Upcoming Events

Event starts at 8:00 until approximately 9:30. We will view the waxing Gibbous Moon, Venus, and the Pleiades Star cluster. We will be set up in the common ground area directly across from the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Please join us as we partner with our friends from The Bay Park Conservancy in Sarasota.

Monthly dark sky observing at the Manatee County Gun Club. Sunset is 8:00 PM. We can begin setting up at 7:00 PM. We’ve requested access until midnight.

 With 2 total solar eclipses upcoming in the next 12 months, we have a very relevant presentation for April. Suncoast Stargazer member and NASA Solar System Ambassador Greg Shanos will discuss why solar eclipses occur, the stages and science of solar eclipses, and how to safely observe them. There’s nothing quite like the experience of a total solar eclipse. Please join us for this very interesting and timely presentation. 

The Suncoast Stargazers plan a real treat for National Astronomy Day – A Day/Night Double Header!!!

From 9:00 AM to noon we will be at the NEST at Robinson Preserve with solar observing, a telescope workshop, astro imaging discussions and A TELESCOPE GIVEAWAY!!!

We will draw and announce the winner around noon. Then from 8:30 PM to 10:00 PM we will resume back at the observing field for the monthly stargazing session. Feature celestial attractions will be the first quarter moon, Venus, and some brighter “deep sky” celestial objects. Nearly 5 hours of astronomy fun, please join us!!!

 Monthly dark sky observing at the Manatee County Gun Club. Sunset is 8:15 PM. We can begin setting up at 7:00 PM. We’ve requested access until midnight. 

 Cassie Metzger will discuss what active galactic nuclei (AGN) are (spoiler: black holes are involved!) and how we study them. She will talk about the different types of AGN and what studying AGN in the field of High-Energy Astrophysics looks like. Cassie is an Astrophysics major at Washington University in St. Louis. She works in an astrophysics research lab on campus that specializes in High-Energy Astrophysics, which is the study of objects in space that produce energies on the higher end of the electromagnetic spectrum (ultraviolet, x-ray, gamma ray).  

 As we wrap up the 2022/2023 observing season, please join us at Robinson Preserve. Sunset is 8:15 and the event will start at 8:30. We can start setting up by 7:00. The feature attraction is the first quarter Moon, the perfect phase for observing. We also have Venus in the western sky. This is the event where each year we seek out and marvel at Omega Centauri, the largest and most impressive globular cluster in the sky!!! Other deep sky objects will be determined based on sky conditions. We look forward to seeing you there!!!

On April 8th, 2024, a total solar eclipse will trace a narrow path of totality across 13 US states and we have arranged to go to Dallas, TX for the event.  Dallas is on the line of 100% coverage for over 4 minutes.  We have decided to add a week vacation to do some fun touristy activities before and after the event.  Some should be of interest to all ages and personalities, from golfing to roller coasters, from BBQ to the oldest Tex-Mex in town,  from skyscrapers to horseback.  Details to follow via email.

DETAILS:  $159/night +tax, 2 free breakfasts per room.  You may select how many nights you want to stay.

I have a block of 10 rooms set aside – so first come first serve. 

Reservations via the Crowne Plaza Hotel’s web site:   https://book.passkey.com/e/50526992

To view the hotel use:  https://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/dallas/dalem/hoteldetail?cm_mmc=GoogleMaps-_-CP-_-US-_-DALEMDetails to follow.

click here to see prior events