Mt. Shasta Stargazers Astronomy Club

Dedicated to promoting all aspects of amateur astronomy
for the benefit of its members and the general public.

Join Us!

Click Here to Join our Email List

Benefits of joining our email list

You and our astronomy club will be connected!

And we will never share your email with any other entity except our email provider.

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Get Email Invites to our monthly meetings

Currently we meet in-person at the Mt Shasta Library and also via ZOOM - you'll receive the ZOOM link and password along with the date and time. All meetings are FREE.

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Get Email Invites to Club Star Parties

Join club members as we view the wonders of the night sky through a variety of telescopes and binoculars. See what telescope is right for you. All for FREE!

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Get answers to your astronomy questions

What is that bright object in the sky? What telescope should I buy? How big is the universe? Our experienced members can answer your questions and help you understand the cosmos. Ask at our meetings, star party, or send us an email.

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Club Telescopes on Loan for FREE

Club members who have paid their dues may borrow club Telescopes for a month for Free. One of the telescopes is the SeeStar S50 - a completely automatic 'scope that allows the user to take astro photos. No knowledge of telescope function or astrophotography is needed. The 'scope is completely automatic. You do need a smartphone or iPad (or equivalent) to download the control app. This is a great way to test your interest in astronomy and astrophotography - Risk Free!

About Mt Shasta Stargazers Astronomy Club

Local Information about Astronomy Events in Northern California

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Our History

Mt Shasta Star Gazers was started in March 2009. Mt. Shasta is located in Siskiyou County, in far northern California, about 60 miles north of Redding, and about 60 miles south of the Oregon border, along Interstate 5. Pine-covered mountains surround our valley, with the majestic snowy volcanic peak of Mt. Shasta towering 14,162 feet high above it. The elevation of the City of Mt. Shasta is 3500 feet. We enjoy crystal clear skies and, outside the city proper, plenty of areas of very low light pollution.

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knowledgeable Club Members

Our members include absolute beginners to those that have been amateur astronomers for decades. Everyone is welcome. Let us show you the wonders of the night sky and how to observe it! We can answer almost any question you may have.

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Our Goal

The Mt Shasta Star Gazers Club promotes interest in astronomy and its related sciences, through education, fellowship among interested individuals, and through monthly meetings, free public star parties, and other events.

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Everyone is Welcome!

All are welcome to join; children (with parent or guardian), the public, amateur astronomers, educators and professional astronomers. If you are visiting Mt Shasta and would like to meet wih us, please check the Club Meetings or Star Party links to see when and where the events will occur. There is no need to register or call ahead. If you want to join the ZOOM meetings, please join our email list by clicking HERE. We will send you the login info via email a day or so before the meeting.

Monthly MeetingsNext Meeting: Tuesday May 7th, 2024

We will meet for an in-person meeting at the Mt Shasta Library at 5:30 PM.

We will also have a concurrent ZOOM meeting beginning at 5:30 PM. All meetings are FREE for everyone. Join Us either in person or on ZOOM!

To get the ZOOM login details, be sure to join our Email List by clicking HERE.

The best way to view the Zoom meeting is by downloading the Zoom App to your computer, tablet or phone. Here is the URL for the downloading:

Get Zoom App

Choose the appropriate option for your device. The App is free. Please download the App at least 1/2 hour before the meeting since it may take a few minutes to download. If you already have the Zoom App, you might check to see if a new version is available since it is updated frequently.

Star PartiesNext Date: To Be Determined

We had a star party on Friday August 11 at a location just a little north of Weed off Highway 97. It was a wonderful night - warm and pleasant with no wind after about 8 PM. There were 4 telescopes available - all the way from a 2 inch refractor to a 12 inch Dobsonian. The meteor shower was just so-so. The views of some deep sky objects and, most spectacularly, Saturn were a joy to behold. All told, about a dozen or so people showed up to observe our fantastic night sky. Join us for our next excursion.

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Show Star Party Etiquette

FAQ

Common Astronomy Questions & Answers

  • Does this club include Astrology?

    No. Astronomy & Astrology have common roots, but diverged in the 1600s. Astronomy studies the makeup of the Universe and how those elements arise, move, & develop. Astrology attempts to study how those elements, particularly the planets, affect people & events on Earth. This club focuses on the scientific aspects of the Cosmos - not on how it affects human activities.

  • Why do stars twinkle?

    Stars don't actually twinkle. What we preceive as twinkling is the result of turbulence in the earth's atmosphere. This results in a slight apparent motion of the stars and even a change in color. The Hubble Space Telescope - located far above the earth's atmosphere - never sees stars twinkle.

  • How many stars can I see?

    That depends on a number of factors - especially on how dark the night sky is. In large urban areas with lots of light pollution, only the brightest stars are visible. Here in Mt Shasta, away from city lights, we have very dark skies. With reasonably good eyesight, your naked eye should see about 3000 stars. WIth binoclulars or a telescope, many more stars are visibile.

  • Why do the stars move during the night?

    Everything in the Universe is moving, including stars. But stars are so far away that the motion of the stars themselves is extremely small. The apparent motion we see is not the stars moving, but us, here on planet Earth moving. As the Earth rotates on its axis and as the Earth revolves around the sun, the position of the stars changes in the night sky from hour to hour and month to month.

Do You Have an Astronomy Question?

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Clear Sky Chart

Observing Conditions

What is this thing?

It's the astronomer's forecast. At a glance, it shows when it will be cloudy or clear for up to the next two days. It's a prediction of when Mount Shasta, CA, will have good weather for astronomical observing.

How do I read it?

Summary: In the rows labeled "sky conditions", find a column of blue blocks. You can probably observe then.

Click HERE to see a sun and moon rise/set calendar for the Mount Shasta area.