The NCRAL is defined by seven states: North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and the Upper Penninsula of Michigan. Astronomical societies that are NCRAL members are listed below. It is recommended to have ALCOR – Astronomy League Correspondents. Please note that contact information subject to change as information is forwarded to the webmaster from our member clubs.
An Invitation
If your astronomy club, association, or society is not affiliated with the Astronomical League and its North Central Region, consider the benefits of joining. Read Benefits of NCRAL Membership for additional information, and then look at the membership information on the Astronomical League website.
This list was last updated on June 7, 2025. There are 36 members, their location is also on the map.
North Dakota
No NCRAL member societies at this time.
South Dakota
No NCRAL member societies at this time.
Minnesota (3)
Minnesota Astronomical Society, Rochester Astronomy Club, Steele County Astronomical Society
Minnesota Astronomical Society
PO Box 14931, Minneapolis, MN 55414
Home page: mnastro.org
ALCOR: Jerry Jones, jjones7777@aol.com
President: Valts Treibergs, president@mnastro.org
MAS Message Service and Voice Mail: 952-467-2426
Rochester Astronomy Club
Home Page: RochesterSkies.org
ALCOR: John Attwell, Email: John_attewell@hotmail.com
Steele County Astronomical Society
Home Page: https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/club-view.cfm?Club_ID=1834
Contact: Dennis Hollatz, Email drhollatz@brmp.org
Iowa (7)
Ames Area Amateur Astronomers, Black Hawk Astronomy Club, Cedar Amateur Astronomers, Inc., Des Moines Astronomical Society, Popular Astronomy Club, Quad Cities Astronomical Society, Southeastern Iowa Astronomy Club
Ames Area Amateur Astronomers
Home Page: amesastronomers.org
ALCOR: Rick Whitten, rick.whitten@quadradical.com
Black Hawk Astronomy Club (info forthcoming)
ALCOR: David Voigts, davoigts@gmail.com
Cedar Amateur Astronomers, Inc.
Home Page: cedar-astronomers.org
Contact: Wendell Clifton; 3095 Primrose St., Marion, IA 52302
Telephone: 319-377-4129
E-mail: temacon023@gmail.com
Des Moines Astronomical Society
P.O. Box 111; Des Moines, IA 50301-0111
Home Page: dmastronomy.org
Contact: Norm Van Klompenburg, 1012 S 13th Ave W, Newton, IA 50208
Telephone: 641-791-9547
E-mail: normvankl@gmail.com
Additional Contact: Greg Woolever, 305 NE 7th Street, Ankeny, IA 50021
Telephone: 515-229-2353
E-mail: gregwoolever@yahoo.com
Popular Astronomy Club
Home Page: PopularAstronomyClub.org
E-mail: popularastronomyclub@gmail.com
Telephone: 614-935-5748
Quad Cities Astronomical Society
P.O. Box 31, Bettendorf, IA. 52722
(Eastern Iowa Region)
Home Page: qcastro.org
ALCOR: Jim Rutenbeck. jimrutenbeck@gmail.com
Contacts: John Baker – johnbsys@aol.com, Jim Rutenbeck – jimrutenbeck@gmail.com
Southeastern Iowa Astronomy Club
For information about the Observatory facility:
P.O. Box 14, West Burlington, IA 52655
Witte Observatory Information
For reservations: calendly.com/seiac
ALCOR: Vickie Philabaum; 11393 Lakeside Drive, Burlington, IA 52601
Telephone: 319-753-1082
E-mail: dvphilabaum@mepotelco.net
Michigan Upper-Penninsula (1)
Marquette Astronomical Society
Marquette Astronomical Society
https://www.facebook.com/groups/39126673492
https://nightsky.ipl.nasa.gov/club/club-view.cfm?Club_ID=672
Contact: Stephen H. Peters, 908 W. Magnetic St.; Marquette, MI 49855
Wisconsin (12)
Chippewa Valley Astronomical Society, Door Peninsula Astronomical Society, Iowa County Astronomers, La Crosse Area Astronomical Society, Madison Astronomical Society, Milwaukee Astronomical Society, Neville Public Museum Astronomical Soc., Northeast Wisconsin Stargazers, Northern Cross Science Foundation, Racine Astronomical Society, Sheboygan Astronomical Society, Wehr Astronomical Society
Chippewa Valley Astronomical Society
Home Page: cvastro.org
P.O. Box 1713, Eau Claire, WI 54702
E-mail: contact@cvastro.org
Contact: Todd Chevrier, ALCOR; tchevrier17@icloud.com
Door Peninsula Astronomical Society
Home Page: doorastronomy.org
Observatory: 2200 Utah St, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
Mailing address: PO Box 331, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
Contact: David Lenius, President
Telephone: 920-360-3936
E-Mail: dave@leniusfinancialplanning.com
Iowa County Astronomers
Home Page: icastro.org
ALCor: John Heasley
La Crosse Area Astronomical Society
Home Page: lcaas.org
Contact: Robert Allen; Physics Dept, Cowley Hall; University of Wisconsin; LaCrosse, WI 54601
Telephone: 608-785-8669
E-mail: allen.robe at uwlax dot edu
Madison Astronomical Society
P.O. Box 5585
Madison, WI 53705
Home Page: www.madisonastro.org
ALCor: Jack Fitzmier
Email: jfitzmier@gmail.com
Telephone: 404-276-9342
Milwaukee Astronomical Society
Home Page: milwaukeeastro.org
President: Matthew Ryno, Email:mattryno@gmail.com
ALCOR: John Koors, Email:pixelmgn@gmail.com,Telephone: 262-880-6393
Neville Public Museum Astronomical Soc.
Home Page: npmas.org
Contact: Gerry Kocken, PO Box 142, Amberg, WI 54102
E-mail: gerryk at kockenwi dot com
Telephone: 920-676-6363
Northeast Wisconsin Stargazers – NEWSTAR
Home Page: new-star.org
President: Katrina DeWitt (president@new-star.org)
ALCOR: Don DeWitt (alcor@new-star.org)
Northern Cross Science Foundation
Home Page: ncsf.info
Telephone: 262-338-8614
ALCOR: Mike Borchert
E-mail: gmborchert@gmail.com
Racine Astronomical Society
Home Page: rasastro.org
112 63rd Drive, Union Grove, WI 53182
Telephone: (262) 878-2774
E-mail: treasurer@rasastro.org
Sheboygan Astronomical Society
Home Page: shebastro.org
PO Box 292; Kohler, WI 53044
ALCOR; Carol Lutz
E-mail: clutz53@gmail.com
Wehr Astronomical Society
Wehr Nature Center; 9701 W. College Avenue; Franklin, WI 53132
Home Page: http://wehrastro.wordpress.com
Contact: Charlotte DuPree, ALCOR; 6219 Jay Street; West Bend, WI 53095-9578
Telephone: 262-675-0941
E-mail: grdupree@charter.net
Illinois (14)
Astronomical Association of Southern Illinois, Champaign-Urbana Astronomical Society, Chicago Astronomical Society, Fox Valley Skywatchers, Naperville Astronomical Association, Northwest Suburban Astronomers, Peoria Astronomical Society, Planetary Studies Foundation, Popular Astronomy Club, River Bend Astronomy Club, Rockford Amateur Astronomers, Inc., Sangamon Astronomical Society, Skokie Valley Astronomers, Twin City Amateur Astronomers
Astronomical Association of Southern Illinois
P O Box 874; Carbondale, IL 69203
Home Page: astroaasi.org
Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/astroaasi
Contact: Harry Treece
E-mail: info@astroaasi.org
Champaign-Urbana Astronomical Society
Home Page: cuas.org
William M. Staerkel Planetarium, Parkland College, 2400 West Bradley Avenue, Champaign, IL 61821
Email: cuas@cuas.org
ALCOR: Audrey Ishii
audrey.l.ishii@gmail.com
Chicago Astronomical Society
Home Page: ChicagoAstronomicalSociety.com
P. O. Box 30287; Chicago, IL 60630-0287
President: Eric Friedl, Email president@ChicagoAstronomicalSociety.com
Fox Valley Skywatchers
Contact: Russ Maxwell; 164 Hilltop Lane; Sleepy Hollow, IL 60118
Telephone: 847-428-4178
E-mail: maxr7 at aol dot com
Naperville Astronomical Association
Contact: Elias J. Shaikh, ALCOR; Darien, IL 60561
Home Page: naperastro.org
E-mail: goraejs@yahoo.com
Northwest Suburban Astronomers
NSA Club, PO Box 95462, Palatine, IL 60095
Home Page: nsaclub.org
ALCOR: Jeff Martyka
E-mail: info@nsaclub.org
Peoria Astronomical Society
E-mail: webmaster at astronomical dot org
Home Page: astronomical.org
Contact: Dan Son, 209 Coventry Ln East, Peoria, IL 61611
Phone: 309-224-9150
E-mail: sonshine1992@gmail.com
Planetary Studies Foundation
Home Page: planets.org
ALCOR: Jim Dole, E-mail: jbdole@gmail.com
Meeting place: Doug Firebaugh Observatory, 2892 W Stephenson St, Freeport, IL 61032
Popular Astronomy Club
Home Page: PopularAstronomyClub.org
Contact: Roy Gustafson
E-mail: astroroy46@gmail.com
Additional contact:
Dale Hachtel, President
Telephone: 614-935-5748
River Bend Astronomy Club
Contact: Jeff Menz President
ALCOR: Dave Kirsch
Email: president@riverbendastro.org
Homepage: RiverBendAstro.org
Rockford Amateur Astronomers, Inc.
Home Page: RockfordAmateurAstronomers.com/
ALCOR: Randy Trank
E-mail: randy.trank@yahoo.com
Sangamon Astronomical Society
Website: sas-sky.org
PO Box 9461, Springfield, IL 62791-9461
Contact: raywatt@hotmail.com
ALCOR: Larry Trutter, E-mail: ltrutter@gmail.com
Skokie Valley Astronomers
Home Page: SkokieValleyAstronomers.org/
Contact: Gretchen Patti; 1S751; Warrenville, IL 60555
Telephone: 630-267-0051
E-mail: GLTPatti@gmail.com
Twin City Amateur Astronomers
Home Page: tcaa.club
Contact: Carl Wenning, 21 Grandview Drive, Normal, IL 61761
Telephone: 309-830-4085
E-mail: carlwenning@gmail.com
North Central Region is one of the 10 US regions, covers an area of 430,821 square miles: IL:57,915+WI:65,498+IA:56,273+MN:86,943+ND:70,698+SD:77,116+UP-MI:16,378 sq mi. It is 1,135 miles from the northwest corner of North Dakota to the southern tip of Illinois as the crow flies!
It is bordered to the west by the Mountain Astronomical Research Region, to the south by the Mid-States Region, and to the east by the Great Lakes Region.
NCRAL Online 
