Every year in October the East Valley Astronomy club hosts a big, and unique, star party on the weekend closest to the new moon. If you are an amateur astronomer in Arizona this is an event you shouldn't miss! Put it on your calendar for next year!

(I took this picture at the All Arizona Star Party. It shows stars and the Milky Way over one of the astronomers)

When it comes to star parties this one is unique! Let me explain.

This next picture is of a group of amateur astronomers at the annual Grand Canyon Star Party. This is a common sight at a star party. The astronomers gather together on a tarmac somewhere in a loose grouping like a tight cluster of stars. They can use each others telescopes, share notes, and talk about astronomy and the things they are viewing.

This grouping also makes it easy for visitors to access all of the telescopes and astronomers. It is very convenient, especially when it gets dark!

The All Arizona star party is a bit different though... It is an open cluster of astronomers.

It takes place on a very big open area which is an abandoned air field. And it is about a two hour drive west of Phoenix. And being a full weekend event people make the trip with the intention of staying the weekend. So, they bring their tents, RV's, and motor homes! And there is plenty of space to park them.

This next picture gives you a little bit of a sense of the event. You can see a few recreational vehicles spread on the left and on the right. The small white building in the middle of the picture is a pair of portable bathrooms.

So, for this event, the astronomers spread out. This facilitates a long and quiet night of star gazing and astrophotography.

But, even though the astronomers spread out, the event isn't a solitary endeavor. It is a well organized event that also allows for people to gather together. At the entrance of the air strip a large tent is set up and this is where people gather together during daylight hours.

The tent has food, refreshments, coffee and a big raffle. This years raffle gave away a whole lot of things including my book, and a telescope! And the tent is open all night long with all kinds of refreshments including hot coffee and tea. This was terrific for me. After several hours of taking star photos I wandered over to the tent and had some coffee and cookies. It refreshed me and energized me so I could get some more work done.

So, what does the nerd think about this event?
It is spectacular and a must attend event for any amateur astronomer! Get there during daylight hours so you can mingle with the other astronomers, enjoy the food, and enter the raffle. You can spend time talking about your plans for the night and get to know the other astronomers. And the most important thing about this event is the dark sky! It is out in the middle of nowhere and two hours away from Phoenix which means the skies are dark and rich. You will be able to get a really good look at the Milky Way and if you want to do deep space astrophotography you will be very pleased with the dark sky.

Learning About the event -

It is a weekend long event that takes place every October on the weekend closest to the new moon. It is on a now 50 year old abandoned air field (Hovatter Air Strip) which is also known as Salome Emergency Air Strip. It is a dirt air strip that is just 3 or 4 miles off of exit 53 on I-10. It's a very easy drive due west from Phoenix and about 100 miles from the city. It is also about 30 miles east of Quartzsite.

Once you exit off of Interstate 10 you quickly get onto a dirt road which is a good road and easy to travel but it does kick up a lot of dust. So, as you get close to the star party you should go real slow so as to minimize the dust you create. And, if you arrive during dark hours you should turn your headlights off and just use your running lights so as not to ruin the night vision of the astronomers. .

Visit the events page on the Easy Valley Astronomy Club website to learn more (right here)

This next picture shows a lot of dust being kicked up on the site.

Want to see some of the pictures I took at this event? I have constellation and night sky photos right here: Telescope Nerd Pictures of the All Arizona Star Party