KERN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

REACH FOR THE STARS

About Us imageAbout Us image
Who We Are
The Kern Astronomical Society (KAS) was founded in 1956 with a charter to “foster interest in astronomy among members, amateur astronomers, and the general public”. We are a club of amateur astronomers that include individuals and families. Anyone interested in astronomy is welcome. The Kern Astronomical Society (KAS) would like to invite you to discover the “Wonders of the Universe.”

Why We Are Here
KAS intends to “bring the joys of astronomy” to the general public. We attend schools, scout groups, and a variety of other community events with telescopes and a lot of enthusiasm. We enjoy showing people everything from the rings of Saturn, to Jupiter’s moons, to the craters of the Moon, and more. See the star party coordinator below for more information.

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To learn more about the club, come to a KAS meeting! Our meetings are free, open to the public and family friendly.  We meet on the first Friday of the month at 6:30 PM for dinner followed by the business meeting and program at 7:30 PM at the Round Table Pizza at the corner of Gosford and White Lane (4200 Gosford Rd, Suite 101 in the “Meeting Room”) in Bakersfield—see the map below.

Annual membership is $25 and our memberships are "family" memberships. Members of KAS also get membership in the Astronomical League. New members get first crack at borrowing one of the club telescopes for a month!

Upcoming Events

TitleDateLocation
Astrophotography – John Hester05 Jan 20244200 Gosford Road, Bakersfield, CA, USA
April Solar Eclipse – Darren Bly02 Feb 20244200 Gosford Road, Bakersfield, CA, USA

Past Events

TitleDateLocation
Annual Christmas Party01 Dec 20234200 Gosford Road, Bakersfield, CA, USA
Europa Clipper03 Nov 20234200 Gosford Road, Bakersfield, CA, USA
INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATE THE MOON21 Oct 202311298 Stockdale Hwy, Bakersfield, CA, USA
Nick Strobel – OSIRUS-REx06 Oct 20234200 Gosford Road, Bakersfield, CA, USA
Sequoia Dark Sky Festival09 Sep 2023Sequoia National Park, 64740 Wuksachi Way, Sequoia National Park, CA 93262, USA
Election of Club Officers01 Sep 20234200 Gosford Road, Bakersfield, CA, USA
KAS Perseid meteor shower overnight star party at Chuchupate12 Aug 2023Frazier Mountain Road, Frazier Park, CA, USA
Nominations open for Club Officer election in Sept04 Aug 2023
TBD04 Aug 20234200 Gosford Road, Bakersfield, CA, USA
COMMUNITY STAR PARTY AT RIVERWALK29 Jul 202311298 Stockdale Hwy, Bakersfield, CA 93311, USA
July - No Meeting07 Jul 2023
Mark Zaslove - Astrophotography02 Jun 20234200 Gosford Road, Bakersfield, CA, USA
KAS Picnic06 May 20232900 Truxtun Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93301, USA
Rod Guice - Meteorites05 May 20234200 Gosford Road, Bakersfield, CA, USA
Tim Elam - San Andreas along Gorman07 Apr 20234200 Gosford Road, Bakersfield, CA, USA
The Winter Sky – Tim Stoner03 Mar 20234200 Gosford Road, Bakersfield, CA, USA
Michael Malaska - Mapping Titan03 Feb 20234200 Gosford Road, Bakersfield, CA, USA
Leslie Cunkelman - Goldstone06 Jan 20234200 Gosford Road, Bakersfield, CA, USA

Star Parties

We have two club star parties every month on the Saturday evenings of third quarter Moon and new Moon (weather permitting).

Learn More

Club Officers

Click here for current officer's contact information. New officers are elected every September.

Learn More

"For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream."

Vincent Van Gogh

  • General Meeting Site (first Friday each month): Round Table Pizza, 4200 Gosford Road # 101
  • Bakersfield, CA 93389
newsletter image

We publish a periodic newsletter of club activities and upcoming astronomy events called the SYZYGY. Copies of the newsletter are posted on the web as PDF documents.

December 2023 KAS Newsletter​​​

November 2023 KAS Newsletter​​​

October 2023 KAS Newsletter​​​

September 2023 KAS Newsletter​​​

August 2023 KAS Newsletter​​​

July 2023 KAS Newsletter​​​

June 2023 KAS Newsletter​​​

May KAS 2023 Newsletter​​​

April 2023 KAS Newsletter

March 2023 KAS Newsletter

February 2023 KAS Newsletter

January 2023 KAS Newsletter

December 2022 KAS Newsletter