January 2021 Star Party

Enjoy the night sky away from the bright lights of the towns and cities in our area! The night will be dark - perfect for star gazing. Bring your own telescopes and binoculars or use those provided by our members. A telescope is not required.

Telescope operators arrive about 30 minutes early to set up. Observing begins about an hour after sunset and will probably end around 11, or whenever club members decide. All will take place at the park's West Beach parking lot.

ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST WEAR MASKS AND MAINTAIN 6 FEET OF DISTANCE FROM OTHERS. The number of people will be limited to 50 in one group. The lot where we meet is large enough for two groups if needed.

You must RSVP with your car's make, model, and license plate number at least one day beforehand. This info is required by and sent to Park management, the State Police, and the State Park Police because we are there after park hours. If you attend without being on the list and the police show up, the consequences can include revocation of our permit for after hours use.

Please review our guide to star party etiquette if you have not been to one of our star parties before: https://files.meetup.com/2674222/MHAA%20Star%20Party%20Etiquette%20Guide.pdf

You can see the Clear Sky Chart for Lake Taghkanic State Park at the address below. It will show various viewing conditions (cloud cover, transparency, darkness) as well as temperature, wind, etc.
http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/LkTagNYkey.html

Note: Winter and late Fall viewing conditions can be very clear - but also very cold. As you'll be standing around looking at the stars for a while you may feel even colder than otherwise when outdoors. Dress warmly and consider bringing extra layers in case you get colder as the night goes on.

For further information text/call Tim Denman at 845 245 5483.