Events: Quarterly Meetings / Public Viewings / Field Trips / Movie Nights / Outreach / Calendar View
You can find our different events for the quarters under their various headings. Use the navigation above if you want to find something specific, or just scroll on down to look at everything.
We hold a single meeting at the beginning of each Quarter at UCD to discuss upcoming plans for the quarter, grab new members, and get together. They last about an hour and are fun and educational!
★ Fall Quarter 2009 : Thursday, October 8th @ 7:30 pm in 525 PhysGeo
★ Winter Quarter 2010 : Thursday, January TBA @ 7:30 pm in TBA PhysGeo
★ Spring Quarter 2010 : Thursday, April TBA @ 7:30 pm in TBA PhysGeo
Public Viewings are the events in which the Astronomy Club tries to bring astronomy to anyone and everyone. At the moment, the Hutchison Observatory is undergoing renovations, so the only Public Viewings are held on the Physics and Geology building roof every other Friday. We bring out telescopes and show visitors all sorts of objects, from planets to galaxies. This viewing is great for large groups and children. Everyone is welcome. Directions to get to the roof will be posted on the night of the event.
★ Friday, October 23rd, from 8 to 9 pm (hosted by Dulce and Lauren) Moon: 29% illuminated, Jupiter, and some deep sky!
★ Friday, November 6th, from 8 to 9 pm (hosted by Dulce and Lauren) Moon: 80% illuminated, Jupiter, star clusters, and some binary stars!
★ Friday, November 20th, from 8 to 9 pm (hosted by Dulce and Lauren) Deep Sky!
Field Trips is an all encompassing term to mean anytime we go anywhere off of campus as a club. Are main field trips are a one night trip to the UCO Lick Observatory, a weekend camping trip at Mono Lake, and a day trip to Chabot Space and Science Center. Below you will find dates and extra information about each trip this quarter.
★ Lick Observatory Tour ★
Date: Not till Spring quarter! We meet at the Chancellor's Parking lot (the lot next to the PhysGeo building) at 2:30 pm and leave very shortly afterwards. We come back to Davis late, usually around 2 am the next morning.
Cost: Free admittance, but please bring money for gas and toll. You may also wish to bring money for the gift shop and dinner.
Coordinator:
Sign up: To sign up, please put your name, e-mail address, whether or not you can drive and how many passengers you can take on the sign up sheet on the door of the club room at 549 PhysGeo or e-mail this information to the coordinator.
The Lick Observatory very graciously offers us knowledgeable guides who take as around all of the facilities including the Shane 120 inch reflector. You learn a ton about modern astronomy at this site and the history of the observatory and the man behind it, James Lick. We also get a chance to look at objects through the amazing 36 inch refractor with it's moving floor. Truly a wonderful trip and learning experience. It gets breezy on the mountain, so dress warmly!
★ Mono Lake Camping Trip ★
Date: Saturday and Sunday, October 24th and 25th. We will meet and leave at 8 am SHARP in the Chancellor's parking lot (lot next to PhysGeo building) on Saturday. We will stay at Mono Lake overnight and return late afternoon on Sunday.
Coordinators: Rachel (rlpeters at ucdavis.edu)
Cost: $35 to cover gas, food, and firewood. This amount should be placed in a sealed envelope with your name and e-mail address on the front. The envelope can be turned in to a roof helper or slid under the door or the club room at 549 PhysGeo. If you are uncomfortable with this, please contact the coordinator for alternate arrangements. Cash is preferred, but checks made out to Rachel Peters are acceptable.
Sign up: To go on this trip, you must turn in your money by Thursday, October 22nd by 6 pm. To unofficially sign up, you can e-mail the coordinator. Unfortunately, we cannot save your spot until the money is turned in.
Mono Lake is a beautiful place where there is absolutely no light pollution and we have a chance to see the sky as it's truly meant to be seen. If you haven't seen this before, you will be amazed by the beautiful sight and millions of stars you never knew existed. For more information about the trip and a checklist of what to download, please check out the pdf file here.
★ Chabot Space and Science Center ★Date: Saturday, November 14th. We'll meet at the Chancellor's parking lot at 3 pm and carpool to the center together. We'll return back to Davis late that night (midnightish).
Cost: You will need $10 for admission and the planetarium show. You will also need to bring money for gas, toll, dinner, and the gift shop.
Coordinator: Dulce (dulgonzalez at ucdavis.edu)
Sign up: To sign up, please put your name, e-mail address, whether or not you can drive and how many passengers you can take on the sign up sheet on the door of the club room at 549 PhysGeo or e-mail this info to the coordinator.
Chabot Space and Science Center is an excellent place. We'll arrive and spend time playing with all of the hands-on activities, and then we'll visit the gift shop and catch a planetarium show. We'll break for dinner down in Oakland proper and then return to Chabot for their public viewing. You can find more information at their website: http://www.chabotspace.org/
★ California Academy of the Sciences ★
Date: Winter quarter. We'll meet at the Chancellor's parking lot at 11 am and carpool to the center together. We'll return back to Davis in the evening (7 pm ish).
Cost: You will need $20 (25 for non-student adult) for admission and the planetarium show. You will also need to bring money for gas, toll, and parking, to be divided equally among everyone. Optionally, you can bring money for lunch and the gift shop.
Coordinator:
Sign up: To sign up, please put your name, e-mail address, whether or not you can drive and how many passengers you can take on the sign up sheet on the door of the club room at 549 PhysGeo or e-mail this info to the coordinator.
Welcome to our newest field trip option! The California Academy of the Sciences is newly renovated and is located in Golden Gate Park of San Francisco. There are many things to play with, an aquarium, and a brand spanking new planetarium! Visit their website at http://calacademy.org/ for more information.
Movie Nights are the Astronomy Club's excuse to be a little geeky, a little nerdy, and to have a ton of fun. We pick a SciFi movie and get together to watch it on the large screen in 55 Roessler Hall. Movies are voted on the night of from a selection brought by the coordinators. However, you are welcome and encouraged to bring your own SciFi movies to add to the voting pool. Snack and drinks are usually brought, but feel free to bring your own additions, sort of pot luck style. Blankets and pillows are not amiss either.
★ Thursday, October 15th @ 8 pm : TBA
★ Thursday, October 29th @ 8 pm: TBA
★ Thursday, November 12th @ 8 pm : TBA
★ Thursday, December 3rd @ 8 pm : TBA
Outreach events are how the Astronomy Club helps out in the community by bringing telescopes and speakers to schools, clubs, and the like. If you are interested in having the Astronomy Club come to you, please e-mail the officers listed on the Officers page and we will try our hardest to set something up. Events are listed below. Please pay attention to whether they are open (to the public) or closed (private events). If an event is closed, Astronomy Club members are invited to come help out but not to attend as guests. Open events are open to all visitors, but you may have to contact a coordinator first.