Sky Tours and Oak Grove Star Party Information

Stockton Astronomical Society

SAS Activities

Sky Tours Information

Stockton Astronomical Society, on behalf of the Clever Planetarium at San Joaquin Delta College, presents SKY TOURS, a free public star party providing telescope viewing of the night sky.

On one Friday evening each month, weather permitting, viewers will be able to observe craters on the Moon, any bright planets that are in the evening sky, some of the brighter deep sky objects such as nebulae and globular clusters, and possibly another galaxy or two.

Volunteers from the Stockton Astronomical Society provide the telescopes. They will answer your questions and help you to gain familiarity with the seasonal progression of the constellations.

Sky Tours sessions are subject to cancellation without notice if the sky is overcast.

Directions to Sky Tours at Delta College.
For more information contact Doug Christensen.

Public Star Party at Oak Grove Regional Park
[download Astronomy in the Park information and schedule (45.9 KB PDF file)]

Weather permitting; the Stockton Astronomical Society's Telescope Volunteers will set up their scopes for the public at S.J. County Oak Grove Regional Park on the first Saturday after the New Moon from Spring through Fall.

If the evening is cloudy or overcast, the Nature Center will be open with indoor Astronomy activities, but the telescopes will not be available.

S.J. County charges a Park Entry Fee of $6.00 per vehicle, the Nature Center and telescope viewing is free. SAS volunteers are issued free parking passes; see James Rexroth.

Indoor Astronomy themed activities for the kids (both big & small) will be in the Nature Center.

Telescope viewing starts after Sunset, The Moon will be visible in the telescopes from the start. As the sky darkens, more objects become visible. The darker and clearer the sky, the better the viewing.

Every month we will feature a different deep sky object. We will point one of our large telescopes at this object during the last hour of the evening. These objects are dim and fuzzy and are best seen in large aperture telescopes on dark and clear nights. To view these objects it is usually necessary to stand on a ladder that will be next to the telescope.

For more information call:
James Rexroth at the Nature Center: (209) 953-8814
or SAS volunteer Doug Christensen: (209) 462-0798

Directions to Oak Grove Regional Park.
For more information contact Doug Christensen.

Public Star Party Schedule

Location: Date: Time: Probable Targets:

Sky Tours at Delta College 5/17/2013 9:00 - 11:00 pm
Sunset: 8:12 pm

Location: Date: Time: Objects:

Astronomy in the Park at Oak Grove Regional Park Saturday
5/11/2013 Sunset: 8:05 pm
Indoor activities at the Nature Center start at 7:30 pm. The Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, M13 (Star Cluster in Hercules)
9:30 pm Deep Sky Object: M104 (Sombrero Galaxy)
Conjunction of Jupiter, Venus, Mercury on May 25, 26, 27

Astronomy in the Park at Oak Grove Regional Park Saturday
6/15/2013 Sunset: 8:29 pm
Indoor activities at the Nature Center start at 8:00 pm. The Moon, Saturn, Venus, Mercury, M13 (Star Cluster in Hercules)
10:00 pm Deep Sky Object: M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy)

Astronomy in the Park at Oak Grove Regional Park Saturday
7/13/2013 Sunset: 8:28 pm
Indoor activities at the Nature Center start at 8:00 pm. The Moon, Saturn, Venus, M13 (Star Cluster in Hercules)
10:00 pm Deep Sky Object: M3 (Globular Cluster)

Astronomy in the Park at Oak Grove Regional Park Saturday
8/10/2013 Sunset: 8:04 pm
Indoor activities at the Nature Center start at 7:30 pm. The Moon, Saturn, Venus, M13 (Star Cluster in Hercules
9:30 pm Deep Sky Object: M57 (Ring Nebula) & M27 (The Dumbbell Nebula)

Astronomy in the Park at Oak Grove Regional Park Saturday
9/7/2013 Sunset: 7:25 pm
Indoor activities at the Nature Center start at 7:00 pm. The Moon, Saturn, Neptune, Venus, M13 (Star Cluster in Hercules)
9:00 pm Deep Sky Object: M8 & M20 (Lagoon Nebula & Trifid Nebula)

Astronomy in the Park at Oak Grove Regional Park Saturday
10/12/2013 Sunset: 6:31 pm
Indoor activities at the Nature Center start at 6:00 pm. The Moon, Venus, Uranus, Neptune, M13 (Star Cluster in Hercules)
9:00 pm Deep Sky Object: M31 (The Andromeda Galaxy)

Public Star Party Schedule
Location:	Date:	Time:	Probable Targets:
Sky Tours at Delta College	5/17/2013	9:00 - 11:00 pm Sunset: 8:12 pm