Jump to: Overview, Policies, CHAOS sessions, Morehead Sessions, Duke Sessions.
CHAOS is currently using two observing sites. On the
weekend of the last-quarter moon we use Farrington Point Boat Ramp (about 30
minutes south of Chapel Hill). On the weekend of the new moon we
use the CHAOS dark site (about a 1
hour drive north of Durham).
The club also co-sponsors viewing sessions with the Morehead
Planetarium. These sessions are of two types: a monthly public observing session, and a session at the end of the Paddle under the Stars outings. While the latter are aimed specifically at the participents in the outing, everyone is welcome.
Dr. Ronen Plesser of Duke University has regular public
observing sessions at the Duke Teaching Observatory on Cornwallis
Rd every Friday with decent observing weather. The Fridays of the first-quarter moon are included below.
Observing Nights, 2008:
| Observing Date | Rain Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4 (Thu-Fri) | Quandrantids | 6:00 | Farrington (Last Quarter) |
| Jan 26 (Sat) | 6:00 | Farrington | |
| Jan 19 (Fri) | January 20 (Sat) | 6:00 | |
| Jan 12 (Sat) | 6-8 | Ebenezer Church Recreation Area | |
| Feb 08 (Fri) | Feb 09 (Sat) | 6:00 | |
| Feb 15 (Fri) | 6:30 | Duke Teaching Observatory | |
| Feb 20(Wed) | 8:20-11PM | MPSC Sundial: Lunar Eclipse | |
| Feb 29(Fri) | 7-9pm | Little River Regional Park | |
| Mar 1 (Sat) | 6:00 | Farrington | |
| Mar 7 (Fri) | Mar 8 (Sat) | 6:30 | |
| Mar 8 (Sat) | 7-9 pm | Ebenezer Church Recreation Area | |
| Mar 14 (Fri) | 8:30 | Duke Teaching Observatory | |
| Mar 29 (Sat) | 6:00 | Farrington | |
| Apr 4 (Fri) | Apr 5 (Sat) | 7:30 | |
| Apr 5 (Sat) | Post-Paddle | 9:30 | Farrington |
| Apr 11 (Fri) | 9 | Duke Teaching Observatory | |
| Apr 12 (Sat) | 8:30-10:30 | Ebenezer Church Recreation Area | |
| Apr 22 (Tue-Wed) | Lyrids | 7:30 | Farrington (Waning Gibbous) |
| Apr 26 (Sat) | 7:00 | Farrington | |
| May 2 (Fri) | May 3 (Sat) | 8:00 | |
| May 3 (Sat) | Post-Paddle | 9:30 | Farrington |
| May 5 (Mon) | Eta Aquarids | 7:30 | Farrington (new moon) |
| May 9 (Fri) | 9:00 | Duke Teaching Observatory | |
| May 10 (Sat) | 8:30-10:30 | Ebenezer Church Recreation Area | |
| May 24 (Sat) | 8:00 | Farrington | |
| Jun 6 (Fri) | Jun 7 (Sat) | 8:30:00 | |
| Jun 6 (Fri) | Post-Paddle | 9:30 | Farrington |
| Jun 7th (Sat) | 9-11 | Ebenezer Church Recreation Area | |
| Jun 28 (Sat) | 8:00 | Farrington | |
| Jul 4 (Fri) | Jul 5 (Sat) | 8:00 | |
| Jul 5 (Sat) | Post-Paddle | 9:30 | Farrington |
| Jul 5 (Sat) | 6-8 | Ebenezer Church Recreation Area | |
| Jul 26 (Sat) | 8:00 | Farrington | |
| Jul 27 (Sun) | S. Delta Aquarids | 8:00 | Farrington (Last Quarter) |
| Aug 1 (Fri) | Aug 2 (Sat) | 8:00 | |
| Aug 01 (Fri) | Post-Paddle | 9:30 | Farrington |
| Aug 2 (Sat) | 6-8 | Ebenezer Church Recreation Area | |
| Aug 8? (Fri) | 9 | Duke Teaching Observatory | |
| Aug 12 (Tue) | Perseids | 9:00 | Farrington (Waxing Gibbous) |
| Aug 16 (Sat) | Partial Lunar Eclipse | 9:00 | Farrington |
| Aug 23 (Sat) | 8:00 | Farrington | |
| Aug 29 (Fri) | Aug 30 (Sat) | 8:00 | |
| Sep 5? (Fri) | 8:30 | Duke Teaching Observatory | |
| Sep 5 (Fri) | Post-Paddle | 9:30 | Farrington |
| Sep 6 (Sat) | 6-8 | Ebenezer Church Recreation Area | |
| Sep 20 (Sat) | 7:30 | Farrington | |
| Sep 26 (Fri) | Sep 27 (Sat) | 7:30 | |
| Oct 4 (Sat) | 6:00 | Duke Teaching Observatory | |
| Oct 3 (Fri) | Post-Paddle | 9:30 | Farrington |
| Oct 9 (Tue) | Draconids | 7:00 | Farrington (Waxing Gibbous) |
| Oct ?? (Sat) | 6-8 | Ebenezer Church Recreation Area | |
| Oct 21 (Tue) | Orionids | 7:30 | Farrington (Last Quarter) |
| Oct 25 (Sat) | 7:00 | Farrington | |
| Oct 31 (Fri) | Nov 1 (Sat) | 6:30 | |
| Nov 1 (Sat) | 6-8 | Ebenezer Church Recreation Area | |
| Nov 7?(Fri) | 6:00 | Duke Teaching Observatory | |
| Nov 18 (Sun) | Leonids | 11:00 | Farrington (Last Quarter) |
| Nov 21 (Fri) | Alpha Moncerotids | 7:30 | Farrington (Last Quarter) |
| Nov 28 (Fri) | Nov 29 (Sat) | 6:00 | |
| Dec 5? (Fri) | 6:00 | Duke Teaching Observatory | |
| Dec 6 (Sat) | 6-8 | Ebenezer Church Recreation Area | |
| Dec 13 (Sat) | Geminids | 7:30 | Farrington (Full Moon) |
| Dec 20 (Sat) | 6:00 | Farrington | |
| Dec 23(Tue) | Ursids | 7:30 | Farrington (waning crescent) |
| Dec 26 (Fri) | Dec 27 (Sat) | 6:00 |
Times given for dark site are intended to be the times when everyone gets to ECHHS for car-pooling. You may go directly to Farrington, Ebeneezer, and Duke Teaching Observatory. For Farrington you may arrive and leave whenever you wish. See the appropriate pages for the other sites. Please visit the Dark Site page for the rules and procedures for that site.
For final go/no-go decisionions on observing sessions, check the club email list where last-minute arrangments are discussed on the days prior to observing. If you are not registered on the list, check the CHAOS-L Archive.
Weather Policy: Based on weather conditions, confirmation of observing will be announced on the E-Mail list by 4pm on the day.
Check the E-mail list or archive for possible changes to this schedule. No status updates will be posted to these web pages.
CHAOS also co-sponsors viewing sessions with the Morehead Planetarium. These are usually held at the Ebenezer Church Recreation Area on Jordan Lake. Occasionally these joint sessions will be held at the Morehead Planetarium. Please see the Morehead web page for information and schedule.
While CHAOS is not directly involved, there are public observing sessions at the observatory scheduled for Friday nights. The observatory is an open field off Cornwalis Road between Chapel Hill and Durham, so it's close, but not very dark. Please see the observatory web page for more information and a schedule.
This page was last updated Jan 28, 2008