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New To Astronomy
Star Parties
Membership Meetups
Equipment Library
Planetarium Shows
Social Media
Women's Group
Astrophotography
Astronomical League
Volunteer
Magazine Discounts
Welcome!
We are glad you decided to become a member but this is only your first step. To get the full benefit of the club you need to attend star parties, meetups, and participate in our social media offerings.
Let's get started..
Star Parties
Astronomy Classes
For members that are new to astronomy then we offer two classes a month. One is held in Duvall and the other is held in Covington.
Star Parties
If there was one event that was the meat and potatoes of an astronomy club that would be the star party or stargazing events. This is where you meet up with other members, set up your telescope or binoculars and enjoy the cosmic wonders with those around you.
There are two types of star party. The most common is the public star party. This is where anyone that wants to attend is welcomed. Usually there will be telescopes setup by members and the public. Often there will be a presentation given on the night sky. We urge you to find the nearest and attend each month. This is where you will learn a lot. We have public star parties in Paramount Park, Duvall, Snoqualmie, Covington, Bonney Lake, and soon to be in Issaquah. Look at the club calendar to find out when those events are held.
New To Astronomy
Star Parties
Membership Meetups
Equipment Library
Social Media
Astrophotography
Astronomical League
Volunteer
Magazine Discounts
One of the club's main charters is to share the love of astronomy with the public. That is why we have public star party events. You will find people, often whole families, that are curious but probably don't have a telescope. They wander around looking and asking questions. If you are setup a telescope, and are fine with letting someone look through it, you can guide them to the eyepiece and describe what they should see. It is not unusual to be a little anxious about not knowing the answer to a question. Believe me when I tell you we all have experienced that. It is inevitable someone will come up and ask you some strangely specific obscure fact. If you do not know the answer then you can always say, "I'm not sure, I'm new to this as well, let's ask Google". There may be another more experienced member there that might know. I would suggest asking the host of the star party if they know or if they know someone at the event that might know.
The second type of star party is the members only one. These are closed to the public and are set aside so you can concentrate on observing the night sky without interruption. Maybe you are chasing that elusive comet, or attempting to get 5 hours of data on a nebula. Currently the only members only event is at our dark sky site near Goldendale. This 5 acre parcel is about a 3 hour drive from Seattle. Each weekend when there is a new moon (no moon in the sky) we will host an event between the months of May and October for members to come out and see what a dark location is like. Imagine looking up and seeing the majesty of the Milky Way. This is like an astronomy camping trip. Members bring a tent, RV, or sleep in their car or van. Some will stay in town at a motel during the day but show up just before sunset and be up all night at the site. For more information check out the Piney Woods page.
Membership Meetups
On the 3rd Wednesday of each month we have a meetup where club members get together to talk, the president gives updates on what is happening, and we have some great guest speakers from the University of Washington Astronomy Department and across the field. Because our members live all across the Puget Sound these meetings are held at a different locations like Bellevue College, University of Washington, and in Duvall.
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