Northern Constellation Hunter Award, July 10, 2005.
• Received Astronomical League's Earth Orbiting Satellite Observing Award, Aug 8, 2005.
• Received Astronomical League's Lunar II Advanced Award, Jan 2, 2006.
• Received Astronomical League's Silver Comet Observing Award, Apr 24, 2006.
  
• Received Astronomical League's Basic Outreach Award, Mar 30, 2006.
• Received Astronomical League's Meteor Watching Award, Nov 13, 2006.
• Received Astronomical League's Universe Sampler Award, Jan 4, 2007.
• Received Astronomical League's Herschel II Award, Apr 3, 2007.
• Received Colorado Project Astro-Geo Award, May, 2007.
• Received Astronomical League's Stellar Outreach Award, Jun 25, 2007.
• Received Astronomical League's Planetary Nebula Basic Award, Feb 11, 2008.
• Received Astronomical League's Open Cluster Advanced Award, Feb 13, 2008.
• Received Astronomica League's Planetary Nebula Advanced Award, Aug. 5, 2008.
• Received Astronomica League's Gold Comet Observing Award, Jan. 16, 2009.
• Received Astronomica League's Arp Peculiar Calaxy Observing Club Award, Feb. 27, 2009.
• Received Astronomica League's Local Galaxy Group Observing Club Award, Apr 23, 2009.
• Received Astronomical League's Galileo Observing Club Award, Dec. 3, 2009.
  • 400 years after Galileo first performed these same exercises that I had to do.
• Received Astronomical League's Galaxy Groups & Clusters Observing Club Award, Aug. 12, 2010.
• Received Astronomical League's Dark Sky Advocate Club Award, Aug. 20, 2010.
• Received Astronomical League's Carbon Star Observing Club Award, July 23, 2011.
• Received Astronomical League's Binocular Double Star Observing Club Award, Sep 8, 2011.
  Received Astronomical League's Dark Nebula Observing Club Award, Oct 15, 2011.
• Received Astronomical League's Southern Arps Observing Club Award, Jan. 30, 2012.
• Received Astronomical League's Flat Galaxy Regular Certificate Observing Club Award, Jan. 30, 2012.
  Received Astronomical League's Flat Galaxy Honorary Certificate Observing Club Award, May 17, 2012.
  Received Astronomical League's Venus Transit 2012 Certificate Observing Club Award, June 6, 2012.
  
• Member of Texas Astronomical Society from 1983 to 1992.
  
• Member of Longmont Astronomical Society since 1995.
• Member of Denver Astronomical Society since 2004.
• Member of the Boulder Space & Astronomy Society since 2005 to 2008.
• Observatories visited:
  • Kitt Peak
  • McDonald
  • WIRO
  • Greenwich Royal Observatory
  • Stonehenge
  • Chichen Itza
• Star Parties Attended:
  • Sterling Star Party
  • Texas Star Party
  • Okie-Tex Star Party
  • Weekend Under the Stars
• Organizations I currently belong to:
  • Longmont Astronomical Society since July 1995.
  • Denver Astronomical Society since 2004.
  • Boulder Astronomical Space Society since 2005.
  • JPL Solar System Ambassador since 2002.
• Write a monthly article for several local newspapers since 2001.
• Taught an Introduction to Astronomy class at Front Range Community College.
  • Spring 2004 Semester.
  • Fall 2009 Semester.
• Web Developer for the Astronomical League since 2004.
• Helped create the Astronomical League's Globular Cluster Observing Club, 2004.
• Wrote the Globular Cluster Observing Guide for this observing club.
• Wrote Reflector article, Observing Globular Clusters, September, 2007
• Wrote Reflector article, What Am I Going to Observe Tonight?, September 2011
• Telescopes Owned:
  •     1964 - 1966: Tasco, 2-inch refractor
  •     1966 - 1971: Tasco, 4-inch reflector
  •     1971 - 2010: Homemade, 12.5-inch f/8 (1973 Coulter Optics) reflector
  • 2010 - Present: Homemade, 12.5-inch f/8, My Own Mirror, Computerized, Tracking, Truss Tube Dob Mounted reflector
    
  • 2003 - Present: Homemade, 8-inch f/8 (my optics) reflector

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