Our first attempt at a big summer star party was clouded out, so we’ve rescheduled for August 15th. Hopefully the weather (and the smoke) will cooperate this time.
Join us on August 15th at Dexter State Recreation Area across Hwy 58 from the town of Dexter. We’ll gather there at dusk (around 8:30) with our telescopes and show our guests (that’s you!) the wonders of the summer night sky. Expect star clusters, nebulae, distant galaxies, double stars, and more. This is our big blowout star party of the year, the one where we give away two telescopes to kids between the ages of 8 and 18, and we show well over 100 people what you can see through a telescope under a truly dark sky. This is by far our most popular star party of the year. Mark your calendar and make sure you’re there!
A note about parking: The state park service has lost most of its funding, so to make ends meet they have to charge for parking. The day-use fee is $10. We hope that won’t deter anyone from participating, but if so, the club will pay the parking for up to 50 cars. People helping put on the star party will get priority, and once we reach 50 permits we’ll have to stop, so come early if you need the club to pay your parking fee. We encourage car-pooling, and if you have your own parking pass, please use that rather than one of ours.
We hope to make this event well worth the expense of parking. This should be a big event! Come help us make it a time to remember!
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.