October 2025 Star Party

Our October party is scheduled two weeks before Halloween! In addition to enjoying the night sky away from the bright lights of the towns and cities in our area, why not try out your spaced-themed costume? 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.

After a long featured run, Hercules will be setting early. Andromeda is now high in the east, and the Triangulum constellation will be just below it. Tiny, and not well known to many star-gazers, it's home to M33, the second closest galaxy to our own Milky Way and a fabulous target for telescopes and EAA (featured image).

Telescope operators will 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.

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 the State Park authorities 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.

If you have not been to one of our star parties before then please review our guide to star party etiquette.

A forecast of the viewing conditions can be found on the Astrospheric Sky Forecast. It shows various viewing conditions (cloud cover, transparency, darkness) as well as temperature, wind, etc. If you scroll down the page you'll find additional useful info such as sunset timing, position of the planets, and more.

Note: Mid-Fall viewing conditions can be very clear - but also pretty cold. Since you will 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 or call Tim Denman at 845-245-5483 or Jack Chastain at 845-430-6851.

Featured image credit: Greg Salyer, an MHAA member since 2011, specializes in deep sky astrophotography. This includes the photography of galaxies, star clusters, supernova explosions, planetary nebula, and beautiful clouds of gas and dust scattered throughout the Milky Way.