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Star Party Preparation
Select a star party from the menu on the left.

Introduction

A star party is people gatering to observe the sky. The public is invited to participate at open star parties. We typically choose a dark site away from light pollution. Participants bring telescopes and binoculars of all types and sizes and spend the nights observing astronomical objects such as planets, comets, stars, and deep sky objects together. You don't have to be a member of the club or own a telescope or binoculars top join in the fun. Just keep reading!

The idea of a star party is not new and allegedly goes back at least as far as George III of the United Kingdom, who was passionately interested in astronomy and mathematics. On nights when poor weather blocked the view of the real stars and planets, attendants are said to have hung paper lanterns marked with drawings in the trees around the royal palace to provide something else for the King and his guests to spot through their telescopes.

Our club and the Herrett Center co host a public star party on the second Saturday of each month (weather permitting) in the Centennial Observatory at the Herrett Center, College of Southern Idaho located in Twin Falls, ID. Additional public events at the Herrett center can be found by clicking on the Centenial Observatory link on the left.

We also have two major public events annually in fantastic dark sky locations. The first is July 17th at Castle Ricks in the City of Rocks State Park and National Reserve. The second is on top of the mountain at the Pomerelle Ski Resort on August 15th. There may be other public star parties during the year.

The Society also holds additional star parties for club members only. You need to sign up for the members email list to be notified of these.

If you plan to attend a star party, which are completely informal, we suggest you follow the links for star party etiquette and rules links.

Clothing

In Southern Idaho nights get cool, even after the warmest summer days, and the lack of motion while observing makes it even worse. These tips will help you stay warm so you can enjoy the spectacular Idaho skies:
  • Dress in layers. Add an additional sweatshirt if needed.
  • Cover your head, hands and feet. When any of these get cold you will be cold.
  • Bring snacks to resupply your body with energy. Stay hydrated with something to drink. By keeping your energy level up, your eyes will be more likely to be able to see objects better.

Lights

Allowing your eyes to adapt to the dark is very important for good observing. Please use only dim, red lights as much as possible. If there is no way you can avoid white lights, for example if you can't control the headlights in your car, be sure to warn everyone before you turn them on, and make sure no one is in the middle of an astro-photo when you turn the lights on.

Bugs

Be sure to bring insect repellant. Many of our star parties are held in Idaho wilderness, which comes with large numbers of blood sucking insects during the evening. The Bruneau observatory has legendary mosquitoes, as well as bats that dine on them. (We welcome the bats to our summer star parties there!)
 

External links

Star Party Survival Guide

Star Party Etiquette
Austin Astronomical Society (PDF)


Stargazing Etiquette
Amateur Observers' Society of New York


Dark Sky Etiquette
Amateur Astronomy Magazine