Alachua Astronomy Club: Outreach

	Alachua Astronomy Club, Inc.	Member Astronomical League	Member International Dark-Sky Association
	Outreach Information	Member Astronomical League	Member International Dark-Sky Association
	29°39' N, 82°21' W Altitude: 50 Meters (more or less)		Updated Aug. 30, 2008
(Click logo for home page)	Founded: September 1987		(Developed with Netscape 4.x)

Outreach Programs

We also do special events
The AAC is a public service organization. In addition to monthly meetings (open to public) and star parties for members, we hold occasional special events for the public. We can also sometimes arrange:

Private Star Parties — Large or small events for public/private organizations. See Private Parties below.

Outreach Program — Events for public/private schools, scouts, churches, etc.)
See our Guidelines below

For more information: Please send e-mail to outreach "at" floridastars.org

PRIVATE STAR PARTIES

The Alachua Astronomy Club, Inc. can often put on star parties for private individuals, parties, clubs, businesses, conventions, etc. (We have even traveled to the Caribbean for such occasions!) Enhance your event with a unique experience. We bring the telescopes and enthusiastic people to enlighten, educate and entertain.

The cost? You pay all necessary travel expenses. We do the rest. However, we do encourage optional tax deductible contributions to the AAC to help support our outreach and educational programs. See note below. Contact our outreach person at outreach "at" floridastars.org for more information.

NOTE: The Alachua Astronomy Club, Inc. is exempt from federal income tax under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code. See AAC information page for out statement of purpose, other club info and details on club activities.

SCHOOL AND ORGANIZATION REQUEST GUIDELINES

(These guidelines also available as a printable pdf document — see below if need the Adobe Reader)

« Also See Astronomy Event Request Form Below »

The Alachua Astronomy Club, Inc. is made up of mostly amateur astronomers who enjoy the beauty of the night sky and the majesty of the Sun. The majority of our members do not have a background in astronomy, preferring to learn by the thrill of the experience itself. Because we love to share our enthusiasm about astronomy with others, we often perform outreach activities in the community. This is done strictly by volunteers and is dependent on the availability of our volunteers. The requests by local schools or organizations have grown to such an extent that we are no longer able to provide services to everyone. To continue our outreach programs in our community, we have put together a list of criteria (below and on our Request Form) needed to provide quality night viewing.

If the following criteria are met, we can often provide a night of viewing at your school, but please remember that this is based on the availability of our volunteers. Please see Request Form for more details about criteria. (Submission of a request does not guarantee we can honor the request.)

We need three months prior notice with a definite date.

The viewing start time should occur after the sky becomes dark. (In other words, please do not request we set up by 5:30 p.m. in May when the sky does not get dark for another couple of hours!)

We expect a minimum of approximately 30 students to attend. This means one school might want to invite another school to join in the event.

The teachers coordinating the event need to be present one hour earlier than the event to help the AAC volunteers find the exact location where they will be setting up (grass or soil). Sometimes we bring long extension cords and may need to know where electrical outlets can be found. Also, please let us know the location of restrooms. In case of rain, with prior planning, we can possibly provide an indoor presentation and would need to know how to find the rooms, etc.

Setting up in sports fields or locations where bright lights prevent seeing faint objects in the night sky is counterproductive. Light pollution is an increasing problem. When requesting club members to bring equipment for educational viewing, it is important that you find a dark sky location for the viewing area. This would need to be done ahead by the teacher or person making the request.

For daytime speakers we also require a three-month prior notification with specific date, time, number and age of student audience, and length of presentation requested. Occasionally, one of our volunteers can probably set up a solar telescope for daytime observation of the Sun.

We enjoy providing glimpses of the many wonders of the universe to students and everyone interested in what the sky has to offer. We encourage all to take advantage of the many community opportunities available for stellar viewing.

Recommendation Dates: We recommend an outreach date within seven (7) days of the First Quarter Moon. If there is a reason for dates out of this range, we will need to consult with the requesting organization
First Quarter Moon Dates for 2008 – 2009 Alachua County School Year

2008 Aug. 8 Sept. 7 Oct. 7 Nov. 5 Dec. 5

2009 Jan. 4 Feb. 2 Mar. 4 Apr. 2 May 1 May 30 June 29 July 28

For more information: Please send e-mail to outreach "at" floridastars.org

EVENT REQUEST FORM

The Event Request Form give us necessary and required information about your event. This form also lists specifice criteria that you must comply with in order to help us make your event a successful, educational and enrichment activity.

To formally apply for an event, please fill out our Request Form and return by:

E-Mail: Sent to outreach "at" floridastars.org with Request Form attached, or

Mail to: The Alachua Astronomy Club, Inc.
P.O. Box 141591
Gainesville, FL 32614-1591

The Request Form is a pdf document (see below). If you cannot download this form, please request one from the above address or contact an officer.

Adobe Reader

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2008	Aug. 8	Sept. 7	Oct. 7	Nov. 5	Dec. 5
2009	Jan. 4	Feb. 2	Mar. 4	Apr. 2	May 1	May 30	June 29	July 28