Monthly Meetings

Open To The Public & Free To Attend

General membership meetings are open to the public, and are held at Christ Lutheran Church of Alamo Heights on the second Friday of each month. Christ Lutheran Church is located next to Alamo Heights High School. Free parking is available next to Christ Lutheran’s Meeting Hall off of Primrose Place.

Christ Lutheran Church
6720 Broadway St
San Antonio, TX 78209

Coming Up:

March 8 – 7:00 PM:  A talk for members and the public on how to safely view the upcoming April 8, 2024 Total Eclipse, by Chuck Baker of the SAAA. A limited supply of eclipse viewing glasses will be available free to attendees.

The meeting will also include a workshop for members to make safe solar filters with materials provided at no charge by the SAAA for a telescope and/or a pair of binoculars that the member brings to the workshop. People may join SAAA at the meeting to participate in the workshop with a telescope and/or binoculars that the joining new member brings with them. For absolute safety for members, the workshop cannot provide materials for attempts to make filters for an instrument not present.
 
April 12: Understanding Eyepieces, by Dave Wickholm, SAAA Newsletter Editor
 
May 10: Deep Sky Colors Over San Antonio, by Robert Reeves, internationally known astrophotographer and author, as well as a founder and Lifetime member of the SAAA
 
June 14: Astro-Imaging, Part 2, by Armin Akopian
 
July 12: TBD
 
August 9:  Movie Night!  Members bring movies, membership selects one to watch.
 
September 13:  Annual Election of Officers with expiring terms
 
October 11: Astro-Imaging, Part 3, by Armin Akopian
 
November 8: TBD
 
December 3, 2024:  Annual Christmas Party Meeting
Bring one dish you either created or bought.   Check the main@saaa.groups.io for more details. 
The doors open after 6:30pm.  Dinner begins at 7:00pm.   Shortly after dinner there is usually a slide show followed by an optional “White Elephant” gift exchange.  Bring something for the gift around $30 that is related to Astronomy.    See you all there.  
 

Past events:

March  Joint Meeting at the Scobee Planetarium  “Through the Glass Ceiling” by Col. Eileen Colins.

February 11, 2022  “Iogroups: a Howto” by our very own Dwight Jurena

January 14, 2022 “Introduction to Lunar and Planetary Imaging” by our own Jay Messeroff.

13 March 2020 Mars by Dr. Kim Arvidsson    Dr. Arvisson is an Assistant  Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Schreiner University in Kerrville TX

Meeting Structure
Meetings usually start with a social time at 7:00 PM, on the second Friday of every month (with the exception of December, when we hold our Christmas Dinner for members and their guests). If you come earlier you can do a little socializing.

We usually start our program at 7:30 PM.  We begin the General Meeting with some quick introductory announcements followed by the Main Presentation (lecture or video presented by  guest experts or club members).

The next part of the meeting usually includes:

  • Show and Tell, where members share gadgets, books, techniques, etc.
  • The Observing Report, describing the astronomical events for the next month.
  • The Sky Tour, describing what’s where in the sky for the next month.
  • Club business, during which the officers make reports about their activities and areas of responsibility.

BAM-SIG or Beverage After Meeting Special Interest Group
After the meeting many members gather at EZ’s Grill at North New Braunfels and Tanglebriar, two blocks east of the church. On those occasions when the meeting goes too late to meet at EZ’s, members select an alternate nearby restaurant with later hours.

There’s a good deal of socializing before and after meetings, allowing members to put faces with the voices they’ve heard in the dark at observing sessions.