A star party is a gathering of amateur astronomers for the purpose of observing the sky. Local star parties may be one night affairs, but larger events can last up to a week or longer and attract hundreds or even thousands of participants. Many regional star parties are now held annually and are an important part of the hobby of amateur astronomy. Typically a dark sky site away from light pollution is chosen as a location. 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. Astrophotography and CCD imaging are also very popular. At larger star parties, lectures, swap meets, exhibitions of home-built telescopes, contests, tours, raffles, and other similar activities are common. Commercial vendors selling a variety of astronomical equipment may also be present. As with any other hobbyist gathering, there is much camaraderie and discussion of various aspects of the hobby at any star party.
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.[1][2] 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.
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Listing of star parties by country (non-comprehensive)
Australia
New South Wales
Canada
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
Ontario
Québec
Saskatchewan
Iran
United Kingdom
United States of America
Arizona
California
- Golden State Star Party (Northern CA)
- RTMC Astronomy Expo (Southern CA)
- Sierra Summer Starparty
Colorado
Florida
- Winter Star Party - Official Web Site
- Escambia Amateur Astronomers Association/Fort Pickens (Northwest FL)
- Chiefland Star Party Group Spring and Fall Star Party
Idaho
- Craters of the Moon Star Party
- City of Rocks Star Party
- Pomerelle Mountain Star Party
- Idaho Star Party
Illinois
Indiana
Louisiana
Nebraska
North Carolina
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Texas
Vermont
Washington
Wisconsin
- Driftless Zone Star Party (between Chicago and Minneapolis)
Public star parties around the world
Star parties whose focus is on bringing the stars to the people are often staged in urban areas where people congregate in large numbers. This is in contrast to star parties typically held in remote dark-sky areas more conducive to stargazing.[3]
See also
References
- ^ The King's Astronomer Retrieved 2007-12-12
- ^ George III biography page Retrieved 2007-12-12
- ^ How To Organize and Run a Public Star Party
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
