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Third Annual Iowa Star Party
September 1-4: Labor Day Weekend, 2005
Lots of scopes and friendly folks!
The Iowa Star Party will be held from Thursday evening, September 1 through Monday morning, September 5th at the Garst Farm Resort Star Field, which is southeast of Coon Rapids, Iowa. The venue is very, very dark with lots of room for everyone. Advanced registration is required ... see form below.
Camping sites will be available in the astronomy viewing area. Campsites include access to a portapotty, firering and firewood. A solar-heated (cold water) shower house and drinking water will be available in the Main Campground, about a mile away.
The Resort still has a limited quantity of accommodations with air-conditioning and hot water. First come-first serve. Double-occupancy rooms (with kitchen access) in the Oakridge Farm House are still available ... cost $50/room/night.
Optional delicious home-made breakfasts and dinners will be served from Friday breakfast through Monday breakfast, at a couple different venues, including the fun Garst River House. Pre-registration for meals is required so that we can plan quantities. (Details on location for each meal will be distributed to registrants in mid-August). The deadline for meal registration will be Tuesday, August 30th.
Participants are strongly encouraged to register for the Saturday evening banquet, which will feature guest speaker Russ Durkee of the Shed of Science Observatory in Minneapolis. The banquet will also offer door-prizes. The topic will be:
"Adventures in Backyard Astrophysics"
Want to do real science from your backyard? Russ Durkee from the Shed of Science Observatory in Minneapolis will share strategies for conducting research using your backyard telescope.
Russ Durkee’s Shed of Science Observatory is located deep within the Minneapolis light dome. Thanks to modern CCD technology, small observatories like the Shed of Science are able to make contributions to astronomy like never before. Mr. Durkee specializes in CCD photometry of asteroids and cataclysmic variable stars. Since the Shed of Science began operation in 2003, Mr. Durkee has been involved in the identification of three new binary asteroids and a previously unknown variable star.
The Shed of Science is recognized as the Minor Planet Center’s, observatory H39 and is also affiliated with The Center for Backyard Astrophysics and CBA Minnesota. To learn more see www.home.earthlink.net/~shedofscience
Free day-time activities during the Star Party (Friday through Sunday) include fishing, horseshoes, volleyball, playing in the river, bird-watching and hiking the beautiful 4300 acre river valley. Participants may also want to visit the fabulous Coon Rapids Aquatic Center and/or the Coon Rapids Golf Course. Optional activities will also be offered:
guided 2 1/2 hour horseback trail ride (not nose-to-tail): $45/person
canoe float on the Raccoon River (approx. 3 1/2 hours): $8/person
geology talk and tour by University of Iowa expert: $4/person
(Payment for these activities will be collected when you check-in at the Star Party. )
So, register today!!!
Please note: you may need the new Adobe Reader Version 7 to download the registration form. It is free.
(For those of you with dial up access, it will take about 2 hours to download Adobe Version 7. Send us an email and we will mail you a form if you prefer.)
Please note:
you may need the new Adobe Reader Version 7 to download the registration
form. It is free.
(For those of you with dial up access, it will take about 2 hours to
download Adobe Version 7. Send us an email and we will mail you a
form if you prefer.)
Registration Form
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