About us
Welcome to SJ Astronomy Meetup. We are an active group with a lot of events organized by the San Jose Astronomical Association. All events posted to this Meetup are open to the public but please note that joining this meetup does not automatically make you a member of SJAA. Becoming a formal member of SJAA provides members-only benefits, so we do encourage you to join. Please check out the membership benefits at https://www.sjaa.net/membership/benefits-of-membership-2/ to learn more and to join the club.
Also, please note that we need a profile picture for security reasons to join this group. Please consider uploading one before you send a request to join the group. Looking forward to sharing this cool hobby with all of you!
Upcoming events
19
Astro 101: Outreach & Science Communication Training (online)
·OnlineOnlineUnlike our typical Astro101 presentations that are meant to introduce you to astronomy science as well as observing techniques and equipment, this presentation is geared towards those who want to become astronomy outreach volunteers. Being a good outreach host, sharing telescope views or science activities with visitors, naturally requires some astronomy knowledge as well as equipment expertise. In addition, a third critical piece is science communication skill.
While this presentation will address all three components of being a good outreach host, it emphasizes science communication (or sci-com), as it may be the most difficult skill to absorb from typically available resources. You'll get an idea of what to expect as an outreach host and tips for speaking to your audience in an engaging and informative manner.
If you want to help promote astronomy to the public (with SJAA or elsewhere), or even if you're just toying with the idea, join us for this training presentation! In parts, this event's format will be like a workshop, so expect to share some of your thoughts and ideas. You'd definitely be doing it as an outreach volunteer, so you might as well start here where we can all practice.
The talk will be presented by Wolf Witt. Wolf is not an actual astronomer, nor has he ever played one on TV. However, he's been interested in outer space since he was a kid and still thinks that the universe is an amazing place. He's been with SJAA since 2013, and now he'll share with you some of what he's learned.
This event is an on-line Zoom event, complementing our in-person events in Houge Park.
Many of SJAA’s events, like this one, are public and free to attend, but if you’re enjoying what SJAA has to offer, consider becoming a paid member for only $20 per year: https://www.sjaa.net/membership/benefits-of-membership-2/
12 attendees
Astro 101: Moons of The Solar System
Houge Park, 3972 Twilight Dr, San Jose, CA, USThis event is one of several different introductions to astronomy offered by SJAA. In our solar system, the planets often get all the attention, but the moons have a lot going for them! This presentation visits our planets from Mercury to Pluto, but we'll focus on their moons to learn more about their diversity, how they came to be and the interplay they have with their host planets. At the end, you'll have a greater appreciation for our amazing solar system neighborhood.
We'll take the first 15 minutes to give a short tour of the night sky using the planetarium software Stellarium. The talk will start at 6:00.
The talk will be presented by Wolf Witt. Wolf is not an actual astronomer, nor has he ever played one on TV. However, he's been interested in outer space since he was a kid and still thinks that the universe is an amazing place. He's been with SJAA since 2013, and now he'll share with you his enthusiasm and some of what he's learned about the cosmos. Maybe you'll think it's amazing, too.
Many of SJAA’s events, like this one, are public and free to attend, but if you’re enjoying what SJAA has to offer, consider becoming a paid member for only $20 per year: https://www.sjaa.net/membership/benefits-of-membership-2/
This talk is free of charge. Just come and enjoy the show. After the talk, you can check out telescopes that will be set up as part of our In-Town Star Party. (See In Town Star Party event on Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/sj-astronomy/events/315836645/)Many of SJAA’s events, like this one, are public and free to attend, but if you’re enjoying what SJAA has to offer, consider becoming a paid member for only $20 per year: https://www.sjaa.net/membership/benefits-of-membership-2/
During this event, we will ask all visitors to sign in, so that we can report attendance numbers to the city of San Jose, as San Jose has made Houge Park facilities available to SJAA to serve the public. The sign-in form will not require any detailed personal information.
Image borrowed from BBC Science Focus: https://www.sciencefocus.com/space/the-solar-systems-top-20-moons-ranked-why-because-we-can
26 attendees
Past events
1181
