Astro 101: So You Want to be an Amateur Astronomer

This event is one of several different introductions to astronomy offered by SJAA. This talk provides a comprehensive overview of amateur astronomy, starting simply and working its way up to introduce advanced concepts. You'll hear about star constellations, about types of sky objects and associated observing conditions, and about different observing tools. Through this talk, we hope you'll see astronomy as a scientific as well as a deeply reflective pursuit, full of joy and wonder.

Using the planetarium software Stellarium, we'll take the first 15 minutes to show a preview of the night sky as you'll see it during the subsequent star party. The talk will start at 6:30.

This talk will be presented by Kal Krishnan. Kal is an amateur astronomer whose passion for the cosmos began in the light-polluted skies of Mumbai with a pair of inexpensive binoculars from his father. In the 1990s, Kal rekindled his love for the stars when he acquired a used 8” Meade LX200 telescope, deepening his involvement from a visual observer to a dedicated astrophotographer. His mission now is to share the same sense of awe and excitement that has fueled his own journey and inspire others no matter the tools at their disposal.

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/310913054/)

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.

Event photo: Milky Way photograph by Kal Krishnan