Two Public Star Gazes in May
Image credit: club member Jerry Sherman – taken at Grassland Mtn. Observatory
Continue to check this home page as weather could change the venue or postpone and possibly cancel a star gaze. Check again after 5:00 p.m. on the afternoon of the observing session for the latest info and update.
20 May 2022 — Friday night — This public star gaze will be held at Grassland Mountain Observatory in Madison County, with a weather backup night of Saturday, 21 May. This event is free and open to everyone — registration is not necessary to attend. For this star gaze, we are recommending that all attendees be fully vaccinated, with boosters, for COVID. No masks are required for this outdoor event. Visitors should understand that they attend at their own risk. A temporary gate code, required for entry, will be posted here by
5:00 p.m. on the day of the star gaze. Directions to Grassland Mountain Observatory can be found here. Sunset occurs at 8:32 p.m.
27 May 2022 — Friday night — The location for this star gaze will be Lookout Observatory on the UNC Asheville campus, with a weather backup date of Saturday, 28 May. While the event is free and open to everyone, pre-registration is required to attend. To learn more about how to register, please visit the UNCA Lookout Observatory website here. Sunset occurs at 8:37 p.m., with shuttle service beginning about 9:00 p.m.
25-27 May 2022
– Moon and
3 Planets Align at Dawn
Illustration courtesy of
Sky & Telescope
1-4 June 2022
– A Waxing Crescent Moon Passes through Gemini
Illustration courtesy of
Sky & Telescope
2 June 2022 – Club Meeting Presentation
— Thursday night, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
This free speaker presentation will be offered in-person at the UNC-Asheville Reuter Center and virtually online. Registration is not required; use this Zoom link to watch the presentation remotely.
Letting the Universe Erupt into the Classroom
– presented by
Enrique Alberto Gomez, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Western Carolina University
The introduction of the robotic telescopes into the classroom offers the opportunity for students in K-12 through college to engage with introductory astronomy content in new ways. One such way is when an optical transient event such as an exoplanet transit, a nova, a supernova or cataclysmic variable eruption occurs in the middle of the term. In a class using robotic telescopes, students can be invited to apply their observing skills to collect data for such an event as part of their learning experience. Read more…
