SearchLites - Vol 23 No 3

Magazine Overview

SearchLites, Vol. 23 No. 3, Summer 2017, is the quarterly newsletter of The SETI League, Inc. It is a membership-supported, non-profit educational and scientific corporation dedicated to the electromagnetic search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. The issue is printed in the USA and has an ISSN of 1096-5599.

Planning the Planets by Dr. John Boardman

This article, reprinted from DAGON, explores the evolving understanding of planet formation and the search for habitable planets. Dr. Boardman discusses how planets are now believed to form from the condensation of interstellar matter around a proto-star, rather than from material pulled from stars. He highlights the discovery of exoplanets, with the Exoplanet Catalog listing over 3,400 planets. The nearest star system, Alpha Centauri, is detailed, including its triple star nature and the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, which is known to host at least one Earth-sized planet. The article also introduces the TRAPPIST-1 system, noted for having at least seven planets, and discusses the challenges of communicating with such distant systems due to the speed of light.

Kepler Data on TRAPPIST-1 Coming Online by Paul Gilster

This guest editorial discusses the significance of the K2 Campaign 12 data, collected from December 2016 to March 2017, focusing on the TRAPPIST-1 system. Geert Barentsen of NASA's Ames Research Center emphasizes the priority of making the raw data available quickly for scientific investigation and public engagement. The data, available from the MAST archive, are raw and unvetted, intended to aid astronomers in preparing proposals for further research. The James Webb Space Telescope is expected to utilize this data. The 74-day observation period is the longest continuous monitoring of the TRAPPIST-1 star, allowing for refinement of planetary orbits, mass, and the star's magnetic activity. Michael Haas of the Kepler and K2 missions highlights the serendipity of the observation window and the agility of the K2 team in capturing this data, noting the importance of TRAPPIST-1 for biomarker research.

Minutes of the Twenty-Third Annual Membership Meeting

The meeting was convened on April 22, 2017, in Little Ferry, NJ. Key points include:

Call to Order and Quorum

Five SETI League members were present, representing a quorum for the 121-member organization.

Minutes of 2016 Membership Meeting

Accepted as previously posted online.

Treasurer's Report

For the calendar year 2016, revenues were $19,728, primarily from dues and contributions. Expenses totaled $13,970, with the largest portion allocated to Educational/Scientific Programs ($10,579). This resulted in a surplus of $5,758. The year-end account balance was $9,503. The 2016 budget projected revenues and expenses of $15,000 each, with a projected ending balance of $9,603.

Executive Director's Report

In 2016, the Executive Director published four issues of SearchLites, gave SETI public lectures, performed 52 weekly website updates, posted to the SETI League Facebook page, issued press releases, served as co-chair and webmaster for the IAA SETI Permanent Committee, responded to inquiries, and contributed modest SETI book royalties to the League.

Committee Reports

• Membership: Elisabeth Piotelat reported from France.
• EME Committee: Richard Factor reported that the EME beacon is off the air due to his relocation. Future EME activities are suspended, but his new location is suitable for Optical SETI observations.
• OSETI Committee: Bill Kitchen reported on his new telescope and suggested Sedona, AZ, as an ideal location for Optical SETI.
• Awards Committee: No Giordano Bruno Awards or Orville N. Greene Awards were presented in 2016 due to a lack of nominations. Twelve websites received the SETI SuperStar award.

Old Business

• Very Small Array: The project remains on hold due to lack of funding.
• Mid-Year Renewal Letter: Appeals to lapsed members generated a few responses, and this mailing will continue.
• Annual Report: Mr. Factor recommended posting annual status updates to the website and publishing them in SearchLites instead of a full report.
• Web Server: The website is functioning well and supports File Transfer Protocol. A commercial email service is used for official communications.

New Business

• Interstellar Beacon: Mr. Kitchen reported on a new nonprofit for optical transmissions into space, urging SETI League involvement.
• Next Meeting: Scheduled for April 22, 2018, in Little Ferry, NJ.
• Good and Welfare: The SETI League's Facebook page has gained significant traction.
• Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 14:24 EDT.

Business Transacted by Board of Trustees

Following the membership meeting, a Board of Trustees meeting was held. Key actions included:

Election of Officers

The slate of officers, including President Richard Factor, Secretary/Treasurer A. Heather Wood, Executive Director Emeritus H. Paul Shuch, and Registered Agent Anthony Agnello, was retained for an additional year.

Personnel Matters

No executive session was held, with all involved expressing satisfaction.

Annual Budget

The draft 2017 Budget was adopted.

Advisory Board

The Executive Director Emeritus will draft an annual letter to Advisory Board members.

Bank Fees

Inquiries will continue regarding free non-profit checking accounts and the $3 monthly imaging fee for bank statements.

Tax Return Filing

The Secretary/Treasurer successfully filed the organizational tax return electronically for the first time in seven years.

Press List

Ms. Wood's suggestion to migrate the email Press List to Mail Chimp was authorized.

Telecommunications

Ms. Wood demonstrated voicemail retrieval, and Mr. Kitchen recommended migrating to Google Voice for voice-to-text conversion. Mr. Factor is authorized to discontinue dormant Google Groups and investigate PHP-BB implementation.

New Business

Offers for fee-based fundraising assistance were deemed not financially viable. The SETI League Inc. and Interstellar Beacon Inc. will become mutually affiliated nonprofit organizations with no financial obligations.

Scheduling of Next Meeting

The next Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for April 22, 2018, following the 24th Annual Membership Meeting.

Adjournment

The Board of Trustees meeting adjourned at 14:56 EDT.

Event Horizon

This section lists upcoming conferences and meetings relevant to SETI, including Balticon 51, Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers Conference, Central States VHF Conference, World Science Fiction Conventions, and International Astronautical Congresses, spanning from May 2017 to October 2019.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the ongoing search for exoplanets and the operational aspects of The SETI League. The editorial stance, as indicated by the disclaimer, is that opinions expressed in editorials are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of The SETI League, Inc. The magazine actively promotes member engagement, data sharing, and scientific discovery, while also managing its organizational and financial operations.