Astronomical Observing 101

**NOTE: ALL AVAILABLE SEATS FOR THIS EVENT HAVE BEEN RESERVED; THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL WAIT LIST. IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED A CONFIRMATION FROM THE DENVER ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY THAT YOU HAVE A RESERVATION, THEN YOU CAN NOT ATTEND THIS EVENT.**

NOTE: LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE – REGISTRATION REQUIRED
REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS MARCH 1, 2025
**To Register please follow these instructions:**
**[https://members.denverastro.org/event-6028371](https://members.denverastro.org/event-6028371)**

The Denver Astronomical Society is very pleased to be able to offer an opportunity for members of the Secular Hub to join them for their Astronomical Observing 101 program. This free course is open to members of both organizations will be held at the Secular Hub on seven consecutive Tuesday nights from 7:00 to 8:30, with the exception of Module 4 which will be held at an offsite observatory. The lecturers will be members of the Denver Astronomical Society. There is no obligation to attend all modules, you can attend any or all of them as you are available, but we do ask that you RSVP on meetup so that the facilitators know how many to expect. Course dates, times and topics are outlined below.

**To Register please follow these instructions:**
**[https://members.denverastro.org/event-6028371](https://members.denverastro.org/event-6028371)**
**Click “Register”**
**Enter your e-mail address and click Next**
**Check “Secular Hub Guest” and click Next**
**Enter the registration code A101_SECHUB and click Next**
**Enter your first and last name and click Next**
**Click “Confirm” on the Review Page**
**You will then get a registration confirmation (Receipt).**
Course Module Descriptions
Module 1 – Tuesday, March 11th at the Secular Hub 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Hemisphere; How Observations differ with the Seasons.

* Roadmap of the topics to be covered in the overall Program.
* Types of astronomical objects which can be optically observed in the night sky (including: Moon, Planets, Stars, Galaxies, Milky Way, Nebulae, Comets, Meteors); Observation in Northern vs Southern

Module 2 – Tuesday, March 18th at the Secular Hub 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Observing with the Naked Eye

* Review Roadmap of the topics, quick review of Module 1 subjects covered.
* Navigating the Night Sky with the Naked Eye; Celestial Locations (Right Ascension –Declination; Azimuth – Altitude); Use of angular measurements.

Module 3 – Tuesday, March 25th at the Secular Hub 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Optical Observing Tools

* Review Roadmap of the topics, quick review of Module 2 subjects covered.
* Different types of Optical Observing Tools (including: Binoculars, Telescopes); Refractor vs. Reflector telescopes (including: costs, magnification vs. field of view); brief discussion on types of telescope mounts (including: Altitude/Azimuth, Dobsonian, German Equatorial, and mount costs)
* Denver Astronomical Society telescope loaner program
* Short discussion on how these tools differ from Radio Astronomy observing tools

Module 4 – Tuesday, April 1st 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
*Lab Session – Held offsite at DU Campus Chamberlin Observatory : 2930 E. Warren, Denver 80210*

* Review Roadmap of the topics, quick review of Module 3 subjects covered.
* How to set up and use your reflector or refractor telescope (including: counterweight balancing, aligning finder scope with main optical tube, focuser operation)

Module 5 – Tuesday, April 8th at the Secular Hub 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Observation Planning

* Review Roadmap of the topics, quick review of Module 4 subjects covered.
* Resources for planning observing sessions (including: websites such as Telescopius; software such as Stellarium, Sky Safari; Periodicals such as Astronomy, Sky and Telescope).

Module 6 – Tuesday, April 15th at the Secular Hub 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Basic Astro Photography

* Review Roadmap of the topics, quick review of Module 5 subjects covered.
* Taking photographs of the Sun, Milky Way, Comets, larger galaxies and nebulae with a DSLR or Mobile Phone (including: exposure settings, ‘rule of 500’); special precautions for imaging the Sun.
* Denver Astronomical Society resources which be used (including: Kline-Dodge Dark Sky Site, Sandstone Ranch)

Module 7 – Tuesday, April 22nd at the Secular Hub 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Deep Sky Astro Photography

* Review Roadmap of the topics, quick review of Module 6 subjects covered.
* Introduction to Deep Sky Photography (including: equipment requirements, tracking mounts, post-processing software).
* Denver Astronomical Society’s Astrophotography Special Interest Group (ASIG)