IOTA/MIDDLE EAST SECTION STATUS

PAUL MALEY and ATILA POROJULY 2011

WHAT IS IOTA/ME?

• A GROUP OF AMATEURS WITH THE GOAL OF EDUCATING AND OBSERVING

• BEGUN IN SEPTEMBER 2011• PROVIDE CERTIFICATES OF TRAINING: 17 SO

FAR• DEVELOPED COMPACTS WITH LOCAL

ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETIES

EQUIPMENT

• MANY AMATEURS OWN TELESCOPES• ONE CCD CAMERA FOR LUNAR

OCCULTATIONS PROVIDED BY DAVE GAULT• INTEND TO BUY 2 VIDEO SYSTEMS FOR

ASTEROID OCCULTATIONS

UPCOMING EVENTS

• WORKSHOP ON JULY 22 IN TEHRAN AT ZAFRANEH OBSERVATORY

• FOLLOW-ON FROM ONE HELD LAST YEAR• TOPICS COUPLED WITH OTHER

ASTRONOMICAL THEMES (E.G. EXPOLANETS)• ANNUAL WORKSHOPS

CURRENT FOCUS

• LUNAR OCCULTATIONS IS THE START POINT• GRADUATE TO OTHER RELATED OCCULTATION

AREAS• UPGRADING WEB SITE (ARABIC)• PUBLISH IOTA/ME NEWSLETTER• CONTRIBUTE TO ASMAN-E SHAB MAGAZINE

OUTREACH ALREADY

• INTENT TO ESTABLISH OTHER OBSERVERS IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ