Sorry, 2023 Spring class is now full. The subscription is closed. Registration will open soon for a session to start in August.
When the sun goes down, a new perspective is revealed under a naturally dark sky. The faint starlight-powered glow of the galaxy we inhabit emerges with its dark bands of occulting star soot and islands of star clouds all heralded by thousands of our nearest stellar neighbors and ornamented with the wandering planets and shooting stars.
The night sky was an intimate part of our Ancestor's world - clock, calendar, compass, even Netflix as they hung the stories of their heroes, villains, and gods upon the patterns they saw in the stars. But few people today hold such familiarity with this, nature's grandest spectacle - a naturally dark sky.
You can join the increasingly rare people who are familiar with the night sky, and be able to confidently share it with others. If you love the outdoors why not learn to experience nature at night as well as in the day.
Focused on enjoying the night sky naked-eye or with binoculars, Observing 101 is a three-week series of approximately one-hour-long interactive small-group online sessions held at the same time and day of the week with experienced sky watchers. You'll learn the principal constellations, how to find your way around the sky through the seasons, and even how to judge and record light pollution as a citizen scientist. Along the way, we will take a minute to learn about responsible lighting practices to protect the remaining night sky resource we seek to enjoy and the nocturnal environment it is a part of.
Complete an optional observing challenge program to solidify what you learn, and you will receive an attractive Certificate of Completion. It will be a piece of cake for you after the first two program nights.
Registration for the February 23 rd, 2023, course is closed!
The program is free. Go here to register.
Note! After registering, look for a reply email asking you to confirm your registration. Reply as requested to the confirmation request. If it does not show up, check your spam folder. You are not registered until you confirm your subscription.
Thanks, and looking forward to meeting you online. 🙂
Any issues, email [email protected].
Learning the Constellations, by Rocky Togni, $12.50 - $10 for ANSA and CAAS members.
ANSA's own purpose made, Learn the Constellations booklet is not essential to the course but recommended. Alternatively, download a free pdf version from the CAAS website, or you can find other chart resources that will suffice for the purposes of the course. We will get you there either way.
