Attending a BBAA Event
No telescope, membership or astronomy experience required.
Come and look
At public observing events, the telescopes belong to individual astronomers who are there specifically to share the view. Ask questions. If you have never looked through a telescope, say so—we enjoy first looks.
Bringing your own telescope
Please do. Many recurring events are excellent places to get help with setup, alignment, collimation or simply figuring out what that mystery knob does.
Protect everyone's night vision
At nighttime events, use a dim red light and keep phone screens as dark as practical. White headlights and flashlights can erase dark adaptation for everyone nearby.
Around telescopes
Please walk rather than run, especially around tripods and cables. Ask before touching, moving or refocusing a telescope. It is not necessary to touch the eyepiece with your eye.
Children
Children are welcome at public events. A parent or responsible adult should remain with younger visitors, particularly after dark.
Weather
Many observing events depend on the sky. Check the event's Night Sky Network record before leaving home. Some community programs continue indoors even if telescope observing is impossible.