Astronomy Club president departing, position open
by Emma DiMaggio
emmad@lwsb.com
All humankind lives on a pale blue dot floating in the near vacuum of space: Earth. If you zoomed into that dot, past the satellites and layers of atmospheric gases, then deeper still toward the first sight of land, you could steer toward the southern coast of California and land at Leisure World, a community with an Astronomy Club looking for a new president.
Astronomy Club President John Rogers has announced that he will retire from his position due to health reasons.
Rogers joined the Astronomy Club in 2014 shortly after his arrival to Leisure World. After former president Mike Clairmont experienced declining health in 2016, Rogers assumed the role of president. During his tenure, LW residents have delighted in his knowledge of black holes, constellations and Einstein’s theory of relativity.
Rogers is also to thank for the club’s functioning, computerized, 8-inch Celestron telescope. Around 2019, a 1979 8-inch Celestron telescope was donated to the club in a nonfunctional state. Noticing this, Rogers hauled the 24-pound telescope up to the Celestron manufacturing facility in Torrance for repairs. The facility didn’t have the schematics for the old model, so Rogers was awarded for his initiative with a brand-new replacement telescope worth approximately $2,000.
“It’s just the right size and the right weight, and it’s powerful enough to do a lot of stuff,” Rogers said. “There aren’t too many astronomy clubs that are proud owners of a Celestron C8 SLT telescope.”
Rogers first became interested in astronomy—the study of celestial objects and space—in the ‘50s. In college, he majored in physical science with an emphasis in physics and minored in astronomy. Rogers later worked as a volunteer machinist at Garvey Ranch Park Observatory in Monterey Park, the USS Iowa and the Mount Wilson Observatory in Los Angeles.
Rogers ended his career as a teacher with Los Angeles Uni- fied, where he learned skills he continues to use in Astronomy Club—“I go for comprehension over memory,” he said.
Despite stepping down as president, Rogers plans to stay busy. He’s the First Vice Commander of the LW American Legion Post 327, vice president of the Radio Club and the assistant radio operator for the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES).
The club is open to “anyone who’s interested in astronomy,” Rogers said. The group discusses a wide range of topics that are simple to understand, using DVDs and CDs to enhance members’ learning experience. The field has made "astronomi cal” advancements over the past few decades, he said, giving members lots to talk about.
Although club membership slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic, the club is ramping back up. Residents can check out the club on the first Wednesday of each month in Clubhouse 3, Room 3, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. If viewing conditions are favorable, residents will get to see the club’s 8-inch telescope in action. Members and guests may bring their own binoculars and telescopes if they desire.
On Sept. 7, the group will discuss naming a new president. For further information, questions about the club, or to learn more about the position, contact John Rogers at (562) 431-7240.
Astronomy Club President John Rogers.
