Members Observing Night - Friday Dec 8 @ 5:30 PM

Members Only Observing Night 

Friday December  8, 2023   Gates Open at 5:30 PM   CST

    See links to direction map below   

We try to reserve Observatory nights nearest the New Moon for our CURRENT MEMBERS ONLY. You can bring along family or a friend if they want to observe with you.  This allows our members to work on their various observing projects, do some astrophotography, share ideas and help each other with their goals. The gates will open at 5:30 PM.     NOTE: Due to the time change this is a bit after sunset.

If Friday's session is cancelled due to weather, we may try to be open on Saturday if weather conditions improve.   Check website for updates.

Winter has arrived!  The early sunsets give us more time for stargazing.   However clear evenings usually accompany a sharp drop in temperature.   Our rural site temperatures drop quickly after sunset. Bring a warm coat, cap, gloves and wear warm shoes.  Be sure to bring along something to drink as well as an energy snack. Our observatory classroom provides a refugee to warm up a bit during the evening.   It is not recommended for you to sit on lay on the grass, there are chairs in the observatory classroom.

Saturn and Jupiter are still well place for observing.  Or challenge yourself to track down Uranus.   Orion, Taurus and the bright stars of winter are rising in the east.

COMET 12P/ Pons-Brooks  will be near the star Vega this weekend.  Lately it has had several outburst boosting it to magnitude 9 making it accessible in moderate telescopes from our rural skies.  See our December 2023 Newsletter under the ABOUT tabe for a finder chart and more information.

PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR CHANGES DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS    If the Friday session is cancelled due to weather, we will try again on Saturday evening.

Check Website to confirm

As a member you can bring family members or a friend that wants to observe with you but no large groups. Please keep minor family members within your observing area with a supervising adult.

 To develop your observing skills, you may want to consider trying to earn one of the over 40 well designed observing certificates from the Astronomical League. Check out some of their Observing Programs

 If you are not currently a member you may try one of our RSVP guest nights or you can easily join. Simply go to the JOIN section on our website. Submit the forms online or mail in your membership dues. Click here to Join our Club 
 

Location

ACT OBSERVATORY directions -  Follow our map directions  DO NOT USE GPS

MOSTLY PAVED ROADS – Hwy 75 to 201st St S – through Mounds OK

Most DIRECT ROUTE – Hwy 75 to 241st St S – some coarse gravel & dirt roads