Vancouver,
Washington USA
The Vancouver Sidewalk Astronomers are a loosely knit group of amateur astronomers from the Vancouver / Portland area dedicated to sharing a view of the heavens with all who are interested. Typically a "Star Party" is scheduled and interested individuals are notified of the time and place. Frequently a telescope or other equipment is demonstrated for the budding astronomer. At times a general invitation to the public is advertised in "The Columbian".
At a star party all interested are welcome to stop and take a peek through the telescopes. Occasionally astronomy classes are given with a star party following. Teachers are welcome to contact us regarding setting up star parties for individual classes.
Star parties provide an excellent way to be introduced to astronomy. Unlike most sciences, the amateur can play a major role in astronomy. Most of the commercial or institutional telescopes have to be put to some very specialized uses in order to justify the cost of their existence. Many tasks of astronomy can only be accomplished by dedicated amateur astronomers equipped with small telescopes and simple equipment.
Contact
E-mail VSA Founder Stan Seeberg with any questions.
To be put on the emailing list for information
of coming events, contact
vsa@cableone.net
Upcomming 2012 Star Parties
 |
What's
in our current sky? Visit Skymaps
for details OREGON
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY [OMSI]
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| Month & Day | Day of Week |
OMSI-RCA Public Star Parties For most events - Weather permitting - Subject to change Starts at sundown and go until 11:30pm or so, except as noted |
Locations | Notes |
| Mar 17 | Sat | OMSI Public Star Party - Vernal Equinox Celebration | Rooster Rock & Stub Stewart | 2 |
| Apr 28 | Sat | OMSI Public Star Party - Astronomy Day Celebration | Rooster Rock & Stub Stewart | 2 |
| May 12 | Sat | OMSI Public Star Party - Planet Parade | Rooster Rock & Stub Stewart | 2 |
| May 20 | Sun - 5pm-7pm | OMSI Public Star Party - Partial Solar Eclipse | OMSI Parking Lot | 1 |
| Jun 5 | Tue - 3pm-9pm | OMSI Public Star Party - Transit of Venus | OMSI Parking Lot | 1 |
| Jun 30 | Sat | OMSI Public Star Party - Summer Solstice Celebration | Rooster Rock & Stub Stewart | 2 |
| Jul 28 | Sat | OMSI Public Star Party - Lunar Viewing | Rooster Rock & Stub Stewart | 2 |
| Aug 12 | Sunday | OMSI Public Star Party - Perseid Meteor Shower Watch | Rooster Rock & Stub Stewart | 2 |
| Sep 22 | Sat | OMSI Public Star Party - Autumnal Equinox Celebration | Rooster Rock & Stub Stewart | 2 |
| ...... | ||||
| Month & Day | Day of Week |
Rose City Astronomers club Star Parties For most events - Weather permitting - Subject to change exceptions are Kah-Nee-Ta, and Hancock which take place no matter what the weather. Impromptu Star Parties may happen at any time - RCA Members can check here! |
Locations | Notes |
| Mar 23 - 25 | Fri - Sun | Dark Sky Star Party Weekend & Messier Marathon | Kah-Nee-Ta | 1 |
| Apr 14 | Sat | Dark Sky Star Party | Rooster Rock State Park | 1 |
| Apr 20 - 22 | Fri - Sun | Dark Sky Star Party Weekend | Maupin | 1 |
| Apr 21 | Sat | Dark Sky Star Party | Stub Stewart State Park | 1 |
| May 18 - 20 | Fri - Sun | Dark Sky Camp Hancock Weekend - Pre-registration required | Camp Hancock, Clarno, OR | 5 |
| May 19 | Sat | Dark Sky Star Party | Stub Stewart State Park | 1 |
| Jun 15 - 17 | Fri - Sun | Dark Sky Star Party Weekend | Maupin | 1 |
| Jun 16 | Sat | Dark Sky Star Party | Rooster Rock State Park | 1 |
| Jun 22 -23 | Fri - Sun | Dark Sky Star Party Weekend | SkyView Acres | 1 |
| Jul 14 | Sat | Dark Sky Star Party | White River | 1 |
| Jul 20 - 22 | Fri - Sun | Trout Lake Star Party Weekend | Trout Lake, Washington | 1 |
| Aug 11 | Sat | Dark Sky Star Party | Stub Stewart State Park | 1 |
| Sep 14 - 16 | Fri - Sun | Dark Sky Camp Hancock Weekend - Pre-registration required | Camp Hancock, Clarno, OR | 5 |
| Sep 15 | Sat | Dark Sky Star Party | Rooster Rock State Park | 1 |
| Sep 21 | Fri | Dark Sky Star Party | White River | 1 |
| Oct 12 - 14 | Fri - Sun | Dark Sky Star Party Weekend | Maupin | 1 |
| Oct 13 | Sat | Dark Sky Star Party | Stub Stewart State Park | 1 |
| . | ||||
| Month & Day | Day of Week |
Regional Star Parties within 1 days drive *These are Star Parties put on by other groups and are not RCA sponsored events |
Locations | Notes |
| May 19 | Sat | *Prineville Reservoir Star Party | Prineville, Oregon | 6 |
| Jun 21 - 25 | Thu - Sun | *Sunriver Star Party at Brothers | Brothers, Oregon | 6 |
| Jul 19 - 22 | Thu - Sun | *Table Mountain Star Party | Ellensburg, Washington | 4 & 6 |
| Jul 18 - 22 | Sat - Wed | *Golden State Star Party | Adin, California | 4 & 6 |
| Aug 15 - 19 | Wed - Sun | *Oregon Star Party | Indian Trail Spring, Oregon | 4 & 6 |
| Sep 13 - 16 | Thu - Sun | *Mt Bachelor Star Party at Sunriver | Sunriver, Oregon | 4 & 6 |
| No Fees, No Registration - | 1 | |||
| Note that there is a $5 day use charge at this Oregon State Park - | 2 | |||
| Advance Reservations are Highly Recommended & No Camping at the Viewing Area - | 3 | |||
| Pre-Registration and Pre-Payment Recommended, but you might be able to register and pay on site - | 4 | |||
| Pre-Registration and Pre-Payment required, no on-site registration - | 5 | |||
| ** These are Star Parties put on by other groups in our area and are not RCA sponsored events - | 6 | |||
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New Moons for 2012 |
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