The Rockland Astronomy Club is well known for its schedule of astronomy related events including NEAF (Northeast Astronomy Forum) as well as its upcoming Summer Star Party (SSP), which will be held on July 26 – August 4, 2019. SSP is sponsored by Sky & Telescope magazine.
The annual event is in its 29th year and is held at the Peppermint Park Camping Resort, Plainfield, Massachusetts, in the Berkshire Mountains. SSP is open to both club members and the general public, all of whom can enjoy dark sky and solar observing for one, some, or all ten days.
SSP is designed to meet the needs of many types of astronomy enthusiasts, both the individual and the family, the seasoned astro-photographer and the beginner. Everything at the event site allows for maximum enjoyment of the area’s pristine dark skies and arching Milky Way. The facilities and camping grounds include on-site food service, free WI-FI, an in-ground swimming pool and hot tub, kid’s playground, and lodge with fireplace for relaxation. There are numerous picturesque local attractions to occupy attendees during the daylight hours and non-campers can choose from many available lodging options.
Among the activities are an opening festival with live music and a sky lantern launch; a special chicken barbeque; raffle tickets for valuable prizes; unlimited coffee every night and free daily continental breakfast. Each year RAC brings an 80” LED TV to the site for the lectures and a daily astronomy matinees. On non-observing nights, classic sci-fi movies are shown in a heated club tent theater on a giant ten-foot-wide screen. The event also provides activities and astronomy prizes for children.
The Rockland Astronomy Club, Inc., founded in 1958, is one of the US east coast’s premiere astronomy clubs and non-profit astronomy education organizations. In addition to SSP, the club hosts many lectures, workshops, star parties, planetarium shows, children’s programs, and science, space, and astronomy events, including the famous Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF), the Northeast Astro Imaging Conference (NEAIC), and the Children’s Space & Astronomy Fair (CSAF).
To register for the Summer Star Party or for further information about the Rockland Astronomy Club, please visit the club’s website.
Also, you can check out the nifty video overview of the event here.