See the Event Calendar for when their is Club Observing, use Observation Linkup for latest details, and the Members Area for directions and other information.

Note: All observations are weather-permitting. Call Steve Childers at: (336) 922-9203 to confirm if in doubt.

• Jan 16 - Rain/Snow
• Feb 13 - Cold but a few of us had a good time - clear and Milky-Way was great.
• Mar 13 - Should be fun anyone up for an all-nighter!
• April 17 - Warm weather is on the way!
• May 15 - This is a great time of the year.
• June 12 - Rain out
• July 10 - Unknown.
• Aug 7 - Good Night, 7 club members enjoyed a good night of observing.
• Sept 11
• Oct 9 - Observatory Day – repair and clean up at the club dark site, with a picnic and observation
• Nov 6
• Dec 4

• Jan. 24th 2009 - Ken, David, Vivian, and Chip had a fun short night, the cold sent us home early. David had is new C9.25 out for first light, it is a real nice scope, Ken did 1st light on 10” Dob after cleaning the mirrors for the 1st time not sure it went well may need more work, and Chip and Vivian started the binocular observations club.

• Rained Out - Messier Marathon - March 27th and 28th, 2009, Club members gathering for a night of observing. (This link is for members only!)
  • FYI - there is also Stone Mt on the 28th!

The following will be Star party/Club Viewing best behavior that was gathered from many different sites.

• Links Below!!

You do not have to be a member to attend one of our star parties. We love sharing the universe with new people. But you can make the experience much better for everyone, including yourself, if you know a little about star parties before you get there. Expectations for visitors will vary depending on the event

If you are attending an event in the city (Sci Works parking lot, a school, etc) then the following will make the experience more enjoyable for yourself and the others attending:

• Leave flashlights at home, and omit lighted toys or rings. As your eyes adjust to the dark, you’ll be able to see well. Most cities star parties have plenty of unwanted light anyway. Many astronomical objects are rather faint, and you need to get acclimated to the dark. For the same reason, please resist the urge to take flash pictures. We can accommodate photos during the setup period, prior to full darkness.
• Bring warm clothes – a sweater or jacket, as the air cools quickly after dark, even after a warm day. Dress for weather about 10 degrees cooler than what is forecast.

• Don’t carry food and drinks around the scopes. Spills are a problem for the scopes and also for those around them – it’s no fun walking around in sticky shoes.

• Be careful not to touch the telescopes, unless the astronomers instructs you.
• Telescopes move very easily and will lose what we are looking at.
• Your fingers will damage sensitive optics and mirrors
• Worse, you may lose your balance!
• We will provide a chair or stepladder to steady yourself. Please use it!
• Toddlers are too young to understand how to look into the telescope, nor can they make sense of what’s going on. When lifted, their natural tendency is to grab onto whatever is available, and that’s usually the telescope. Bring them again next year, when they are old enough to climb the ladder without help.
• Don’t just look once -After we show the first group of objects, we’ll move the scopes to additional objects. So, after making the rounds of the telescopes, go back again, as we may have something new. We also take requests.

FAS holds public events at Pilot Mt and Stone Mt to avoid the light pollution of the city. We move away from the central city specifically to take advantage of the dark skies. After driving for an hour or more all of those attending have higher expectations of everyone’s behavior.

Please note that other events away from the city are not intended for public viewing. See the next section for more information.

• First, Do Everything in the previous section

• In Addition,

• No Bright Light - The most important rule of star parties is to keep it dark. No white flashlights, no Coleman lanterns, no using cellphones or PDAs as a flashlight, no camera flashes, and especially no car headlights. Learn more here
• Use Dim Red Light - If you need light, a dim red light is best – that’s what astronomers use to read their star charts. A small red LED flashlight is great. But any dim flashlight with a piece of red cellophane stretched over the front works fine.

• Nothing in Your Hands - Some of the scopes will have open frames where the mirror is exposed. Set down anything you are holding before trying to look into the scope. One slip could damage an expensive mirror!

• When approaching a viewing area in you vehicle (like Bullington Observatory) or others places, PLEASE drive slowly. You may kick up a lot of dust which will land on the mirrors of the scopes that may already be set up.
• Watch Those Car Lights - Turn off any dome lights in your car before you get to the star party. Turn off your headlights and drive slowly with parking lights. Park so you will not have to back up.
• Dress warmly. No, even warmer than that - Few people realize just how chilly it gets late at night, even in summer. Sites away from the city are also higher where it will be colder.
• Be careful where you smoke - We are outside frequently when there is little wind. This makes cigarette smoke hang in the air. Please be aware that some people are deathly allergic to cigarette smoke. If you are going to light up be aware of who is around you and whether they want to share your smoke.

Use good social judgment

• We do conduct several star parties/club viewings every year that are intended for private viewing . You are still welcome to attend, but must bring and use your own scope. Here there are very high expectations for everyone’s behavior.

• Again, Do Everything in the previous sections

In addition to the etiquette for a public event here are some additional things you must do

• Strictly Follow the Light Rules

In these situations there is little tolerance for not obeying the light rules. The entire purpose of traveling to a dark site is to observe very dim objects. One mistake can prevent someone from finding that elusive glob for 30 minutes or more.

• Double Check Your Car’s Dome Light
• It said Dim Red Light- One of the most common mistakes is to confuse Red with Dim. Even though you may be using a red light, if it is bright it is a problem. Be aware of how bright your lights are. Be aware of where they are pointing
• Unfiltered Laptops are a NO NO

Laptops (even those with a “Night Mode”) can be bright enough to cast shadows. Use of red plastic filters is recommended. This includes pda’s, cell phones, cameras, etc.

• Announce Before You Leave - Many modern cars do not allow driver control of the headlights. Announcing that you are leaving allows everyone to shield their eyes. Note: Some parties restrict when people can leave. Be sure you know the rules before you go.
• Please No Music - Music tastes differ so violently that it’s usually best to avoid it – chances are that your favorite band isn’t the favorite of everybody else in the parking lot. If you really want to listen to music, use headphones
• Some People Want To Work on their Own - While private observing sessions are frequently very social, some people have their own priorities. Anyone imaging would generally prefer you stay well away from their scopes. Use good social judgment.

• http://www.sjaa.net/etiquette.html
• http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/stargazing_dos_donts_000607-2.html
• http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1886
• http://www.astro-tom.com/tips_and_advice/star_party_etiquette.htm

Google

• Other Observation Sites