The San Juan Stargazers will hold their next monthly meeting on Thursday, Feb. 1, at the Community United Methodist Church at 434 Lewis St.
You can use the parking lot and enter at the side door right off the parking area. You enter the kitchen and go to the large meeting room. We usually leave the front doors locked.
There will be a social hour starting at 6 p.m. with coffee/tea and treats. You can bring something to share if you would like. This is a chance to visit with other members and if you have a question about astronomy, I’m certain we will find someone with a good answer.
We have two different topics for this meeting, the first one being the important eclipse this year on April 8. It will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. In the U.S. it will be visible from Texas to Maine. The next total solar eclipse that will be visible over North America will not happen until 2045. This year might be an important one for you to catch if you want to see totality.
The eclipse will be visible in Pagosa as an approximate 64 percent partial eclipse which should still be exciting and will require special glasses for you to safely view.
Club members who are remaining in Pagosa will gather for the eclipse with anyone who wants to join them in Centennial Park at the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership amphitheater along the Riverwalk.
Hopefully our members can answer questions and document anything special that happens in Pagosa. Please feel welcome to join in a rare event of the moon passing between the sun and the earth.
If anyone (in the community or any club members) has questions about the eclipse, come to our meeting at 7 p.m. and we should have answers. Since this is an important eclipse, our club has the responsibility for making sure that everyone in our community has the correct information to decide where they want to be and how they want to see it. We are here to help you.
The second topic for the night will be Mercury, “an extreme little planet” from a Great Courses lesson. We will have a summary to read and discuss and then have a video presentation by our favorite lady astronomer, Dr. Sabine Stanley. It should be fascinating. She always does a great job.
Webinar
The Stargazers will host a webinar on Stellarium at 7 p.m. on Jan. 31.
During the colder months, using a planetarium app allows you to explore the night sky from the comfort of your home. It will simulate any location on Earth at any time, past, present or future. The San Juan Stargazers use Stellarium to prepare and outline our night sky programs including the moon phase, visible planets, visible constellations and deep-sky objects.
This webinar will be a demonstration of the free online planetarium app Stellarium. If you already use it and are thinking of upgrading to reasonably priced Stellarium Plus, the demo will include features of the paid version, such as Field of View simulation and Telescope Control.
To access this webinar, go to the events page on the Stargazer website, sanjuanstargazers.org, to register before Jan. 30. You will receive an email on the day prior with the link to the Zoom call. You can simply click the Zoom link in a browser on your computer to join.
If you plan on joining the call on your mobile device, you will need to install the Zoom app before the webinar.
Installing the free Stellarium app before the webinar is recommended, but not required.
It is assumed participants have some minimal knowledge of astronomy. We will not be teaching astronomical concepts. This is a software demonstration. First-timers are welcome to attend. We are in no way affiliated with the company that developed Stellarium, we just think that it is truly amazing, easy to use and well worth your time to add to your skill set. It is super-fun to use.
About the Stargazers
If you would like to join the San Juan Stargazers, you will also receive Reflector Magazine, which is the publication of the National Astronomical League of which you automatically become a member.
To join both groups and get an excellent astronomy magazine, annual membership is only $25 per family. You can join the club at any of our events or you can join using PayPal on our website, sanjuanstargazers.org.
Check out our continuously improving website with new information and fabulous photos.
