This report, the Department's twenty-second, covers the period September 1997 through August 1998. Spear remained on leave to SSU's Information Technology department, Greene began his retirement, teaching only in the fall semester, and Cominsky was on a year-long Sabbatical. A total of 457 students took Descriptive Astronomy , Introductory Observational Astronomy , Extraterrestrial Intelligence and Interstellar Travel , Frontiers in Astronomy , Cosmology , and Special Studies. The Department awarded 1 B.A. degree and 2 B.S. degrees. There were 28 physics majors in Spring 1998.
Newtonian telescope is computer-controlled.
The system points reliably to within 1-2 arcminutes on the sky. Reliable photometry is feasible for objects as faint as 16th magnitude. A paper has been submitted to the Astrophysical Journal. The optical observatory was used 9 times for public viewing nights and classes. She acted as AAS Press Officer in March 1998, while Maran was away observing the total solar eclipse.