Star Party Help

[KaiYeves]

I hear about people having Star Parties here a lot and it sounds really cool. I'm thinking about doing something like that with two of my friends from school, but there's a lot of things I'm not sure about. I get pretty decent skies at my house, so should I invite them over, or should we go to the park or a beach? Should I tell them to bring their own binoculars or lend some of my own?
Could you guys please give me some pointers?
Thanks,
Kai.

[schlaugh]

Kai you might search for astronomy clubs online to see how they conduct star parties (what to do, what not to do, where are the bathrooms, etc.). For example:

http://www.texasstarparty.org/
http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&q=star+party+&btnG=Google+Search

Some key points:

- Find a dark site that you can legally occupy late into the night. Some places - like a public parking lot on the beach - might not be open past a certain time.

- Bring red-lensed flashlights so you can see without tripping and without ruining your night vision.

- I wasn't kidding about the bathrooms. especially if you'll be out for more than a few hours. Try to find a site with facilities. And see if you can turn out the lights.

- Obviously dress for the weather. But even in summer nights can get cool, especially in northern latitudes.

Have fun!

[JustAFriend]

Don't leave expensive accessories (eyepieces, etc) laying around in trays where little fingers could pick them up and forget to put them back....

[Tog_]

Don't leave expensive accessories (eyepieces, etc) laying around in trays where little fingers could pick them up and forget to put them back....
... or lick them.
I wish I was kidding.

[Nadme]

Don't leave expensive accessories (eyepieces, etc) laying around in trays where little fingers could pick them up and forget to put them back....

... or lick them.
I wish I was kidding.

:surprised :D Lol!!

Wish I could give a few pointers, but have never hosted nor taken part in a star party.

A friend has a 6" Celestron, but there's no chance of us [we and they as couples, with other couples/children invites] having a star party; his wife's a jealous creep who'd nix that notion in no time. Oh well.

Good luck with your plans. :)

[RickJ]

... or lick them.
I wish I was kidding.

I was supervisor of Hyde Memorial Observatory a free public observatory for 27 years. In effect it was a star party every night of the week that we are open which is most clear nights. At first we were concerned about things walking off but that has never happened except when there was a break-in one cloudy night. They took the AV gear and ignored telescopes.

But we did "lose" one eyepiece to licking. I had a Cub Scout group on a below zero night. That means whole families, not just the scout. Dad was holding his 3 year old to the eyepiece of the C-14 to look at the moon. He pushed the kid right into the eyepiece. Standing on the other side I saw his eyelashes between the exit pupil and his eye. Upon seeing his magnified eyelashes, he told dad the eyepiece was "dirty" . Before I could say anything dad licked the eyepiece. Apparently he never heard Johnny Carson's advice about tongues and pump handles at such temperatures or ignored it. His tongue froze instantly to the eyepiece. I took the kid and put him down as he couldn't do a thing holding the kid 4 feet in the air with his tongue stuck like that. I then removed the eyepiece and walked him inside. I was going to use the hair dryer on low heat to thaw it off but before I could say anything he ripped it off. Blood flowed everywhere and we had to call EMS as the blood was heavy. Not worrying about the eyepiece I didn't get back to it for a good hour after he left for the hospital in the ambulance with the family following in the car. I have no idea what happened to him after that. By the time I got back to the eyepiece blood had separated the cemented elements. It was the only item we ever "lost". No we didn't ask him to pay for it though we probably should have.

Rick

[Tog_]

Wow. Much better story than mine, but the start was similar. I brought my ETX to the store where I work to set up for an evening solar eclipse. I have an optical solar filter from Thousand Oaks, but I also had a #14 welding shade and a pinhole box set up so people could see it all different ways. When I was answering a question about the pinhole set up, someone licked their finger and gave the eyepiece a "wet willy" to clean the "fuzzies' off of it for me. Heh, fuzzies. And all this time I've been calling them sunspots.:doh:


Kai, if it's just friends coming over for an evening or something where you control the timetable then run through the sky a bit a few nights before and find the planets, and some of the brighter things you can see. Make it a tour.

Most start parties for the public are more like a fair. You set up your stuff then people wander by throughout the night to see what you have to show them. Some people have short little speeches set up, others will just wing it when someone comes by. The ones I've never understood are the ones that seem annoyed by people asking them things.

[Nadme]

Upon seeing his magnified eyelashes, he told dad the eyepiece was "dirty" . Before I could say anything dad licked the eyepiece. Apparently he never heard Johnny Carson's advice about tongues and pump handles at such temperatures or ignored it. His tongue froze instantly to the eyepiece. I took the kid and put him down as he couldn't do a thing holding the kid 4 feet in the air with his tongue stuck like that. I then removed the eyepiece and walked him inside. I was going to use the hair dryer on low heat to thaw it off but before I could say anything he ripped it off. Blood flowed everywhere and we had to call EMS as the blood was heavy. Not worrying about the eyepiece I didn't get back to it for a good hour after he left for the hospital in the ambulance with the family following in the car. I have no idea what happened to him after that. By the time I got back to the eyepiece blood had separated the cemented elements. It was the only item we ever "lost". No we didn't ask him to pay for it though we probably should have.

Rick

Good grief. :eek: :confused: :doh:

Voltaire was right: "Common sense is not so common."

[KaiYeves]

Kai, if it's just friends coming over for an evening or something where you control the timetable then run through the sky a bit a few nights before and find the planets, and some of the brighter things you can see. Make it a tour.
I'm thinking of a few good objects I can show them. I think we could do this for Yuri's Night. Maybe we could watch an SF movie before it gets dark.

[man on the moon]

If you haven't done it yet, you could ask around town.

Our local city library chief (head librarian) was of the inquisitive sort who accumulates lots of info about everything and loves to involve others in his quest for knowledge. Aside from working with the schools on science stuff, starting the library (it is quite good I might add, but I digress) he promoted regular events and speakers at the library and invited the community. Among the gardeners, birders, magicians, story tellers, and interesting speakers on various topics, he was a BIG fan of star parties.

Once or twice a month from April through September or October he would haul out his two scopes and persuade various community members to bring theirs as well. Binoculars were popular too of course. We would show up to the library well after hours for some really cool star parties on the lawn. The doors were open for the bathroom, but no checkouts and all the lights were off inside. Telescopes and binocs outside.

Sometimes each telescope owner would choose a random (and different) object to focus on and talk about. As you wandered you would get info and conversation on whatever you were looking at. Other times we gathered for events like meteor showers, eclipses, occulations, and Shoemaker-Levy hitting Jupiter.

Even being on the edge of town the lights weren't too bad, we could see enough stuff to keep most everyone interested for an hour or two. I can remember the parking lot and road next to it being full from cars attending!

I guess my point is if you want to go beyond just a few friends, talk to the library(ies) and/or park persons about scheduling something to happen after hours. Or do it at your house--just remember everyone who comes now knows where you live. Most are honest, but especially if you're still young you may not want to risk that. Or if someone at your school lives out of town, or you know a farmer, try sweet talking them into the use of their property for a few hours.

And have fun!

[KaiYeves]

Thanks for the info, Man in the Moon! I think I will just invite these two "gal pals" to my house this time, as we had an ad hoc observing session at scriptwriter's camp before.