As a Young Astronomers Program student, you will be required to attend and participate in a number of club events. A summary is directly below; scroll down further to read more about each category.
- Mandatory Orientation – At January Club Meeting
- Club Meetings – 4 Total, Minimum 1 Per Trimester
- Public-Centered Star Parties – 3 Total, Minimum 1 Per Trimester
- Dark Sky Star Parties – 4 Total, Minimum 1 Per Trimester
- Final Presentation – At November or December Club Meeting
The program year is broken up into three trimesters:
- Spring Trimester – February, March, and April
- Summer Trimester – May, June, and July
- Fall Trimester – August, September, and October
Mandatory Orientation
The mandatory orientation will be your opportunity to meet your program mentor and the other club members as well as to pick up your program materials. This orientation takes place at the January club meeting. Attending this orientation does not count toward your club meeting attendance requirements (next section).
Club Meetings
For each club meeting, you are required to be on time for the start of the meeting (7:00pm) and stay through the educational presentation. You are encouraged, but are not required, to stay for the club business portion of the meeting.
Public-Centered Star Parties
Our most prominent public-centered events occur at River Park and Miller ton Lake, but additional public-centered events (such as for schools) are set up throughout the year and are typically announced during the club business portion of our monthly club meetings. For each event, you are required to stay for a minimum of 90 minutes, starting at the beginning of the observing time.
Dark Sky Star Parties
Our primary viewing location is Eastman Lake, and we recommend centering your dark sky star party requirements around this location.