Well folks the 28th Annual Winter Star Party is in the books – and I’d say it was one of the better ones I’ve attended in recent years. Attendance was down though 568 tickets were sold only about 448 were rumored to have showed and the plentiful hot water for the showers seemed to support these rumors! By accident (really – we had other plans) I ended up No. 6 in line on the Overseas Highway!
This article originally appears in the second quarter 2007 STAR Newsletter. -Ian Green Bank Star Quest IV by Linda Stalnaker When I first joined the Ohio Valley Astronomical Society, members often talked about the Laurel Highlands Star Cruise and praised it as a great amateur astronomy event. Finally I got to go too, in 2004 (the year the Pittsburgh astronomy group locked the gate at the end of the last day and threw away the key). West Virginia has been…
(This article originally appeared in the Q3 2006 STAR newsletter. -Ian) RAC at Presbyterian Point by Bill Webster On Sept 22 & 23 more then thirty club members and guests traveled north for a two night outing to a site called Presbyterian Point. The Occoneechee Boy Scout Council recently acquired this site. Dean and Susan Herring informed the officers that this might be a good location to hold a club star party. The officers met with the Boy Scout Council…
(This article originally appeared in the Q2 2006 STAR newsletter. -I) Green Bank Star Quest by Bill Webster The third Green Bank Star Quest was held June 21st through the 24th. Ian Hewitt had to twist my arm a little to get me to go to this star party, and I am sure glad he did. The weather forecast for the weekend didn’t look very promising and it lived up to its prediction. As soon as we got there it…
(This article originally appeared in the Q1 2006 STAR newsletter. -I) A Visit to Tri-Star by Phyllis Lang On Saturday morning, March 3, Mark and I drove to Greensboro for Tri-Star, an event sponsored by Guilford Technical Community College. We hadn’t attended this event before but the schedule of speakers looked inviting. After the short drive to Greensboro on a beautifully sunny morning, we arrived to find vendors already setup, a few astronomy friends milling about and Elizabeth Warner just…
(This article originally appeared in the Q3 2005 STAR newsletter. -I) Star Quest II – A Summer Wonder Scott Carpenter Star Quest II was held July 6-10 at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, WV. This was the second year of the event, hosted by the Central Appalachian Astronomy Club (CAAC) of Clarksburg, WV. There were approximately 125 attendees. I attended this year with my two sons, Christian, 8, and DJ, 4, along with my 7-year-old nephew, Tino.…
(This article originally appeared in the Q3 2002 STAR newsletter and was written by John Roth. -I) The Peach State Star Gaze By John Roth This year the Peach State Star Gaze was held October 3-6 at WhiteWater Express near the point where Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina intersect. This was the ninth year for this annual event sponsored by the Atlanta Astronomy Club, and the first year at this location. The event featured some big-name speakers including comet discoverer…
(This article originally appeared in the Q4 2002 STAR newsletter. -Ian) MASP 2002 by Bill Webster The Mid Atlantic Star Party was held at Camp Reeves Oct. 29 through Nov. 2. I have been to several Mid-Atlantic Star Parties, four to be exact. The biggest difference in this one was that it was cold. In past years I remember bringing sun screen and putting up a tarp to create some shade during to get through the day. Well, that wasn’t…
(This article originally appeared in the second quarter 2003 STAR Newsletter. -I) My First Winter Star Party by Bill Webster How would I describe my first Winter Star Party? A great vacation with a telescope would be one way. A week in the sun near Key West, Florida in February is another. A large gathering of amateur astronomers in the in the sun near Key West, Florida is better. The temperature was in the mid 80’s all week and the…
(This article originally appeared in the Q1 2005 STAR news letter. -Ian) Winter Star Party 2005 by Ian Hewitt It’s winter time again in Raleigh, and that brings the chance to escape to warmer climes! This week is one of the “hottest” tickets in astronomy circles. Year after year, it’s a very popular event with a guaranteed sell out months in advance. About a dozen members of the Raleigh Astronomy Club made the 17-plus hour trek down to the Sunshine…
(This article originally appeared in the Q2 2005 STAR news letter. -I) Grand Canyon Star Party 2005 Conducted by the Tucson and Phoenix Astronomy Clubs by Jerry Zerbock This year, I finally made it. Casting aside back and other pains, I called up the above operators, loaded the little Golf, and headed out west. It’s not a strenuous drive; Tennessee through Texas has a 70 mph limit, beyond that just put the autopilot on 80 and roll. Going west in…
