Think it. Try it. Explore it.
DAVIS ASTRONOMY CLUB
at Explorit
The Astronomy Club has been a part of Explorit Science Center since 1987.
It has no dues and anyone can join. Our members range in knowledge of astronomy from pre-school to post-doctorate.
Several evenings a year the Davis Astronomy Club meets at Explorit on 5th Street, to discuss astronomy topics of continuing interest, or to prepare for important celestial events. Special observation sessions for such events as eclipses and meteor showers are held where members are encouraged to bring their scopes.
To become a member or for more information contact Vinita Domier at vcdomier@yahoo.com.
What Does this Club Offer You?
If you have always been fascinated by the heavens or the exploration of outer space but haven't known how to start your own astronomical journey--this is the club for you. We have shown many aspiring stargazers their ‘first’ constellation, their ‘first’ double star, where the planets are and how to use a telescope. We can help you decide on the best binoculars, telescopes, computer programs and star atlases, and help you decide what you need and (more importantly don’t need) to enjoy and discover the cosmos. This club can be your ‘training wheels’ so you can finally begin exploring the universe at your own speed and in your own direction. We can even show you how your observations can be used for scientific research, if that is your goal. In short, this club aims to be a friendly ‘launch pad’ for your personal exploration of astronomy.
The Astronomy Club not only benefits its members, but the larger goals of Explorit as well. Working with school teachers and youth groups such as the Scouts and Campfire, the club has introduced hundreds--if not thousands--to the cosmos. Helping others to observe, communicate, reason, organize, and relate information about the sun, moon, planets and stars brings many rewards for Club volunteers. Among these rewards are: finding new friends, learning the theories, facts and processes of science, and discovering new perspectives on ourselves and the cosmos.
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For more current information, please contact Vinita Domier at vcdomier@yahoo.com.
Nature Night Life and Night Sky Explorations
at the Woodland Regional Park Preserve
Hosted by Explorit Science Center
with Guests from the Davis Astronomy Club
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Saturday, February 8th - 5pm to 8pm
Free Event
Join Explorit Science Center as we experience sundown at the Woodland Regional Park Preserve. Become citizen scientists as we observe and record the sights and sounds of nature at twilight.
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The Woodland Regional Park Preserve is a 160 acre nature park at the site of the retired landfill located east of Road 102 and south of Road 25. The vision for this Park Preserve includes enhancing the wetland, plant, and wildlife resources on the site; improving access for public visitation; developing formal and informal education programs, and creating a Center for Nature, Science, and Culture. This Center would house formal and informal education for individuals of all ages, attracting classes from local schools, supporting citizen science, and docent training.
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Special guests from the Davis Astronomy Club will be joining us, guiding guests on a fantastic tour of the night sky, Saturday evening, February 8th. This captivating experience will include viewings of constellations, star clusters, galaxies, and some unusually colored stars (weather permitting). Among the cosmic delights, will be the waxing gibbous Moon with its stark craters and seas, the setting planets - dazzling Venus and yellowish Saturn, overhead planets - bright Jupiter and reddish Mars, and easily identified - Orion constellation. This evening's event will include a brief talk about the major constellations and other star groupings, and an orientation of the nighttime sky.
Visible planets, constellations and their locations include:
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Saturn - medium bright but low in the western horizon at 7pm
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Venus - super bright but low in the western horizon at 7pm
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Jupiter - overhead bright but near the Moon at 8pm
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Mars - overhead medium bright but by the Moon at 9pm
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Orion - near the Moon
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Winter Constellations/Nebulas/Star Clusters:
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Orion/Orion Nebula - near the Moon
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Taurus/Pleiades - Near the Moon
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Gemini - by the Moon
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The event is FREE and all are welcome. Please dress appropriately for an outdoor, nighttime event, and bring a flashlight as outside lighting is limited. Woodland Regional Park Preserve entrance is on County Road 102, across from a suburban development with a "Welcome to Historic Woodland" sign. In Google Maps, search J7RF+9W . Apple Maps are not advisable for this location. Click here for additional information on this event.
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Take a deeper dive by assembling this Star Wheel activity:
Print (ideally be printed on 8.5 x 11 inch card stock) Part 1 (the circular sky map) and Part 2 (star wheel's outer sleeve) for each person from the Sky and Telescope's How to Make a Star Wheel link:
https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-resources/make-a-star-wheel/
The Davis Astronomy Club is a free club for local amateur astronomers who love to share their passion for astronomy with people of all ages. They bring astronomy events and new information to the public through discussions, displays, and stargazing parties at the Explorit Science Center in Davis and outreach events in Yolo, Sacramento, and Solano Counties. For more information, please contact Vinita Domier at vcdomier@yahoo.com.
