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Watch this space for details of coming events
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Complete list of assignments, grouped by week.
See the next section for available dates.
Sep.3-4-5 Yosemite National Park
Oct. 7 -- Holding, Saratoga
Oct.11 -- Stocklmier Elementary, Sunnyvale
Oct.12 -- Stocklmier Elementary, Sunnyvale
Oct.13 -- Sunnyvale Middle, Sunnyvale (!)
Oct.14 -- Antonio Del Buono Elementary, Gilroy
Oct.28 -- Benjamin Bubb Elementary, Mountain View
Nov. 5 -- Bachrodt Academy, San Jose
Nov. 8 -- Silver Oak Elementary, E San Jose
Nov. 9 -- San Miguel Elementary, Sunnyvale
Nov.10 -- Toyon Elementary, E.San Jose
Nov.11 -- Holding, San Jose
Nov.13 -- Live Oak Academy, San Jose
Nov.17 -- Amber Elementary, NW San Jose
Nov.30 -- Holding, Sunnyvale
Dec. 7 -- Holding, Sunnyvale
Dec. 9 -- Carson Elementary, San Jose
Dec.13 -- Holding, Saratoga
Dec.14 -- Charter Discovery Elementary, W. San Jose
2011
Jan.12 -- Holding, Milpitas
Feb. 8 -- Now available
Feb.10 -- Hacienda Science Magnet (Elementary) School, San Jose
Mar. 4 -- Nordstrom Elementary, Morgan Hill
Mar. 8 -- Holding, W. San Jose
Mar. 9 -- Holding, Milpitas
Mar.10 -- Sunnyvale Middle, Sunnyvale (!)
Available and desirable dates
See the previous section for assigned dates.
Note: Many Friday nights are assigned to SJAA events, so they
are not available for schools.
Desirability is determined by the phase of the Moon. The moon is
spectacular and well-liked, very desirable for a public event.
Such dates are:
September 14-16;
October 16;
November 14;
December 11-12.
2011:
January 8-11, 13;
February 6-8, 9, 12;
March 12-14;
April 6-7, 9-12;
May 6-11.
Dates with no moon in the evening sky are more plentiful.
There are many star clusters, colorful double stars, etc.,
so the sky is very rewarding. Consider:
September 11-13, 28-30;
October 2-6, 8-10, 26-27, 30;
November 1-4, 6-7, 27-29;
December 1-6, 8, 23, 27-30.
2011:
January 2-7, 21-27, 29-31;
February 1-5, 20-24, 26-28;
March 1-3, 5-7, 21-24; 26-31;
April 1-5, 19-21, 23-30;
May 1-5, 19-26, 28-31.
Too much moon makes it difficult to show anything but a few
bright objects, so we try to stay away from the nearly-full
moon. It's a poor show, and not fair to the students (nor
to the astronomers). But we could use:
September 17-27;
October 17-25;
November 15-16, 18-24;
December 15-22
2011:
January 16-20;
February 13-18;
March 15-18, 20;
April 13-15, 17-18;
May 12, 15-18
-- if nothing else is available.
Approximate starting times through the year:
The earliest practical time is probably 6:30 pm, allowing
parents to get home, eat, and get to school. That's as early
as we prefer to start. But in late spring thru early fall, the
sun sets rather late, and star parties must start late, too.
On July 1, we would start at 9:45; July 15, 9:30;
August 1, 9:15; August 15, 9:00; September 1, 8:45; September 15, 8:15;
October 1, 7:45; October 15, 7:30; November 1, 7:15.
DST ends on Nov.7, 2010, so the earliest start time drops to 6:30 and
remains there for a few months.
By February 15 the sun sets later, and start time moves up
to 6:45 pm; March 1, 7:00; March 12, 7:15.
On March 13 2011 we advance the clocks, and start time jumps to 8:15.
By April 1, 8:30; April 14, 8:45; May 1, 9;00; May 15, 9:15;
June 1, 9:30; June 15, 9:45.
And the cycle repeats.
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Last updated:
2010 September 2, 1054
hours, pdt
