2010
Mar.10 -- Frost Elementary School SSet 6:10, start 7:15
Wednesday 530 Gettysburg Dr., SE S.J. 19% moon rises 4:11 am
Contact: Kristine Loeper, star party co-ordinator
The school runs an "Indigo" program -- lots of parent
partnership, multi-age classes. It is housed at Frost School,
but is run separately from the "main" Frost School.
We'll have about 100 students and families, grades K-5. With
the parent participation, we can expect that most will be there.
From Hwy.85, exit at Blossom Hill Rd. Go west or cross B.H. rd
W 0.2 mi. if coming from the south, to Blossom Ave. Light. Left.
S 0.0 mi. if coming from the north, you will be looking at
Blossom Avenue when at the light, at the foot of
the off-ramp. Cross Blossom Hill Rd.
When coming down the off-ramp, get in right lane,
then cross B.H.Rd when the light goes green.
S 0.2 mi. to Gettysburg Drive. No signs. Left.
Watch for a left-turn lane. It's shortly after
Canton Drive. The street sign is behind a tree.
E >0.2 mi, see school on right, seek second parking lot.
Pass the school buildings, see parking lot / dropoff area.
Enter the far "out" driveway, and you'll be looking at the play
area and at the part of the curb where we get up. Look for the
curb blocks.
Set up past the second row of basketball goals.
There are 4 low lights on a row of portables that can be covered
with foil. One bad one atop building, but it's aimed mostly away
from the setup area if we don't go too far south. A terrible pair
of lights on the after-school child care room can be tamed by
covering the motion-detector with foil. Allow 15 minutes.
Curb blocks yes, Al foil yes, "SJAA" sign, yes
====================================================
2010
Mar.11 -- Baldwin Elementary SSet 6:11, start 7:15
Thursday 280 Martinvale Lane, S.J. 12% moon rises 4:40 am
but enter on Burning Tree Dr.
Contacts: Brenda Hough, teacher
Mars early, but Saturn is low, so give it an hour to rise.
S. on Hwy.87, east on 85, exit @ Bernal Road. Right.
S, SW 1.1 mi. to Santa Teresa Ave. Light. CROSS.
SW 0.2 mi. to Polvadero Drive. No stop, no light. Right.
NW, SW 0.2 mi. around a bend to Burning Tree Drive. Tee. Right.
W 220 feet to gate in the fence, left side.
We are now behind the school, which is off to the left. Watch for
a gate in the fence. I'll have the 2x4 blocks to get up the curb.
Set up off left (southeast) of the buildings, near the large grass
field, but inward on the gridded area. Watch for two bad wall
lights, and set up in the dual shadow.
Curb blocks yes Al foil ??
====================================================
2010
Mar.12 -- Nordstrom School SSet 6:11, start 7:00 pm
Friday 1425 E. Dunne Ave., MorgHill 7% moon rises 5:05 am
Contact: Yvonne Hyatt, 3rd grade teacher
Five and a half classes of 3rd grade students, plus family
as usual, so we should have a nice group.
From Hwy.101, exit at E. Dunne Ave. East.
This is the Henry Coe Park exit.
ENE 0.3 mi. if coming from north;
ENE 0.05 mi if coming from south;
In any case, come to Condit. Light. Continue.
ENE 0.3 mi., see school on left.
Pass the school, turn left into parking lot, and straight
back through an inner gate. Bear left, make your way about
half way to the play equipment.
Set up along the north side (near the grass).
JVN: set up just west of some spindly trees, opposite two bad
lights; the latter need to be covered.
Lock outside gate when we leave.
Curb blocks no. Al foil yes
Complete list of assignments, grouped by week.
See the next section for available dates.
Mar.10 -- Frost Elementary, Indigo School
Mar.11 -- Baldwin Elementary, SE San Jose
Mar.12 -- Nordstrom Elementary, Morgan Hill
Mar.15 -- Branham High, San Jose
Mar.17 -- Sunnyvale Middle, Sunnyvale
Mar.18 -- Jackson Elementary, Morgan Hill
Mar.20 -- Holding, above Los Gatos
Mar.23 -- Vargas Elementary, Sunnyvale
Mar.24 -- Russell Middle, Milpitas
Apr.22 -- Columbia Middle, Sunnyvale
May 14 -- Holding, San Jose
Aug.12 -- Perseid Party at Calero County Park
Oct.13 -- Antonio Del Buono Elementary, Gilroy
Nov. 9 -- San Miguel Elementary, Sunnyvale
Nov.10 -- Toyon Elementary, E.San Jose
Nov.30 -- Holding, Sunnyvale
Dec. 9 -- Carson Elementary, San Jose
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:
March 21-22;
April 16-21;
May 17-20, 22.
September 13-16;
October 12-13, 16;
November 11, 13-14;
December 11-14.
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:
March 14, 16, 31;
April 1-8, 10-15, 30;
May 1-6, 8-13, 15-16, 30-31;
September 1-2, 6-12, 28-30;
October 2-11, 26-28, 30;
November 1-8, 27-29;
December 1-8, 23-31.
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:
March 25-26, 29-30;
April 23, 26-29;
May 23-28.
September 17-27;
October 17-25;
November 15-24;
December 15-22
-- 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 13, 7:15.
On March 14 2010 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 March 9, 1147, 1234, 1620, 2313
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