The Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association (or "GRAAA") is an astronomy group located in

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. It was formed in 1955 by an enthusiastic group of individuals led by businessman James C. Veen, with a love of astronomy and science. Veen initially provided a meeting place in his office, but died in an automobile accident in 1958. The Association participates in public education activities at various metropolitan venues, comet watches, meteor observing, as well as opening their Observatory to the public two nights per month, excluding winter. Besides the public education programs, members involve themselves in many other pursuits from observing programs to astrophotography and CCD imaging. The Association owns/ operates the

Veen Observatory The James C. Veen Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association. Built during the 1960s and opened in 1970, it is located 3.6 miles west-southwest of Lowell, Michigan, United ...

, located S.W. of

Lowell, Michigan Lowell is a city in Kent County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,783 at the 2010 census. Lowell is part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area and is about east of the city of Grand Rapids. The city is mostly surrounded by ...

, situated on private land per a ninety-nine year lease granted by James M. and H. Evelyn Marron. Construction was started in 1965 and the Observatory was dedicated in 1970, originally with a 12-inch Newtonian reflector constructed by the members. The Chaffee Planetarium made considerable contribution to the building, as well as Kent County businesses and a foundation. It is the largest amateur facility in the state of Michigan, with a 16-inch (Borr), 14-inch (Marron), and 17-inch (Hawkins) telescopes, as well as smaller portable instruments including a hydrogen-alpha solar telescope. The GRAAA is a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

non-profit educational and scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of astronomy and promoting astronomy and science education. Meetings are held monthly, in the warmer months at the Veen Observatory, and currently (2013) at Schuler Books and Music in the city during the rest of the season.

References

# Amateur astronomy organizations Clubs and societies in Michigan Non-profit organizations based in Michigan {{Astronomy-org-stub

See also

References