General Meetings
ASKC General Meetings are usually held at the UMKC Volker Campus in Royall Hall, Room 111, on the fourth Saturday of each month — except:
- September: Members-only picnic (no regular meeting)
- November: Saturday prior to Thanksgiving
- December: Annual holiday party (no regular meeting)
The night begins with 30-Minute Astronomy (a short program on an introductory topic), followed by a meet and greet with light refreshments. ASKC's library will be open for browsing and material checkout. The meeting format typically includes welcome and introductions, guest speaker presentation, Q&A, and then general announcements and business items.
Meetings are free and open to the public.
This Month's Program
Join us for the April 25, 2026, General Meeting when our featured speaker will be Dr. James Dire. The title of his presentation is “Stellar Occultation Science: Occultation of a 15th Magnitude Star by the Dwarf Planet Quaoar on September30, 2025.” Stellar Occultation happens when a solar system object passes in front of and obscures a star. Information on the solar system object can be obtained by timing the occultation. Techniques of how to accomplish this science will be discussed. The talk will report on the successes and failures of an expedition to the Central Pacific Ocean to time a stellar occultation by the dwarf planet Quaoar in September 2025.
Dr. Dire is a graduate of UMKC with degrees in chemistry, physics and mathematics. He went on to earn an MS degree in physics and engineering from the University of Central Florida and a PhD in planetary science from The Johns Hopkins University.
Dire served 23 years in the armed forces as an engineer and 25 years as a college professor and administrator. He has been active with amateur astronomers all his life. Since 2009 he has authored the “Deep Sky” column in the Astronomical League’s Reflector magazine. Dr. Dire is a past president of the Astronomical Society of Kansas City.
Dire
Schedule
Saturday, April 25, 2026
- 6:00 PM: Thirty-Minute Astronomy
- 6:30 PM: Refreshments / Meet-and-greet
- 7:00 PM: General Meeting and Speaker
- 8:15 PM: Warko Observatory open (subject to weather)
Location
Royall Hall, UMKC, 800 East 52nd Street, Kansas City, Missouri
Free parking is available in the garage south of 52nd Street.
Enter Royall Hall via the east doors under the pedestrian bridge.
Virtual option: ASKC members will receive an invitation to participate via Zoom.
Upcoming Meetings
The next General Meetings will be May 23 and June 27, 2026, at UMKC.
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