Orange County Astronomers

Private Outreach - To Be Rescheduled
2020-02-13 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Anaheim Hills Elementary, 6450 Serrano Ave, Anaheim, CA, 92807, United States
Event: Anaheim Hills Elementary
Date: Thursday, 2/13/2020
Viewing at 7:00 PM, Sunset at 5:33 PM
Place: Anaheim Hills Elementary
Address: 6450 East Serrano Ave; Anaheim
Location: 33°49’47″N, 117°45’40″W
Directions: Take CA-55 N towards the 91. Take exit 15 for Katella Ave. Make a Right onto Katella Ave and continue onto Villa Park Rd, 1.3 mi. Villa Park Rd will turn into E Santiago Rd. Turn left onto Cannon St, 0.6mi. Make a Right onto Serrano Ave, 2.2 mi. School will be on your Right. Gate is at the end of the Left parking lot.
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General Meeting - February 2020
2020-02-14 19:30 - 21:30 | Irvine Lecture Hall of the Chapman University, 336 N Center St, Orange, CA, 92866, United States
From Apples to Orange Juice: Can We Infer a Galaxy’s Biography from Just One Photograph?

Despite having data stretching back over 10 billion years and computer simulations that make realistic-looking galaxies starting from just gas and dark matter, humans do not have a theory that predicts why a galaxy looks the way it does based on what it used to look like. We ask this from the biological theory of evolution, but, because astronomers cannot experiment on our subjects, we face challenges biologists (and sociologists) do not. I will talk about the two main routes we are taking to overcome this handicap: (1) assuming our data nevertheless do look like that of biology or sociology and proceeding accordingly; (2) attempting to infer the past histories of individual objects through the single snapshots we actually have of them. The latter is the correct thing to do, but it is unclear if it is possible, which would leave astronomers in the unique position of having data…but nothing to do with it! This epistemological situation, and the opportunity to explore questions like “Is galaxy evolution knowable?” is fascinating to me, and I think it cannot but lead to important new insights about our place in the universe.
Louis Abramson

Louis Abramson is a Carnegie-Princeton Fellow at the Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena. He works to tease-out the growth histories of individual galaxies from information encoded in their colors. He hopes that such galaxy biographies will yield insights into what causes some galaxies to look like the Milky way while others do not. Outside of academia, Louis is an elected official in the City of Los Angeles and chairs the Homelessness and Outreach Committees of the Central Hollywood Neighborhood Council.
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Loaner Telescope Returns Due
2020-02-15 08:00 - 18:00 | CA
If your lease is expired, this is the day to return OCA Loaner Scope. For details on where to return the scope, email scopes@ssccorp.com for details on the location and process.
If this day is not convenient, you can bring your scope to the club’s monthly meeting. Be sure to email the Scope Loan Director at scopes@ssccorp.com to be sure that he/she will be there to accept your return prior to bringing back you scope.
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Loaner Scope Pickup Day
2020-02-16 08:00 - 17:00 | CA
If you have reserved an OCA Loaner Scope, this is the date to pick it up.
You can reserve a scope by consulting the listings on this website, or email scope@ssccorp.com for a complete list of currently available telescopes.
If you find a scope you would like to borrow, email scopes@ssccorp.com with the scope inventory number and you membership and contact info. We will confirm your reservation and provide you with information about where to pick up your scope.

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Private Outreach - Canceled
2020-02-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Melinda Heights Elementary School, 21001 Rancho Trabuco, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, 92688, United States
Event: Cub Scout Pack 727
Date: Tuesday, 2/18/2020
Viewing at 7:00 PM, Sunset at 5:37 PM
Place: Cub Scout Pack 727
Address: 21001 Rancho Trabuco; Rancho Santa Margarita
Location: 33°39’27″N, 117°36’52″W
Directions: Take CA-55 South towards Coasta Mesa, 2.4 mi. Use Right 2 lanes to take Exit 11A for I-5 S towards San Diego, 1.0 mi. Merge onto I-5 South, 12.0 mi. Use Right 2 lanes to take exit 90 for Alicia Parkway. Use the Left 2 lanes to turn Left onto Alicia Pkwy., 1.0 mi. Turn Right onto Olympaid Rd, 0.4 mi. Turn Left onto Melinda Rd., 2.3 mi. Turn Right onto Rancho Trabuco. School will be on your Left.
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Private Outreach - Russell Elementary
2020-02-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Russell Elementary School, 600 S Jackson, Santa Ana, CA, 92704, United States
Event: Russell Elementary School
Date: Thursday, 2/20/2020
Time: Viewing at 7:00 PM, Sunset at 5:40 PM
Place: Russell Elementary School
Address: 600 S Jackson; Santa Ana, 92704
Location: 33°44’21″N, 117°55’00″W
Directions: Take CA-55 to CA-22 W. Take exit 13 to merge onto CA-22 W; go 5.4 mi. Take exit 12 for Harbor Blvd; go 0.3 mi. Turn left onto Harbor Blvd; go 2.0 mi. Turn left onto W Camille St; go 0.3 mi. Take the 1st right onto S Jackson St; go 0.1 mi. School is on the right .
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Private Outreach - Canceled
2020-02-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Brywood Elementary School, 1 Westwood, Irvine, CA, 92620, United States
Event: Brywood Elementary School
Date: Friday, 2/21/2020
Viewing at 7:00 PM, Sunset at 5:41 PM
Place: Brywood Elementary School
Address: 1 Liberty; Irvine
Location: 33°42’43″N, 117°46’25″W
Directions: Take CA-55 South to I-5 South. Take exit 11A to merge onto I-5 South; go 4.0 mi. Take exit 99 for Culver Dr; go 0.4 mi. Turn left at Culver Dr; go 0.6 mi. Turn right at Bryan Ave; go 0.4 mi. Make a Left onto Westwood using the 3rd left (first left past Silkwood Park (on left side)) to make a U-turn, take the first right and that leads you directly into the school parking lot.
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Private: Anza Star Party
2020-02-22, 2020-03-21 | CA
Private star party at the Anza Site. Open to members and their guests only.
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Private Outreach - Buena Park Junior High
2020-02-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Buena Park Junior High, 6931 Orangethorpe Ave, Buena Park, CA, 90620, United States
Event: Buena Park Junior High
Date: Tuesday, 2/25/2020
Viewing at 7:00 PM, Sunset at 5:45 PM
Place: Buena Park Junior High
Address: 6931 Orangethorpe Ave; Buena Park
Location: 33°51’41″N, 118°00’46″W
Directions: Take CA-55 or CA-57 to CA-91. Take CA-91 west toward LA. Take the Knott Ave exit- Turn right onto Knott Ave. go 0.1 mi. Turn left onto Orangethorpe Ave. go <0.1 mi.
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Private Outreach - Canceled
2020-02-28 19:00 - 21:00 | Beatty Elementary School, 8201 Country Club Dr, Buena Park, CA, 90621, United States
Event: Beatty Elementary School
Date: Friday, 2/28/2020
Viewing at 7:00 PM, Sunset at 5:47 PM
Place: Beatty Elementary School
Address: 8201 Country Club; Buena Park
Location: 33°53’05″N, 117°59’28″W
Directions: Take CA-91 west to the 5 Fwy. Take I-5 Fwy west to Beach Blvd. Turn right on Beach Blvd to Malvern. Turn right on Malvern. At the first signal, Country Club Drive, turn left. The school is about 1/4 mile up Country Club on your left. Enter through the gate next to the blue colt mural and drive under the walkway coverings to the blacktop.
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Private Outreach - Vista Verde K-8 School
2020-03-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Vista Verde K-8 School, 6 Federation Way, Irvine, CA, 92603, United States
Event: Vista Verde K-8 School
Date: Thursday, 3/2/2020
Time: Viewing at 7:00 PM, Sunset at 5:46 PM
Place: Vista Verde K-8 School
Address: 6 Federation Way; Irvine, 92603
Location: 33°37’51″N, 117°49’38″W
Directions: Take CA-55 South towards Costa Mesa. Take exit 6B for 405 South/San Diego Fwy and take the exit for Culver Drive, 10.5 mi. Turn Right at the light onto Culver Drive. Continue on Culver for 2.3 mi – it will become Bonita Canyon Drive after you’ve passed UCI. Turn Left on to Turtle Ridge Drive and then turn Left again onto Federation Way. School will be on the Right.
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Astroimagers (AISIG) Meeting
2020-03-04 18:30 - 21:00, 2020-04-01 18:30 - 21:00 | The Urban Workshop, 365 Clinton St A, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626, United States
Tonight is the meeting of the AstroImagers Special Interest Group (AISIG). The meeting will start at 6:30pm and ends at 9pm at the Urban Workshop. This meeting is open to all members of the OCA. We have members of all skill levels and this is the place to ask questions, learn and meet other members interested in imaging the sky. All skill levels are welcome, experience is not necessary. Please arrive promptly as the meetings do start at 6:30pm, the venue closes at 9pm so we must leave by then.

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Private Outreach - Rolling Hills Elementary School
2020-03-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Rolling Hills Elementary School
Event: Rolling Hills Elementary School
Date: Friday, 3/6/2020
Time: Viewing at 7:00 PM, Sunset at 5:53 PM
Place: Rolling Hills Elementary School
Address: 1460 E ROLLING HILLS; FULLERTON, 92835
Location: 33°54’09″N, 117°54’06″W
Directions:
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Beginner's Class
2020-03-06 19:30 - 21:30 | Orange Coast College, Building 40, Astronomy House, Merrimac Way, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626, United States
The first session of the Beginners Astronomy Class gives a general overview of all of the different objects you can see in the night and day time skies, with some history and information about what they are and their significance. An overview of the current scientific understanding of the Universe’s beginning, present and future is also covered.
The Beginners Astronomy Class is held at the Heritage Museum of Orange County in Santa Ana. For details, please visit /special-interest-groups/beginners-class/ and download the sample information PDF package.
Free and open to the public as well as members of OCA.
Note: All who attend will be invited to visit our monthly Orange County star party.
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Private Outreach - Canceled
2020-03-11 20:00 - 21:00 | St. Edward’s Parish School, 33866 Calle La Primavera, Dana Point, CA, 92629, United States
Event: St. Edward Parish School
Date: Wednesday, 3/11/2020
Time: Viewing at 8:00 PM, Sunset at 6:56 PM
Place: St. Edward Parish School
Address: 33866 Calle La Primavera; Dana Point, 92629
Location: 33°28’15″N, 117°41’25″W
Directions: Take I-5 S. Take exit 79 for CA-1; go 0.3 mi. Continue onto CA-1 N; go 1.2 mi. Turn right onto Crystal Lantern; go 0.1 mi. Turn right onto Calle La Primavera/; go 0.5 mi. School is on the left.
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Private Outreach - Canceled
2020-03-12 20:00 - 22:00 | Orange Coast College, Building 40, Astronomy House, Merrimac Way, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626, United States
Event: Heritage Museum of Orange County
Date: Thursday, 3/12/2020
Viewing at 8:00 PM, Sunset at 6:58 PM
Place: Heritage Museum of Orange County
Address: 3101 W Harvard St; Santa Ana
Location: 33°43’15″N, 117°54’38″W
Directions: Take CA-55 South to 405 N. Merge onto 405 North towards Long Beach. Take the Exit 11 Fairview Rd /Harbor Blvd, keep Right at the fork and follow signs for Fairview Rd. Turn right onto Fairview Rd, 2.2 mi. Turn Left onto West Harvard Rd. The Heritage Museum will be on your right. Turn into the driveway marked for Bus and Employee Entrance and follow it back behind the museum to park.
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OCA Board Meeting _ Cancelled
2020-03-15 11:00 - 13:30 | The Urban Workshop, 365 Clinton St A, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626, United States
This meeting has been cancelled due to concerns about the spreading of COVID-19.

OCA Board Meeting. Please email Alan Smallbone if you plan to attend. The meeting starts at 11am and can last till 2pm.
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Private Outreach - To Be Rescheduled
2020-03-17 20:00 - 21:30 | Laguna Woods Astronomy Club, 24351 El Toro Road, Laguna Woods, CA, 92637, United States
Event: Laguna Woods Astronomy Club
Date: Tuesday, 3/17/2020
Time: Viewing at 8:00 PM, Sunset at 7:01 PM
Place: Held at Clubhouse 5
Address: 24262 Punta Alta; Laguna Woods, 92637
Location: 33°36’30″N, 117°44’54″W
Directions: Take CA-55 to I-5 South. Merge onto I-5 South; go 11.9 mi to the El Toro Rd exit. Merge onto Paseo de Valencia; go 0.2 mi. Turn right onto El Toro Rd and go 2.1 mi to Calle Corta. Turn right on Calle Corta into Gate 9. Turn right at Avenida Sosiega; go 0.2 mi. Turn left at Monte Hermoso; go 0.3 mi. Turn right at Punta Alta, Clubhouse 5 is on the right.
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Private Outreach - To Be Rescheduled
2020-03-19 20:00 - 21:30 | St. Francis of Assisi School, 5330 Eastside Circle, Yorba Linda, CA, 92887, United States
Event: St. Francis of Assisi School

Date: Thursday, 3/19/2020

Time: Viewing at 8:00 PM, Sunset at 7:02 PM

Place: St. Francis of Assisi School

Address: 5330 Eastside Circle; Yorba Linda

Location: 33°52’55″N, 117°44’48″W

Directions: Take CA-55 North towards Riverside. Merge onto CA-91 E towards Riverside, 4.8 mi. Use Right 2 lanes to take Exit 39 for Weir Canyon Rd towards Yorba Linda Blvd., 0.3 mi. Use the Left 2 lanes to turn Left onto S Weir Canyon Rd, 0.6 mi. Continue onto Yorba Linda Blvd. Turn Right onto New River Rd, 0.3 mi. Turn Left onto Esperanza Rd, 0.1 mi. Turn Left onto Eastside Cir, 0.3 mi. School will be on your right.

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Private Outreach - To Be Rescheduled
2020-03-20 20:00 - 21:30 | LePort School HB, 16081 Waikiki Ln, Huntington Beach, CA, 92649, United States
Event: LePort School HB

Date: Friday, 3/20/2020

Time: Viewing at 8:00 PM, Sunset at 7:04 PM

Place: LePort School HB

Address: 16081 Waikiki Lane; Huntington Beach

Location: 33°43’40″N, 118°02’38″W

Directions: Take CA-55 to CA-22 west; go 12.1 mi. Take exit 5 for Valley View St toward Bolsa Chica Rd/I-405 S; go 0.4 mi. Turn left onto Valley View St; go 0.2 mi. Continue onto Bolsa Chica Rd; go 3.1 mi. Turn right onto Edinger Ave; go 0.1 mi. Continue a few 100 ft past Waikiki Lane to the gate on the left. Enter the gate and drive across the field to the blacktop area.

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Private Outreach - To Be Rescheduled
2020-03-27 20:15 - 21:30 | Laguna Niguel Elementary, 27922 Niguel Heights Blvd, Laguna Niguel, CA, 92677, United States
Event: Laguna Niguel Elementary
Date: Friday, 3/27/2020
Time: Viewing at 8:15 PM, Sunset at 7:08 PM
Place: Laguna Niguel Elementary
Address: 27922 Niguel Heights Rd; Laguna Niguel, 92677
Location: 33°33’24″N, 117°42’16″W
Directions: Take I-5 South towards San Diego. Take Exit 88 for Oso Pkwy, using the Right two lanes to turn Right onto Oso, 1.8 mi. Turn Left onto Moulton Pkwy, 0.8 mi. Turn Right onto Avila Rd and then immediately turn Left onto Niguel Heights Blvd. School will be on your left.
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Private Outreach - To Be Rescheduled
2020-03-31 20:15 | CA
Event: Journey School
Date: Tuesday, 3/31/2020
Time: Viewing at 8:15 PM, Sunset at 7:11 PM
Place: Journey School
Address: 27102 Foxborough; Aliso Viejo, 92656
Location: 33°34’12″N, 117°43’06″W
Directions: Head north toward E Chapman Ave. Turn right onto E Chapman Ave. Take the ramp onto CA-55 S; State Rte 55 S; go 2.7 mi. Take exit 11A for Interstate 5 S toward San Diego; go 1.1 mi. Merge onto I-5 S; go 5.9 mi. Keep right to stay on I-5 S; go 6.2 mi. Take exit 90 for Alicia Pkwy; go 0.3 mi. Turn right onto Alicia Pkwy; go 2.6 mi. Turn right onto Pacific Park Dr; go 0.4 mi. Turn left onto Deerhurst; go 0.3 mi. Turn left onto Foxborough; go 0.2 mi. School is on the right.
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Astroimagers (AISIG) Meeting - Cancelled!
2020-04-01 18:30 - 21:00 | The Urban Workshop, 365 Clinton St A, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626, United States
Meeting is cancelled due to concerns over the COVID-19 virus and to reduce further spreading.
Tonight is the meeting of the AstroImagers Special Interest Group (AISIG). The meeting will start at 6:30pm and ends at 9pm at the Urban Workshop. This meeting is open to all members of the OCA. We have members of all skill levels and this is the place to ask questions, learn and meet other members interested in imaging the sky. All skill levels are welcome, experience is not necessary. Please arrive promptly as the meetings do start at 6:30pm, the venue closes at 9pm so we must leave by then.

Views: 0

Private Outreach - To Be Rescheduled
2020-04-02 20:15 - 21:30 | Olivewood Elementary School, 23391 Dune Mear Road, Lake Forest, 92630, United States
Event: Olivewood Elementary School
Date: Thursday, 4/2/2020
Time: Viewing at 8:15 PM, Sunset at 7:13 PM
Place: Olivewood Elementary School
Address: 23391 Dune Mear Road; Lake Forest, 92630
Location: 33°37’25″N, 117°42’19″W
Directions: From downtown Orange. Turn right onto E Chapman Ave. Take the ramp onto CA-55 S; State Rte 55 S; go 2.7 mi. Take exit 11A for Interstate 5 S toward San Diego; go 1.1 mi. Merge onto I-5 S; go 5.9 mi. Keep right to stay on I-5 S; go 2.0 mi. Take exit 92 for Lake Forest Dr; go 1.9 mi. Turn left onto Lake Forest Dr; go 0.4 mi. Turn right onto Rockfield Blvd; go 0.9 mi. Turn left onto Cavanaugh Rd; go 0.2 mi. Turn left onto McCoy Rd. Turn right onto Dune Mear Rd. Turn left. School is on the right.
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Beginner's Class (Cancelled due to Corona virus) (send email to p.davidw@yahoo.com for virtual class info)
2020-04-03 19:30 - 21:30 | Orange Coast College, Building 40, Astronomy House, Merrimac Way, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626, United States
The 2nd session of the Beginners Astronomy Class covers the different types of equipment used to observe the night sky, including telescopes, mounts, eyepieces, filters, and advantages and disadvantages of different options.
This session is a must if thinking about buying a telescope.
The Beginners Astronomy Class is held at the Heritage Museum of Orange County in Santa Ana. For details, please visit /special-interest-groups/beginners-class/ and download the sample information PDF package.
Free and open to the public as well as members of OCA.
Note: All who attend will be invited to visit our monthly Orange County star party.
Views: 0

Private Outreach - Cypress District Rescheduled
2020-04-07 19:30 - 21:30 | CA
Details TBD
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General Meeting - April 2020 - Online!
2020-04-10 19:30 - 21:30 | Online
This is an online event, please find the link to join on the top banner of this page!
Will We Go to the Moon … and Do the Other Things?

Fifty years ago America landed men on the Moon. We’ve been trying to do it again for the last thirty years. Will the Artemis program get us there? Our future depends on our ability to set ambitious goals and martial resources toward those goals. What do our past successes teach us about how to achieve great things again? The Apollo program, NASA’s grand reconnaissance of the solar system, even the development of the internet all hold lessons for us today.

Dr. Laura Danly is the Curator of Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California. At Griffith Observatory, her responsibilities include the development and implementation of all educational, planetarium, gallery, telescope, and theatre programs. She supervises a staff of about 150 including all of the interpretive staff, and the art, production, and technical staffs who provide the astronomical, audio-visual, and multi-media programming throughout the Observatory. In particular, Dr. Danly has produced, directed, and co-written four of Griffith Observatory’s most recent programs in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium. Most recently, Dr. Danly oversaw the renovation of all the technical systems in the planetarium theatre.
Dr. Danly spent the first ten years of her career at NASA’s Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) where she was a post-doctoral and Hubble Fellow conducting research with the Hubble Telescope (1987-1997). While at NASA she began her dual careers in astronomical research and public astronomy as STScI’s first Project Scientist for Education. After her departure from NASA in 1997, she held academic appointments for eight years as a professor at Pomona College and the University of Denver where she taught physics and astronomy. During that time Dr. Danly also designed and implemented multi-disciplinary, cross-departmental curricula in the then-new field of Astrobiology.
While in Denver, Dr. Danly also held an appointment as the first Curator of Space Science at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and the first Chair of their new Space Sciences Department. From Denver, Dr. Danly moved to New York City where she was the Senior Manager of Astrophysics Education at the American Museum of Natural History (2004-2006).

Dr. Danly’s experiences in public education span a wide range of activities and methods, including planetarium show production, astronomical data visualization, exhibit design and construction, and special event and broadcast production. She is an accomplished lecturer and teacher, and has developed curricula for ages from elementary school to graduate school. She led several groups of university students that flew experiments on NASA’s KC-135 “vomit comet” aircraft. At NASA, she founded STScI’s Women’s Science Forum, a program for high school girls interested in science, which is still active today.
Dr. Danly has delivered scores of public lectures, and serves as a frequent resource to television and radio media for describing concepts in astronomy to the public. In recent years she has been a frequent guest on broadcast science programs and a regular host on the History Channel’s program, The Universe.
Dr. Danly holds a Ph.D. in Astronomy (University of Wisconsin – Madison) and a bachelor’s degree in Physics from Yale University. She is a spectroscopist specializing in ultraviolet observations from space satellites. Her research focuses on the large-scale distribution and dynamics of the interstellar medium and its relationship to galaxy evolution. Dr. Danly is a member of the International Astronomical Union, the American Astronomical Society, and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific where she served for six years as a member of its Board of Directors. She has served on advisory boards to the White House and NASA.

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Private Outreach - Canceled
2020-04-14 20:30 - 22:00 | Laguna Woods Astronomy Club, 24351 El Toro Road, Laguna Woods, CA, 92637, United States
Event: Laguna Woods Astronomy Club
Date: Tuesday, 4/14/2020
Viewing at 8:30 PM, Sunset at 7:22 PM
Place: Held at Clubhouse 5
Address: 24262 Punta Alta; Laguna Woods
Location: 33°36’30″N, 117°44’54″W
Directions: Take CA-55 to I-5 South. Merge onto I-5 South; go 11.9 mi to the El Toro Rd exit. Merge onto Paseo de Valencia; go 0.2 mi. Turn right onto El Toro Rd and go 2.1 mi to Calle Corta. Turn right on Calle Corta into Gate 9. Turn right at Avenida Sosiega; go 0.2 mi. Turn left at Monte Hermoso; go 0.3 mi. Turn right at Punta Alta, Clubhouse 5 is on the right.
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