Cedar Amateur Astronomers ask Linn County for grant to host Eastern Iowa Cosmic Conference in May 2026

Gordon Bostian, a member of the Cedar Amateur Astronomers, asked the Linn County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 15 to support a grant application to host the Eastern Iowa Cosmic Conference May 15–17, 2026. The group is seeking funding from the Lincoln Legacy and Community Attraction Fund to help stage a three-day event that organizers say will include technical and public tracks, facility tours and regional speakers.

The request matters because the conference, the presenters said, will attract amateur and professional astronomers from across the North Central Region of the Astronomical League and add a public track aimed at school groups and local residents. "This is going to be the Eastern Iowa Cosmic Conference," Bostian said, describing a program of observatory tours, panel discussions and viewing sessions at the Eastern Iowa Observatory and Learning Center.

CAA described a long history of volunteer-run programming at its observatory, including 12 scheduled public nights annually, 14 school events so far this year and dozens of scout and STEM gatherings. The group highlighted partnerships with local institutions, planned tours of Collins Aerospace and the Van Allen Space Physics facilities, and outreach hopes tied to attracting prospective students and employees to the county.

Organizers provided a printed handout and a promotional video to the board. Bostian said the group expects two conference tracks on Saturday — a technical Track 1 for experienced astronomers and a new Track 2 aimed at the public and school-age learners — and estimated attendance of roughly 100 for Track 1 and 50–75 for Track 2.

On projected economic impact, Bostian said CAA used analysis from Cedar Rapids tourism to estimate visitor spending and tax returns. He told the board the county would realize "a return of investment of about $28,000 plus, we're estimating at least $2,500 of tax revenue." He said those figures are based on tourism averages and the group's spreadsheet of projected hotel and local spending.

The presenters asked the board to consider the county grant as part of their modest operating budget and volunteer staffing model. Bostian said CAA would continue to seek regional and national partnerships, including outreach to the American Astronomical Society to bring a visiting lecturer.

The presentation closed with an offer to provide the full grant application and supporting spreadsheets for board review; presenters invited staff to follow up with questions or requests for more documentation. The board did not vote on the grant at the Oct. 15 meeting; presenters were thanked and told the application would be reviewed in writing by staff.