Stockport Observatory Summer Star Party 2025

 

The Astronomical Society of South Australia (ASSA) is pleased to announce its Stockport Observatory Summer Star Party will be held on Saturday 8th February 2025.

TICKETS:

This is a pre-paid limited ticket public event with a strict No Ticket, No Entry policy. Beware of ticket scammers -- only event tickets purchased at the ASSA Eventbrite page will be accepted at entry. 

Ticket Prices: Adults $15, Children (5-16 Yrs Old) $5, Children (<5 Yrs Old) Free. Book your Tickets at: Eventbrite

PROGRAM INFORMATION:

The Summer Star Party will feature a number of exciting astronomical activities for people of all ages as outlined in the program. Attendees will take away a unique and memorable experience of our Universe! A range of activities is planned for guests.

• 8:00pm Arrival & Check-in at Front Desk*
• 8:15pm Welcome & Program Overview
• 8:30pm Tour of the Night Sky
• 8:45pm Telescope Viewing & Other Activities (all evening)
• 11:00pm Close

* Enter observatory grounds from the lower car park gate.

The Telescope Viewing session will feature both looking through the main observatory telescope, a variety of member-owned telescopes, and also viewing electronic images captured and displayed in real-time by advanced imaging telescopes.

ASSA members will describe the celestial objects being viewed or displayed and answer your questions. Some telescopes will focus on the Moon and the planets. Other telescopes will provide views or images of wispy nebulae, brilliant star clusters, vast globular star clusters, supernova remnants, planetary nebulae, and galaxies millions of light years away.

Short Astronomy Talks: An ASSA member will give a number of short Astronomy presentations in the Slide Shed.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

STOCKPORT OBSERVATORY is located in the small town of Stockport (6 km north-east of Hamley Bridge) approximately 80 km north of Adelaide. It provides a convenient astronomical facility away from the light pollution which surrounds Adelaide. Visit https://www.assa.org.au/stockport for more information and driving directions.

DRIVING HAZARDS: The road between Templers and Hamley Bridge has recently been resurfaced and there may be some sections which have lower speed limits.

INSECT REPELLANT: Guests are strongly advised to apply insect repellant to protect themselves from insect bites. Seasonal weather and recent heavy rain has increased the number of insects in the area. Please do not bring or use spray-on repellents as it can damage nearby telescope optics.

EVENT GO or NO-GO: Ticket holders MUST check the ASSA website between noon and 2:00pm Saturday 8th February to check if the event is going ahead or not before embarking on the long drive.

EVENT CANCELLATION DUE TO WEATHER: Excessive cloud cover, showers or rain will result in the cancellation of the star party and the observatory will be closed (no access) on the night.

• Event Cancellation: A full refund (including booking fees) will be provided.

COVID SAFETY: To ensure the safety of its members and the public, the ASSA has a number of COVID-19 safety requirements in place at its events. For full details, please refer to: https://assa.org.au/COVID

WHAT TO BRING:

• Ticket: Remember... No ticket, No Entry.
• Warm Clothing & Enclosed Footwear: It's important that all attendees dress warmly for the star party and wear comfortable enclosed non-slip footwear. Expect temperatures to dip well below 10°C. So please come prepared because it will be colder at night than you might be used to.
• Insect Repellant: ASSA may have some insect repellant available on site, but it's always best to bring your own.  Remember, no spray-ons please.
• Food & Drink: Tea, coffee, bottled water and soft drinks will be available for purchase on site. You may wish to bring a few snacks for personal consumption. A Sausage Sizzle BBQ will be available.
• Binoculars: If you own a pair of binoculars please bring them along for use under the dark skies. Binoculars are not essential to enjoy the experience.

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