eugene@ames-lm.UUCP (01/11/84)
If you are in the San Francisco, Bay Area, and if you have a serious interest in astronomy, and if you have technical skills such as EE, ME, physics, etc. Please read on. I have some friends (7 PhDs in astronomy) who have formed their own research institute. These people are not amateurs; and their goal is quite serious. Some of you may have heard about their story in Science. In 1970 (in Grad school) at a time when astronomy jobs were few and far between, they pledged themselves to start an observatory. With the help of Carl Sagan and Bart Bok, and many donations of time and sweat, the Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy (MIRA) is getting underway. The have a 36-in computer controlled instrument with lots of photo-electrical gear which will be used for several major projects including a 5-year survey of the Northern Hemisphere (photoelectrically, of course). The PITCH: While MIRA can certainly use money**, MIRA is composed on 7 astronomers and one mechanical engineer (formerly of the Lick Observatory). They are NOT EEs, optical experts, builders, photo people, etc. While they get donations of equipment and the like, they have a difficult time using it. If you can donate time, and live in the Bay Area, please send me correspondence. MIRA is a tax-deductible, non-profit research organization, and you can deduct your time helping MIRA. Donation of astronomy related computer software could also be appreciated if the software is numerically precise enough. Several of the people in MIRA are excellent C programmers and know UNIX well. Please, we are talking very serious research here, not amateur astronomy. MIRA cannot promise anything like personal time on their telescope. For possible donations of expertise, please contact me via mail. I will forward other possible donations to Cynthia Irvine at MIRA. Thank you-- --eugene n miya NASA Ames Research Center uucp: ucbvax!menlo70!ames-lm!eugene ARPAnet: emiya@ames-vmsb **MIRA will accept donations on money, if there are any aspiring Steve Jobs types out there. Among other past MIRA donations: the 36 inch mirror, for their telescope, six computers (older models), several small (>10 in) telescopes, Reticon hardware, a 1/4 mile road, Bart Bok's personal astronomy library, etc. etc. Their funding has been solely from private research funding agencies and private individuals to this time.
jhh@ihldt.UUCP (John Haller) (01/13/84)
You cannot deduct anything for your time donated to a non-profit organization. You can deduct out-of-pocket expenses (such as lunches, travel, and parts) associated with donated time. John Haller