Community Outreach

Outreach Application & FAQ

If you are interested in having the RAS Outreach Volunteers come to your school or event and put on an evening star party or daytime solar viewing session, please fill out the form below.

Our Outreach Director will call or email as soon as he can. He will usually return your call at night, sometime after 7:00PM but no later than 9:00PM. Please be sure to enter your evening phone number on the application. After a date is set, the Outreach Director will require a letter (on your organization's letterhead) confirming the date, which must include driving directions to your site.

Please tell us about your organization:

Contact Name:
Contact Phone:	(Please enter like so: 123-456-7890)
Contact Email Address:	So we can confirm receipt of your application.
Name of School or Organization:
Type of Organization:	(School, Boy Scouts, Corporation, etc.)
Organization Address:
Organization City:
Organization ZIP Code:

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How much does it cost?
The service is free! This program is supported by grants and RAS volunteers. While certainly not required, we do accept monetary contributions.

What happens at an RAS outreach?
Generally, we give a short talk about the sky, the solar system, and what we'll see during the observing session. This talk usually lasts for about 30 minutes. After that we go out and look through the telescopes! We'll show you how to focus telescope and we'll provide information about what you're viewing.

What about inclement weather?
If we arrive under cloudy skies, we can display our telescopes and give a brief talk. Of course, it is much more enjoyable to look through a telescope than it is to just look at it. Hence, we would prefer to reschedule the event. If we have rain and no indoor access, we would prefer you cancel and reschedule.

How does the RAS do this?
The RAS has received equipment grants that allow us to perform this service for the community. The presenters are all RAS volunteers. For daytime solar observing sessions, we need to make arrangements well ahead of time so the volunteers can secure the time off from work.

When is the best time to hold a star party?
Generally speaking, the best time for a public star party is 3 to 10 days after a new moon. This allows the moon to be viewed in the early evening. Then, after the moon sets, we can look at fainter objects that are better viewed without the glare of the moon (double stars, star clusters, etc.). Optimally, 6-8 days after the new moon is best. See a lunar calendar and learn more about moon phases by going here.