Major Events

Upcoming events

Cedar Park Astronomy Night

Lakeline Park

6:30 - 8:00 pm, 2/27/25

Lunar Eclipse Watch Party

Vandegrift High School

11:00 - 2:00 pm , 3/13/25

Relay for Life

Vandegrift High School

After School 4/11/25

Past events

Mason Elementary Stem Night 2/20/25

This was our second time at this event. Unfortunately, the forecast was wrong and the clouds rolled in, but we were still able to set up a station indoors to let kids see how telescopes work. We got a closeup of a mysterious foam sphere on the ceiling that looked like a planet up close. Who knows how long it was up there for?

LWBE Astronomy Night 2/3/25

Our second annual LWBE 3rd Grade Astronomy Night was a huge success, with the planetary parade and abnormally warm weather creating perfect conditions for stargazing. The kids, their parents, and the teachers were all excited to learn about the value of scientific research and astronomy while seeing views of Jupiter, Saturn, the Orion Nebula, and the moon.

Lakeline Park Astronomy Night 1 1/23/25

In a first of its kind collaboration, Nipun partnered with Cedar Parks Parks and Recreation to host a stargazing night. Bringing out my Unistellar Telescope and streaming the live output, we were able to view everything from planets to nebulas to galaxies. Through it all, we taught an audience of many ages. about the wonders of the night sky, sharing stories of constellations, the science behind celestial objects, and the importance of preserving dark skies. Families gathered in awe as Saturn’s rings came into focus, the Orion Nebula glowed vividly, and distant galaxies revealed their spiraling arms. The event not only sparked curiosity but also fostered a sense of community, bringing people together under the stars.

LWBE STEAM Night 1/23/25

Sam and Avery ran the astronomy station at the Laura Welch Bush Elementary STEAM night where we could reach out to many families in the local community. There were near-perfect skies for planetary astronomy and we got amazing views of Saturn and Venus. The attendees loved doing astronomy trivia (and winning candy) while learning about the stars.

VHS Winter Star Party 12/11/24

The conditions were perfect that night on the band field, and we were able to get some excellent stargazing. In total, we had four telescopes of various models viewing objects like the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Orion, and Andromeda, as well as around a dozen attendees. Though it was pretty cold that night (Texas finally decided it was winter), a little hot chocolate and a lap around the field warmed us right up!

Cedar Park Dark Skies Event 4/22/24

With the luck of a clear night sky alongside some passionate volunteers, the club was able to participate in the Cedar Park Dark Skies Event

As a part of his 4-H Project and Dark Sky Advocacy, Nipun partnered with the City of Cedar Park to organize a one-year anniversary event for the Dark Sky Week Proclamation. The event was very successful, with numerous parents and children visiting Lakeline Park to view the club's telescopes. As the night progressed, we were able to show real-time deep-space photos coming in on a projector as well as the deep craters of the moon.

Ultimately, the children's passion and commitment to reducing light pollution made the event truly magical.

Relay for Life 4/12/24

On Friday, April 12, the astronomy club joined the Vandegrift High School Relay for Life event. We helped to increase awareness about astronomy while also staying to support cancer patients and survivors or to honor those who have lost their lives.

The club operated a telescope station at which people were able to see the waxing crescent moon despite some occasional cloud cover. Many students were excited about astronomy following the eclipse and were excited to learn that there was an astronomy club. We also created an astronomy trivia game to pass the time with visitors to our booth while waiting for the clouds to pass.

Total Solar Eclipse 4/8/24

At 1:35 pm on Monday, April 8, the students at VHS experienced a once-in-a-lifetime celestial event. A total solar eclipse passed over Austin, TX, and Vandegrift was in the path of totality. Classes were shortened for the day, and everyone at school was allowed to go to the stadium to view. Although thick clouds were present in the hours leading up to totality, they cleared just in time for everyone to get an amazing viewing. The club also gained a lot of attention from local media, and we appeared in the newspaper as well as some school-related social media.

Steiner Ranch Elementary 3/1/24

On March 1, 2024, Sam went to the Annual Steiner Ranch Elementary School Carnival to man the telescope station. Using a solar filter, the kids and parents at the carnival were able to see views of the sun. Many were excited for the upcoming eclipse on April 8 and were curious about the sunspots and information about the sun. After sunset, Jupiter was visible high in the sky, so the station pivoted toward images of Jupiter.

Mason Elementary 2/24/24

On Thursday, February 24, 2024, we went to Mason Elementary to host a telescope viewing event at their STEAM night. We showed the kids various targets through our telescopes and were also subsequently blown away by the incredible amount of curiosity and knowledge the children had about space. The event was able to gain significant popularity among the STEAM night attendees and we were able to share the wonder of the cosmos and raise awareness about light pollution.

A special thanks to the parent volunteers there who were so kind to help us manage the event.

Laura Welch Bush Elementary 9/28/23

In September 28th, 2023, Sam and I (Nipun), driven by a deep passion for astronomy, organized a successful stargazing event for the third graders at Laura Welch Bush Elementary School. Fueled by our own curiosity and telescopes, we engaged the children with an oral presentation on the vast scale of the universe and facilitated a hands-on stargazing experience. The event highlighted the beauty of celestial objects and raised awareness about light pollution in the metropolitan area. We found joy in igniting the children's curiosity, and overall had a successful event with a great message

Relay for Life

During the school's Relay for Life event, the Astronomy Club set up a table to represent the club, among other things. It was the first significant outreach in the club's history, and we gained traction with many people interested in what we do. Although the clouds obscured our ability to see much, we held spirit and represented the club. We showed photos of previously captured objects and explained the threat of light pollution. Through this, we were able to educate people about our club's mission and generate interest in astronomy.

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