The Latest News & Upcoming Events
Important Annoucement - The IRS has revoked our 501(c)(3) status due to an error in our filings for the years
2020-2022. We're addressing this issue and are working on our reinstatment retroactive to 2022. We anticipate success but will keep you informed. But for the moment we are not eligible for charitable donations.
January 2025 Member Meeting Presentation
This meeting will be live at the Unitarian church and will also be available using the video conference utility
Zoom.
The meeting link will be emailed to members. For non-members
if you would like to join the meeting, please send an email to
asking for the meeting link and telling us a bit about your areas of interest
in astronomy.
James Lick and the History of the Lick Observatory
Dr Jon Rees
Abstract:
In this talk Dr. Jon Rees will discuss the life of James Lick, and how he came to establish the world's first permanent mountaintop observatory, atop Mount Hamilton. We will also cover some of the later history of Lick Observatory, and the observatory's on-going contributions to cutting-edge research and technology.
Bio: Dr Jon Rees is a staff astronomer at Lick Observatory. He received a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Exeter in 2016, focussed on observations of young star clusters. He completed a joint postdoc position at the University of Arizona/UC San Diego, followed by a stint as observatory manager at New Mexico State University before joining Lick. His research interests cover the evolution of young stars, low-mass stars in globular clusters, and brown dwarfs.
Upcoming star parties
The following star parties are coming soon:
- Thursday, 01/23/24, School star party at Leo Croce Elementary, 5650 Scenic Avenue, Livermore, in conjunction with their family science night. 5:00 pm
- Thursday, 01/30/24, School star party in conjunction with Family Science Night. Set up 5:30, start observing 6:30. St. Michael School, 345 Church Street, Livermore, start observing 5:00 pm
For a complete and up-to-date calendar of upcoming events, visit our
groups.io
calendar.
Please contact
for further information.
June's meeting
Our June meeting will be our annual Summer BBQ. Plan on working up an appetite by
helping to set-up and get the charcoal going at about 5:30pm. We will start eating
around 6:00pm.
The club will provide hamburgers, hotdogs and vegetarian black bean burgers,
along with a variety of toppings. If you wish, provide side dishes for your family, but not
to be shared with members because of COVID.
December's meeting
This month is our Holiday dinner. We'll be opening the doors at 6:30 to set up the tables
and chairs, and then the feast will begin at 7:00 PM. TVS will provide the drinks and
paper/plasticware. In addition we will provide the main course for this month's
holiday celebration, possibly turkey and/or tri-tip. Members are asked to bring a dish to share,
and of course bring family and friends to share in the festivities. Based on the first letter of your
last name members are asked to bring a dish to share:
- A-D Macaroni, Potato, Green or Fruit Salad
- E-J Vegetable or Beans
- K-O Appetizer
- P-Z Dessert
H2O Open House
Our next open house is September 28, 2024 for the club's dark sky site,
Hidden Hill Observatory,
aka H2O.
Anyone can come to our open houses, not just club members; but you cannot go
there without an escort. We will meet at the corner of Mines and Tesla Roads
at 5:00 PM, then caravan to the site on a drive that takes about 50 minutes.
The admission is $3/car; please bring the exact amount. There is no gas on
the way, so be sure to gas up before leaving. The site is essentially in the
wilderness, so there is no electricity and water, and there are only a couple
of pit toilets. Cell-phone reception is iffy at best. While there is a
picnic table there, you really should bring your own chair. If you need to
see what you are doing, bring a red LED flashlight, not a white-light
flashlight. And use masking tape over your car door and interior lights, or
pull the fuse. If you don't have a scope, you can always find someone who is
willing to let you look through theirs. And don't forget to bring your
binoculars. Expect to stay until about midnight and get back to Livermore at
around 1:00 AM.
Member star parties at Tesla Vineyard
- 4/27/24
- 6/29/24
- 8/31/24
- 10/26/24
Tesla Vintner star parties are generally open to club members and their guests. The star parties will run from 6:00 PM
until midnight. Tesla Vintners is in Livermore near the intersection of Tesla and Mines. For
those new to the site, please use the unmarked west entrance (closest to Mines) to enter the
winery grounds.
We continue to rebuild the Hidden Hill Observatory
Our latest change is to add a shed for storing tools and portable telescopes.
Click on this image to see more pictures of our progress:
TVS Crystal Wine Glasses For Sale
TVS is offering elegant crystal wine glasses for sale to club
members. You don't have to drink wine to enjoy the beautiful
TVS logo-etched stemware. Use them for your favorite beverage,
or they can be used as a beautiful container for small
plants. They are the perfect gifts for loved ones or friends.
Look for them at club meetings, where they will be sold for
$10/each. Don't drink alone, buy two! Support TVS. Thanks to
who got these wonderful glasses.
TVS Logo Wear
You may have seen some TVS members wearing shirts, caps and jackets
embroidered with the TVS logo. If you are interested in obtaining an
embroidered logo item, you can do so by ordering whatever you would like
through
Land's End's Corporate Sales
section and specifying TVS logo #0118948. You will need to set up an account, which will
ask for the logo number and the TVS customer number (3452021). Before you order a cap, you
might want to check with Roland, who has ordered several to get a discount price.
