Bluegrass Amateur Astronomy Club (Lexington, KY)

Club Meetings: There are no formal indoor BGAAC meetings for 2023. However, the University of Kentucky has an excellent monthly "Kentucky Skytalk" the second Thursday of each month held at UK. It is way better than any monthly astronomy presentation the club could do, and it is open to the public and free. https://pa.as.uky.edu/skytalk

Raven Run: Stargazing dates are finally back up and running with Raven Run for March to October 2023

March 18th

• April 22nd

• May 20th

• June 17th

• July 15th

• August 12th

• September 16th

• October 14th

The events begin around sunset and last two to three hours. The event will be canceled if there are clouds, and there are no make-up dates. The main gate at Raven Run is open for parking, and park personnel will direct the general public to the Prather observing field. BGAAC club members and persons with telescopes can drive up a dirt road by the barn (turn off just before the main gate) and park at the edge of the observing field. If the weather is partly cloudy, call the park around 6:30 p.m. (859-272-6105) to see whether the event is a go. Raven Run may charge a nominal amount ($1) for members of the general public. If you would like to check on weather and seeing conditions, you can also check the Raven Run Clear Sky Clock.

Shaker Village: Here are 2023 stargazing dates for Shaker Village.

• April 15th

• May 13th

• June 10th

• July 22nd

• August 19th

• September 9th

• October 7th

We meet in the amphitheater area in back. Usually, there are fewer people from the public and Shaker Village guests compared to Raven Run. Also, the guard at the gate should know that there is no charge for Astronomy club folks. And, there is also no entry or program charge for the public who wish to attend stargazing only (although I think they encourage some donation from the general public).

Shaker Village wants a go/no-go call for these events the evening before. So, the "sky clarity guesses" will be less accurate. Don't get too mad at the guesser if the guess is not right 30 hours in advance! Let's hope for the best.