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AANC Calendar

2007 Index

For individual club calendars, see AANC Resource Guide.

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January, 2008

5 January (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 5:04 pm, 4% moon rises 6:15 am. Henry Coe Park's "Astronomy" lot has been reserved.
11 January (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 5:10 pm, 14% moon sets 8:44 pm. Star party hours: 7:00 until 10:00 pm.
11 January (Fr) SJAA New - Beginner's Workshop/Laboratory. Practical setup and use of your telescope. On the basketball court at Houge Park, 7 pm. 19 January 2008 (Sa) SJAA General Meeting. Our speaker is Dr. Jeff Moore of NASA, who will tell us about the Pluto Express spacecraft's encounter with Jupiter. Board meeting at 6:00; General Meeting at 8:00
14 January 7:30 pm BENJAMIN DEAN LECTURE "Star Dust: The Cosmic Seeds of Life" Dr. Sun Kwok, University of Hong Kong (author of the book "Cosmic Butterflies") For the last fifty years, scientists believed that life on Earth began with simple inorganic molecules that, under proper conditions, gradually evolved into complex organic compounds and eventually life. Recently, through observations with space-based infrared telescopes, astronomers have discovered that old stars can synthesize organic compounds over relatively short time scales. Stellar winds then spread these organic materials throughout the Galaxy, including our primordial solar system. Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street. Tickets are $4 at the door or by mail. http://www.calacademy.org/planetarium/dean.php
23 Jan (Wed) at 7 pm, Astronomer Joel Primack of the University of California, Santa Cruz and Philosopher and Attorney Nancy Abrams: The View from the Center of the Universe: Discovering Our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos as part of the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures in the Smithwick Theater, Foothill College, El Monte Road and Freeway 280, in Los Altos Hills, California. Free and open to the public. Parking on campus costs $2. Call the series hot-line at 650-949-7888 for more information and driving directions. Our cosmos appears to be made mostly of dark matter and dark energy, with the stars and galaxies we can see making up only a tiny fraction of it. We are beginning to understand the first few minutes after the Big Bang and the way in which the structure of the universe arose. Joel Primack and Nancy Abrams' program is both a progress report and philosophical reflection on our modern view of ourselves and our place in the cosmos. Past Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures are now available in MP3 format at:
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/podcast
26 January (Sa) SJAA Short Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 5:21 pm, 77% moon rise 10:06 pm.
.

February, 2008

2008 Feb 1 Public Viewing Night, Sonoma State University Observatory. Mars, Orion and friends. 1801 East Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928. (707) 664 - 2267. http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/observatory/pvn.html
2008 February 1 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 5:32 pm, 21% moon rises 4:05 am. Star party hours: 7:00 until 10:00 pm.
2008 February 1 (Fr) SJAA Astronomy Class at Houge Park. 7:30 pm. Topic: Physics and Astronomy. Knowing a little physics helps your understanding of astronomy. A (mostly) non-mathematical look at the physics of various astronomical phenomena.
2008 February 2 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 5:33 pm, 13% moon rises 4:58 am.
2008 FEB 4. Mon 4:00 pm MASSIVE SKY SURVEYS OF THE NEXT DECADE Dr. David Wittman of the University of California, Davis will describe how systematic imaging of the sky to much fainter levels than ever before is expected to reveal everything from 200-meter rocks in Earth-crossing orbits to very distant galaxies. What Physicists Do— Department of Physics and Astronomy, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609. (707) 664-2119 http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
2008 Feb 6 (Wed). 7:30 pm. "Roving Mars: Spirit, Opportunity, and the Exploration of the Red Planet" - Professor Steve Squyres of Cornell University; Stanford University's Astronomy Program proudly: 26th Annual Bunyan Lecture. at Hewlett Teaching Center #201 Auditorium on the Stanford Campus. Dr. Squyres has participated in many of NASA's planetary exploration missions, including the Voyager mission to Jupiter and Saturn, the Magellan mission to Venus, and the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous
mission. Along with his current work on MER, he is also a co-investigator on the 2003 Mars Express, 2005 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and 2009 Mars Science Laboratory missions, a member of the Gamma-Ray Spectrometer Flight Investigation Team for the Mars Odyssey mission, and a member of the imaging team for the Cassini mission to
Saturn. http://maps.stanford.edu/ada/building-ada.cfm?FACIL_ID=04-510
2008 FEB 11. Mon 4:00 pm THE TUNGUSKA EVENT 100 YEARS LATER: FINDING NEAR EARTH OBJECTS BEFORE THEY FIND US. Dr. Donald K. Yeomans of Caltech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will discuss the daily bombardment of Earth by asteroid fragments and the ongoing NASA programs to understand and track Earth’s nearest neighbors. What Physicists Do— Department of Physics and Astronomy, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609. (707) 664-2119. http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
2008 Feb 13 (Wed) 8:30 pm. Project ASTRO/ASP Moon Mission Training Workshop. Get ready for the upcoming Lunar Eclipse! Family ASTRO is offering a free training workshop for educators that combines science and family fun. Learn some great activities and receive a free Leader Kit that includes materials, instructions, and a board game about the Moon.The workshop will be limited to 25 educators and will be held at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific offices in San Francisco (located between City College and San Francisco State, just off Ocean Avenue). For more information, go to: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/astro/bayarea/schedule.html. To register, send an email with your name, the name of your school, museum, or organization (astronomy club participants welcome), and how you plan to use the materials with families to: bayareaastro@astrosociety.org
2008 February 15 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 5:47 pm, 72% moon sets 3:50 am. Star party hours: 7:00 until 10:00 pm.
2008 February 16 (Sa) SJAA General Meeting. Our speaker is UCB astronomer Dr. Frank Marchis, on the topic of Binary Asteroids. Board meeting at 6:00; General Meeting at 8:00
2008 Feb 19, 8pm Public Astrophysics Lecture with Neil Degrasse Tyson, director of New York's Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. Herbst Theater, San Francisco, $17 for members of the California Academy of Sciences and $19 for non-members. To order tickets, please call City Box Office at (415) 392-4400 or visit http://www.cityboxoffice.com
2008 Feb 20, 6:00-9:00, PST (Th), American River Canyon Overlook, "Total Lunar Eclipse (7:26), Saturn, Mars", Free, Don Machholz, http://us.geocities.com/donmachholz/
2008 February 20 (We) SJAA Lunar Eclipse party. Sset 5:52 pm,100% moon rises 5:44 pm. Partial starts 5:44 -1 degree elevation; Totality start 7:01 13; Mid-time 7:26 18; Totality ends 7:51 23; Partial ends 9:08 37
2008 Feb 24 (Sunday) EAS Annual Awards Dinner starting at 5:45pm Chabot Space and Science Center's Copernicus and Kepler Rooms. Speaker: Dr. Alexei V. Filippenko - Topic: Dark Energy and the Runaway Universe! Caterer: Harry's Hofbrau. sign up online with a credit card at our homeweb page: http://www.eastbayastro.org/. Just click on the "Add to Cart" button and follow the instructions.
2008 Feb 23. 9am - 4pm. 1-Day Teacher workshop on Astronomy- size and scale of the Universe and the electromagnetic spectrum; the lives and death of stars, and the Pluto controversy. We'll also introduce you to an online project that allows you and your students to help search for interstellar dust. We will feature special afternoon breakout sessions for elementary and middle/high school grades. Lunch is free. Parking is free. Plus we will distribute several free NASA classroom materials, including the GEMS guide Invisible Universe for those in the 5-12 breakout. (Registration deadline Feb. 20). Space Sciences Lab, Berkeley, CA http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/workshops/schedule.html
2008 February 25. (Mon) 7:30 pm. Benjamin Dean Lecture "Visualizing the Infrared Universe: The Imagery of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope" Dr. Robert Hurt, California Institute of Technology. Astronomy is arguably the most visual of sciences, even when it transcends the limits of mere human vision. Astronomers are but observers, reconstructing events long ago and far away by collecting light across the entire spectrum of light. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope presents interesting challenges in visualization. How do you represent data from beyond the visible spectrum that can be seen and admired, but also understood? What role does art play in communicating the science of the universe? Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street (at Presidio Avenue). $5, http://www.calacademy.org/planetarium/dean.php
2008 FEB 25. Mon 4:00 pm THE EVOLUTION OF GALAXIES IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS Dr. Jacqueline van Gorkom of Columbia University will show observations and simulations that suggest that the evolution of a galaxy may be seriously affected by its environment. What Physicists Do— Department of Physics and Astronomy, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609. (707) 664-2119. http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
2008 Feb 29. 6:30 pm & 8 pm. Stargazing in Golden Gate Park This event takes place at the SF Botanical Gardens in Golden Gate Park. Bing Quock of Morrison Planetarium reveals the highlights of the late winter skies including Orion the Hunter, Taurus the Bull, Gemini the Twins, and the red planet Mars. Wear warm clothing and bring binoculars. Call the SF Botanical Garden Education Office at (415) 661-1316, ext. 300 for prices. http://www.calacademy.org/events/february_2008.php
2008 February 29 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 6:01 pm, 37% moon rises 2:48 am. Star party hours: 7:00 until 10:00 pm.
2008 February 29 (Fr) SJAA Astronomy Class at Houge Park. 7:30 pm. The topic will be Using Astronomical Charts Efficiently -- preparation for the Messier Marathon.

March 2007

2008 March 1 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 6:02 pm, 28% moon rises 3:36 am.
2008 MAR 3 Mon 4:00 pm DEMARCATION: IS THERE A SHARP LINE BETWEEN SCIENCE AND PSEUDOSCIENCE? Dr. Raymond Hall of California State University, Fresno will discuss the philosophical attempts to define a boundary between the scientific and its pretenders and the application of this distinction in the areas of law, public policy, and education policy. http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
2008 March 5 Wednesday 7pm. New Worlds and Yellowstone: How Common are Habitable Planets?. Astronomer Geoff Marcy of the University of California, Berkeley. Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures in the Smithwick Theater, Foothill College, El Monte Road and Freeway 280, in Los Altos Hills, California. Free and open to the public. Parking on campus costs $2. Call the series hot-line at 650-949-7888 for more information and driving directions. Star Trek and Star Wars would have us believe that the universe is teeming with habitable planets and advanced species of life. In reality, after the discovery of more than 250 planets orbiting other stars, both Earth-like planets and extraterrestrial intelligence have proved elusive. Soon, however, new telescopes will begin hunting such planets. Past Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures are now available in MP3 format at: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/podcast/index.html
2008 March 8 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 6:09 pm, 3% moon sets 7:41 pm. Messier Marathon at Henry Coe Park.
Henry Coe Park's "Astronomy" lot has been reserved.
2008 Mar 8. Messier Marathon - secondary of March 29
2008 March 9 (Su) SJAA 2 am. DST begins. Advance clocks 1 hour.
2008 MAR 10 Mon 4:00 pm THE ROLE OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN CALIFORNIA’S EFFORTS TO CURB GLOBAL WARMING Devra Wang of the Natural Resources Defense Council will describe California’s policies to spur energy efficiency, and its key role in cutting global warming pollution. What Physicists Do— Department of Physics and Astronomy, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609. (707) 664-2119. http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
2008 Mar 14. Public Viewing Night, Sonoma State University. Moon, Mars, Orion Nebula. 1801 East Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928. (707) 664 - 2267. http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/observatory/pvn.html
2008 March 14 (Fr) SJAA Astronomy Class at Houge Park. 7:30 pm. Topic to be announced.
2008 March 14 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 7:15 pm, 58% moon sets 3:41 am. Star party hours: 8:00 until 11:00 pm.
2008 Mar 15, 7:00-9:00, PDT (Sat), Placer Nature Center, (530) 878-6053 (PNC)-The Stars for Families, "Moon, Mars, Saturn, stars", $6, Don Machholz, http://us.geocities.com/donmachholz/
2008 MAR17 Mon 4:00 pm STUDIES OF THE TERRESTRIAL UPPER ATMOSPHERE WITH ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTS Dr. Tom Slanger of SRI International will describe how the study of sky spectra collected at major telescopes is leading to new insights into atomic and molecular processes and important upper atmospheric phenomena as diverse as atom recombination and space weather. What Physicists Do— Department of Physics and Astronomy, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609. (707) 664-2119. http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
2008 March 22 (Sa) SJAA General Meeting. Our speaker is Dr. Adrian Brown of the SETI Institute. His topic: "Latest Results from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter". Board meeting at 6:00; General Meeting at 8:00
2008 Mar 22, 8:00-9:30, PDT (Sat), American River Canyon Overlook, "Mars, Saturn, Moonrise (8:36 PM), stars", Free, Don Machholz, http://us.geocities.com/donmachholz/
2008 Mar 25 7:30 pm - The Planetary Society is sponsoring a special presentation,
"Stardust: The First Solid Sample Return Mission From Beyond the Moon", by Dr. Andrew Westphal, at the Randall Museum. Dr. Westphal will discuss the latest findings as he and his team have just begun to extract the first particles of dust from the Aerogel.Flyer at http://www.planitarium.net/aanc/stardust-flyer.jpg
2008 March 28 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 7:27 pm, 55% moon rises 2:28 am. Star party hours: 8:30 until 11:30 pm.
2008 March 29 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 7:28 pm, 45% moon rises 3:13 am.
2008 March 31 (Mon) 7:30 pm. Benjamin Dean Lecture "The Dark Side of the Universe" Dr. Rachel Bean, Cornell University Recent cosmological observations have provided an extremely puzzling insight into the nature of the universe. 95% of the universe's contents are invisible or "dark", with 25% being "dark matter" and the majority in a mysterious form labeled "dark energy". Understanding the origins of the dark universe is requiring collaboration between theorists and observers, and between astronomy and fundamental particle physics and represents one of the major challenges in physics today. Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street (at Presidio Avenue). $5, http://www.calacademy.org/planetarium/dean.php

April, 2008

2008 Apr 4 Public Viewing Night, Sonoma State University Observatory. Saturn, Leo Triplets, Markarian’s Chain. 1801 East Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928. (707) 664 - 2267. http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/observatory/pvn.html
2008 April 5 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 7:34 pm, 0% moon set 7:31 pm. Henry Coe Park's "Astronomy" lot has been reserved.
2008 APR 7 Mon 4:00 pm THE WARMING WILL ACCELERATE THE WARMING Dr. Inez Fung of the University of California at Berkeley will describe how climate change will alter the processes that store carbon in the land and the oceans, and hence accelerate climate change itself. What Physicists Do— Department of Physics and Astronomy, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609. (707) 664-2119.http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
2008 April 11 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 7:40 pm, 44% moon sets 2:27 am. Star party hours: 8:30 until 11:30 pm.
2008 Apr 12. 3-5 PM The Allen Telescope Array: The Newest Pitchfork For Exploring the Cosmic Haystack
Jack Welch, UC Berkeley and Jill Tarter, SETI Institute. Lamorinda Cal Alumni Talk, Lafayette Veterans Hall,
3780 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette, CA 94549-3601
2008 APR 14 Mon 4:00 pm LIGO: LASERS, OPTICS, AND INTERFEROMETRY IN THE SEARCH FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVES Dr. Shailendhar Saraf of Sonoma State University will discuss the technological challenges in the detection of gravitational waves with a terrestrial instrument and describe the laser technology and interferometric techniques used in LIGO. What Physicists Do— Department of Physics and Astronomy, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609. (707) 664-2119. http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
2008 April 16, 7:30 PM Alien Worlds Safari: A Tour Through a Universe of Possibilities - AbSciCon 2008 (Astrobiology Science Conference) at the Santa Clara Convention Center. More info: http://abscicon.seti.org/
2008April 17, 7:00 PM: El Origen de la Vida: Prof. Antonio Lazcano (Spanish language presentation) - AbSciCon 2008 (Astrobiology Science Conference) at the Santa Clara Convention Center. More info: http://abscicon.seti.org/
2008 April 18, 1:30 PM The Origin of Life: Prof. Antonia Lazcano (English Language presentation) - AbSciCon 2008 (Astrobiology Science Conference) at the Santa Clara Convention Center. More info: http://abscicon.seti.org/
2008 April 19 (Sa) SJAA Board meeting and Auction rehearsal, 6 pm until it all works.
2008 Apr 19, 6:00-9:00, PDT (Sat), Placer Nature Center, (530) 878-6053 (PNC)-How to Use Your Telescope, "Moon, Mars, Saturn, stars", $15, Don Machholz, http://us.geocities.com/donmachholz/
2008 April 20 (Su) SJAA Auction XXVIII - Open at noon, selling 1:00 to about 4:00. In the hall at Houge Park. NOTE: Sunday, daytime.
2008 APR 21 Mon 4:00 pm A PHYSICIST’S PLAYGROUND: FROM DOLPHINS TO TOUCHSCREENS Dr. James Aroyan (’87) of JRJ Simulation & Design will discuss computational modeling applications ranging from marine mammal sound reception to Rayleigh wave scattering and solar cell design. What Physicists Do— Department of Physics and Astronomy, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609. (707) 664-2119. http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
2008 Apr 23 7pm. Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures: Astronomer Jill Tarter, of the SETI Institute, a talk on The Allen Telescope Array: The Newest Pitchfork. in the Smithwick Theater, Foothill College, El Monte Road and Freeway 280, in Los Altos Hills, California. Hot-line at 650-949-7888 for more information and driving directions.
2008 April 25 (Fr) SJAA Astronomy Class at Houge Park. 7:30 pm. Topic to be announced.
2008 April 25 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 7:52 pm, 72% moon rises 1:08 am. Star party hours: 9:00 until midnight.
2008 April 26 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 7:53 pm, 62% moon rises 1:48 am.
2008 Apr 26, 7:30-9:30, PDT (Sat), Placer Nature Center, (530) 878-6053 (PNC)-The Stars for Families, "Mars, Saturn, stars", $6, Don Machholz, http://us.geocities.com/donmachholz/
2008 April 28 (Mon) 7:30 pm. Benjamin Dean Lecture "The X-ray Universe" Dr. Chris Mauche, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Progress in the field of X-ray astronomy has been rapid since the dawn of the space age: increasing from a single cosmic X-ray source in 1962 to nearly 19,000 in 1999. This talk will be a general overview of the many different-but (almost) always extremely hot, violent, and variable-sources that populate the X-ray sky: our Sun and other stars, X-ray binaries, supernova remnants, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and million- to billion-solar-mass black holes. Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street (at Presidio Avenue). $5, http://www.calacademy.org/planetarium/dean.php
2008 APR 28 Mon 4:00 pm FABRICATION AND STUDIES OF MAGNETIC NANOSTRUCTURES Dr. Hongtao Shi of Sonoma State University will discuss the fabrication of macroscopic masks with nanometer-scaled pores by anodization of aluminum. What Physicists Do— Department of Physics and Astronomy, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609. (707) 664-2119. http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/

May, 2008

2008 May 3. (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 8:00 pm, 2% moon rises 5:14 am. Henry Coe Park's "Astronomy" lot has been reserved.
2008 MAY 5. Mon 4:00 pm LIGHTING UP THE DARK: GALAXIES AS PROBES OF THE DARK UNIVERSE Dr. Risa Wechsler of Stanford University will describe how the dark matter that pervades our Universe is connected to the galaxies observed with telescopes, and how galaxy surveys can be used to understand the contents of our Universe. What Physicists Do— Department of Physics and Astronomy, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609. (707) 664-21199 February (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 5:41 pm, 11% moon sets 8:47 pm. Henry Coe Park's "Astronomy" lot has been reserved. http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
2008 May 9.Public Viewing Night, Sonoma State University Observatory. Saturn, Black Eye Galaxy, Spindle Galaxy. 1801 East Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928. (707) 664 - 2267. http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/observatory/pvn.html
2008 May 9. (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 8:05 pm, 29% moon sets 1:06 am. Star party hours: 9:00 until midnight.
2008 May 10. Astronomy Day http://aanc-astronomy.org/AstroDay.html
2008 May 10. (Sat) Mt. Tam Public Star Party 8:00 pm, “Climate Change: Observational Evidence, the Role of Humans and Societal Impacts” and Observing afterwards with SFAA http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/starparties/
2008 May 17 (Sa) SJAA General Meeting. Our speaker is Dr. Dana Backman of SETI, speaking on Nearby Stars and Debris Disks: A Ringside Seat to Planet Formation. Board meeting at 6:00; General Meeting at 8:00
2008 May 17. 9:30 am - 5 pm. NCHALADA - Northern California Historical Astronomy Luncheon and Discussion Association meeting at the Chabot Space and Science Center, Soda Board Room. The morning session, More Fun with Next to Nothing, about recent developments in infinitesimal calculus, will be chaired by Alan Fisher. Lunch break at noon. The afternoon session, Predicted but Disproved, about astronomical predictions that have since been found not true, including the "element" Nebulium and the other planet Vulcan (not to be confused the planet of Spock's birth), will be chaired by Nancy Cox.
2008 May 19 (Mon) 7:30 pm. Benjamin Dean Lecture "Near-Earth Objects: Finding Them Before They Find Us" Dr. Don Yeomans, Manager NASA Near Earth Object Program Office. Near-Earth comets and asteroids have both seeded the early Earth with the building blocks of life and altered the evolutionary process with major extinction events. Recent ground-based and space-based observations of these objects make it less likely that we will go the way of the dinosaurs. Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street (at Presidio Avenue). $5, http://www.calacademy.org/planetarium/dean.php
2008 May 21 (Wed) SFAA General Meeting 7:30 pm, “Stardust: The First Solid Sample Return Mission from Beyond the Moon” with Andrew Westphal http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/meetings/
2008 May 23-26 (Fri-Mon). RTMC Riverside Telescope Maker's Conference - http://www.rtmcastronomyexpo.org
2008 May 24 (Sat) 8:21 pm SFAA City Star Party at Lands End - http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/starparties/
2008 May 28, 9:00-10:30, PDT (Sat), Big Bend, "Mars, Saturn, stars", Free, Don Machholz, http://us.geocities.com/donmachholz/
30 May (Fr) SJAA Astronomy Class at Houge Park. 7:30 pm. Topic to be announced.
2008 May 30 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 8:22 pm, 16% moon rises 3:09 am. Star party hours: 9:30 until midnight.
2008 May 31 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 8:22 pm, 8% moon rises 3:43 am.

June, 2008

2008 June 7 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 8:26 pm, 25% moon sets 12:13 am. Henry Coe Park's "Astronomy" lot has been reserved.
2008 June 7 (Sat) Mt. Tam Public Star Party 8:30pm “Space Ecology: The Final Frontier of Environmentalism” with Lynda Williams. Observing afterwards with SFAA - http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/starparties/
2008 June 9-16. Grand Canyon Star Party (GCSP), http://www.tucsonastronomy.org/gcsp.html
2008 June 13 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 8:29 pm, 84% moon sets 2:46 am. Star party hours: 9:30 until midnight.
2008 June 18 (Wed) SFAA General Meeting, 7:30 pm “Space Weather” with Janet Luhmann - http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/meetings/
2008 June 20 - 10 am "125th Anniversary Celebration of Chabot" at Oakland's
Lafayette Square, For more info: http://chabotspace.org/125th/pregame.asp
2008 June 21 (Sa) SJAA General Meeting. Our speaker is Dr. To B. Announced. Board meeting at 6:00; General Meeting at 8:00
2008 June 21, 9:00-10:30, PDT (Sat), Big Bend, "Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, stars", Free, Don Machholz, http://us.geocities.com/donmachholz/
2008 June 23 (Mon) 7:30 pm. Benjamin Dean Lecture “Planetary Nebulae: Death Shrouds of Lonely Stars or Aftermaths of Binary Interactions?” Dr. Orsola de Marco, American Museum of Natural History. Some of the most beautiful objects in the sky, planetary nebulae, are thought to be the death shroud of single, middle weight stars, much like our own sun; however, evidence has been steadily accumulating that this picture might have fundamental flaws. Complex shapes, jets, and other structures suggest a new scenario, with planetary nebulae shaped by the action of a companion star, or even a large planet, orbiting the primary star at some distance. Theoretical plausibility is, however, not enough to prove a conjecture, and observations are ongoing to find the binary stars in the center of the planetary nebulae and to finally show that it takes two to tango. Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street (at Presidio Avenue). $5, http://www.calacademy.org/planetarium/dean.php
2008 June 27 (Fr) SJAA Astronomy Class at Houge Park. 7:30 pm. Topic to be announced.
2008 June 27 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 8:32 pm, 30% moon rises 1:39 am. Star party hours: 9:30 until midnight.
2008 June 28 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 8:32 pm, 20% moon rises 2:16 am.
2008 June 28, 9:00-10:30, PDT (Sat), Sugar Pine Res. Boat Parking Lot, "Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, stars", Free, Don Machholz, http://us.geocities.com/donmachholz/
2008Jun 30 through July 7, 2008 Shingletown Star Party - http://shingletownstarparty.net/

July, 2008

2008 July 2-6. Golden State Star Party (GSSP) near Adin, California. Register at http://www.goldenstatestarparty.org/
2008 July 5 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 8:31 pm, 13% moon sets 10:40 pm. Henry Coe Park's "Astronomy" lot has been reserved.
2008 Jul 5, 10 AM-11 PM, PDT (Sat), Colfax Fourth of July Day, "Sun, Venus, Saturn, Mars", Free, Don Machholz, http://us.geocities.com/donmachholz/
2008 July 11 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 8:29 pm, 69% moon sets 1:18 am. Star party hours: 9:30 until midnight.
2008 July 11 - SMCAS Monthly Planetarium Show at 7:30PM at College of San Mateo (CSM)
2008 July 12 - SMCAS Jazz Under the Stars at 8:30PM CSM
2008 July 12 - SMCAS Hidden Villa Star-B-Que 6PM at 26870 Moody Road in Los Altos Hills
2008 July 12 (Sat) Mt. Tam Public Star Party 8:30pm, “The Microwave Background - A Cosmic Time Machine” Dr. Adrian Lee. Observing afterwards with SFAA http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/starparties/
2008 July 16 (Wed) SFAA General Meeting, 7:30 pm - http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/meetings/
2008 July 19 (Sa) SJAA General Meeting. Our speaker is Dr. To B. Announced. Board meeting at 6:00; General Meeting at 8:00
2008 July 19 Sat. 1-3 pm. SETI Institute celebration of science and the imagination! "Celebrating Science 2008" is an interactive science fair for the entire family. Meet SETI Institute scientists...the father of SETI and author of the Drake Equation, Dr. Frank Drake. Visit the gift shop for a Drake Equation t-shirt and ask Dr. Drake himself to sign it! Other scientists from the Institute will also be available to talk with visitors. Hear California Professor of the Year and SETI Board member Andrew Fraknoi speak at 1:30 p.m. about "What Really Happened with Pluto" 1:45 - 2:30 autograph signing, Disney's Wonderful World of Space, also available in the gift shop. http://www.seti.org/celebratingscience2008
2008 July 25 (Fr) SJAA Astronomy Class at Houge Park. 7:30 pm. Topic to be announced.
2008 July 25 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 8:21 pm, 43% moon rise 12:13 am. Star party hours: 9:30 until midnight.
2008 July 26 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 8:20 pm, 33% moon rise 12:54 am.
2008 July 26, 9:00-10:30, PDT (Sat), Big Bend, "Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Milky Way", Free, Don Machholz, http://us.geocities.com/donmachholz/
2008 July 26 (Sat) SFAA City Star Party at Lands End. - http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/starparties/
2008 July 26 - SMCAS Annual Banquet (Members only)
2008 July 26 - SMCAS Star Party 8:30PM at Crestview Park in San Carlos
2008 July 27 - Aug 1 Course: Practical Observational Astronomy. San Francisco State University—Sierra Nevada Field Campus. Instructor: Martin Sirk.This is a laboratory course that emphasizes astronomical observations made from the field. Within a national forest in the mountains, far from bright city lights, the Field Campus area has the dark sky ideal for observing faint celestial objects and meteors. The course is designed for a person who wants to learn to identify the stars and constellations and to make simple observations with the naked eye, binoculars and telescopes. Telescopes and their accessories will be studied. We stress hands-on use of telescopes to view the moon, planets, sun, stars and nebulae of our own Milky Way galaxy, and other galaxies. Students will learn how to use star charts and atlases and the setting circles of an equatorial mounting to locate faint celestial objects. It should be particularly helpful to those beginning amateur astronomers who, having purchased their first telescopes, may now be having difficulty finding anything but the moon and brighter planets to observe. http://www.sfsu.edu/~sierra/Course_Astronomy.html
2008 July 31 - Aug 1. Webcast of total solar eclipse, by Exploratorium and NASA Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum live from both San Francisco and a location near the Mongolian border--Xinjiang Province in Northwestern China. Exploratorium event starts 9pm 7/31 and continues through Friday, August 1 in the Wee Hours. Live Webcast Begins at 3:30am (PDT), and Totality at 4:09am (PDT) http://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/2008 For full press release, go to:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/pr/documents/08-7Total.html

August, 2008

2008 August 2 SMCAS Star Party 8:15PM at Crestview Park in San Carlos
2008 Aug 2. Fremont Peak Star-B-Q, TBA http://www.fpoa.net
2008 August 2 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 8:14 pm, 4% moon sets 9:07 pm. Henry Coe Park's "Astronomy" lot has been reserved.
2008 August 8 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 8:07 pm, 53% moon sets 11:50 pm. Star party hours: 9:00 until midnight.
2008 August 8 SMCAS Starry Starry Nights at Montalvo Arts
2008 August 9 Jazz Under The Stars at CSM
2008 Aug 9, 7:30-9:30, PDT (Sat), Placer Nature Center, (530) 878-6053 (PNC)-The Stars for Families, "Jupiter, moon, stars", $6, Don Machholz, http://us.geocities.com/donmachholz/
2008 August 9 (Sat) Mt. Tam Public Star Party 8:30pm, "Astrobiology, Planetary Protection and the Search for ET Life" Dr. Margaret S. Race. Observing afterwards with SFAA. http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/starparties
2008 Aug 16-19. Oregon Star Party (OSP), www.oregonstarparty.org
2008 August 16 (Sa) SJAA General Meeting. Our speaker is Dr. To B. Announced. Board meeting at 6:00; General Meeting at 8:00
2008 August 20 (Wed) SFAA General Meeting, 7:30 pm "Space Ecology: The Final Frontier of Environmentalism" Lynda Williams, SRJC - http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/meetings/
2008 August 22 (Fr) SJAA Astronomy Class at Houge Park. 7:30 pm. Topic to be announced.
2008 August 22 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 7:50 pm, 59% moon rise 10:53 pm. Star party hours: 9:00 until midnight.
2008 Aug 23, 8:30-10:00, PDT (Sat), Big Bend, "Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Milky Way", Free, Don Machholz, http://us.geocities.com/donmachholz/
2008 August 23 SMCAS Star Party 7:50PM at Crestview Park in San Carlos
2008 Aug 29 Public Viewing Night, Sonoma State University Observatory. Jupiter, Trifid Nebula, Little Gem Nebula. 1801 East Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928. (707) 664 - 2267. http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/observatory/pvn.html
2008 August 30. (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 7:39 pm, 0% moon set 7:33 pm.
2008 Aug 30, 8:30-10:00, PDT (Sat), Sugar Pine Res. Boat Parking Lot, "Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Milky Way", Free, Don Machholz, http://us.geocities.com/donmachholz/
2008 August 30 SMCAS Star Party 7:40PM at Crestview Park in San Carlos

September, 2008

2008 September 5 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 7:30 pm, 37% moon sets 10:24 pm.
Star party hours: 8:30 until 11:30 pm.
2008 September 6 (Sat) Mt. Tam Public Star Party 8:00pm, “Demarcation: Is There a Sharp Line Between Science and Pseudoscience?” Dr. Raymond Hall. A look at ways to discern the difference between astronomy and astrology, and the application of these distinctions in the areas of law, public policy, and education policy. Observing afterwards with SFAA. http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/starparties/
SEP 8 PHYSICS FOR FUTURE PRESIDENTS Dr. Richard Muller of the University of California at Berkeley, will tell us what every world leader needs to know, the subject of his course (voted “Best Class at Berkeley”) and of his new book. WHAT PHYSICISTS DO series--Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park. (707) 664-2119 http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
2008 September 13 (Sa) SJAA General Meeting. Slide and Equipment night. Latest images, latest equipment, being made by our members. Board meeting at 6:00; General Meeting at 8:00
2008 SEP 15 FIRST RESULTS FROM THE PHOENIX LANDER MISSION Dr. Carol Stoker of NASA Ames Research Center will present information obtained from the spacecraft that landed in the icy northern region of Mars in May 2008. WHAT PHYSICISTS DO series--Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park. (707) 664-2119 http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
2008 September 17 (Wed) SFAA General Meeting, 7:30 pm, "SOFIA: NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy" Dana Bachman - http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/meetings/
2008 September 19 (Fr) SJAA Astronomy Class at Houge Park. 7:30 pm. Topic to be announced.
2008 September 19 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 7:08 pm, 72% moon rises 9:37 pm. Star party hours: 8:00 until 11:00 pm.
2008 September 20 (Sat) SFAA City Star Party is at the Randall Museum and starts at sunset with a public lecture, followed by public viewing. http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/starparties/
2008 September 25-27 (Th-Sa) SJAA Cal-Star star party at Lake San Antonio County Park. http://www.sjaa.net/calstar/.
2008 Sep 26-28 Sierra Summer Star party - http://www.sierrastar.org or email sssp@charter.net
2008 September 27 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 6:56 pm, 1% moon rises 6:24 am.

October, 2008

2008 October 4 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 6:46 pm, 29% moon sets 9:47 pm. Henry Coe Park's "Astronomy" lot has been reserved.
2008 Oct 4 Fall Astronomy Day
2008 October 4 (Sat) Mt. Tam Public Star Party 7:30pm, “The View From the Center of the Universe: Discovering Our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos” Dr. Joel Primack & Nancy Abrams. Observing afterwards with SFAA http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/starparties/
2008 Oct 5, 6:30-8:00, PDT (Sun), American River Canyon Overlook, "Moon, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune", Free, Don Machholz, http://us.geocities.com/donmachholz/
2008 October 10 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 6:37 pm, 84% moon sets 3:45 am. Star party hours: 7:30 until 10:30 pm.
2008 October 11 (Sa) SJAA General Meeting. Our speaker is Dr. To B. Announced. Board meeting at 6:00; General Meeting at 8:00
2008 October 18 (Sat) SFAA City Star Party at Lands End. http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/starparties/
2008 OCT 20 ADVANCED SOLAR CELLS FOR TERRESTRIAL CONCENTRATING PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS Dr. Bill Imler of Squirrel Hill Associates will describe the current status of high efficiency, multi-junction solar cells, their use in concentrating photovoltaic systems, and what steps the industry needs to take to rapidly drive down the cost of solar electricity. WHAT PHYSICISTS DO series--Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park. (707) 664-2119 http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
2008 October 24 (Fr) SJAA Astronomy Class at Houge Park. 7:30 pm. Topic to be announced.
2008 October 24 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 6:18 pm, 12% moon rises 4:14 am. Star party hours: 7:30 until 10:30 pm.
2008 October 25 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 6:17 pm, 6% moon rises 5:17 am.

November, 2008

2008 November 1 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 6:09 pm, 15% moon sets 8:31 pm. Henry Coe Park's "Astronomy" lot has been reserved.
2008 November 2 (Su) SJAA 2 am. DST ends. Set clocks back 1 hour.
2008 NOV 3 CHEMISTRY OF PLANET FORMATION Dr. Sally Dodson-Robinson of the California Institute of Technology will describe how planets form, what they are made of, and how astronomers use that information to discover new planets. WHAT PHYSICISTS DO series--Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park. (707) 664-2119 http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
2008 November 7 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 5:03 pm, 70% moon sets 1:32 am. Star party hours: 7:00 until 10:00 pm.
2008 November 8 (Sat) SFAA City Star Party at Lands End. http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/starparties/
2008 November 8 (Sa) SJAA General Meeting. Our speaker is Dr. To B. Announced. Board meeting at 6:00; General Meeting at 8:00
2008 Nov 9 SJAA Fall Swap Meet
2008 NOV 10 THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING ANTIMATTER Dr. Helen Quinn of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center will tell us how physicists address the puzzle of how it came about that, with very similar laws of physics for matter and antimatter, the Universe is populated with matter but very little antimatter. WHAT PHYSICISTS DO series--Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park. (707) 664-2119 http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
2008 NOV 17 CALIFORNIA OBSERVATORIES AS LEADERS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF VERY LARGE OPTICAL TELESCOPES Dr. Joseph S. Miller of the University of California, Santa Cruz will discuss the central role that California observatories have played in the evolution of large optical telescopes, from the Crossley Reflector at Lick Observatory to the giant Keck Telescopes on Mauna Kea. WHAT PHYSICISTS DO series--Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park. (707) 664-2119 http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
2008 November 21 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 4:54 pm, 25% moon rises 2:11 am. Star party hours: 7:00 until 10:00 pm.
2008 November 19 (Wed) SFAA General Meeting, 7:30 pm, "What Have We Learned from the Cassini Mission" Jeff Cuzzi, http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/meetings/
2008 November 21 (Fr) SJAA Astronomy Class at Houge Park. 7:30 pm. Topic to be announced.
2008 November 22 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 4:53 pm, 16% moon rises 3:12 am.
2008 NOV 24 THE LARGE BINOCULAR TELESCOPE Dr. Leonard Kuhi of the University of Minnesota (retired) will discuss the design and construction of a telescope having twin 8.4-meter mirrors, along with scientific expectations and various pitfalls encountered along the way. WHAT PHYSICISTS DO series--Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park. (707) 664-2119 http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
2008 November 29 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 4:51 pm, 5% moon sets 6:20 pm. Henry Coe Park's "Astronomy" lot has been reserved

December, 2008

2008 DEC 1 MAKING GOOD USE OF THE LARGE BINOCULAR TELESCOPE Thomas McMahon (’85) of the University of Arizona will describe his team’s construction of a nulling interferometer, to be used with the Large Binocular Telescope to image planets in nearby star systems. WHAT PHYSICISTS DO series--Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park. (707) 664-2119 http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
2008 December 5 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 4:50 pm, 53% moon sets 12:20 am. Star party hours: 7:00 until 10:00 pm.
2008 Dec 6. NCHALADA LXXXVI (86th) meeting of the Northern California Historical Astronomy Luncheon and Discussion Association. The morning topic will be The Southern Sky, chaired by Nick Kanas. The afternoon topic will be Drama Plays with Astronomy, chaired by Norm Sperling. Chabot Space Science Center.
2008 Dec 12, 5:00-7:00, PST (Fri), Placer Nature Center, (530) 878-6053 (PNC)-The Stars for Families, "Moon, Venus, stars", $6, Don Machholz, http://us.geocities.com/donmachholz/
2008 December 13 (Sa) SJAA General Meeting. Our speaker is Dr. To B. Announced. Board meeting at 6:00; General Meeting at 8:00
2008 December 17 (Wed) SFAA General Meeting, 7:30 pm, Member’s Night with various SFAA Members presenting - http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/meetings/
2008 December 19 (Fr) SJAA Houge Park star party. Sset 4:53 pm, 41% moon rises 1:05 am. Star party hours: 7:00 until 10:00 pm.
2008 December 19 (Fr) SJAA Astronomy Class at Houge Park. 7:30 pm. Topic to be announced.
2008 December 20 (Sat) SFAA City Star Party is at the Randall Museum and starts at sunset with a public lecture, followed by public viewing. http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/starparties/
2008 December 20 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 4:54 pm, 31% moon rises 2:07 am.
2008 December 27 (Sa) SJAA Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 4:58 pm, new moon sets 5:11 pm. Henry Coe Park's "Astronomy" lot has been reserved.

January, 2009

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Additions should be sent to Alan Gould

Astronomical Association of Northern California

Please send corrections or additions to:
Alan Gould

Regular stargazing events:

BERKELEY—Lawrence Hall of Science--Saturday Night Stargazing, every 1st and 3rd Saturday nights, weather permitting - University of California, Berkeley
LOS ALTOS HILLS—Foothill Observatory is open for public viewing every clear Friday evening from 9:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m (- Foothill College/Peninsula Astrononomical Society -- http://www.foothill.fhda.edu/ast/pas.htm
OAKLAND—Chabot Space and Science Center http://www.cosc.org/--Public observing (telescope viewing) every Friday-Saturday: 7-10 p.m., weather permitting
Yearly events

Other Astronomical Calendars:

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University of California, Berkeley.

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