By RCA Member Carol Huston

Star parties are a fun way to get out, view the heavens, and further your experiences with other enthusiastic amateur astronomers. Your enjoyment at these functions can be enhanced by preparing ahead of time to be comfortable and equipped. Following are some suggestions to help you set the stage for an enjoyable evening of viewing.

Warm clothes: Good dark sky sites are often at high elevations. Once the sun goes down, the temperatures drop, and chilling becomes a factor, even in the summertime. Warm dress is a must and don’t forget a hat. Dressing in layers is an easy way to prepare for a variety of conditions. You might consider: insulated underwear, a couple of shirts, jacket or windbreaker, head covering, scarf, earmuffs, heavier socks, boots or other warm footwear, and gloves. You can peel off or add layers as temperatures vary. Some people even bring a sleeping bag to wrap up in if it gets particularly cold. One way to keep your hands and feet warm in really cold weather is to keep a supply of the “air-activated” hand warmers. Slip one in a glove and you can keep track of your fingers!

Red filtered flashlights: Once eyes are dark adapted, any white or yellow light can hamper night vision.  Red filtered light, however, does not damage night vision and so ALL lights used at the observing site should be covered by red filters.  You  an easily modify a standard flashlight by covering the lense with red construction paper, red fabric, red cellophane (thick layers), or red tail-light tape.  (See “Respect Your Fellow Observer” for other tips on red-filtered lights.)

Toilet Paper (biodegradeable is best): Most of our informal star party sites have no restroom facilities.  Fortunately, the dark skies that enhance viewing also aid in the privacy aspects of nearby bushes and parked cars.

Coffee, cocoa, snacks, garbage bag.  Eating something with sugar while observing increases energy attention and body warmth.  Hot chocolate or soda pop are good choices.  Artificial sweeteners are not helpful.

Folding chair, camp chair, or lawn chair.  Some use their tail gate as a table.

Star charts, eyepieces, extra equipment.

Pen or pencil (be careful about water-soluble ink - it smears in the night dew).  Keep in mind, red ink will not show up in the red light (experience is talking here).

Extra batteries.

Map to the area.

Anything YOU think would make you more comfortable during your observing sessions!

A good idea is to keep a bag ready in your car or home that contains some star party supplies so you are already half ready to go if an impromptu party is called.

Develop your own permanent check-off list of star party supplies.  It is pretty shaky to rely on memory.  Forgetting your eyepieces 130 miles from town puts a damper on your observing session.