16th Annual Nebraska Star Party is July 19th through 24th at Snake Campground, Merritt Reservoir, 27 miles south of Valentine.
2009 is a big year for astronomy! It marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first recorded observation of the heavens with his newly constructed telescope. In honor of his curiosity, 2009 has been named the International Year of Astronomy. Its theme: The Universe ... Yours to Discover!
So come start your own voyage of discovery with us! The astronomical views from Merritt Reservoir's Snake Campground are fabulous, and there are plenty of recreational opportunities to keep the entire family entertained all week long at the 16th annual Nebraska Star Party.
For newcomers, NSP is the perfect place to become acquainted with the wonders the heavens hold, many of which can't be enjoyed from cities. Our unique Beginner's Field School will show you how fun it is to explore the heavens here, as well as in your own back yard when you return home, with or without a telescope.
For youngsters, we've added even more educational value to the experience of camping beneath the stars with short evening classes in addition to an expanded kids' afternoon program midweek.
Seasoned observers will find NSP enjoyable as well. There are observing challenges, an astro photo contest, and a fantastic light pollution-free sweep of the summer night sky, with naked-eye limiting magnitude (that is, the faintest objects visible to the naked eye) approaching magnitude 7.5 to 8!
Apart from the starry central attraction, the remote sandhills of north-central Nebraska offer a vacation full of western and natural history as well. Short day trips will take you to historical sites important to the settlement of the west. The spring-fed water and sugar sand beaches of Merritt Reservoir offer swimming, boating, and fishing. Valentine national Wildlife Refuge provides a window into the ecology of the prairie, while the nearby Niobrara River affords a cooling tube float or canoe trip through the surrounding cattle ranching country.
Whether you've been to NSP many times before, or you don't even know what a star party is, you'll be treated like a cherished old friend. Plan now to join us this summer for an unforgettable – and economical – vacation! You don't even need a telescope to attend.
We have it during the week so as to reduce our exposure to 'traditional' campers/fisherman. We pretty well take over Snake Campground, which is the most remote campground of the park.
One year we had a drunken fisherman come ashore and go walking into the observing field with one of these 100,000 candle power lights. He was lucky to get out alive.
We have a free public star party on Friday, the 24th... in which people from Valentine come down. If you happen to be in the area that weekend, feel free to drop in. That's probably more stargazing than most of you can handle anyway.
Nearly every night for the next week, the International Space Station and the space shuttle Endeavour, docked together about 220 miles above Earth, will be visible to the naked eye.
Skies permitting, the two will appear as a single bright object, generally moving eastward after darkness settles in. They will be visible only briefly — less than a minute to about four — because they are moving so quickly, roughly 17,500 miles an hour.
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The space station is routinely visible to the naked eye at night, but its pairing with the shuttle will make it a little brighter, said Michael Curie of NASA.
In addition to clear skies, two things are necessary for the best viewing: The sky must be dark enough for the illuminated pair to be visible and the sunset must have occurred recently enough that some sunlight still reaches the night sky.
Still unknown, Curie said, is whether Midlanders will get a special treat — a view of the shuttle and space station appearing to chase each other after they separate July 28.
No, I was working on something a bit different than a normal start shot and i had too much light. Â I hope to try again Thursday, however this time I am going to do a standard star shot.
Nancy Gaarder WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:Midlands area residents have been heading outdoors this week to watch the international space station and shuttle speed across the night sky.
Tonight is supposed to be one of best viewing opportunities left before the two detach next week. They appear as a single bright star traveling on a straight line.
Nancy Gaarder WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:Tonight, from Omaha, the two will be visible at 10:21 p.m. They'll be about halfway up in the sky, tracking from the west-northwest to the south-southeast.
omahastylee459 wrote:I saw it just about at 10:21. It appeared out of the west and went east south east where it disappeared about 3/4ths the way across the sky.
While tonight will be a good pass as well (about 1 minute separating the two) ... last night's was spectacular with the Discovery leading the ISS by just a few degrees!
Shoot for the Moon... if you miss, you'll land among the stars.
