Professor of Astronomy Bruce Partridge Named President-Elect of Astronomical Society of the Pacific

Thanks to the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), Professor of Astronomy Bruce Partridge won't have to worry about keeping busy after retirement. In March, Partridge was chosen as president-elect of the ASP.  He will officially become president in the spring of 2009, and will serve for two years.“The Astronomical Society of the Pacific leads the field in using the excitement of astronomy to promote science literacy,” says Partridge. “I've been trying to do just that in Haverford classrooms for 38 years; it is a thrill and a challenge to move ‘Astro 101' to the national stage.” Founded in 1889, the ASP is the oldest professional organization of astronomers in the United States; headquartered in San Francisco, its mission is to increase public understanding and appreciation of astronomy at all levels. Its members include thousands of amateur and professional astronomers and astronomy educators. The ASP is also one of the lead organizations in planning for U.S. participation in the International Year of Astronomy, declared by the United Nations to be 2009. The year 2009 will mark the 400th anniversary of Galileo's discoveries of the moons of Jupiter and the phases of Venus, evidence that clinched the heliocentric model of the solar system.