The San Juan Stargazers is an astronomy club meeting in Pagosa Springs, with activities in south-western Colorado and members from all over the US. It was founded in 2012 by Joan Mieritz and Jerry Granock, initially having about 10 members. It has grown significantly over the years. We currently have 79 members. We meet monthly to share information and practice astronomy. Education is a primary focus of our club! There is an endless amount of information to learn about our ever-changing universe and it is a never-ending goal to increase our knowledge & understanding. This happens with every small step that you take, every program you attend, every book & article you read & with every TV program that you watch. You become like a sponge & absorb knowledge. The club is here to help you by answering your questions & clarifying what you are learning.
Mission: To practice astronomy, learn about the inspiring grandeur of the amazing universe, and share scientific knowledge with each other and our community.
We do this best by hosting educational events and having guest speakers. Through our monthly meetings we share videos, written information, current sky events, discussions about astronomy & answering your individual questions.
We also attempt to have Club Star Parties every month that the weather allows. There are several homes in Pagosa Springs & several parks where we gather with telescopes. When we are at someone’s home we can spend time outside & then conveniently come inside to warm up, sometimes by a roaring fire & with hot chocolate, hot cider, tea and treats.
We have a full schedule of activities and programs planned each summer mostly at Chimney Rock National Monument with visitors from all over the world. The upper parking lot has a fantastic view of the night sky & is a great location for telescopes. Please go to the Events page for details.
Contact us via email at sjstargazers@gmail.com
Joan Mieritz – President
Paul Kriescher – Vice President
Rhonda Julian – Treasurer
Dena Laterza – Communication Secretary
Ann Marie Kemp-Education/Great Courses
Our Monthly Meetings are on the First Thursday of every month. They are held at the COMMUNITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH at 434 Lewis Street in Pagosa Spring. There is a large parking lot on the East side of the church & street parking. We do not use the front main doors to the church which we keep locked, but we use a side door that is off the parking lot & leads right into the kitchen and large meeting room.
Social Time, with hot drinks & maybe a treat, is 6:00-7:00 PM. It is a wonderful time to get caught up on questions you may have, verify relevant information & visit with great people who may soon become your friends.
The meeting begins at 7 PM. And the educational program starts sharply at 7:10.
After the program we discuss up-coming events & other club business. Introductions of guests & members are made with the remaining time.
The educational & major part of our meetings include a guest speaker, as often as possible. If there is no speaker we currently use programs from The Great Courses; Experiencing Hubble: Understanding the Greatest Images of the Universe and Our Night Sky: Learning How to Become an Expert Stargazer.
With Great Courses there is a written lesson summarized & presented by Ann Marie Kemp & a video presentation with an outstanding PhD. Astronomer. Anyone from a beginner to an advanced astronomer can benefit from these lessons. The wonder of Astronomy is that EVERYONE has a lot to learn & each lesson contributes to your knowledge. There is ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY to ask questions to get clarification. If you have a question it is almost certain that someone else has that same question. What you learn each night may be interesting to awe-inspiring. Most of the time we end our lessons in absolute wonder and amazement.
The meeting is adjourned about 8:30 PM, but those wanting to stay longer can, & help clean-up.
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IT IS A UNIVERSE BEYOND WORDS AND STARGAZERS ARE AMAZING & CARING PEOPLE!!!