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The Black Forest Star Party
Ever go camping without a camp fire, no lanterns and no radios? Recently over 500 people did just that. They were participating in the Black Forest Star Party, an amateur astronomy event at Cherry Springs State Park in Potter County, PA. The Central Pennsylvania Observers, an astronomy club based in State College, hosts the popular event every year in the month of September. Cherry Springs is a special State Park operated by the DCNR expressly for astronomy. This area in Potter County is one of the darkest areas in all of the Northeast which is a tall order considering the light pollution from the major cities located on the East coast. Amateur astronomers from as far as Illinois, Virginia, Massachusetts and Canada converge on Cherry Springs every year in hopes of getting a crystal clear night where the Milky Way shines through like a puffy white cloud. This cloud, however, is composed of millions of stars and gaseous nebula. Constellations show brightly and lead the way to galaxies millions of light years away such as Andromeda, The Whirlpool and The Sombrero. Globular clusters composed of thousands of ancient stars compacted in a ball or nebulas such as Orion’s shine with a brightness unparalleled at any sight in the East
The Star party features speakers from near and far and a children’s program to promote awareness in our amazing universe. The principle reason many come to Star Parties is for the camaraderie of people with a common interest. Telescopes of many types and styles dot the fields of Cherry Springs surrounded by a myriad of tents and trailers. Vendors hawk show priced new and used equipment and individuals and clubs use the time to meet and discuss.
Camping without campfires is a requisite for star parties, in fact no lights are allowed except red which is much easier on night vision. It is a really interesting feeling walking about through the campground at night and seeing the glow of red lights dotted about the area while overhead the stars become the brightest objects on view. Your night vision is so tuned in that you do not need a flashlight to walk about. A constant chatter about what is being seen can be heard and if a nice meteorite streaks across the sky, “oohs” and “ahhs” maybe heard in every direction. Many amateur astronomers readily share their eye piece for anyone that comes along. Some people do not even have a telescope as they are there to learn about the magnificent scene above. Some of the astronomers only tote a good pair of binoculars.
Even though star parties are a different kind of camping they still are fun and educational events. The Black Forest Star Party is one of the best events of its kind. For more information about amateur astronomy and the Central Pennsylvania Observers go to http://www.cpoclub.org/.
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