2020 - Life Fellow Membership Awarded

At the close of 2020 it is customary for Sydney City Skywatchers to gather and celebrate the year that was. This year we celebrated Covid-safe and astronomically sound. Members brought their own telescopes, and we spaced ourselves, appropriately in a large area of Centennial Park to observe the night sky.

Luckily the wind dropped and clouds cleared and through many different types of telescopes and binoculars we managed wonderful observations of the planets Saturn, Jupiter and Mars. Also the stars were spectacular and we observed the Orion Nebula M42 and globular cluster 47 Tucana, as well as other objects in the night sky. This was most fortunate as clouds filled the sky over most of December.

A highlight of the evening was the Life Fellow Membership awarded to Elizabeth Cocking for her voluntary work on the Committee, as society secretary and membership officer for over 25 years. Elizabeth is pictured left with her award (photo courtesy E. Budek).

Elizabeth is a joy to work with, she provides me with professional administrative support and advice, and has done so for many previous Presidents and committees. Elizabeth records our decisions, organises the AGMs and elections, provides membership support in many ways and she has upheld the inclusive values of the Sydney City Skywatchers and shares knowledge of astronomy and its history in the community through her regular blog posts.

As we move into 2021 Elizabeth will be carrying on her voluntary work and with her support we will get through any obstacles to successfully enjoy astronomy with our Skywatching community.

Stay safe and Happy New Year,

Toner Stevenson, President Sydney City Skywatchers.