February 2026 Star Party

Enjoy the night sky as we prepare to transition from Winter to Spring. Get 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.

Orion will be visible early, but Gemini will be prominent near zenith, and Leo will be high in the sky before the end of the evening. It's the beginning of "Galaxy Season", and views of galaxies like M81 (featured image) will be be possible both through the eyepiece and on a screen. Andromeda (M31) and Triangulum (M33) will be visible early, then set. Others will be rising, including the famous Leo Triplet, before the end of the evening.

Telescope operators will arrive about 30 minutes early to set up. Observing begins about an hour after sunset and will probably end around 10, or whenever club members decide to leave.

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 well: Winter viewing conditions can be very clear - but also 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 need them as the night goes on. Handwarmers can help fight the cold.

For further information, email info@midhudsonastro.org

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.