The Moonwatch Program: A Model for Amateur Contributions to the ISY

Extract

Largely forgotten today is the role that amateur astronomy played in the early days of space exploration. For example, 1987 is not only the 30th anniversary of the first artificial satellite but also of history’s most successful global organization of amateur astronomers: Moonwatch.

As a worldwide network of volunteer visual observers, Moonwatch was a vital adjunct to Western satellite tracking efforts. In nearly two decades of operation, more than 500 individuals made some 400,000 observations of approximately 6000 objects. Although now only a footnote to space history, Moonwatch suggests that some comparable organization of dedicated and talented amateurs might contribute to the International Space Year of 1992.