We’re excited to announce that the annual SDAA banquet will be an in-person event held at the Handlery Hotel in Mission Valley on January 27, 2024.
The evening begins with a no-host cocktail hour from 5:00 to 6:00 pm, which will be the perfect opportunity to renew old friendships and make new ones. SDAA member Claudio Martin will provide the entertainment.
Our buffet dinner will be from 6:00 to 7:00, followed by our guest speaker Steve Murray, whose topic will be:
“New Eyes – New Universe” - the celestial surprises of the James Webb Space Telescope
We will continue to post information about our sweepstakes and auction items, so stay tuned! If you’d like to make a tax-deductible donation to help us with our mission, please click here: Donate Now
Our banquet isn’t just a great time, it’s also our primary fundraiser.
As you may know, the electrical grid at TDS is in desperate need of replacement. We're in talks with an electrical engineer and hope to select a contractor in 2024. This will be a huge expense for the club. The patio cover at TDS is also in need of replacement. Both of these projects are necessary to improve safety at our dark sky site
We have a lot more to do and your participation and generosity is key to our success! If for some reason you can’t attend, please consider making a donation to keep SDAA moving forward!
Here's more about this years guest speaker, Steve Murray:
Steve is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering. He’s currently a freelance science writer and NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, following careers in naval aviation at MCAS Miramar, human performance research at Point Loma, and teaching at the University of San Diego.
Steve has been a space enthusiast his entire life, and counts several astronauts as friends. Through the years, he’s also kept an eye on the skies - literally - as an amateur astronomer. Steve has been to Iceland and Alaska in search of the aurora borealis, and to Chile and France to visit some of the world's biggest telescopes.
Please join us as we look forward to an exciting 2024!
Wishing you clear skies,
Your SDAA Board of Directors
