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Upcoming Astronomy Events
As a service to our community, Sky & Telescope lists astronomy-related events, including star parties, observatory public nights, astronomy talks, and more. Star parties offer dark skies and astronomical fellowship and often cater to families and feature special activities for kids. Public nights give the general public a chance to view the sky through large telescopes, and public talks are a great place to learn the fundamentals of the science and the craft.
You’ll also see online events offered here.
And if you’d like free copies of Sky & Telescope‘s Let’s Go Stargazing flyer or door prizes for your next star party, you can fill out this form.
The Astronomical League Convention is Coming to Baton Rouge
July 26, 2023 - July 29, 2023
$95
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana – The 2023 Astronomical League Convention (ALCon) will be held in Baton Rouge from July 26th to 29th at the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center Hotel. The convention will be hosted by the Baton Rouge Astronomical Society. Established in 1981, the club is Baton Rouge’s premier meeting place for amateur astronomers with around 100 members.
The Astronomical League is a national amateur astronomy organization comprised of over 300 societies from across the United States. The League’s goal is to encourage an interest in amateur astronomy through education and incentives. The Astronomical League hosts a yearly convention that provides an opportunity for amateur astronomers from all over the country to gather together to learn and exchange ideas, techniques, and opinions on astronomy. There are events scheduled throughout the convention for those interested, from the beginner to the advanced amateur.
ALCon 2023’s theme will be “Astronomical Gumbo,” which represents the blend of diverse subfields and people within the vast field of astronomy. Gumbo is a dish that combines the culinary practices of Africans, Native Americans, French, and Spanish, and is often used as a metaphor for the mix of cultures that exist in southern Louisiana.
The keynote speakers at the convention will be David Eicher, writer and editor-in-chief of Astronomy Magazine; Fred Espenak, eclipse expert and co-author of Totality: The Great American Eclipses of 2017 and 2024; and David Levy, author and comet hunter.
Scheduled field trips include the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Livingston, the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium at the Louisiana Art and Science Museum, the Highland Road Park Observatory, and the Landolt Astronomical Observatory at LSU.
For more information or to speak with a representative, please visit alcon2023.org or contact us at [email protected].
