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Star parties are events where people gather together and gaze at thestars.
By Katy Ramirez
Assistant Managing Editor
posted: 30 June 2005
06:48 am
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No bright lights, big city: Intimate star gatherings
Not all astronomy gatherings have the long history of Stellafane. Many star parties are organized and attended by smaller, local collections of star-interested people.
The appearance of Comet Halley in 1985 was the rallying point for the Mid-Hudson Astronomy Association, a Hudson Valley, New York group that is about 100-members strong.
A stargazer prepares to view the night sky as dusk falls.
Founder and club member Tom Rankin says people who attend his group's star parties have a wide range in age and experience. There is informal chatting as the sun sets, followed by viewing through various telescopes. People generally stay for about an hour or so after nightfall, but there are die-hards who stay until about 3 a.m.
"The sky keeps moving, so you keep seeing new things," Rankin says. "There are good star parties all year round. The whole year has good things to look at."
The group has star parties each summer in Wilcox Park, New York, a public campground about 2.5 hours north of Manhattan. This star party is described as "ideal for the New Yorker who needs to escape the bright lights of the big city and engage in a dark-sky observing session."
Rankin says he joined the group in his early 20s, and his interest in astronomy has grown as he becomes older. Sometimes his children join him, laying on a blanket as they count meteors and satellites. He enjoys attending these parties because there is always something for everyone.
"I'm a social guy, I like to go to new places," Rankin said. "There's a quote from Lord of the Rings that comes to mind: 'I've been down to the South where the stars are strange.'" | | | |
