High Desert Astronomical Society (HiDAS)

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High Desert Astronomical Society (HiDAS)

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The High Desert Astronomical Society is based out of the Luz Observatory in Apple Valley, CA

The High Desert Astronomical Society (HiDAS) is a nonprofit corporation
that was formed in 1986 to provide trained, volunteer astronomers to
operate and maintain the Lewis Center's astronomical equipment. A second
mandate is to foster and support the members' and general public's
interest in the science of astronomy. HiDAS, through its corporate Board of Directors, oversees the Center's
observatory operations, which include:

* Acquisition and maintenance of observatory equipment.
* Training, certification and scheduling of its volunteer astronomers.
* Providing support to further the Center's goals of advancing science
and technology education.

11/02/2026

🌠🌌🔭

11/01/2026

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us at the Luz Observatory for our Halloween movie night! We had a wonderful evening and truly enjoyed meeting and catching up with everyone, sharing conversations, admiring costumes, and connecting with the community through our love of astronomy.

We look forward to hosting more events like this in the future and would love to hear any ideas our community might have for bringing our shared passion for astronomy and community together.

🌠🔭

11/01/2026

We hope to see you there! 🔭🌌✨️🌠

STEM Family Night!!!

Come have a night under the stars with your family

⭐️☀️🌑🔭

10/31/2026

Happy Halloween from HiDAS club member Jessica Ramos

🪐✨️👽🌞

10/29/2026

The Arbitor of Succession to the Klingon Empire...Worf's cha'DIch...Admiral Jean Luc Picard has completed his final bridge duty.

We thank you Sir Patrick Stewart. May you rest in peace.

RIP Sir Patrick Stewart

Some actors become part of our lives through the characters they play. Sir Patrick Stewart gave us characters who helped shape how we see the world.

As Captain Jean-Luc Picard, he showed generations of Star Trek fans that strength could mean patience, compassion and the courage to stand by your principles. He made a quiet speech on the bridge of the Enterprise every bit as gripping as a battle among the stars. For so many of us, he will always be our captain.

As Professor Charles Xavier, he brought that same humanity to another extraordinary world, giving us a teacher who believed in people even when the world feared them. Behind both roles was an actor whose voice, presence and emotional depth made the impossible feel real.

From the Shakespearean stage to the final frontier, he gave us performances we will return to for the rest of our lives. And alongside that commanding presence was a wonderful sense of humour—a reminder that someone capable of such gravitas could also take enormous pleasure in being silly.

Our thoughts are with his family, friends and everyone who loved him.

Rest peacefully, Sir Patrick. Thank you for giving us so much to believe in. The captain’s chair will always be yours. 🖖

10/29/2026

Member Astrophotography Spotlight: Todd Charlson

The universe is full of extraordinary beauty, and our members at the High Desert Astronomical Society continue to capture it in remarkable detail!

This incredible image by HiDAS member Todd Charlson features vdB 152, also known as the Wolf’s Cave Nebula, a reflection nebula located approximately 1,400 light-years away in the constellation Cepheus.

The blue-white light from the star BD +69 1231 illuminates the surrounding dust, giving the nebula its characteristic blue glow. But there is much more hiding in this image!

Look closely and you’ll also find the delicate red filaments of the supernova remnant SNR G110.3+11.3, stretching across the field of view, along with the planetary nebula Dengel-Hartl 5.

Capturing these faint structures takes tremendous patience and dedication. This image represents an impressive 56 hours and 45 minutes of total integration time, using HaLRGB imaging.

Congratulations to Todd on this outstanding work! It’s always exciting to see our members exploring the cosmos and sharing the wonders of the universe with others.

10/29/2026

🎃🌠 PUBLIC OBSERVATION + HALLOWEEN EVENING EVENT UPDATE:

A CHANGE OF PLANS, BUT THE MAGIC OF THE UNIVERSE CONTINUES! 🎬✨

Due to anticipated rainy weather conditions, the High Desert Astronomical Society (HiDAS) has made a change to our originally scheduled Public Observation Night on Saturday, October 31.

Instead of viewing the night sky, we're inviting you to join us for a Private Movie Night at The Luz Observatory, featuring the 1997 science-fiction classic Contact, starring Jodie Foster.

🎬 PRIVATE MOVIE NIGHT: CONTACT (1997)
Starring Jodie Foster and based on the novel by renowned astronomer Carl Sagan, Contact follows Dr. Ellie Arroway, a passionate scientist searching for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. When she discovers a mysterious signal from deep space, it sparks an extraordinary journey that challenges humanity's understanding of science, faith, and our place in the universe.

📅 Date: Saturday, October 31, 2026
🕢 Time: 7:45 PM
📍 Location: Luz Observatory
20702 Thunderbird Rd.
Apple Valley, CA 92307
(Located behind the AVCI building)

🍕 Pizza, candy, and drinks will be provided!
🎃 Costumes are encouraged but not required.
🎟️ RSVP REQUIRED — Limited to 20 guests!

🔗 Reserve your spot here:
https://forms.gle/M8LjaGcHWAPbhWo59

Please note: This is now a private, RSVP-only event rather than our originally scheduled public observation night. Space is limited, and advance registration is required to attend.

Although we won't be observing the stars through our telescopes, we'll still have an opportunity to explore one of humanity's greatest questions: Are we alone in the universe?

Thank you for your understanding and continued support of HiDAS. We look forward to sharing an evening of astronomy, imagination, and community with you!

🌠 Clear skies and cosmic curiosity!

10/25/2026

Thank you to everyone that came out last night for Cosmic Nights at the Victor Valley Museum-A San Bernardino County Museum to share a night under the stars with us. 🪐🔭✨️

It was clear skies and we were able to share some amazing views of the Hunter Moon, Saturn, and Andromeda with the community.

As always we are grateful to share our passion for space, inspire new astronomers to look farther than the horizon, and support our high desert communities and beyond in everyway we can.

10/25/2026

Cosmic Nights at the Victor Valley Museum-A San Bernardino County Museum

The Moon 10/24/26 🌌 🔭

Address

20702 Thunderbird Road
Apple Valley, CA
92307

Telephone

+17607927090

Website

https://linktr.ee/hidas_observatory

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