Cloud cover cancels this event.  Check this webpage four hours prior to the start of the event for any cancellation announcement.

This event has three themes:

Theme #1:  Club Members Only Star Party (not a public event)
Join other club members (and their families and friends) for an evening (or all night!) of casual stargazing and socializing.  Location TBD.

Theme #2:  "Messier Marathon"
A Messier Marathon is an attempt to view as many Messier objects as possible in one night.  If the weather cooperates and the skies are clear all night, it is theoretically possible to view nearly all 110 objects in the Messier Catalog during this event, starting at dusk and ending before morning twilight.  Learn more about the history of Messier Marathons here.

To guide you on which Messier objects to search for throughout the night, download this Messier Marathon search sequence list.

While some club members intend to spend the entire night searching for Messier objects, all club members are welcome to spend as little or as much time at this event as they wish, doing whatever stargazing as they wish.  For those of you who do not own a telescope but still want to view Messier objects this evening, come on out and look through other members' telescopes and MIRA-provided telescopes.

Theme #3:  Telescope Clinic
Got a telescope but do not know how to use it?  Bring it to this event and let another club member teach you how.  If interested, contact me so that I can pair you with another club member.  (If you show up with a telescope unannounced, there may not be anyone available to help you.)  Contact me if you are willing to help another club member with his/her telescope.

What is the Messier Catalog?
The Messier Catalog is a list of 110 of some of the brightest "deep sky" (outside of our solar system) celestial objects visible from northern latitudes, initially created by the French astronomer Charles Messier in the late 18th century.  This list includes star clusters, nebulae, galaxies and one supernova remnant!  Nearly all of these objects are visible through small amateur telescopes.  Some are even naked-eye objects.

About Pinnacles National Park West Entrance Parking Lot
Pinnacles National Park's west entrance parking lot is a favorite of Monterey Bay area and south San Francisco Bay area amateur astronomers, due to its higher elevation (~1,800ft) sky quality (21.86SQM, Bortle Class 3), parking and equipment set-up convenience, proximity to modern restrooms, and relatively close proximity (one hour and ten minute drive, 46 miles from MIRA offices).  Because this is a public spot with all these benefits for stargazing, expect non-club members to be there with their own equipment.

Below is an overhead view of the event location:

REALLY Important Information About Stargazing from Pinnacles National Park West Entrance Parking Lot

1. The west entrance has a motion-triggered entrance gate.  This gate closes at 8:00pm, preventing entry.  Exiting the park is possible at any time after that, via the automated, proximity-sensor-activated gate.
    
2. No camping or overnight sleeping is allowed in the west entrance parking lot.  As long as you stay awake during your entire stargazing session, the rangers should leave you alone.
    
3. While you may set up your stargazing equipment on the parking lot tarmac next to your vehicle, you must keep your equipment and vehicle out of the right-of-way drive through the parking lot.  And you must comply with any ranger's request that you move your equipment if he/she deems that you are obstructing drive-through traffic.
    
4. Participation in this event is subject to the park's per-vehicle visitation fee of $30.  It is recommended that you pre-pay this fee on-line.  (There is no on-site cash payment option.)  Annual and senior lifetime national park entrance passes are accepted too.  To avoid the new additional non-citizen/non-resident fee of $100 per person, have with you a valid US passport, valid state-issued driver's license or legal residence ID card ("green card").