The San Jose Astronomical Association conducts evening observing sessions (commonly called "star parties") for schools in mid-Santa Clara County, generally from Sunnyvale to Fremont to Morgan Hill.

• north of Fremont: Eastbay Astronomical Society;
• south of Morgan Hill: the Mira Observers Group;
• north of Sunnyvale: Peninsula Astronomical Society;
• north of Palo Alto: San Mateo County Astronomical Society;
• nearer San Francisco: San Francisco Amateur Astronomers.

• Read the Teacher's Page page to get an overview of what is needed.
• Consult the list of available dates and your school calendar to find a suitable date. Recheck there to be sure the date is still available. Be sure to obtain the Principal's permission for the event, and for us to drive onto the grounds.
• Write Jim and ask him to assign the date. If you have questions, ask him to hold the date while you/we get answers.
• Get some idea where we might enter and set up. Ask Jim for an evening visit at school, to identify lighting problems and decide how we'll enter the grounds.
• Continue the e-mail dialog to hammer out all the details:
  1. agreed-on date;
  2. sunset time, which dictates the earliest starting time;
  3. what celestial objects might be visible;
     (Jim supplies the above two items.)
  4. approximate school enrollment, what grades will be invited.
  5. With that set, you can prepare publicity for the event.
  6. We need to talk (just a few minutes) on event day, for weather
     considerations and as a final readiness check.
     Please supply:
     1. a phone number for Jim to call you on event day; and
     2. the time when you can take a call, ideally 11:40 am.
     
     Now for the physical plant information:

  7. name and address of the school;
  8. where we will enter to bring in the telescopes, often from the back or side;
  9. where we will set up, typically basketball or other paved play area;
     (These are best determined by a preliminary visit.)
  10. what time the gate must be unlocked, typically 90 minutes before start time;
  11. what lights must be turned off or covered;
  12. what sprinklers must be turned off.
      (Two more topics for that preliminary visit.)
• Enjoy the evening! -- the payoff for all that hard work.
• Make preliminary plans for next year.

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Pictures are needed that were taken at schools. Click image to see a larger version.

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Mail to Jim Van Nuland.

Last updated: 2013 January 24, 1416, 1532 hours, pst

Teacher's page moved to first link;
fix broken nested ordered list(s)