Orange County Astronomers

Anza Star Party
2025-06-21, 2025-06-28, 2025-08-23, 2025-09-20, 2025-10-18, 2025-11-15 | On the Sky, CA, United States
The new moon weekend for the monthly star party. The Anza site is open to members and their guests only. Join other members for viewing and imaging. Contact any board member if you have any questions.
Views: 3

Beginner's Class In-person event(New Location)
2025-07-07 19:30 - 21:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Orange Coast College, Outside Planetarium, 2701 Fairview, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626, United States
This is a free and open to the public event (In-person event only).
The 5th session of the Beginners Astronomy Class is the “How to Use Your Telescope”.
If you have a telescope and would like some help learning to set it up and use it, attend this Hands-on class.
For details, please visit here and download the sample information PDF package.
Event is held at Orange Coast College, near Planetarium.
Look for Planetarium Parking, LOT E
Parking is $5.35 for a virtual daily parking permit and can only be paid online or by app at this time. There is no kiosk at the parking lot.
For instructions click on:
https://orangecoastcollege.edu/about/parking-and-public-safety/parking/index.html

Scroll down to: PURCHASE VIRTUAL DAILY PARKING PERMITS. You want LOT E which is ZONE 92847.

Click on the link for PassportParking.com to pay online. Go to the Menu and click on the PayOnline Button and follow the prompts. If you want to download the app, also usable at many other locations in the region and in the US, please follow the instructions provided by the App.
Views: 3

General Meeting – July 2025
2025-07-11 19:30 - 21:30 | Irvine Lecture Hall of the Chapman University, 336 N Center St, Orange, CA, 92866, United States
Join Zoom

This meeting’s speaker will present inperson.

Backyard Exoplanet Observatory …

measuring exoplanets with

a small backyard telescope

Amateur astronomers can measure exoplanet parameters from their suburban backyard using a small telescope, astronomy camera, and a laptop

Mr Hallman is a retired physicist with over 30 years experience in the aerospace industry doing design, development, and testing of imaging systems and sensors operating in the Visible, Infrared, and Radar spectral regions. He has been a member of the OCA for 1 year, and is currently building a backyard Radio Telescope.
Views: 3

OCA Astrophysics SIG Meeting
2025-07-18 19:00 - 22:00, 2025-08-15 19:00 - 22:00, 2025-09-19 19:00 - 22:00, 2025-10-17 19:00 - 22:00 | Orange Coast College, Building 40, Astronomy House, Merrimac Way, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626, United States
The monthly meeting of the Astrophysics Special Interest Group is at 7:00 PM every third Friday of the month at Orange Coast College, Building 40, Astronomy House. Please contact the ASIG chair for details at mark@ocastronomers.org .
Views: 3

Anza Star Party and Star BQue
2025-07-26 | On the Sky, CA, United States
The new moon weekend for the monthly star party. The Anza site is open to members and their guests only. Join other members for viewing and imaging. Contact any board member if you have any questions. This weekend is also our annual Star-bque pot luck star party. Bring and entree or item to share with your fellow astronomers and spend a warm summer night under the stars. Subject to cancellation due to weather or other conditions beyond our control.
Views: 3

In-person Beginner's Class(New Location)
2025-08-01 19:30 - 21:30 | Orange Coast College, Building 40, Astronomy House, Merrimac Way, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626, United States
This is a free and open to the public event (in person event only)
The 6th session of the Beginners Astronomy Class covers the basics of astrophotography, covering different types of imaging, how different types of cameras are used for this kind of photography, and other equipment and considerations for taking a good picture.
This session is taught by Kyle Coker, who is active in the club’s AstroImaging special interest group.
Free and open to the public as well as members of OCA.
For details, please visit here and download the sample information PDF package.
Event is held at Orange Coast College, Building 40, Astronomy House.
Look for Planetarium Parking, LOT E.
Parking is $5.35 for a virtual daily parking permit and can only be paid online or by app at this time. There is no kiosk at the parking lot.
For instructions click on:
https://orangecoastcollege.edu/about/parking-and-public-safety/parking/index.html

Scroll down to: PURCHASE VIRTUAL DAILY PARKING PERMITS. You want LOT E which is ZONE 92847.

Click on the link for PassportParking.com to pay online. Go to the Menu and click on the PayOnline Button and follow the prompts. If you want to download the app, also usable at many other locations in the region and in the US, please follow the instructions provided by the App.

Views: 3

Public Outreach: Annual Fountain Valley Sports Park Campout
2025-08-02 20:00 - 21:30 | Fountain Valley Recreation Center, 16400 Brookhurst St,, Fountain Valley, 92708, United States
Views: 3

General Meeting – August 2025
2025-08-08 19:30 - 21:30 | Irvine Lecture Hall of the Chapman University, 336 N Center St, Orange, CA, 92866, United States
Join Zoom

This meeting’s speaker will present online from Topeka, KS.
Exploding Stars and Life on Earth

Scientists have long speculated that the history of life on Earth may have been influenced by cosmic explosions such as supernovae. In recent decades the combination of astrophysical data and computational models have allowed detailed study of the potential effects of nearby stellar explosions on Earth’s atmosphere and biosphere. Impacts range from destruction of stratospheric ozone, exposing life to extreme levels of solar UV, to direct damage to organisms by high-energy neutrons and muons. This talk will summarize what is known today and discuss connections to mass extinctions and the evolution of life over the last few hundred million years.

Dr. Brian Thomas is a Professor in the Physics & Astronomy Department at Washburn University, in Topeka, Kansas. Since 2003 he has worked on various problems related to understanding how the history of life on Earth may have been affected by high-energy astrophysical events such as gamma-ray bursts and supernovae. He and collaborators from multiple disciplines have together produced some of the most detailed and state-of-the-art studies of the effects on Earth by nearby stellar explosions.
Views: 3

Astroimagers Special Interest Group
2025-09-05 08:00 - 17:00, 2025-10-03 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-11-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Orange Coast College, Building 40, Astronomy House, Merrimac Way, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626, United States
Meeting of the Astroimaging Special Interest Group at Orange Coast College Astronomy House. Meeting is from 7pm to 10pm. Parking fees will apply and must be purchased online.
Any questions please contact Kyle Coker
Views: 3

Online Beginner's Class
2025-09-05 19:00 - 21:00 | Online
This is a free and open to the public online Zoom event, to attend please click here at or after 6:40pm
The 1st 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.
For details, please visit here and download the sample information PDF package.
Views: 3

General Meeting – September 2025
2025-09-12 19:30 - 21:30 | Irvine Lecture Hall of the Chapman University, 336 N Center St, Orange, CA, 92866, United States
Join Zoom

This meeting’s speaker will present inperson from the Chapman campus.
Pathway to a

Post-Global Warming Future

— A Brief Overview of Climate Science,

Consequences, and Solutions

(and their astronomical connections!)

Global warming may not seem obviously connected to astronomy — but it is. In fact, the basic science of global warming is best understood through comparative study of planets. In this presentation, astrophysicist/educator Jeffrey Bennett will give you a brief overview of the surprisingly simple basic science behind global warming (including its astronomical connections) and of the consequences we can expect from this warming. Most important, he’ll focus on solutions and how we can in principle take the steps necessary to create a “post-global warming” future, meaning a future in which today’s children will someday be able to talk about global warming as a once-serious problem that we found a way to solve. Note: This talk is based on Dr. Bennett’s book A Global Warming Primer — Pathway to a Post-Global Warming Future.

Astrophysicist/educator Jeffrey Bennett has devoted his career to science education and outreach. He is probably best known to the astronomy community as the lead author of the widely used textbooks The Cosmic Perspective and Life in the Universe. He is also the author of textbooks in math and statistics; of several critically acclaimed books for educators and the public; and of 7 award-winning science books for children. He served two years as a visiting senior scientist at NASA headquarters, proposed and co-led development of the Voyage Scale Model Solar System on the National Mall (Washington, D.C.), created the free Totality app for learning about solar eclipses, and created a free online textbook for middle school Earth and Space Science. Among other honors, his children’s books were the first ever selected for Story Time From Space, in which books are launched to the International Space Station and read aloud by astronauts, and he has won both the American Institute of Physics Science Communication Award (2014) and the Klopsteg Memorial Award (2023) for education from the American Association of Physics Teachers. In addition to his ongoing speaking series on global warming, his current projects include working to spread Voyage model solar systems across the country, a planetarium show based on his book Max Goes to Mars, and a new book on The Scale of the Universe to be published in January.
Views: 3

OCA Board Meeting
2025-09-28 11:30 - 14:00 | Online
A meeting of the OCA Board to Trustees, the meeting is held online via zoom starting at 11:30am. The meeting is open to current members, please contact the club secretary to have a link sent to you for the meeting.
Views: 3

Online Beginner's Class
2025-10-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Online
This is a free and open to the public online event, to attend please register with zoom by clicking here at or after 6:40pm.
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.
For details, please visit here and download the sample information PDF package.
Views: 3

General Meeting – October 2025
2025-10-17 19:30 - 21:30 | Irvine Lecture Hall of the Chapman University, 336 N Center St, Orange, CA, 92866, United States
Join Zoom

This meeting’s speaker will present inperson from the Chapman campus.

The Search for Earth 2.0:

Why We Think It Exists, and

How We’re Going To Find It

For thousands of years, we’ve wondered if the Earth is unique, or if there are other Earths out there to find. In just the last 30 years, we’ve progressed from merely wondering if planets exist around other stars to knowing that almost every star we see has planets. Ambitious planet searches have been probing further and further, finding planetary systems of an incredible – and incredibly surprising! – variety. However, we have yet to discover another planet that might be like Earth – a rocky planet orbiting just the right distance from a Sun-like star to have liquid water on its surface. NASA has a audacious new plan for a next-generation flagship telescope that will directly image Earth-like planets around nearby stars, but it will take all of our ingenuity and technical prowess to achieve this incredible feat. Dr Christiansen will walk you through the past, present, and future of our hunt for Earth 2.0.

Dr. Jessie Christiansen is the Chief Scientist of the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute and a TED fellow. She has worked on NASA’s Kepler, K2, and TESS missions, searching the sky for exoplanets, and is helping plan for NASA’s next big flagship missions – the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, and the Habitable Worlds Observatory. Dr. Christiansen’s research is in the detection and characterization of exoplanets – planets around other stars – and studies of exoplanet populations, and she is currently the most successful woman planet hunter in the world.

Views: 3

OCA Astrophysics SIG Meeting
2025-10-17 19:30 - 21:30 | Irvine Lecture Hall of the Chapman University, 336 N Center St, Orange, CA, 92866, United States
Our October ASIG meeting will be held with the OCA General Meeting at Chapman University. Please see the OCA website for directions. ASIG will return to OCC Astronomy House in November
Views: 3

Private Outreach: Cerro Villa Middle School
2025-10-24 19:15 - 21:30 | Cerro Villa Middle School, 17852 Serrano Ave, Villa Park, CA, 92861, United States

Private Outreach: Portola Hills Elementary
2025-11-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Portola Hills Elementary School, 19422 Saddleback Ranch Road, Lake Forest, CA, 92679, United States

Online Beginner's Class
2025-11-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Online
This is a free and open to the public online event, to attend please register with zoom by clicking here at or after 6:40pm.
The 3rd session of the Beginners Astronomy Class covers different methods of finding objects in the night sky. Special topic is learning the constellations.
For details, please visit here and download the sample information PDF package.
Views: 3

General Meeting – November 2025
2025-11-07 19:30 - 21:30 | Irvine Lecture Hall of the Chapman University, 336 N Center St, Orange, CA, 92866, United States
Join Zoom

This meeting’s speaker will present inperson from the Chapman campus.

From OCA School Star Parties

to 4K Cameras in Orbit

In this presentation, Liam Kennedy, amateur astronomer, former president of the Orange County Astronomers, and now SpaceTV Director at Sen, shares his remarkable journey from local astronomy outreach to developing technology that now operates aboard the International Space Station.
During his years supporting OCA’s public school programs in the 2000s, Liam discovered how few people realized that astronauts were living and working overhead. That awareness gap sparked the idea that would later become ISS-Above — a small device that alerts users whenever the Space Station passes overhead and, eventually, displayed live video of Earth from orbit.
What began as a personal project to inspire his grandchildren soon attracted global attention, support from The Planetary Society and NASA, and partnerships that placed ISS-Above units in classrooms across the U.S. When NASA’s original HDEV Earth-viewing cameras were retired, Liam refused to let the public lose that connection to space. His persistence led him to collaborate with Sen, a company dedicated to sharing real-time 4K views of Earth from orbit.
Through his initiative, Sen’s SpaceTV-1 camera system became part of the ISS via Airbus’s Bartolomeo platform — fulfilling a vision that began two decades earlier with OCA telescope nights under the stars.
This talk brings that full-circle story to life — showing how one amateur astronomer’s outreach mission grew into a global window on our planet from space.

Liam Kennedy joined Sen in July 2023 as Space TV Director. For over a decade, he has championed live Earth views from the International Space Station (ISS) through his invention of ISS-Above, a Raspberry Pi-based device delivering real-time ISS tracking and video feeds. Since its 2013 Kickstarter launch, ISS-Above has expanded to more than 5,000 installations worldwide, inspiring students, educators, and the public.
In 2019, NASA contacts connected Liam with Sen CEO Charles Black to explore building a commercial UHD camera payload for the ISS. That partnership led to SpaceTV-1, a three-camera system launched in March 2024 and now operating on the Columbus module’s Bartolomeo platform.
Liam’s background blends media production, live streaming, and product innovation, with a focus on astronomy, science, and space outreach. He is a frequent presenter and thought leader in the commercial space sector, featured on technology and space podcasts, and a regular speaker at the ISS R&D Conference, where he has presented five times since 2015.

Views: 3

OCA Board Meeting
2025-11-09 10:30 - 12:30 | Online
A meeting of the OCA Board to Trustees, the meeting is held online via zoom starting at 10:30am. The meeting is open to current members, please contact the club secretary to have a link sent to you for the meeting.
Views: 3
