2010
Feb. 2 -- Briarwood Elementary School SSet 5:34, start 6:30
Tuesday 1930 Townsend Ave, S.Clara 79% moon rise 10:10 pm
Contact: Bernie DeFrenchi, PTA
Part of the school's "Science Fair". Though there are projects
from Kindergarten upward, the primary target is grades 4 and 5.
We've been part of the science fair for some years. Good school!
In case of clouds, we will probably bring a scope or two
to demonstrate the instruments and answer questions.
We have permission to stay an extra hour after the
official 8:30 ending time. The gate gets locked at 10 pm.
From Hwy.280, take the Lawrence Expressway exit, northbound.
N 2.8 mi. to Cabrillo. Right
Cabrillo is 0.4 past the El Camino crossing.
E, SE 0.6 mi. to Townsend. Right.
Immediately see school ahead; go around a left bend, then look
for a gate on the right. Go in and around back to the playground.
Since there are other outdoor activities, it's not practical to
turn off all outside lighting, but the worst light should be off.
Set up south of the handball wall. Put a scope on the '41' on
the play area, another on 45. Park bus facing south, at the east
edge of the numbered area, to block the nearer light. Put JVN
scope west of bus, as usual.
Curb blocks No. Al foil no
====================================================
2010
Feb. 3 -- Hayes Elementary SSet 5:31, start 6:30
Wensday 5035 Posten Ave., S.J. 69% moon rise 11:19 pm
but enter from Obert St.
Contact: Kristen Burbridge (H&S club)
Big turnout previous time -- a few hundred. Students will
be there in any case, so we may bring a scope or two even if
the sky is cloudy.
From Hwy.85, exit at Blossom Hill Rd. Go east.
E 0.2 mi. if coming from the south,
E <0.5 mi. if coming from the north,
In any case, come to Snell. Light. Left
N 0.7 mi. to Obert Drive. No light or Stop sign. Right.
NOTE: The street sign at Obert is partly hidden by a bus
stop sign. Watch for Chynoweth which has a light. Continue for
0.2 miles. There are several small driveways, but watch for a
real city street at the full 0.2 miles past Chynoweth.
E 0.15 mi, see Rue Calais. Slow down, cross it.
E ~125 ft., just past house on left.
You will start seeing the school on the left. Just past
the vertical board fence on left, turn left into a narrow
driveway. Come to a gate that is to be open or unlocked.
Continue to far edge of play area, set up on basketball
courts. Look for my white bus.
If the gate was dummy-locked, be sure to close it again.
Lights: there are two lights east of the setup area, too high
for a stepladder. The school can supply a tall ladder, and
possibly also cover the lights.
Curb blocks no. Al yes.
====================================================
2010
Feb. 4 -- Silver Oak Elementary SSet 5:36, start 6:30
Thursday 5000 Farnsworth Ave, S. J. 58% moon rise 12:27 am
Contact: Anjali
This is the school's science night, so in case of clouds, we'd
probably bring a telescope or two anyway.
This school is out of town in the east foothills, so the sky
is noticeably darker than usual. But there's a ton of nearby
streetlights!
From Hwy.101, exit at Silver Creek Valley Road. Go east.
E NE ~3 mi. to Farnsworth Drive. Right. Light.
E S 0.9 mi., see school on right, just before San Filipe Rd.
Alternate directions:
From Hwy.85, exit at Blossom Hill Road. Go east.
E NE ~5.5 mi. to Farnsworth Drive. Right. Light.
Blossom Hill will make a bend to the left, will cross
Hwy.82, and change name to Silver Creek Valley Road,
and cross 101. Keep going to Farnsworth.
E S 0.9 mi., see school on right, just shy of San Filipe Rd.
Just past school buildings, take the second driveway, up a slight
rise, staying right, through a gate and upward onto a big open area.
Turn left. We set up on the far end, among the basketball courts,
well away from buildings.
Curb blocks no. Al foil, no.
Complete list of assignments, grouped by week. See the next section for available dates.
Feb. 2 -- Briarwood Elementary, Santa Clara Feb. 3 -- Hayes Elementary, SE San Jose Feb. 4 -- Silver Oak Elementary, far East San Jose Feb. 8 -- Primary Plus - Amber Elementary, West SJ Feb. 9 -- Holding, SJ Feb.10 -- Laneview Elementary, East SJ Feb.11 -- Matsumoto Elementary, East SJ Feb.12 -- Adelante Academy (K-8), E San Jose Feb.17 -- Azevada Elementary, Fremont Feb.20 -- Now available Feb.21 -- Stocklmeir Elementary A-I, Sunnyvale Feb.22 -- Stocklmeir Elementary J-Z, Sunnyvale Feb.23 -- San Miguel Elementary, Sunnyvale Feb.24 -- Hacienda Middle School, San Jose Mar. 1 -- Carson Elementary, E San Jose Mar. 2 -- Pomeroy Elementary, Santa Clara Mar. 3 -- Branham High, San Jose Mar. 4 -- Ramblewood Elementary, SE San Jose Mar. 5 -- Jackson Elementary, Morgan Hill Mar.10 -- Frost Elementary, Indigo School Mar.11 -- Baldwin Elementary, SE San Jose Mar.12 -- Nordstrom Elementary, Morgan Hill Mar.15 -- Now available Mar.20 -- Holding, Sunnyvale Mar.23 -- Vargas Elementary, Sunnyvale Apr.22 -- Holding, Sunnyvale Aug.12 -- Perseid Party at Calero Co. Park Oct.13 -- Antonio Del Buono Elementary, Gilroy Nov.10 -- Toyon Elementary, E.San Jose
Desirability is determined by the phase of the Moon. The moon is spectacular and well-liked, very desirable for a public event. Such dates are: February 20; March 18, 21-22, 24; April 16-21; May 17-20, 22.
Dates with no moon in the evening sky are more plentiful. There are many star clusters, colorful double stars, etc., so the sky is very rewarding. Consider: February 1, 6-7, 13-16; March 6-9, 14-17, 31; April 1-8, 10-15, 30; May 1-6, 8-16, 30-31.
Too much moon makes it difficult to show anything but a few bright objects, so we try to stay away from the nearly-full moon. It's a poor show, and not fair to the students (nor to the astronomers). But we could use: January 25-29, 31; February 25-26, 28; March 25-26, 29-30; April 23, 26-29; May 23-28 -- if nothing else is available.
The earliest practical time may be 7:00 pm, allowing parents to get home, eat, and get to school. But many schools choose to start at 6:30. That's as early as we prefer to start. But in late spring thru early fall, the sun sets rather late, and star parties must start late, too.
On August 1, we would start at 9:15; Aug.15, 9:00; September 1, 8:45; Sep.15, 8:15; October 1, 7:45; Oct.15, 7:30; November 1, 7:15.
DST ends on Nov.7, 2010, so the earliest start time drops to 6:30 and remains there for a few months. By February 15 the sun sets later, and start time moves up to 6:45 pm; March 1, 7:00; March 13, 7:15.
On March 14 we advance the clocks, and start time jumps to 8:15. By March 31, 8:30; April 14, 8:45; April 28, 9;00; May 15, 9:15; June 1, 9:30; June 15, 9:45; July 1, still 9:45; July 15, 9:30.
And the cycle repeats.
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Last updated: 2010 January 24, 2211 hours, pst