Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Time: 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Location: The Ahwahnee – outside the hotel on the terrace by the swimming pool.
At the September get together, we selected The Ahwahnee as our meeting spot for October. With the sun setting at 6:34 pm, this will give us an opportunity to get outdoors while it’s still light, and then retreat to the warm and well-lighted option of the hotel later on as desired.
OR if the skies are clear, there are a few interesting things going on in the night sky as well. Moonrise isn’t until the wee hours of the morning, so as the sky gets dark, we should have a decent view of the stars (beyond the lights of the hotel).
- Unlike the Perseids, the Draconids meteor shower only produces a small number of meteors per hour, but October 7 is the peak, and the best viewing is shortly after sunset. The Draconids, unsurprisingly, originate from the constellation of Draco – a good reason to find and ID this constellation high in the NNE sky.
- In the eastern sky, Saturn will have just passed Opposition, so will be brighter than usual. I’m a complete spotting scope newbie, but if there is a chance the sky will be clear, maybe I’ll bring mine and see if we can spot the rings.
What to Expect:
Bring:
- Something to write with and on. I’ll try to have some extra stuff if you forget, but a bit of printer paper and a pen or pencil is just fine! The goal here is to slow down and observe, wonder, and record our insights and questions on paper.
- Clothing layers to be ready for whatever the weather is going to throw at us.
- Something to sit on (optional) – note that this location has picnic tables and benches, so this may be even less of a desire than some other locations, but if you want to move around, it could still come in handy, though finding a spot on a rock, log, or on the ground is also certainly an option.
- Insect repellent? (also optional) I am much calmer when not being swarmed or bitten by the winged vampires, so I’ll try to have some to share.
- Your Curiosity and Wonder.