A review from Jeff Burton on the first annual Earth Wind and Sky star party.
Aug 30, 2008
Earth, Wind and Sky Star Party 2008
I enjoyed the sunny drive to the Earth, Wind, and Sky Star Party outside Barry, IL. This is the first time I have attended this star party and I am relying on my GPS to guide me to my destination. As I neared the observing field, my GPS started sending me down gravel roads and I hoped it knew where it was going because I sure did not. Regardless of my concerns, the GPS delivered me to the observing field without incident.
I was the second person to arrive, finding one brave soul setup atop a hill overlooking the observing field. I started the ever-fun process of building my campsite for the weekend. It was quite warm and humid, which slowed my setup progress, as I needed more than a few breaks to stop and sip some cold water in the shade.
With the campsite constructed and the scope setup, it was time to relax and wait for night to arrive. During the heat of the day, large puffy cumulus clouds developed across the sky, but these clouds quickly began to dissipate as the Sun dipped lower on the horizon. All of that moisture in those huge clouds has to go somewhere and I think it all fell on the observing field. The Sun had barely set, and I already had to turn on the dew heater to clear the fog from the Telrad finder so I could aim the scope at Jupiter, which sat high in the southern sky. The humidity percentage climbed into at least the ninety-five percent or greater range as darkness fell. You know it is humid when dew is dripping in big drops from the scope and making a "plop" sounds on the tarp below.
The skies were excellent—even with the high humidity levels—and my SQM readings taken every hour hovered around a limiting magnitude of 6.3. A light dome extended about thirty degrees from the horizon to the southeast, with a smaller dome to the southwest. The high humidity levels probably exaggerated both of these light domes. However, to the north, the sky was dark all the way down to the treetops. I started observing objects in Aquilla, which laid high overhead and worked around to constellations to the north.
Aug 31, 2008
The second day of the Earth, Wind and Sky Star Party passed uneventfully. I spent the majority of the day catching up on podcasts and hiding in the shade of a canopy. The sky remained clear throughout the day, with a hint of some high, thin, and scattered cirrus clouds. As evening approached, the humidity began to rise, but not to the level it had the night before. Once again, my SQM readings hovered around a 6.3 limiting magnitude.
I returned to the constellations over the northern horizon and busied myself with working through objects in Andromeda, Cassiopeia, and Perseus. I intended to work on chasing down some Herschel objects in Ursa Major to the northwest, but never made it to that part of the sky.
Sep 1, 2008
Risk and Reward: Attending an Inaugural Star Party
What do you get when you combine a passion for astronomy, the motivation to evangelize the hobby, and a big field under a dark sky? In this case, you get the newly established Earth, Wind, and Sky Star Party. This was the inaugural year for this star party located outside Barry, IL, which is sponsored by Bill and Becky Saflarski who admittedly "put this star party together in two months" without the support of a local astronomy club or other organization.
Being the inaugural year, the star party did not attract a large number of attendees or any vendors—a direct result of the short planning cycle. Additionally, a few minor logistical issues and a "dynamic" schedule of events kept the organizers busy, but overall things seemed to go smoothly. There is lots of potential for growth, and improvement and this star party will get better each year.
Typically, I attend star parties not for the social aspects, but for the opportunity to use my scope under some dark skies. Do not get me wrong, the social aspect of "star partying" is enjoyable and important, but I do not use it as criteria for judging a star party. If I can meet old friends, make new ones, hear an interesting presentation, and socialize with other amateurs, I consider that a bonus part of the star party experience.
I recorded SQM readings every hour while I was observing, which denoted an average limiting magnitude of 6.3 over two nights. Both nights were rather humid and the humidity exaggerated light domes from nearby cities to the southwest and southeast and made the sky appear gray. On a pristine night, the sky could possibly reach a limiting magnitude of 6.5. Other than the light domes to the south, the rest of the sky appears dark down to the treetop level. The Milky Way draped through the zenith after dark was impressive.
Sometimes you have to ignore that voice in your head and take a chance. Although, attending a first time star party is not exactly a risky venture, everyone is hesitant to be the first to try anything. The first year is in the history books and next year has all the potential to be better than this year. I am adding the Earth, Wind, and Sky Star Party to my list of star parties for next year and am looking forward to see what this grows into.
Jeff Burton
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