If you're just starting out, possibly with a telescope you got for the holidays, this free event may be for you if you live in the Los Angeles area.
My club, the Local Group of Santa Clarita, will hold a beginner's Star Party and Telescope Clinic at Vasquez Rocks Natural Area on Saturday, February 12th, from 3:00pm to 11:00pm. During the afternoon, volunteers will be available to assist new telescope owners with setup/assembly questions, and we'll also have several solar telescopes set up to allow viewing of sunspots and prominences (weather permitting!).
After dark, you can experience a moderately dark sky, as the park is located some 35 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, on state route 14, 15 miles north of the I-5/14 split in Newhall Pass. This is high desert terrain with normally dry conditions for observing. Experienced volunteers will roam the telescope field to assist new observers in getting the most out of their telescopes. Targets available will include a 4 day old crescent Moon, Saturn, M-42 the Great Nebula in Orion, bright galaxies like M-81 and M82 in Ursa Major and a wealth of double stars and star clusters. The event will officially end at 11:00 PM, just as Jupiter should be poking above local terrain features.
For more information and directions see the Local Group website at: www.lgscv.org
Clear Skies!
Jim Mahon
President, The Local Group
My club, the Local Group of Santa Clarita, will hold a beginner's Star Party and Telescope Clinic at Vasquez Rocks Natural Area on Saturday, February 12th, from 3:00pm to 11:00pm. During the afternoon, volunteers will be available to assist new telescope owners with setup/assembly questions, and we'll also have several solar telescopes set up to allow viewing of sunspots and prominences (weather permitting!).
After dark, you can experience a moderately dark sky, as the park is located some 35 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, on state route 14, 15 miles north of the I-5/14 split in Newhall Pass. This is high desert terrain with normally dry conditions for observing. Experienced volunteers will roam the telescope field to assist new observers in getting the most out of their telescopes. Targets available will include a 4 day old crescent Moon, Saturn, M-42 the Great Nebula in Orion, bright galaxies like M-81 and M82 in Ursa Major and a wealth of double stars and star clusters. The event will officially end at 11:00 PM, just as Jupiter should be poking above local terrain features.
For more information and directions see the Local Group website at: www.lgscv.org
Clear Skies!
Jim Mahon
President, The Local Group
