“It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.”
Dedicated to spreading wonder
Standley Lake Stargazing hosts astronomy-related educational programs year round. Every Thursday night we share a broadcast live via Zoom, often hosted live at the Standley Lake Library. Attendees join from all over the region and our programs are often shared with schools as a learning aid. Guest speakers also present periodically, including the late Alan Hale, co-discoverer of comet Hale-Bopp, Greg Wirth, principal engineer at Ball Aerospace on the James Webb Space Telescope, and numerous researchers from the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at CU Boulder.
Standley Lake Stargazing is devoted to our ongoing public astronomy programs (a.k.a. "star parties") which include an indoor talk on a variety of astronomy topics followed by an outdoor telescope viewing session. Our recurring monthly partners include Eldorado Canyon State Park, Standley Lake Regional Park & Wildlife Refuge, Majestic View Nature Center, and periodic programs with the Broomfield Council on the Arts and Humanities, Metzger Farm Open Space, Town of Superior, and City of Lafayette, and Standley Lake Library, along with numerous sporadic events in the surrounding Denver-Metro area. Standley Lake Stargazing also prioritizes school visits, having hosted star parties and classroom programs at Lincoln Academy in Arvada, the Colorado STEM Academy, Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning, and a partnership with Jefferson County's Windy Peak Outdoor Lab (Bailey, CO) in operating a weekly session for anywhere from 60-100 sixth graders from all over the county in the outdoor lab's Astronomy Center featuring a fully-featured observatory. Our website has a comprehensive list of our ongoing partnerships. Reach out to us if you’d like to arrange a visit!
