About us
Welcome to SJ Astronomy Meetup. We are an active group with a lot of events organized by the San Jose Astronomical Association. All events posted to this Meetup are open to the public but please note that joining this meetup does not automatically make you a member of SJAA. Becoming a formal member of SJAA provides members-only benefits, so we do encourage you to join. Please check out the membership benefits at https://www.sjaa.net/membership/benefits-of-membership-2/ to learn more and to join the club.
Also, please note that we need a profile picture for security reasons to join this group. Please consider uploading one before you send a request to join the group. Looking forward to sharing this cool hobby with all of you!
Upcoming events
50
Astro 101: Moons of The Solar System (online)
·OnlineOnlineDue to an issue at our normal in-person venue for this week, we're moving this Astro101 talk online.
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This event is one of several different introductions to astronomy offered by SJAA. In our solar system, the planets often get all the attention, but the moons have a lot going for them! This presentation visits our planets from Mercury to Pluto, but we'll focus on their moons to learn more about their diversity, how they came to be and the interplay they have with their host planets. At the end, you'll have a greater appreciation for our amazing solar system neighborhood.
We'll take the first 15 minutes to give a short tour of the night sky using the planetarium software Stellarium. The talk will start at 8:30.
The talk will be presented by Wolf Witt. Wolf is not an actual astronomer, nor has he ever played one on TV. However, he's been interested in outer space since he was a kid and still thinks that the universe is an amazing place. He's been with SJAA since 2013, and now he'll share with you his enthusiasm and some of what he's learned about the cosmos. Maybe you'll think it's amazing, too.
Many of SJAA’s events, like this one, are public and free to attend, but if you’re enjoying what SJAA has to offer, consider becoming a paid member for only $20 per year: https://www.sjaa.net/membership/benefits-of-membership-2/
This talk is free of charge. Just come and enjoy the show. After the talk, you can check out telescopes that will be set up as part of our In-Town Star Party. (See In Town Star Party event on Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/sj-astronomy/events/312795174/)
Many of SJAA’s events, like this one, are public and free to attend, but if you’re enjoying what SJAA has to offer, consider becoming a paid member for only $20 per year: https://www.sjaa.net/membership/benefits-of-membership-2/
During this event, we will ask all visitors to sign in, so that we can report attendance numbers to the city of San Jose, as San Jose has made Houge Park facilities available to SJAA to serve the public. The sign-in form will not require any detailed personal information.
Image borrowed from BBC Science Focus: https://www.sciencefocus.com/space/the-solar-systems-top-20-moons-ranked-why-because-we-can
39 attendees
Binocular Stargazing at Tilton Ranch
37°19'05.5"N 121°54'25.9"W, San Jose, CA, USBinocular Stargazing is hosted by the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority with help from members of the San Jose Astronomical Association.
Want to learn the night sky? Want to see the Milky Way and the stars contained in it? Did you know that you don’t need to spend a ton of money on a telescope to do so? All you need is a decent pair of binoculars.
Come out and attend the “Binocular Stargazing” event on Saturday June 6th at 9:30pm at Tilton Ranch. (Binoculars are required for this event) You will learn all about how the night sky changes by the hour, month, and year.
Our astronomy docents will lead you through the night sky so you can learn how to use your binoculars to find and view asterisms, open and globular clusters, nebulae, and planets. (You will need to have binoculars to attend this event. This is an interactive program in which you will need binoculars to follow along with the program)
Please bring the following items:
- 10x42mm binoculars or larger. (Tripod recommended on binoculars larger then 10x50)
- A chair to view in comfort (very important) (lawn chairs are great for this)
- A red lens flashlight, and warm clothes (extra layers).
Here are the directions to Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve:
From San Jose Area: Highway 101 or Highway 85. Turn right (west) onto Bailey Avenue. At the intersection with Santa Teresa Blvd. turn left. When you get to Willow Springs Road turn right. There will be an entrance to Tilton Ranch where the road curves to the right, do not turn right but go straight into the Tilton Ranch parking area.
Turn your headlights off as you pull into the parking lot which is paved. Please park your car there on the paved lot and walk over to gravel lot where the program will be held
GPS Coordinates: https://tinyurl.com/ya8559wk
Rain or lots of clouds cancels. (Since you can't see anything). Dress warm! See you soon.40 attendees
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