Membership to the National Astronomical League
The San Juan Stargazers Astronomy Club is part of the National Astronomical League which includes clubs from all over the USA. There are over 20,000 members. You belong to our little club, but you can communicate & compete with other amateur astronomers. You automatically are a member of both groups. Some club members keep their own Observing Logs and are working to complete some of the Observing Programs detailed on the League’s website. The Stargazers club provides guidance, your own Excel Spreadsheet to log your observations, and will get you started, if you’d like to start an observing program! Once you have completed the requirements for the program, the club will review your log and submit it to the Astronomical League for recognition. Upon completion, the observer receives recognition (certificate, pin, etc.) from the League and their name also appears in the Reflector Magazine.
Twice a year, in the Spring & Fall we take part in a national activity called ASTRONOMY DAY when clubs from all over have learning events to promote the study of Astronomy. In the spring it is in April or May and sometimes in conjunction with Earth Day. In the Fall, it is usually the last Saturday in September or the first Saturday in October. Our club always takes part, with activities for children & adults. We try to have a solar telescope so we can see “our favorite star.”
Reflector Magazine
All club members receive a subscription to Reflector Magazine which is the quarterly publication of the Astronomical League. This is an especially meaningful magazine which tells of the many activities of the Astronomical League. There is so much for people to do to learn more about Astronomy. A club like ours wants & has a wide spectrum of members from the very beginners to professional astronomers. Being part of the Astronomical League & receiving Reflector takes our club as far as anyone might want to go with activities & increasing their knowledge & skills. There are many types of telescope observing contests such as the Messier Marathon, with published awards. If a person observes something special, there is a readily available source to publish photos & share the experience. It takes us from being a small club of 70 members to a club with over 20,000 members to communicate & compete with. A person can meet with us & then have a fierce competition with the brightest & best from all over the U.S.. We encourage our members to take part in League activities. We have small gifts or monitory rewards for our members’ League accomplishments. It is worthwhile in many ways to be working on something with the League & using this fabulous tool that means there is no limit to what you can do & learn in Astronomy.
The League has a great website where books & booklets are reasonably priced & especially valuable for serious observers. The booklet I highly recommend for everyone with a telescope is: MESSIER OBJECTS A BEGINNERS GUIDE. It is so valuable that Joan has copies of it & other books available for immediate purchase. Call her or ask at our next event. We try to keep the best books available so you can look at them & then have them immediately.
Night Sky Program at Chimney Rock
Night Sky Programs held at Chimney Rock National Monument are free of charge to club members. Our programs are carefully scheduled so that one, each month, is close to the New Moon, which means there is no visible moon and the sky is very dark. We call these Stars & Galaxies Parties. Our 2nd kind of Star Party is called Our Solar System or Moon Viewing, approximately 2 weeks before or after Stars & Galaxies. This is when the surface of the moon is most sharply visible.
Educational Programs
Monthly club meetings and email distribution for members to keep you connected. Educational programs and regular guest speakers who will truly expand your perspective of the universe!
Discounts
Club members receive a substantial discount when ordering ASTRONOMY MAGAZINE or SKY AND TELESCOPE MAGAZINE. You do need to ask for an Astronomy Club discount when you place your order & you may need our club number which is always located on our club membership lists. The discount is much larger if you order for multiple years.
Use of Club Telescopes
Through generous donations, the club has several reflector telescopes (tripod and Dobsonian mounts) and several refractor telescopes. Members join together in learning to use these telescopes at Club Star Parties. Thinking of purchasing a telescope? Learn about the different telescopes owned by the club. Learn from other members who own their own telescopes, as well. With this experience, you can make an educated decision on your purchase.
Club Library
The Club has a library of books available to members as well as a bookstore.
Community Engagement
The San Juan Stargazers have the responsibility of keeping the members of our local community informed about all astronomy events and happenings. When helpful we set up telescopes for free viewing in our parks. We publish educational articles in our local newspaper.
We believe that we have a special responsibility to the school age children of our community. Every spring, we have an out-reach program for 8th graders at our Middle School to let them know what our club is about. If there is interest, we may have learning activities for students and their parents or a brief private star party at school. We especially welcome interested students to ALL OF OUR EVENTS. We hope that being in the 4th of July Parade will increase interest for our young people.
We also contribute Astronomy activities at Chimney Rock in May & October when students come for free school- group tours before the monument opens to the public.
We are collecting money for a scholarship for a student who participates in astronomy activities while in school in Pagosa. The sale of the fabulous Space Mysteries Calendars & money from our bookstore & donations all contribute to the scholarship fund.
