Introduction to Astrophotography at Sandstone Ranch with the DAS ASIG

Registration for this event will close at midnight on October 18, 2023.
This is a special event for DAS ASIG members and members of the public from Douglas County. Please note, the numbers of guests for EACH GROUP cannot be used by other groups.
This event will begin with an introduction by Denver Astrophotography Special Interest Group Team Leader Tommy Lease.  Then members who have set up their equipment will be using it outdoors, and guests will be able to see the various set-ups, ask questions, and watch as images are captured.

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 5 p.m. The event will end at 5 a.m. the following morning, but attendees will be able to leave whenever they like via a route that won't interfere with the group's astrophotography. 

NOTE #1: Please plan to arrive at the gate no later than 6 p.m. At that point, the gate will be closed and you will be unable to enter. Please leave home EARLY if this is your first time traveling to Sandstone Ranch. Recent guests noted that it was a lot farther away than they thought! Please bring layers of clothing to add as the night gets progressively colder. You will be able to come into the Ranch House to warm up and monitor progress on your laptop, if your astronomy rig permits, although wifi is a bit limited there. There are two restrooms in the Ranch House, but there are no sleeping accommodations. If you need to take a nap during the night or before you head home, you need to nap in your vehicle. You're also welcome to bring food, snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages. There is a microwave oven that can be used to heat water for hot beverages, and a garbage receptacle in the Ranch House but let's limit what goes in it please.

NOTE #2: The gate will be OPEN for Check-In at 5:00 p.m. and will CLOSE promptly at 6:00 p.m.  IF YOU CANNOT ARRIVE BEFORE 6:00 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, October 19 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 the mailbox at the gate.

IF weather is clearly not conducive, I will advise all registered guests via email on the morning of October 20 that we will postpone until October 21.