Evening Star Parties
Maximum number of students and family members: 150
Time required: 2 hours
Start time: Sundown
Star parties are a great opportunity for students to see the wonders of the universe with their own eyes. Star parties bring life to the images we so often see in books and magazines. I've had many teachers comment that on the day following a star party the school is a buzz with students sharing their previous nights experiences with other students.
Star Party Procedure
- Introduction (2 minutes)
- A walk through the Solar System demonstration (10 minutes)
- The solar system is laid out to scale using special lights with the planets placed in the exact position for that particular date.
- This demonstration is a powerful tool for explaining orbit mechanics and dramatically illustrates the distance between planets
- A quick walk through of the evening constellations and bright stars using a powerful green laser pointer or modified flood light (5 minutes)
- Telescope viewing
- The telescopes and binoculars will be setup and pointed at the evenings brightest objects such as the Moon, planets (see the chart below for the best dates for viewing the moon and various planets) plus various deep sky objects such as globular clusters, open star clusters, planetary nebulas and bright galaxies such as the Andromeda Galaxy
- A couple of telescopes will be available for the students to use on their own. They will be instructed on the proper use of the instrument and given the opportunity to maneuver the telescope toward bright objects such as the moon and planets.
When considering a Star Party
- All Grade six students MUST be accompanied by an adult (other family members are also encouraged to attend)
- For the best views of the Moon, try to plan your star party near or within 4 days before the first quarter moon
- Note: In the months of September, mid May and June it will not be dark until 8:30 pm or later
- There is no fixed ending time for the star party. Typically they last 1 - 2 hours
- The star parties are held on school property. Access to the school is not required. Access to an AC power supply is required.
Best times to see the Moon and Planets for 2010/2011
"X" Indicates that a planet is visible in the evening sky
| Month |
First Quarter |
Venus |
Mars |
Jupiter |
Saturn |
Star Party Start Times |
| September |
14th |
X |
X |
X |
|
7:30 |
| October |
14th |
|
|
X |
|
6:30 |
| November |
13th |
|
|
X |
|
6:00 |
| December |
13th |
|
|
X |
|
6:00 |
| January |
12th |
|
|
X |
|
6:00 |
| February |
10th |
|
|
X |
|
6:00 |
| March |
12th |
|
|
X |
|
6:30 |
| April |
10th |
|
|
|
X |
7:30 |
| May |
10th |
|
|
|
X |
1 - 15 8:30/16 - 31 9:00 |
| June |
8th |
|
|
|
X |
9:30 |