July 11th will be our big blowout star party of the summer, with dozens of telescopes to show hundreds of guests the wonders of the summer sky. This is also the star party where we give away two telescopes, one to a lucky youngster between the ages of 8 and 12 and another to a teenager between the ages of 13 and 18. Join us at Dexter State Park on Saturday, July 11th! The sky will be dark and the sights will be fantastic, with star clusters, galaxies, nebulae and more.
The state park system has lost most of its funding, so to make ends meet they have to charge for parking. A one-day pass is $10, and we sincerely hope that won’t stop you from attending. If it’s a problem, though, the astronomy club will pay the fee for up to 50 vehicles. People bringing telescopes to set up and assist with the star party will get priority, and once we’ve paid for 50 vehicles we’ll have to stop. We encourage car-pooling, and we ask anyone who already has a park pass to use that.
We plan to make this star party worth way more than the parking fee. Come join us for a night of exceptional beauty as we explore the night sky together!
Star Party Dos and Don'ts
Dress warmly. Nights can get chilly even in summer.
Preserve your night vision and everyone else's. It takes up to 20 minutes for eyes to adapt to the dark. A single burst of bright light can ruin that for everyone. Be careful with your headlights — Drive in and park and shut off your lights as quickly as you can safely do so, and when you leave, drive away from the observing field, not toward it. If you carry a flashlight, use the dimmest light you can, and cover the lens with red filter film. (Red light isn't quite as damaging to night vision as white light.) Automotive brake-light repair tape works well. You might need several layers. Remember that once your eyes adapt to the dark, it doesn't take much light to see your way around--or to ruin your night vision.
Cell phone screens are way too bright to use at star parties. Please go a long ways from the group before using your cell phone.
Don't be shy; come on up and say "Hi" and have a look. Star parties tend to be informal, with several telescopes set up more or less at random and people milling around between them to look at different objects through different scopes. If there's a line behind a telescope, it's okay to ask the person operating it what that scope is pointed at before you get in line.
Ask questions! Amateur astronomers love to share what we've learned about the night sky.
Children are welcome, but small ones tend to grab for the eyepiece, often with sticky fingers. Fingerprints can ruin an eyepiece, and eyepieces can be very expensive. Before you allow your child to look through a telescope, explain to them how to clasp their hands behind their backs and simply look into the eyepiece, not touching any part of the telescope. Practice this at home with a pair of binoculars or a toilet-paper tube. If they cannot follow this procedure, please do not bring them to a star party.
Please leave your dogs at home. In the dark, they could cause accidents if they get underfoot.
Star parties are always "weather permitting." Check the sky and our weather page before you set out to spare yourself a trip if the sky is cloudy.