Mabel Sterns Award
Every month, amateur astronomers all over the United States sit 
down and wrestle with the task of putting out the local astronomical society's monthly newsletter. Some of these hard-working editors write their own material in addition to what they can coax their fellow society members to write, draw, or photograph for them. Others select something of interest from the Internet or other newsletters to which they have access.
No matter what the source of the material, they must format it, lay it out, and often reproduce and distribute it. It is a great deal of work that seldom earns them any reward, yet it is the society newsletter that keeps the organization going and informs, entertains, and keeps members interested in the activities of the group.
To try to recognize some of the best of the editors, the Astronomical League in 1998 created the Mabel Sterns Award. This award is named after the League's first newsletter editor, Mabel Sterns (1948-1952) (above).
Purpose
The first placed winner will receive a Sterns Award plaque at the national banquet each year.. Institutional members of the League, such as planetariums, museums, boards and star parties, are not eligible. Member-at-Large editors in non-League societies are not eligible.
The Sterns Award is chaired by the Astronomical League Vice-President pursuant to our Standing Resolutions. The Reflector editor will present a League plaque to the Sterns Award winner at the national banquet each year.
Procedure for Nomination
A winner will be selected by journalism professionals and/or committee members. The judges' rankings will be added using Zipf's Law (first place vote = 1 point, second = 1/2 point, third = 1/3 point, fourth = 1/4 point etc.). No editor will be eligible for the Sterns Award more than once during any five year period.
For information about the 2007 Mabel Sterns Award program, please contact Mr. Carroll Iorg, A.L. Awards Coordinator Carroll-Iorg@kc.rr.com (816-444-4878) or visit the League's website http://www.astroleague.org. The deadline for submissions is March 31, 2007. The president of the club should send four paper copies of a recent newsletter, along with four copies of a letter of recommendation to the Awards Coordinator, 7241 Jarboe, Kansas City MO 64114. A photo of the newsletter editor, preferably taken in an astronomical type setting should also be submitted in the packet.
It is strongly recommended that A.L. member club newsletters display the League's logo prominently in the publication, preferably on the front cover.
Previous Winners of the Mabel Sterns Award
| Year | Award | Publication, Society, and Location | Editor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | First | Austin Astronomical Society | Dana Koch |
| Second | Spectrum, Astronomical Society of Dallas | Dave Hutchison | |
| Third | Prime Focus, Kalamazoo Astronomical Society | Richard Bell | |
| Fourth | Prime Focus, Fort Worth Astronomical Society | Dean Crabtree | |
| Fifth | Roanoke Valley Astronomical Society | Clark Thomas | |
| Sixth | Gazer's Gazette, Oklahoma City Astronomy Club | Christian Bruggeman | |
| 2008 | First | Chester County (PA) Astronomical Society | John Kepler |
| Second | Prime Focus, Fort Worth Astronomical Society | Dean Crabtree | |
| Third | Gazer's Gazette, Oklahoma Astronomy Club | R. Christian Bruggeman | |
| Fourth | The High Desert Observer, Astronomical Society of Las Cruces | George Hatfield | |
| Fifth | Galactic Gazette, Kiski Astronomers | Denny Hill | |
| 2007 | First | The Rosette Gazette, Rose City Astronomers | Larry Deal |
| Second | The Hypoxic Observer, Colorado Springs Astronomical Society | Pam Warren | |
| Third | Rochester Skies, Rochester (Minnesota) Astronomy Club | Duane Deal | |
| Fourth | The High Desert Observer, Astronomical Society of Las Cruces | George Hatfield | |
| Fifth | Gazer's Gazette, Oklahoma City Astronomy Club | Christian Bruggeman | |
| 2006 | First | Observations, Chester County Astronomical Society | James Anderson |
| Second | Event Horizon, St. Louis Astronomical Society | Karen Loethen | |
| Third | Amarillo Astronomy Chronicles, Amarillo Astronomy Club | Rich Merten | |
| Fourth | Gazer's Gazette, Oklahoma City Astronomy Club | Rebecca Alestick | |
| Honorable | BPAA Newsletter, Battle Point Astronomical Association | Vicki Saunders | |
| Honorable | PAS-Times, Pontchartrain Astronomy Society | Lowell McCormick | |
| Honorable | Stars and Scopes, Southern Colorado Astronomical Society |
Michael Verry |
|
| 2005 | First | The Cosmic Messenger, Astronomical Society of Kansas City | Marcia Young |
| First | NOVAC, the newsletter of the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club | David Yustein | |
| Second | The Gazer's Gazette, Oklahoma City Astronomy Club | Debbie Hipp | |
| Third | The Delaware Valley Amateur Astronomer | Don Marzewski | |
| 2004 | First | Spectrum, Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas | Warren Waid |
| Second | Observations, Chester County Astronomical Society | James Anderson | |
| Third | Desert Sky Observer, Antelope Valley Astronmomy Club | Brian Peterson | |
| 2003 | First | The Sidereal Times, The Austin Astronomical Society | Anne Adkins |
| Second | The Back Bay Observer, the monthly newsletter of the Back Bay Amateur Astronomers club in Virginia Beach, Virginia | Marla Frye | |
| Third | The Distant Light, published by the Rockland Astronomy Club | Mr. Mies Hora | |
| 2002 | First |
Cosmic Messenger, the newsletter of the Astronomical Society of Kansas City |
Fiske Miles |
| Second | Sky Watcher, Boise (ID) Astronomical Society | Kathleen Higgins | |
| Third | Prime Focus, Ft. Worth (TX) Astronomical Society | Steve Gray | |
| Fourth | Skylights, the newsletter of the Astronomical Society of Northern New England | Ron Burk | |
| Fifth | Battle Point (WA) Astronomical Association's newletter | Bill and Anna Edmonds | |
| 2001 | First | Northern Virginia Astronomy Club Newsletter, Northern Virginia Astronomy Club (Alexandria, VA) | Michael Mills |
| Second | Observations, Chester County Astronomical Society (Thornton, VA) | Jim Anderson | |
| Third | The Webfooted Astronomer, Seattle Astronomical Society (Seattle, WA) | Laurie Maloney | |
| Fourth | Photon Gazette, Christian Association of Stellar Explorers (Siloam Springs, AR) | Patrick Carr | |
| 2000 | First | Back Bay Observer, Back Bay Amateur Astronomers (Chesapeake, VA) | Glendon Howell |
| Second | Observations, Chester County Astronomical Society (Thornton, PA) | Jim Anderson | |
| Third | Via Stellaris, Van Braun Astronomical Society (Huntsville, AL) | Michael Cissell | |
| Fourth | PAS Times, Pontchartrain Astronomical Society (Pontchartrain, LA) | Tom Klekamp | |
| Fifth | RVAS Newsletter (Roanoke, VA) | Frank Baratta | |
| 1999 | First | Celestial Observer, Amateur Observers' Society of New York (Floral Park, NY) | Peter A. Leavens |
| Second | The Hypoxic Observer, Colorado Springs Astronomical Society (Colorado Springs, CO) | Deb Schermerhorn | |
| 1998 | First | The Observer, Twin City Amateur Astronomers (Bloomington, IL) | Jean Memkin and Michael Rogers |
