Denver Astronomical Society
Registration for this event will close at midnight on September 27, 2023. This is a special event for DAS members, members of the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society, and members of the public from Douglas County. Please note, the numbers of guests for EACH GROUP cannot be used by other groups. This is NOT a multi-day event. The event is scheduled for Friday evening; however, if it is cloudy on Friday evening, our backup date is Saturday evening. In either case, participants are expected to begin arriving at 6 p.m. and the event will end no later than 11:45 p.m. the same evening. NOTE #1: Please wear good hiking shoes or boots, and bring a flashlight or a headlamp with a RED LIGHT. This is to preserve our night vision so we can see the moon and stars. White light will cause our eyes to be unable to see well in the dark, and it takes about 30 minutes for good night vision to return once exposed to white light. During the full moon walk, we will using our hearing to tune in to the environment, when some of the animal life of Sandstone Ranch is active. Telescopes and binoculars are also welcome. We will have an area to set them up for looking at the moon and stars, although the light from the full moon will make fewer stars visible. You may bring snacks and non-alcoholic beverages to enjoy during the evening. We practice pack-it-in and pack-it-out at Sandstone Ranch. If you snack on the trail, please put your wrappers and containers in your pockets or backpack.
NOTE #2: The gate will be OPEN for Check-In at 6:00 p.m. and will CLOSE promptly at 7:00 p.m. IF YOU CANNOT ARRIVE BEFORE 7:00 p.m., DO NOT SIGN UP. Late arrivals have frequently gotten lost and strayed onto the wrong property, and we cannot risk having this happen again!
The guest list will be finalized on Thursday, September 28 and at that point I will email everyone on it with an address and specific driving instructions to the entry point for Sandstone Ranch, as well as the waiver. If this is your first time visiting the Ranch, you'll need to sign and date the waiver and bring it with you. Note of Caution: DO NOT USE your GPS to go to "Sandstone Ranch." There are several places with that name and you will not get to the right location! Use the address that I send you, look for the sharp turn in the satellite map I send you, and look for that "house number" on one of the big posts at the gate.
IF weather is clearly not conducive, I will advise all registered guests via email on the morning of September 29 that we will postpone until September 30.