Stargazing Community

Stargazing can be a rewarding recreational activity anyone with an interest. But are there ways to get started without getting overwhelmed? Thankfully, yes! Astronomers love to share their love of the night sky, and here are a few resources you can use to get connected.

[Side note: Thanks for your patience as we resolved our internet outage affecting the last two days, the cancelled programs will be re-scheduled shortly!]

Stargazing groups (often called astronomy clubs) are plentiful, many offering regular meetings (usually virtual now) and outdoor programs. The term “star party” is used to generally mean any gathering where people view the stars, usually with telescopes and binoculars, and most groups host star parties throughout the year, many are free and open to the public.

In fact, there are several annual star parties that attract astronomers from around the world, where hundreds of stargazers camp out and share telescopes, trade equipment and swap stories. While these have largely been suspended this year, it’s not too early to start planning ahead for 2021, as the largest star parties require advance registration and fill up quickly.

The online astronomy community is also very active, in ways to numerous to list so instead here’s a link to Sky & Telescope’s extensive list of stargazing-community resources: 

Get Involved in Astronomy | Events, Clubs, and Tours

Astronomers often spend their time lost among the stars, but astronomy and stargazing are also communal affairs. You might be interested in tackling the Messier Marathon, building your own telescope, or joining the world of scientific discovery. Whatever your interest, you'll benefit from the mentorship of old pros, and you might even be able to help out a newbie!

Standley Lake Stargazing will resume in-person programming and events as soon as it becomes feasible. If you have a locale that might be suitable for group stargazing events, please contact us with your interest!

Plan to join us next Wed. 9/30 for our program about “Apollo 13” as we look into the engineering and humanity behind this famous story. Email Register@StandleyLakeStargazing.com to sign up!

Check back each weekday @ 5:00 pm for more observing guides and science news!

Learn more at: www.StandleyLakeStargazing.com and on Facebook www.facebook.com/StandleyLakeStargazing

If you'd like to support us, visit www.patreon.com/StandleyLakeStargazing

Looking for a new telescope? The experts at Mile High Astronomy in Lakewood would love to help you out, visit them at www.milehighastro.com and www.facebook.com/MileHighAstro/

Leave comments and questions on our page and feel free to reach us directly at contact@standleylakestargazing.com. As always-

Stay well, and clear skies!