O.C. Club Helps Novices Touch the Sky

When you wish upon the stars, do you know which ones they are?

Learn more about the heavens from programs hosted by Orange County Astronomers, a group whose membership ranges from astronomers with science degrees to backyard stargazers. They meet monthly for lectures and updates on the changing array of celestial sights and to share their findings.

The most experienced stargazers lead monthly programs, such as a beginners’ session at the Discovery Museum of Orange County in Santa Ana and family-oriented stargazing at the Rancho Mission Viejo Land Conservancy in San Juan Capistrano.

Members also lead daytime and nighttime programs for local schools, scout and community groups, as well as public programs at a campsite near Palomar Observatory in San Diego County.

OCA members participate in “star parties” at the group’s private facilities in the foothills near Mount Palomar and in Silverado Canyon. Annual memberships cost $20 to $35 and include a subscription to the OCA newsletter, the Sirius Astronomer (named for the brightest star in the heavens).

The group also has a 24-hour “star line” with information about activities and tips for upcoming celestial gazing. The most recent report, for example, advises to watch for the conjunction of Jupiter, Venus and the moon on Feb. 23.

At about 700 members, the club claims to be “the largest in the universe,” jokes President Wayne Johnson. “At least, we haven’t heard from any little green men to tell us otherwise,” he said.

OCA members enjoy presenting family programs.

“When you show kids something they’ve never seen before, [like] the rings of Saturn or the craters of the moon or shooting stars, they just can’t believe what they’re seeing,” Johnson said.

Although Johnson has traveled the world in search of celestial spectacles, he believes one of the most fetching is still one of the easiest for newcomers to spot.

“Saturn is among the prettiest sights in the sky,” he said. “Once you’ve seen it, you’re hooked.”

Nine-year-old Victoria Lee of Huntington Beach shares Johnson’s enthusiasm. At the tender age of 7, says her mom, Patti Lee, the appearance of the comet Hale-Bopp ignited her interest in stargazing, a passion she’s pursued through events at the Rancho Mission Viejo Land Conservancy, planetarium shows and astronomy-themed day camps, such as those held by Huntington Beach-based Science Adventures and the Launch Pad in Costa Mesa. (Launch Pad programs will move this summer to larger digs at the Discovery Science Center.)

“The first time we did any stargazing, her reaction was ‘Wow! Cool!,’ ” recalled Lee. “She was so impressed with seeing the Andromeda galaxy [and] using the telescope to see things you can’t see with the naked eye.”

Bob Gill, an OCA member who holds a master’s degree in physics and teaches college-level classes in astronomy around the county, is a coordinator of the Rancho Mission Viejo conservancy programs. Gill says the two-hour sessions begin with an introduction on how to look through the variety of telescopes on hand, and includes tips on how to find north and how to find constellations with and without a telescope.

Scopes, each manned by a skilled volunteer, are trained at various points in the sky. Visitors move from scope to scope to take in the sights, then the scopes are trained on other spots and the cycle is repeated. “We show them galaxies, nebulae, clusters . . . and look for black holes,” said Gill.

Black holes, he said, “are the remnant of a very massive dead star.”

Although families may buy their own telescopes, books or videos to study astronomy, these tools pale in comparison to having someone who knows his or her way around the universe as a guide.

“If you have a scope, bring it and we’ll show you how to set it up,” he offered. “But there’s nothing that beats the mentor approach of having someone say, ‘Let’s watch the sky together and see how things are moving.’ Once you get that, everything falls into place.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Seeing Stars in Orange County

* Orange County Astronomers Starline, (714) 995-2203. Palomar Observatory (daytime, self-guided tours only; no nighttime viewing). (760) 742-2119.

* Rancho Mission Viejo Land Conservancy (off Ortega Highway in San Juan Capistrano). Monthly stargazing programs led by OCA members; open to ages 8 and older. Next session: 7:15 p.m. Saturday. $8. Reservations required. (949) 489-9778.

* Discovery Science Center (2500 N. Main St., Santa Ana). Astronomy programs for groups only, kindergarten through high school students. Sessions run 45 minutes to an hour. Guides use projections inside a portable planetarium and a variety of Greek, Roman and Native American myths to teach about heavenly bodies. The program can be booked by groups of 20-35. The center’s permanent exhibits are open to the public and include several on space exploration. $3.50 per student. (714) 542-2823, Ext. 3.

* Tessman Planetarium at Rancho Santiago College (17th and Bristol streets, Santa Ana). Geared to school groups but open to individual ticket-buyers, Tessman’s one-hour shows are held Mondays and Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. and Tuesdays at 9:30 and 11 a.m. Reservations required. $2. (714) 480-7390.

* Adventures in Astronomy. A Laguna Niguel-based company offers astronomy programs, star parties and other activities to groups of all ages. (949) 347-9302 for reservations and information.