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
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
Join the Ultimate Stargazing Challenge – The Messier Marathon!
Calling all astronomy enthusiasts! It’s that time of year again—your chance to embark on an exhilarating celestial quest! For one special night at the end of March, you have the rare opportunity to spot all 110 Messier Objects in a single evening. Think you can do it? We’ve got everything you need—star maps, expert guidance, and a community of passionate observers ready to tackle the challenge with you!
Whether you’re a first-timer curious to give it a shot or a seasoned observer looking for a new challenge, this marathon is for you! Maybe you’ve mastered the sky with your 24” Dobsonian, and now you want to test your skills with a 4” scope—or even binoculars! Choose your gear, set your personal goal, and have a blast under the stars.
You can find a detailed guide here.
Download the participation form here.
Share your results! Post your findings on our groups.io list and let fellow astronomers see how you did.
Join us on the weekend of March 29th (or the previous weekend if that works better for you). Get your gear, gather your star charts, and prepare for an unforgettable night under the cosmos.
Don’t miss this stellar adventure—see you there!
The highly successful Ingenuity – Mars Helicopter – technology demonstration came to an end in January 2024 after 72 flights over 1000 sols (1.5 Mars years) exploring Mars. The author led the telecommunications team for Ingenuity from conception through flight operations and describes it here.
Courtney Duncan retired from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory – California Institute of Technology in July 2021 shortly following the initial demonstration flights of the Mars Helicopter Ingenuity.
His 35-year career included support for space shuttle missions and experiments, GPS radio occultation technology from space, stellar interferometry, deep space navigation software, lunar gravity mapping, Deep Space Network transponders for deep space CubeSats, and finally, Ingenuity telecom.
Courtney has been a licensed radio amateur with since 1972, callsign N5BF, and has been involved in many aspects of the hobby from that time. He is a past president of the San Bernardino Microwave Society, a past official of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, AMSAT-North America, and of the JPL Amateur Radio Club, and frequently gives talks on both the Mars Helicopter and on the profound value to society of avocations such as amateur radio.*
Courtney was married to Viann WD5EHM (SK) for 45 years and has three children, Viannah KG6GXW, Katherine KG6HUI, John KG6HCO, and two grandchildren. He is also a classically trained pianist and is routinely involved in a variety of musical performances.
This is a free and open to the public online event.
Come and socialize with your fellow astronomy enthusiasts face-to-face virtually!
Bring your latest astrophotography, mini-presentation, questions or none and your own refreshments.
Address: 355 Rush Lily, Irvine
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.
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
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