[AANC Contacts] Pinnacles Star Party Saturday Feb 21st and AANC Board Meeting Reminder

[Kenneth Frank]

Hello All,

If you'd like some input or outgo, the AANC Board is meeting tomorrow  Sunday, February 
8th at Chabot Space and Science Center in the Dellums Room 10 am.
Directions to Chabot: www.chabotspace.org/visit/directions.asp

It's not to soon to start planning for the upcoming Conference September 12 concurrent 
with the ASP Meeting:
http://www.astrosociety.org/events.html

If you want to participate or have input, please email Alan Gould <adgould at comcast.net> 
so he can post it on the Issues page:
http://aanc-astronomy.org/minutes/Issues.html

Also

This from David Baumgartner of the Pinnacles Partnership Group.
He'd like volunteers for a Star Party Saturday, February 21st.

Thanks,

Ken

PINNACLES NATIONAL MONUMENT STAR PARTY

Saturday, February 21st, the Pinnacles National Monument and Pinnacles Partnership are
hosting a Star Party, this event will be held at the west entrance of the park. (See
directions below).

For those that are interested, we will start off with a Park Ranger guided nature walk
into the park starting at 4:30pm and lasting for about an hour or so.

You will be allowed to setup your scopes after the tour is finished, around 6pm. You can
stay as long as you like to enjoy the beautiful skies.
The entrance gate will close at 8pm, allowing no one to enter after that time, so please
don’t be late.  The gate will automatically open on your way out, when you decide to leave.
If you would like to stay the night, that is fine, but you will need to vacate the
parking area no later than 7:30am Sunday morning, February 22nd.  No tents, please.
There will be no entrance fee to anyone volunteering to set up their scope and allowing 
the public to view.

The public will be charged a $5.00 entrance fee per auto.

Bathrooms and water are available, no electricity.
The setup area is a 50 car parking lot; space is limited to 20 setups. So first call, 
first serve.
To reserve your spot; call the Park at 831-389-4486 X 265.  You won’t be sorry you did.
Although I have never viewed from the west side, and if the skies are anything like the 
East side,
where I have viewed, you won’t be disappointed.

Directions:  From San Francisco Bay Area to the West Entrance:
Take Hwy 101 south to the town of Soledad, just south of Salinas, and then take Hwy 146 
east.
Please be careful while driving through town; the highway takes a few turns.
Follow Hwy 146 for 14 miles into Pinnacles National Monument.
http://www.nps.gov/pinn/planyourvisit/directions.htm

And two maps:
http://www.planitarium.net/aanc/events/bayarea-map.pdf

http://www.planitarium.net/aanc/events/west-entrance-map.pdf

David and a Ranger will meet you and show you where to set up.

Please pass on to your fellow amateur astronomers.

Hope you can come and join us; I will look forward to seeing you all there,

David Baumgartner
831-637-1148 (if you have any questions)
cygnett at hollinet.com