Bonney Lake Stargazing

If you are bringing your own telescope please arrive before dark to set it up. We will be stargazing until midnight and will have several telescopes there for you to look through.

• Bring warm clothes: coat, scarf, hat, gloves. Dress in layers
• Bring the kids!
• Please bring a red light flashlight. No white lights please.
• If you take a picture please make sure you have the flash turned off and warn people first.
• No pets or children on leashes please. They get tangled and overturn telescopes.
• Bring a comfy chair, blanket, and binoculars to look up at the stars.
• Bring a thermos of your favorite hot drink to help stay warm.
• Our events are on school grounds so no alcohol allowed.

Introduction to Stargazing

For those new to astronomy we are going to start the night off with a "Introduction to Stargazing" presentation that begins just after sunset. In this you will be introduced to the night sky, learn how to locate some prominent stars and constellations, and learn how to star hop. Next we will discuss meteors, and satellites. Hopefully we will catch a glimpse of the space station as it passes overhead. When it is visible, we will learn about features of the moon. Finally we will take a look at several objects in the night sky through a telescope.

Every month we will build upon our constellation and lunar knowledge and highlight a few new deep sky objects. Saturn and Jupiter will be prominent in the sky this is your last chance to glimse the Milky Way core. The Summer Triangle is still high in the sky but we now have Andromeda, Perseus, and Cassiopea to gaze upon and the beautiful objects within them. Don't forget the Pleiades, a favorite which rises around 8pm.

For those coming to the Welcome to Stargazing presentation please install one of the free planetarium apps such as "Stellarium", "Sky Safari", or "Star Walk 2" onto your mobile device before arriving. They are available in the app store for your device. These apps let you explore the night sky.