Welcome to Armada's Astronomy Club!

The Armada Astronomy Club is for students interested in learning more about the science of Astronomy, the stars, planets and other wonders of the night sky. The Club is intended for 4th & 5th graders and their families.

 

The Astronomy Club meets once a month, beginning in September. Some months the Club meets on campus at night (after dinner). We set up our telescopes for stargazing, have a presentation on “What’s Up” in the sky that month and have a brief discussion on some interesting aspect of Astronomy (e.g., selecting and using a telescope, learning your way around the night sky, etc.). Occasionally we also go inside our StarLab planetarium right here at Armada to learn more about constellations, how the sky changes with the seasons, etc. Students must be accompanied by a parent during our evening meetings. Other family members are welcome as well. Families with telescopes are welcome to bring them to these meetings, and Club staff will be happy to help set them up.

 

Other months the Club meets in the afternoon, right after school. These meetings focus on learning more about Astronomy in general via discussions, presentations and building projects, as well as getting to know each other and having fun. We complete three ‘hands-on’ projects that students build and keep: a simple Refracting Telescope, a Planisphere (or Star Wheel) and a Spectrometer. We will also spend some time observing the Sun - in both white light (to see sun spots) and with our specialized solar telescope that uses a Hydrogen-Alpha filter (to see solar flares and prominences). Parents do not need to accompany students for the afternoon meetings.

 

At the end of the year (in May), students and their families are invited to join the Astronomy Club staff for an evening of stargazing under the wonderfully dark skies of Joshua Tree National Park – only a 75 minute drive from Moreno Valley.

 

So if you have ever looked up at that bright star and wondered what it was, or if you always wanted to see the craters on the moon and the rings of Saturn, or want to learn to more of the beautiful patterns in the sky other than The Big Dipper, then be sure to join the Armada Astronomy Club!!

 

Be sure to check the School Calendar on this website for information on when the Club will next be meeting.