Until further notice all WVAC Meetings will be virtual using ZOOM Please check upcoming meeting for changes.
Where We Normally would Meet:
17540 Avenue Of The Arts, Surprise, Arizona (Unitarian Universalist Church)
(WVAC is not affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Church)
We meet nine times a year from September to May
General Meetings are held the first Tuesday of the month unless indicated (*)
2020: Sep 1st , Oct 6th, Nov 5th (* Thurs.), Dec 1st
2021: Jan 5th, Feb 2nd, Mar 2nd, April 6th, May 4th.
We offer a Members only December Holiday Party and May Picnic
All meetings will begin at 7:00pm Arizona time unless otherwise indicated.
Our meetings feature great Guest Speakers – including staff astronomers from Arizona Observatories or professional astronomers from Arizona universities.
Not a paid member? We welcome all visitors. If you enjoy the program we ask that you show your appreciation by contributing to our Donation Scope or joining the club.
Future Meetings
December 1, 2020 Club Member Presentations and Business Meeting
The December meeting will be both physical and virtual; per church guidelines only 25 members will be permitted to attend the physical meeting. Please request to be added to the list by sending an email to wvacstars@gmail.com
The December program will consist of presentations from club members.
Title: Amateur Spectroscopy
Presenter: Bruce Barron
Bruce will talk about his experience doing spectroscopy from his back yard. He
has measured the spectrum of over 2500 stars. Based on his experience he will
be a great resource for club members interested in this type of astronomy.
Title: Astronomy Planning using Telescopius
Presenter: Bob Colvert (Time Permitting)
Telescopius is a free to use website with a lot of useful features for planning a
viewing session. Bob will do a walk through of the Telescopius website and
demonstrate the most useful features for creating a viewing plan.
Following the members presentation there will be a club business meeting and the announcement of election results for club officers.
Passcode: Welcome
January 5, 2021 Kitt Peak National Observatory Presentation
Presenter: Casey Good
Title: Kitt Peak National Observatory and Visitor Center in the 2020s:
Topic: Casey will provide a discussion of the major scientific endeavors of the observatory and the current and planned Visitor Center programs available to members of the public. Casey Good Bio: Casey Good is a public outreach specialist at Kitt Peak, where he developed astrophotography programs based on the needs of today’s hobbyist, having started out as one in his backyard. Casey has been recognized internationally for his work, having been awarded over 20 Astronomy Picture of the Day awards from NASA, Amateur APOD, Astrobin and others, and selected as one of Insight’s Astrophotographer of the year in 2019. In “real life” Casey is the Chief Financial Officer of a hospital in Tucson.
February 2, 2021 Presentation to WVAC
Presenter: Will Oldroyd
Will is a graduate student at NAU studying Astronomy and Planetary Science. He grew up in Provo, Utah and graduated from Brigham Young University in Physics and Astronomy with minors in Math, Geology, and Spanish. Will’s main research focuses on searching for a mysterious undiscovered giant planet—called Planet X—hidden in the distant outer solar system. Some of the most exciting parts of this research are using supercomputers to visualize how the planets are connected through gravity and using some of the biggest telescopes on Earth (or off of it) to discover new worlds. When he’s finished with school, Will plans on becoming a professor so he can continue studying the universe and share new discoveries with others. In his spare time, Will enjoys hiking and playing board games with his wife and son.
Presentation: “The Search for Planet X” We will discuss the history and current state of the hunt for a hidden world orbiting deep in the far reaches of our solar system.
March 2, 2021 Discovery of the Dark Sky
Presenter: Luke Edens
Title: Discovery of the Dark Sky
Topic: Luke will share with the audience his experience on learning the night sky, mission of the International Dark-Sky Association, awareness about light pollution, basics of astrophotography and the astronomical resources available to the public within Arizona.
Luke Edens’s Bio: Luke works full time in healthcare and enjoys spending his free time exploring archaeological sites, viewing the night sky, hiking and kayaking the Southwest. He is a volunteer Arizona Site Steward for archaeological preservation and Vice President of the Friends of Agua Fria National Monument (FAFNM) where he volunteers as outreach coordinator and chairperson of their dark sky committee. He is also an active member of their cultural committee. Luke’s interest in archaeology has led him to look upward as he explores his favorite topic, archeoastronomy (cultural astronomy). Luke has organized several outreach events and night sky parties for the FAFNM.
Luke is also, the Vice President of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) Phoenix Area Chapter. He is an active member with IDA having attended the IDA 2019 annual meeting and conference. His goal is to preserve the natural night sky heritage and teach others about the effects of light pollution.
May 4th, 2021 WVAC Picnic/Swap Meet/Star Party (Alex Vrenios will be bring his Solar Telescope COOL) (Event Volunteers needed)
Typical meeting agendas are as follows:
- Coffee and Cookies Available
- Opening Welcome and Remarks
- Guest Speaker presentation with Q&A
- Announcements
- Door Prize and 50/50 Raffle
- Club Workshop (if time permits)
- Closing Remarks
Or you can view details of our previous meetings.