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A.L. Loth (Convent of the Sacred Heart), A.R. Upgren (Yale and Wesleyan Universities)
Three societies of great importance to astronomers are the American Astronomical Society, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, and the International DarkSky Association. As of spring 2001 their membership totals were reported as 5353, 4549, and 7362 members, respectively. It is of interest to determine the numbers of members these groups have in common. A comparison of the roles of each group has been made; the IDA list was examined twice due to its very rapid growth; in 2000 when the count was 4414, and 2001 when it was 7362. The results show that the more recent members of the IDA include higher percentages of members of the other two groups than those who joined the IDA before 2000. Some part of this percentage increase is probably due to a recent emphasis on the promotion of dark skies within the astronomical community, and the growing success of light-pollution control legislation.