Prior Events

  1055 Blvd of the Arts, Sarasota 

 Kayla Taylor was born and raised in Sarasota, FL, and she graduated from Riverview High School in 2017, where she worked extensively at the on-campus planetarium. She is now working toward her PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She also holds a BS in Astronomy and Astrophysics and an MS in Aviation with a specialization in Space Studies from Embry-Riddle. Kayla will be presenting three original research papers at the International Astronautical Congress in Sydney, Australia, at the end of September, which she will discuss during this presentation. The paper topics span space poetry, space law and policy, and the use of artificial intelligence to prepare the emerging space workforce.

 The 2025/2026 observing season gets underway. 10299 9th Avenue Northwest, Bradenton 

 We will be trying something new…ask the expert. Youth from around the area will be joining our zoom to have their astronomy questions answered by the Suncoast Stargazer experts. 

 Suncoast Stargazers member and NASA Solar System Ambassador Greg Shanos will attempt to demystify Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. How does this theory apply to modern cosmology? Buckle your seatbelts!!!    

 This is our annual “Summer Doldrums Event” where we will do solar observing in both White and H-Alpha light. We will also look at a morning Waning Gibbous Moon. If skies are clear enough, we will also hunt down Venus in the daytime sky. 

SkyWatcher Senior Product Specialist Kevin Legore will discuss some of the latest product introductions from Skywatcher. This includes the Heliostar 76 H-Alpha Solar Telescope, the HAC 125 DX Astrograph, and of course the Strainwave Mounts. We might even get a sneak peek at some new refractors in the pipeline!!!

Suncoast Stargazers member and educator Chris Schementi will discuss how to collimate and star test a telescope to get the most out of your optics. 

  Katherine "Kat" Troche will discuss her involvement with the NASA Night Sky Network of which the Suncoast Stargazers are an active member. 

Kat is a dedicated amateur astronomer and informal educator based in New York City. Her passion for astronomy was ignited over a decade ago during a star party in Central Park, leading her to become an active figure in the local amateur astronomy community. Under the moniker "Kuiper Kat," Kat maintains an active online presence, sharing her astronomical experiences and knowledge through her personal website and social media platforms.

In her professional capacity, Kat is an administrator with Night Sky Network and a project coordinator at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP). Beyond her work with the ASP, Kat is a NASA Solar System Ambassador and co-chair of the Observing Committee for the Amateur Astronomers Association (AAA). She conducts astronomy outreach through social media, public observing events, and collaborations with various organizations across New York City's five boroughs.

10299 9th Avenue Northwest, Bradenton

 Christina Andrade is a researcher at the University of Minnesota. Her expertise is the study of supernovae of neutron stars.  She is an Astrophysicist and Physics based engineer with her B.S. from U of Minnesota. Currently Cristina is a research professional and data analyst/simulation programmer for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s kilonovae detection project and head of operations for the Kilonova-Catcher citizen science project.

Christina will be presenting on gravitational waves and how we are able to detect them, analyze them and what their discovery reveals about our universe