Standley Lake Stargazing Community Telescopes
Donation protected
Seeing the rings of Saturn, the craters of the Moon, or even the moons of Jupiter through a telescope is something everyone should experience. Standley Lake Stargazing wants to share the wonders of the night sky with the community. Your donation will help make this possible.
What is Standley Lake Stargazing?
Standley Lake Stargazing is a volunteer group based in Arvada that is committed to bringing the wonders of science and astronomy to the community through telescope nights (star parties) and educational outreach programs that focus on spaceflight, engineering and other STEM topics. Our family-friendly programs have been hosted by the Jefferson County Public Library System, Standley Lake Regional Park, Majestic View Nature Center as well as local parks and other public venues and reach 500+ visitors per year. During the pandemic, while in-person events were suspended, our outreach moved online to weekly virtual programs covering observing highlights, spaceflight, and the popular Science & Cinema series. In-person events are on the horizon, and this is where you, our generous supporters, come in!
What does this campaign hope to accomplish?
Standley Lake Stargazing’s primary goal is to make outreach efforts available to the community at large without cost barriers or advertising. Currently, all outreach events and star parties have relied on our volunteers’ personal telescope equipment. With your contribution, we will expand our reach in the community by purchasing new, public-use equipment that is more durable, portable and user-friendly. These new scopes would also limit the risks to volunteers’ personal, often delicate equipment!
New Equipment Goals
• Dobsonian Telescopes: Portable, durable, beginner-friendly, and easy to maintain and repair
• Field Binoculars: A simple yet effective way to view everything from the Moon to the Milky Way. Also great for keeping large crowds engaged while waiting in line for the larger telescope
• Star Charts, Books, Handouts: Star charts, planispheres and other laminated printouts greatly enhance the experience, allowing visitors to identify constellations, planets, and deep-sky objects before and after viewing through the telescope. Time-sensitive handouts (ideal for meteor showers, International Space Station passes, planetary conjunctions, lunar phases) are also great tools that visitors can take with them to extend their pursuits beyond the session
• Support Equipment: Heavy-duty carts for on-site gear transport from parking areas; to include gear cases for eyepieces, filters and binoculars, and padded scope bags to protect scopes from damage during transport and storage
Any funding received beyond the original goal will be put toward future expansion efforts in line with this campaign. You’ll find the new outreach equipment being used at libraries, parks, nature centers and anywhere else you see Standley Lake Stargazing programs in the future. Check out our website to monitor our progress and view upcoming events!
Future Goals
We’re interested in growing and making our programming and events accessible to a larger segment of the community. As much as we’d love to, there’s only so far volunteer time can go toward organizing events, creating programming and staffing star parties. Your continued support will enable full time involvement. Become a contributor at www.standleylakestargazing.com
I can’t afford to donate, how else can I help?
Not a problem!
You can help in other ways, such as volunteering for outreach events in the future, helping with crowd management, basic telescope operations, and interacting with visitors as they explore the night sky, often for the first time.
Additionally, you can donate any old, broken or unwanted equipment (telescopes, binoculars, eyepieces, astronomy books, etc.). Even non-operational equipment is a valuable teaching aid! If you’re interested in volunteering or donating equipment, please reach out to us (see contact info at the bottom).
Thanks for your generous support as we bring science and astronomy to the Arvada community!
Personnel
Alfredo Cruz - Space scientist and Ph.D. student at West Virginia University
Ron Havermann - Retired physicist with Lockheed Martin Space Systems Inc. and all around space enthusiast
Tonia Robinson - Community promoter, administrative support and novice astronomer
Aric Vyhmeister - Aerospace engineer and science educator
Resources
Read: VoyageDenver Article About Standley Lake Stargazing
Website: www.standleylakestargazing.com
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Email and Phone: [Use 'Contact Organizer' button below]
What is Standley Lake Stargazing?
Standley Lake Stargazing is a volunteer group based in Arvada that is committed to bringing the wonders of science and astronomy to the community through telescope nights (star parties) and educational outreach programs that focus on spaceflight, engineering and other STEM topics. Our family-friendly programs have been hosted by the Jefferson County Public Library System, Standley Lake Regional Park, Majestic View Nature Center as well as local parks and other public venues and reach 500+ visitors per year. During the pandemic, while in-person events were suspended, our outreach moved online to weekly virtual programs covering observing highlights, spaceflight, and the popular Science & Cinema series. In-person events are on the horizon, and this is where you, our generous supporters, come in!
What does this campaign hope to accomplish?
Standley Lake Stargazing’s primary goal is to make outreach efforts available to the community at large without cost barriers or advertising. Currently, all outreach events and star parties have relied on our volunteers’ personal telescope equipment. With your contribution, we will expand our reach in the community by purchasing new, public-use equipment that is more durable, portable and user-friendly. These new scopes would also limit the risks to volunteers’ personal, often delicate equipment!
New Equipment Goals
• Dobsonian Telescopes: Portable, durable, beginner-friendly, and easy to maintain and repair
• Field Binoculars: A simple yet effective way to view everything from the Moon to the Milky Way. Also great for keeping large crowds engaged while waiting in line for the larger telescope
• Star Charts, Books, Handouts: Star charts, planispheres and other laminated printouts greatly enhance the experience, allowing visitors to identify constellations, planets, and deep-sky objects before and after viewing through the telescope. Time-sensitive handouts (ideal for meteor showers, International Space Station passes, planetary conjunctions, lunar phases) are also great tools that visitors can take with them to extend their pursuits beyond the session
• Support Equipment: Heavy-duty carts for on-site gear transport from parking areas; to include gear cases for eyepieces, filters and binoculars, and padded scope bags to protect scopes from damage during transport and storage
Any funding received beyond the original goal will be put toward future expansion efforts in line with this campaign. You’ll find the new outreach equipment being used at libraries, parks, nature centers and anywhere else you see Standley Lake Stargazing programs in the future. Check out our website to monitor our progress and view upcoming events!
Future Goals
We’re interested in growing and making our programming and events accessible to a larger segment of the community. As much as we’d love to, there’s only so far volunteer time can go toward organizing events, creating programming and staffing star parties. Your continued support will enable full time involvement. Become a contributor at www.standleylakestargazing.com
I can’t afford to donate, how else can I help?
Not a problem!
You can help in other ways, such as volunteering for outreach events in the future, helping with crowd management, basic telescope operations, and interacting with visitors as they explore the night sky, often for the first time.
Additionally, you can donate any old, broken or unwanted equipment (telescopes, binoculars, eyepieces, astronomy books, etc.). Even non-operational equipment is a valuable teaching aid! If you’re interested in volunteering or donating equipment, please reach out to us (see contact info at the bottom).
Thanks for your generous support as we bring science and astronomy to the Arvada community!
Personnel
Alfredo Cruz - Space scientist and Ph.D. student at West Virginia University
Ron Havermann - Retired physicist with Lockheed Martin Space Systems Inc. and all around space enthusiast
Tonia Robinson - Community promoter, administrative support and novice astronomer
Aric Vyhmeister - Aerospace engineer and science educator
Resources
Read: VoyageDenver Article About Standley Lake Stargazing
Website: www.standleylakestargazing.com
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Email and Phone: [Use 'Contact Organizer' button below]
Fundraising team (2)
Aric Vyhmeister
Organizer
Arvada, CO
Tonia Robinson
Team member