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What is the Spokane Astronomical Society?
The Spokane Astronomical Society (SAS) is a nonprofit, volunteer-run astronomy club based in Spokane, Washington, serving the Inland Northwest. Its stated purpose is promoting enjoyment and education in astronomy and related topics, and its tone is deliberately informal: the site's own heading is "Astronomy just for the fun of it!"
What it does
- Monthly general meetings. These are held on the second Friday of each month, starting at 7:00 pm from November through March and 7:30 pm from April through October.
- Public observing and education. Meetings mix club business with practical astronomy. A July meeting noted in the site's announcements, for example, paired a burger cookout and potluck with solar observing through white-light and hydrogen-alpha telescopes, plus guidance on how to observe the Sun safely.
- A social community. The meeting description is as much about sharing side dishes and drinks as about telescopes, which tells you the club functions as a local gathering point for hobbyists rather than a formal academic body.
Who it suits
- Beginners and curious families who want hands-on looks through other people's equipment before buying a telescope.
- Amateur astronomers in or near Spokane looking for dark-sky outings, observing companions and informal mentoring.
- Teachers, scouts and community groups seeking local astronomy programming or speakers.
- Less suitable if you want structured courses, certification or professional research opportunities — this is a volunteer club, not an institution.
A practical next step
Check the site's Announcements and Upcoming Events before attending, since meeting locations can change. The July meeting was held at a semi-rural private site on North Lehman Road rather than a fixed club venue, with a 6:30 pm potluck ahead of the 7:30 pm start. If you go, arrive early, bring something to share if you're inclined, and follow the posted directions — the site specifically asks visitors to keep right at the driveway fork to avoid disturbing the resident.
For a broader sense of what's happening in the region, the Spokane Astronomical Society is the natural starting point; national organizations such as Astronomical Society of the Pacific publish general public-observing resources if you want background reading before your first meeting.
How can I attend a Spokane Astronomical Society general meeting?
General meetings are open to the public: just show up at the listed time and place—no ticket or membership mentioned. The society meets on the second Friday of each month, at 7:00 pm November–March and 7:30 pm April–October. Locations can change, so check the current announcement before you go.
What to expect, based on their own July announcement
- That meeting was held at the "Party Palace," a semi-rural site with indoor and outdoor space at 8616 N Lehman Road, north of Bigelow Gulch Road. Their landmark note: a giant bush with a rusty tractor on top; at the driveway fork, stay right so as not to disturb the resident.
- Arrive early for a 6:30 pm burger cookout and potluck before the 7:30 pm meeting; side dishes, desserts and drinks were welcome but optional.
- Summer darkness is short, so the observing plan was modest—one star—with white-light and hydrogen-alpha solar telescopes on hand to teach safe solar viewing.
If you're new
Come for the 6:30 pm food if you want to meet people casually, or arrive just before the meeting start if you only want the program. Bring a chair, a layer for after sunset, and a red flashlight if you plan to stay for observing; skip white flashlights and phone screens around telescopes. If you have a scope you don't know how to use, this is a friendly place to ask.
Before you drive out
Check the homepage for the month's location and time, since the society has met at least one non-standard site: Spokane Astronomical Society. For regional weather and dark-sky context, ClearDarkSky is a practical check. If you want a broader club directory as a backup, Astronomical League lists affiliated societies.
What should I bring to a Spokane Astronomical Society potluck or cookout?
Bring a shareable side dish, dessert, or drinks—and plan to arrive early enough to eat before the meeting starts. The club's own announcement for its July general meeting describes a "feeding-before-the-meeting burger cookout and potluck" beginning at 6:30 PM, an hour before the 7:30 PM meeting, and asks attendees to bring side dishes, desserts and drinks to share "if you are so inclined."
H3 What that means in practice
- The burgers are the host's contribution; the potluck part is what members bring.
- "If you are so inclined" signals the food is optional and informal, not a required entry fee.
- Since the meeting follows immediately, choose things that are easy to serve, eat, and pack up quickly.
H3 Other things worth putting in the car
- A chair or blanket if you plan to stay for the observing portion.
- Layers and insect protection; the event is at a semi-rural outdoor site north of Bigelow Gulch Road.
- A red-light flashlight for after dark, so you don't spoil other people's night vision.
- Sun-observing happens at this particular meeting, so the club supplies the solar telescopes—you don't need your own, but sunglasses are not a substitute for proper solar filters.
H3 A practical decision criterion Match your dish to the season and the daylight. The announcement notes that "darkness is in such shortage this time of the year" that only one star would be observed, so a summer cookout is mostly a social and solar-observing evening. Cold, sturdy dishes travel better than anything that needs reheating, and finger food lets people keep talking and looking up.
Next step: check the club's current announcements page before you go, since the meeting location, start time and food plans shift with the season—winter meetings begin at 7:00 PM, summer ones at 7:30 PM. Spokane Astronomical Society
How do I safely observe the sun with a solar telescope at a Spokane Astronomical Society event?
The Spokane Astronomical Society's own event announcement points to the safest path: attend the July general meeting and let members run the solar telescopes for you. The Society advertises white-light and Hydrogen Alpha solar telescopes on hand at the "Party Palace" site on 8616 N Lehman Road, north of Bigelow Gulch Road, with the meeting at 7:30 PM and a burger cookout and potluck at 6:30 PM. The stated purpose is to teach safe solar observing and explain what you are seeing. That is a supervised, hands-on setting rather than a solo experiment.
Why supervision matters
The sun concentrates enough light and heat through an unfiltered telescope to damage an eye in an instant, and the damage is painless and permanent. Safe solar work depends on a filter mounted securely at the front of the aperture, never a dark "sun filter" screwed into the eyepiece, which can crack under the heat. A club event puts that hardware and the people who know how to check it between you and the eyepiece.
What to expect at the event
- White-light views show sunspots and granulation in the photosphere.
- Hydrogen Alpha views show the chromosphere: prominences, filaments and plage.
- Members will show you how to find the sun without looking through the finder, usually by watching the telescope's shadow shrink to a minimum.
- Arriving at 6:30 PM for the cookout gives you time to ask questions before dark, and the announcement notes the meeting's short summer darkness means the group plans to observe one star — the sun.
If you want to observe on your own later
Treat the club meeting as training, not as a substitute for a filter you have inspected yourself. Buy a full-aperture solar filter from a reputable astronomy vendor, check the filter's mylar or glass for pinholes against a bright lamp before every session, secure it so wind cannot lift it, and cap or remove the finderscope. Never use solar eyepiece filters, stacked neutral-density filters or sunglasses. For a broader safety reference, see NASA and Sky & Telescope.
A practical decision rule
If you have never observed the sun before, go to the SAS meeting first and look through their scopes. Only consider buying your own solar filter once you can explain, in your own words, why the filter belongs at the front of the telescope and how you would check it before each use.
Where is the Party Palace observing site and how do I get there?
The Party Palace is the Spokane Astronomical Society's semi-rural gathering site at 8616 N Lehman Road, just north of Bigelow Gulch Road in the Spokane area. It offers both indoor and outdoor space, which is why the club uses it for potluck-and-observing nights rather than a purely open field.
Getting there and finding the driveway
- From Lehman Road, watch for the driveway marked by a giant bush with a rusty tractor perched on top — that's the landmark the club points to.
- Once you turn in, keep to the right at the fork in the road. The club specifically asks this so the resident on the property isn't disturbed.
- Arrive before the posted meeting time if you want food and setup time; the July general meeting started at 7:30 PM with a burger cookout and potluck at 6:30 PM.
Practical notes for a first visit
- Bring a side dish, dessert or drinks to share if you're so inclined — it's a potluck format, not a catered event.
- Summer visits mean very little darkness, so the club may focus on solar observing instead of deep-sky objects. The July session used white-light and Hydrogen Alpha solar telescopes and included guidance on observing the sun safely.
- If you're mainly interested in night-sky viewing, check the current announcements before driving out, since the program changes with the season and the amount of darkness.
For meeting times, directions updates and event details, start with the club's own site: Spokane Astronomical Society.
What astronomy activities does the Spokane Astronomical Society offer for beginners or families?
The Spokane Astronomical Society (SAS) is a volunteer-run, non-profit club in Spokane, Washington, focused on enjoyment and education in astronomy across the Inland Northwest. For beginners and families, its main draw is the monthly General Meeting, which pairs a short business-and-announcements format with a public-friendly program and, when weather allows, actual observing.
What a beginner or family can typically expect
- Monthly General Meetings. Held on the second Friday of each month: 7:00 pm November–March, 7:30 pm April–October. Meetings are open to the public, so you can attend before deciding whether to join.
- Seasonal potlucks and social time. Some meetings include a cookout or potluck before the program; the July meeting, for example, had a burger cookout and potluck starting at 6:30 pm ahead of the 7:30 pm meeting. This is a low-pressure way for families to meet members and ask questions.
- Solar observing and safe-sun guidance. The same July meeting featured white-light and Hydrogen Alpha solar telescopes, with members showing how to observe the Sun safely and explaining what you are looking at. Solar viewing is a good first step for kids because it happens in daylight and does not require staying up late.
- Access to darker sites. Meetings sometimes move to semi-rural locations with both indoor and outdoor space, such as the "Party Palace" site north of Bigelow Gulch Road, which offers more room and darker skies than a typical indoor venue.
- Practical, hands-on learning. The club's stated purpose is promoting enjoyment and education in astronomy, and the meeting format mixes announcements with informal instruction—useful if you have a telescope you cannot figure out or are shopping for a first one.
How to decide if it fits your family
| If you want... | Best fit |
|---|---|
| A free, low-commitment first step | Attend one General Meeting as a guest |
| Daylight activity for young children | A solar observing session |
| Help choosing or using a first telescope | Talk with members at a meeting |
| A darker-sky experience | Meetings held at rural sites |
A practical next step: check the club's Announcements and Upcoming Events before you go, since meeting locations and start times change by season and some months include a potluck. If you attend, bring a chair, a red flashlight and warm layers for outdoor observing, and arrive early enough to eat and chat before the program begins. For broader context on what is visible from your area, the Spokane Astronomical Society site is the most directly relevant local resource; national groups such as Astronomical Society of the Pacific publish beginner-friendly observing and family activity guides if you want background reading first.
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