Club Activities

First Christian Church Exterior

Greetings. The San Bernardino Valley Amateur Astronomers (SBVAA) take part in many activities in and around the Inland Empire. Our calendar is updated with our year’s events.

Meetings:

We meet once a month, the Saturday closest to the Full moon phase, at the First Christian Church on the corner of Sterling & Foothill in San Bernardino at 7:00 PM.

First Christian Church
2102 E. Foothill Dr.
San Bernardino, CA

From the 210 freeway, get off on Del Rosa and head North, turn right into Foothill drive east, go past Sterling and the church will be on the left. Meetings begin at 7:00 pm with a pre-meeting dinner at Jenny’s Diner in Highland at 5:00 pm. We also have an annual summer picnic in August and a holiday get-together in December.

Star Parties:

Each month on the Saturday nearest the new moon, we go out to a dark location for our club star party. Our star parties are typically relaxed and filled with comradely. We have partnered with the Wildlands Conservancy and typically have our star parties at either Pioneertown, Whitewater Preserve, or Oak Glen Conservancy. Twice a year, we go out to a very dark location in the White Mountains called Grandview. Additional details on our Star Party locations

Outreaches:

Several times during the year the club puts on outreaches for public viewing. We go out to local schools, churches or just hold the event at one of the Wildlands Conservancy locations. These are fun events to provide the public with views of the night sky from within or away from the city.

SBVAA Officers

President / WebmasterGerald Rezes
TreasurerMartin Carey
Secretary / Outreach CoordinatorChris Clarke
Star Party CoordinatorTom Lawson
Newsletter EditorJim Sommer
TrusteeMartin Carey

For information concerning meetings, star parties, events, or directions call Chris Clarke at (909) 341-3090

Membership

Single and Family membership is $30 / year.  Membership renewal takes place each January. 

Subscriptions to astronomy magazines will need to be placed by the individual, no longer through the club. 

Membership Form

Newsletter

The club’s newsletter is called The Observer and is distributed once a month. Previous issues are available online.

Partnerships

Astronomical League Logo

The Astronomical League

is a non-profit organization composed of astronomical societies throughout the United States. Their mission is to promote the science of astronomy:

  • By fostering astronomical education
  • By providing incentives for astronomical observation and research; and
  • By assisting communication among amateur astronomical societies.

SBVAA is a proud member of the Astronomical League.  For our membership, the club members receive the Astronomical  League’s Reflector newsletter.

Astronomers Without Borders Logo

Astronomers Without Borders

is dedicated to fostering understanding and goodwill across national and cultural boundaries by creating relationships through the universal appeal of astronomy. SBVAA is a proud affiliate of AWB.

Night Sky Network Logo

Night Sky Network

SBVAA is a member of the Night Sky Network, a nationwide coalition of amateur astronomy clubs bringing the science, technology, and inspiration of NASA’s missions to the general public. Members share their time and telescopes to provide everyone with unique astronomy experiences at science museums, observatories, classrooms, and under the real night sky.

Last Updated on December 15, 2023