Our many goals include outreach & educating the public, as well as teaching the art and skill of observing and photographing the wonders of the night sky. The pier, which juts 700 feet over the Gulf, can sometimes be busy at late hours of the night. Welcome to the South Florida Amateur Astronomers Association (SFAAA). Send problems or issues to webmaster, 2018 Thunderbird Park Spring Public Star Party. 3-17-23 & U-of-A NEWSLETTERS & ACTIVITIES HERE, Learn the Night Sky: Download/Print Current Month Sky Chart HEREor The Full Year(different) HERE, Want a Stargazing App for Your Phone? Sidewalk Astronomy for January 28th 2023 YOUR LAST CHANCE TO OBSERVE SATURN AT SIDEWALK ASTRONOMY UNTIL SEPTEMBER! Observation sessions typically begin about 30-45 minutes after it is dark enough to see the stars and continue as long as stargazers linger. Participants on county nature walks should wear suitable clothes and shoes for walking. Sarasota, FL 34243 Silent Sky is the remarkable true story of Henrietta Leavitt, a pioneering woman in astronomy working at the Harvard Observatory in the early 1900's! There are several parking locations available in downtown Bradenton that are convenient to the Museum, including the County parking garage at the corner of Manatee Avenue and 10th Street West. Click here to See EVENTS Page and CALENDAR of Events. Please join us to explore, learn, and help teach astronomy to others eager to learn. As usual, club members will be. If you arrive at the park before Sunset the toll taker at the front entrance will be able to direct you to the Fox Observatory inside the park. There are easy strolls on paved trails and longer hikes on winding footpaths through pristine woodlands. Astronomy Club)sponsored by Tampa Museum of Science and Industry, Nature Coast Amateur Astronomers - Spring Hill/Brooksville, South Florida Amateur Astronomers Association, University of Central Florida Astronomy Society. We meet at the Moore Observatory (in Punta Gorda) every month as well as solar observing in the Port Charlotte area. Approximately 200 nature walks are provided annually by county staff and volunteers to county residents free of charge. Looking for Support as a Budding Amateur? For instance, in Venice, you can walk the Venice Municipal Fishing Pier. Admission is FREE but those interested in attending are asked to register using the form below. One of the oldest, the Deep-Sky group, observes and studies faint objects that lie outside the solar system. Bringing along a bottle of red wine, crackers, cheese and red grapes, you can munch and sip as you chug along the Steinhatchee, which - with its limestone outcroppings and towering cypress trees - looks much more mysterious in the moonlight. SkyLive not only has a great sky chart (in the Planetarium tab) but has a wealth of other astronomy information. I doubt they rent scopes but they are pretty active, and I got a good tip on a fairly decent site to watch from close to St Petes beach. The data comes from a forecast model developed by Allan Rahill of the Canadian Meteorological Centre. Maps, meetings, past events, resources, star party etiquette, and telescope loan program located in Cape Coral. The public sessions are free and held weather permitting. Please enable JavaScript in your browser for a better user experience. Come observe the skies with us! WWW.FDACS.GOV/CONSUMER-RESOURCES/CHARITIES. Select a state to search for local clubs near you that feature meetings, viewing nights, star parties, and stargazing programs. We recommend Stellarium and Stellarium Web, as well as the Stellarium app on Google Play or Apple. Please contact them for public viewing programs and hours. It has indicators and labels for Messier objects and a search capability for comets. The club was founded in 1983. You can polish your constellation knowledge and remember all of the stories behind them. Enjoy a dinner of local specialties - fresh-caught mullet, fried, and the best hush puppies according to many- atRoy's Restaurant, which overlooks the Gulf. All images, videos & content on this site are the property of the individual owners and displayed here with their permission. Copyright 2013 - 2022 . Sarasota County You can even see how a black hole affects the objects around it including how it bends light in surprising ways. Stargazing in Florida gets no better than at this location. We meet at the Moore Observatory (in Punta Gorda) every month as well as solar observing in the Port Charlotte area. Observation sessions typically begin about 30-45 minutes after it is dark enough to see the stars and continue as long as stargazers linger. 54 Posts 37 Topics Last post by Dave Smith in Celestron Nexstar 8SE 8 . Copyright 2023 Saguaro Astronomy Club Sarasota County offers miles of trails and thousands of acres to explore in our natural area parks and preserves. We meet the 1st Thursday of each month (7:00 P.M.) at the Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Avenue, Fort Myers, FL 33905-7811 and on Zoom (check newsletter for link). 3-17-23 Join now to attend online or in-person events. The Sarasota Shell Club presents its 59th Annual Shell Show! Once staff has received the application, it will be approved or denied by the site manager and any other partners that may be involved with the property. . Other clubs in Central Florida include: Alachua Astronomy Club (Gainesville) Central Florida Astronomical Society (Seminole County) Local Group of Deep Sky Observers (Sarasota . If your equipment sells, please come back and modify your post title with "--SOLD". We cant see through clouds or rain. The Local Group of Deep Sky Observers is an organization for astronomy enthusiasts in the Sarasota/Bradenton (Tampa Bay area) of Florida. Astronomy Club at FIU - Miami Brevard Astronomical Society Central Florida Astronomical Society, Seminole County Chiefland Astronomy Village is the current host of the well-known Chiefland Fall Star Party and also monthly star parties on their dedicated observing field. BIG CYPRESS NIGHT SKY PROGRAMS The Rangers at Big Cypress present frequent dark sky programs. If you arrive before Sunset the park charges an entrance fee of $1.50 per person. (click for directions). Our Observatory Team opens up the Moore Observatory at FSW Charlotte Campus (26000 Airport Road, Punta Gorda) on the third Friday of each month. Your browser is not supported for this experience.We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari. Our Observatory Team opens up the Moore Observatory at FSW Charlotte Campus (26000 Airport Road, Punta Gorda) on the third Friday of each month. On weekend nights, you can catch a planetarium star show and then climb to the rooftop observatory. Prior to complete darkness, visitors can not be admitted into the observatory as the equipment needs to be setup and aligned with the stars each time but early arrivers are welcome to enjoy views of the lake and the scenery of the campus from the lakeside picnic tables. Kayak on the Steinhatchee River. Online or connected star maps are an awesome way to plan your observing or shoot. WELCOME TO THE SONORA ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY WEBSITE . Stop by and see what's up any Saturday night, we're looking forward to sharing the South Florida night sky with you. Named after mile marker 63 on highway I75. He brought with him an optical tube assembly for a 6-inch f/15 refractor. Cameras and/or binoculars are encouraged! The Night Sky Network program is dedicated to helping astronomy clubs in t See more 231,284 people like this Let's face it, learning Astrophotography is hard! The Saguaro Astronomy Club (SAC) was formed in 1977 to promote fellowship and the exchange of information among its members amateur astronomers. We have subgroups within the club. Hike through a nearby reserve and even tried archery! Our affordable family memberships (only $25) are a great way to learn, grow, meet new friends and stay involved in astronomy and astrophotography. Novice group meetings are held at various times throughout the year; announcements will appear in the SAC Newsletter. "We could reach a larger audience this way," says Hochhalter. Several functions may not work. Wether you are a newcomer to the hobby or a long time observing veteran, our range of events, programs, member interests, and observing aids can be at your disposal. No matter. Observing is weather permitting. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Upon entering, dont be alarmed if it looks like someone has already made themselves at home - the room will be bathed in soft light, the smell of cranberry-orange wafted from a lit candle, and Pachelbel's Canon playing in the background. Please contact the club for up-to-date information on their viewing schedules, telescope availability, membership info, and public outreach programs. While the building is owned by the county, all the equipment in it is owned by the club, and the costs for maintaining it as well as the cost for power, phone and even this web site are wholly borne by the SFAAA. You can use the school's telescopes to observe the moon, stars and planets. BIG CYPRESS NIGHT SKY PROGRAMS The Rangers at Big Cypress present frequent dark sky programs. However, please be aware that we are a non-profit organization that does not receive any funding from the County. The Bishop is pleased to announce that the manatees in our care have been successfully rehabilitated and returned to their natural environment. Use it to locate a planet, the Moon, or the Sun and track their movements across the sky. Lastly, please bear in mind that there can be no standardized agenda for observing as the objects we are able to see continually change over time as the night sky unfolds above us. There are 18 permanent planetariums in the state of FL that feature space and astronomy programs. The public sessions are free and held weather permitting. Another subgroup within the club is the Novice Group. Open to the public, meetings are held on the fourth Friday of each month at the Science Center of Pinellas County. Government Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Things To Do Programs and Events. This is the (open-to-the-public) Facebook page for The Local Group Of Deep Sky Observers, a Sarasota/Bradenton, Florida (and vicinity) astronomy club. Welcome! At the pier's tip, you can search the southern sky for Orion, the constellation marked by three stars in a diagonal that's supposed to represent the hunter's belt. The Santa Cruz Astronomy Club serves all communities in Santa Cruz County, California and neighboring areas. We meet the 1st Thursday of each month (7:00 P.M.) at the Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Avenue, Fort Myers, FL 33905-7811 and on Zoom (check newsletter for link).