Spokane Astronomical Society

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Spokane Astronomical Society The Spokane Astronomical Society is one of the oldest astronomy clubs in the United States. The best part is that no experience is required.

Established sometime prior to 1932 as The Amateur Telescope Makers of Spokane, the name was changed to The Spokane Astronomical Society in 1967. We are a nonprofit organization and a registered charity with the state of Washington and the federal government. Our members have a wide range of experience from beginners to professional astronomers. Historically, the SAS has taken a positive and active role in sharing our expertise and time with the public. We conduct numerous star parties and astronomy related presentations for local schools, clubs and other organizations throughout the year as part our public outreach. We invite and encourage our members to participate in the many activities we have to offer. Serving on the Board of Directors, organizing a public event or helping out with our Young Astronomers group are just a few of the ways you can get involved. A simple desire to help is all the experience you need. Like most astronomy clubs, the SAS has a group of experienced amateur astronomers who are always willing to help those members that new to the hobby. From locating objects in the sky, to advice on which telescope or eyepiece to buy, these members can help. The SAS also has an active Amateur Telescope Makers group. The ATM group will be happy to teach you how to build your own telescope. One of our members designed and built the world’s largest, portable amateur telescope! This scope is known as Hercules and has a primary mirror which is over 41 inches across! The ATM group will even help you improve or repair any telescope you might have. The club owns several telescopes, a modest library and other equipment that is available to members to use free of charge. Our dark sky observing site, located near Fishtrap Lake, is an excellent place to escape the light pollution of the city. Star parties are scheduled each month, weather permitting. These star parties are the best place to try out different telescopes and ask questions before buying one. Please explore our site and let us know what you think. Wishing You Clear Skies,

10/03/2026

October’s meeting is by our own public outreach coordinator Debbie Cotten on volunteering activities. We welcome members to share their knowledge and experiences with the public at our events.

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Yesterday at Valleyfest was success, even though we only had 4 club members and 2 telescopes and one Seestar. I want to ...
09/27/2026

Yesterday at Valleyfest was success, even though we only had 4 club members and 2 telescopes and one Seestar. I want to give a big Thank you to Zach, Coy and Paul for coming out and sharing your knowledge of astronomy. I want to also thank Greg and Hope for coming out in the morning to help set up. We should have a couple new people attending our meetings once we move to the Shadle Library in November. The Center Place was a good location change. The unloading was a lot closer and easier and parking was great.

Valleyfest. Excellent solar viewing, courtesy of Coy. Zach brought his 3D moon and puzzles of Vallis Marineris (sp?) and...
09/26/2026

Valleyfest. Excellent solar viewing, courtesy of Coy. Zach brought his 3D moon and puzzles of Vallis Marineris (sp?) and Tycho crater he made.

A few members will have a booth set up at Valleyfest this weekend. Saturday only, our booth will be set up at Mirabau Ce...
09/24/2026

A few members will have a booth set up at Valleyfest this weekend. Saturday only, our booth will be set up at Mirabau Center Place. We will be with the other STEAM venders on the North lawn of Center Place from 12-5pm on Sept 26th. We will have Solar telescopes and displays. Come out and visit us. The picture is from the past.

Dan had Hercules out at Fishtrap last night (Wednesday).
09/18/2026

Dan had Hercules out at Fishtrap last night (Wednesday).

09/02/2026

The September 11th general meeting (summer venue) presentation will be by Sandy Nichols on his experience with radio astronomy. The YAA (Young Amateur Astronomers) were building a radiotelescope that was coming close to working condition when COVID interrupted.

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08/31/2026

Named after NASA's first chief of astronomy often called the "mother of Hubble," this $4.3 billion observatory features a field of view 100 times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope. It should be great for dark energy observations, dark matter, and finding exoplanets.

Here is a link to a Nautilus article on the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) built by Fermilab and located in Chile.
08/29/2026

Here is a link to a Nautilus article on the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) built by Fermilab and located in Chile.

This Image from the Dark Energy Camera Is a Bit Van Gogh, No?: Astronomy meets 19th-century art

Asteroid BennuThis information is over a year old, so more recent than most of the stuff I learn about. I liked the way ...
08/29/2026

Asteroid Bennu
This information is over a year old, so more recent than most of the stuff I learn about. I liked the way she presented this information.

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Spokane, WA
99203

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