Prior Events

Saturday April 25th, 2026, Robinson Preserve. Evening Stargazing. Time 8:30 PM to 10:00 PM:  

10299 9th Avenue Northwest, Bradenton

Wednesday April 22nd, 2026, 7:00 PM. Monthly Zoom Meeting – Members Only:

Pranvera Hyseni is a planetary astronomer and Ph.D. candidate in Earth and Planetary Sciences at UC Santa Cruz. Her research combines NASA telescope observations, laboratory spectroscopy, and geochemical modeling to investigate organic matter in asteroids, with the broader goal of tracing how water and organics formed and moved through early planetesimals, shaping the ingredients for life. In 2020, she discovered the main-belt asteroid 2020 SS13. In addition to her academic research, she conducts astrometry and time-critical observations using her own observing equipment. She is the founder of Astronomy Outreach of Kosovo, the country’s first astronomy organization, and runs Astronomy with Pran, through which she leads hands-on astronomy education and public engagement programs.

Topic: Building Kosovo’s First National Observatory and Planetarium and Expanding Access to Astronomy

The development of Kosovo’s first national observatory and planetarium represents a major step in expanding access to science education in a country that previously lacked dedicated astronomical infrastructure. Pranvera will discuss how the project developed from an idea into a functioning science center, the challenges faced along the way, and the role of international collaboration and community support. The talk also highlights how hands-on astronomy outreach continues to bring telescope access and science experiences to students and the public, both in Kosovo and beyond.

 
Saturday March 28th, 2026, The Bay Common Ground. Evening Stargazing. Time 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM.

1055 Blvd of the Arts, Sarasota     

 
Saturday March 21st, 2026, Robinson Preserve. Evening Stargazing. Time 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM:

10299 9th Avenue Northwest, Bradenton

 
Wednesday March 18th, 2026, 7:00 PM. Monthly Zoom Meeting – Members Only:\

The founder and owner of Clear Sky Events, Kevin Rehberg, will tell us all about his visionary company and how it all got started. I attended one of his events and it’s best described as the first smart telescope-based event experience bringing the wonders and beauty of the universe to your outdoor space. This is a very different kind stargazing event.  

 
Tonight’s presentation is entitled: Journey to a Comet by club member Greg Shanos. Greg’s interest in astronomy began back in 1985 when he witnessed the apparition of Halley’s Comet. Currently the internet is ablaze with the recent passage of interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS, raising awareness for the general public. Greg will discuss the composition of comets, the six spacecraft that have visited various comets with a focus on organic molecules that have been discovered.  

 
1055 Blvd of the Arts, Sarasota    

 
 Greenbrook Adventure Park, 13010 Adventure Place, Lakewood Ranch     

10299 9th Avenue Northwest, Bradenton   

 Suncoast Stargazer member and former Director of the Bishop Planetarium Howard Hochhalter will reprise a community holiday favorite, The Star of Bethlehem. Was it a supernova, a comet, a random appearance, or something much more significant? Join us and find out. 

  10299 9th Avenue Northwest, Bradenton