ENJOYING THOSE STARRY, STARRY NIGHTS ASTRONOMY FANS MEET IN DARK TO GAZE UP AT THE HEAVENS.

Byline: Peggy Hager Staff Writer

LAKE LOS ANGELES - Once a month, close to 100 star seekers gather on the outskirts of the Antelope Valley - in the darkest locations they can find in this heavily illuminated world - to view the heavens.

For the Antelope Valley Astronomy Club's monthly ``dark sky'' parties, amateur astronomers arrive before sunset to set up their telescopes, some weighing as much as 200 pounds, and light barbecues to cook their dinner. Some stay until 3 a.m., looking up at the stars.

``Tonight, we're looking at galaxies and planetary nebulas which are remains of supernovas,'' club historian Tom Koonce said at a recent gathering at Saddleback Butte State Park. ``As the stars just completely obliterate themselves, the gas expands out away, you can see this gas in space, and it makes really nice rings. It's beautiful.''

The astronomy club started in 1982 with only a few members and has now grown to 100. In 1999, the members incorporated as a nonprofit organization and now provide free observations and information to local school groups and youth organizations.

The club also sets up free observations at the Palmdale Fall Festival, the Poppy Reserve and the Lancaster Aerospace Walk of Honor Celebration. They meet at 7 p.m. the second Friday of every month at the Sage Planetarium, 38060 20th St. E., Palmdale.

On this night, the crowd includes Geneva Bustamante, 10, and her brother, Anthony Dennis, 12, students at Alpine Elementary School. They're waiting excitedly with their grandmother, Janet Brooks, who had heard about the event from her gardener.

``They're studying at Alpine about the stars and everything, all the planets and all that. So this is a perfect opportunity,'' says Brooks. ``I think this will be good for them. It'll help them with their studies.''

Geneva is hoping to see the Little Dipper and the Big Dipper while brother Anthony wants to see the Betelgeuse, part of the constellation Orion the Hunter. ``It's on Orion's belt,'' says Anthony.

For club members who don't own telescopes, the club has four that it loans out.

``We have four very big telescopes, 10-inch mirrors and things, and they can check these out for a month; they can take these back to their house, take eyepieces and everything they need,'' explains Koonce. ``We send them to a free class where they learn how to use the telescope then they can take it home and play with it to their heart's content.''

But a telescope isn't essential.

``All you really need to get started in astronomy is your eyes,'' Koonce says.

One sight people will be able to see without a telescope is the Leonid meteor shower on Sunday. Meteorites will appear in the northeastern sky, in the constellation Leo.

``This is something people can see from any dark sky ... if they just go into a dark area,'' Koonce says. ``They are expecting several thousand per hour.''

Next summer, observers will also be able to see Saturn at its closest point to Earth in 30 years. Later this year, Mars will be the closest it's ever been.

The biggest concern for club members on this evening is the encroaching light from not-so-far-off Lancaster and Palmdale.

``I'm really surprised by one thing, and that's the amount of light pollution that we have creeping out of the cities. With more urban sprawl, the light goes and we're losing the night sky. Our kids are not going to be able to see the night sky,'' Koonce says.

``Even out here where it used to be pitch black, I used to be able to look all the way around here and not see a single light. And now you can see lights over here,'' says Koonce, pointing west. ``Lancaster now is built up the side of the hill over there.''

Club leaders have spoken with developers of the proposed 23,000-home Centennial development, on Tejon Ranch at Highway 138 and Interstate 5, to get them to shield street lights so they don't shine into the sky.

On this evening, club members carry flashlights covered with red material to protect their night vision. When the headlights of cars pulling into the parking lot flashed by, people call out: ``Cover your eyes.''

Koonce, a Lockheed Martin engineer, has been interested in astronomy ever since his mother bought him a telescope more than 30 years ago.

``Really the whole interest in science in general starts very young with kids. One thing our astronomy club tries to do is interface with those children in the grade schools right from the beginning. That's in our charter, to work with the Antelope Valley children, get them interested in science ... in general,'' says Koonce. ``It might not be a career for everyone, but if they find that love, that interest in exploring things and learning new things, if you can teach a child to be excited about learning, they can be anything.''

Doug Drake has also been involved with astronomy for over 30 years. His interest began in the 1960s when he worked as a controller for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

``I was one of the guys that wore the headset for the Apollo mission,'' Drake said.

Koonce's best advice for new astronomers is to find someone already experienced in astronomy and working with telescopes.

``Before they want to go buy a telescope, have them come out and look through somebody else's telescope to find out what they want. And don't buy a telescope that says 600x on the side; they're cheap. The kid is not going to be able to find (anything). They're going to lose interest very quickly, and you've soured them on the whole experience. You can spend $200 on a telescope and get junk or you can spend $200 and get something really nice.''

Club membership costs $30 annually for families, $25 for individuals, and $15 for junior members and includes a monthly newsletter, The Reflector, a quarterly publication of the Astronomical League, and an astronomy club membership manual. Membership dues are prorated throughout the year with renewal due in January.

The club also offers a beginning astronomy class that's available online at its Web site, www.avac.av.org.

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Photo:

Tom Koonce, historian for the Antelope Valley Astronomy Club, looks through his 18-inch Obsession telescope.

Peggy Hager/Staff Photographer