Texas Star Party 2013

[Dragan]

Hey all,

Just thought I'd inform the group that registration is now open for the 2013 Texas Star Party.

I just registered and I hope to see/meet many of you!

2013 Texas Star Party Homepage

[DrAl]

Four of us from Santa Cruz, CA, have spots and plan to attend for the week.

[Jimi Lowrey]

I think all the DSF members at the Texas Star Party should get together one afternoon at the old Drug Store in Fort Davis for a milk shake and Ice cream social. It would be fun to meet every one.

Who is in?

[DrAl]

I would be delighted to meet up for a milk shake and ice cream social. Just name the time. I may have to catch a ride with someone as my little RV/camper will be hitched up to power, etc....
Al

[Dragan]

I think all the DSF members at the Texas Star Party should get together one afternoon at the old Drug Store in Fort Davis for a milk shake and Ice cream social. It would be fun to meet every one.

Who is in?

Count on me!

[Joe C]

If you will have a new member along, I am in. Al, I will have room.

[Dragan]

If you will have a new member along, I am in.

Of course we will! We'd love to have you join us

[MarcE]

Two friends of mine will be there from Sunday to Friday...really looking forward to meet you!
Marc

[Jimi Lowrey]

The TSP could have had better weather but we had several all nighters and it was great to see old friends and make new ones. I ran in to a lot of DSF members which is always great. MarcE, Frank Richardsen, Uwe Glahn, Dragan, Big Jim, Anna, Spack, Dr Al, Newton, Ericka, and Dave. I hope I did not leave anyone out.

Some of the Highlights observing for me were,

Bridge in Keenans system

5 stars in M57

Jet in 3c273

A 21 mag galaxy

There are others but theses stand out at this moment. All in all TSP was FUN!

[Tony B]

Jimi - glad a good time was had by all, and a star party is more than observing - you can do that alone. Getting together with friends is the icing on the cake. I can't believe that it is now 13 years since I attended the TSP. Of course everyone hopes that each night is clear until dawn but by the end of such a week I start getting worn out.

[MarcE]

Jimi and Tony, i agree totally.
I enjoyed observing in West-Texas (with really big scopes), but enjoyed much more meeting friends, making new ones and the overall relaxed and nice atmosphere of TSP.
Hope it will not take 13 years to my next visit
CS
Marc

[Tony B]

Marc - I was showing a journalist from Der Spiegel the view through a big telescope some years ago and he said that it was not until he got to the South Pacific that he realised what a dark sky should look like. He said that previously he had been looking at night sky in Europe that had reflected the light of cities over the horizon and assumed that the gray looking sky was the normal thing. Similarly with two observers from the US North East who commented that they liked the fact that the stray clouds crossing the Milky Way were black rather than " light reflecting "gray. Get back to the TSP when you can and to Ozsky when you can. I remember a middle aged lady from New Jersey who observed at home with a C5. She phoned me , as my club contact officer, when visiting Sydney to ask if I could take her out of the city so she could see the fabled Milky Way for the first time in her life. i did.

[Tony B]

Jimi - Where is the old drug store in Fort Davis ? i had breakfast in the place over the road from the hotel in october 2011, and hamburgered at Pop's in 2002 but heard that Pop's got too large for the available trade and folded.

[MarcE]

Tony,
Plan to visit Southwest of US in 2014, TSP hopefully the year after.
Australia would indeed interesting, i have never been there.
Long way from Germany, but i will add on my "Must see-list".
CS
Marc

[Jimi Lowrey]

Tony,

The drug store is in the same place as before it was closed for a year and reopened last year under new owners. POP,s has been closed for years. I think it is gone for good.

[Tony B]

Marc - a long way from Germany but sit back and let the pilot worry about that. I have Australian friends on a Rhine cruise right now. You can come south and see naked eye galaxies as big as Corvus and lots of other stuff you cannot see from home. We had a French amateur doing that with us over last new moon period in 25 and 30 inch dobsonians - he particularly liked the Tarantula and the fact that you could see a nebula in another galaxy with the naked eye. Check your star maps as you are missing far more than half the stuff in the sky, like there are 300 deep sky objects in the LMC alone.

[Dave Mitsky]

Despite the less-than-stellar weather, I had a great time at the Texas Star Party.

This was my first TSP. I observed a number of new DSOs through a variety of telescopes, qualified for the Binocular pin, and met a lot of people who I had only known previously through the Internet. Some Cloudy Nights folks and I went to the drug store for ice cream one day.

The technical tour of the McDonald Observatory was great. On Friday afternoon, Erika Rix, Robert Werkman (far left in the attached photo), and I visited Jimi's observatory. Perhaps someday I'll get a chance to have a look through Barbarella.

Dave Mitsky

08 McDonald Observatory Hobby-Eberly Dome IMG_8711.jpg

29 Barbarella Group Shot IMG_9070.jpg

[Preston Pendergraft]

Dave,
I did the tour of McDonald back in 2009. It was pretty cool to get in the domes on the grounds. I really enjoyed hearing the astronomers talk about the double star research they were using the 82in with. Were you able to drive up to the radio telescope that is just east of the Prude Ranch?

[Erika Rix]

Dave,
I did the tour of McDonald back in 2009. It was pretty cool to get in the domes on the grounds. I really enjoyed hearing the astronomers talk about the double star research they were using the 82in with. Were you able to drive up to the radio telescope that is just east of the Prude Ranch?

Hi guys! Preston, yes, Dave and I drove there together. IMG_6623.jpg

I had a great time. Jimi, thanks so much for sharing the views through your 48"!

[FaithJ]

Tony,
Plan to visit Southwest of US in 2014, TSP hopefully the year after.
Australia would indeed interesting, i have never been there.
Long way from Germany, but i will add on my "Must see-list".
CS
Marc

It's gotta be done! I live in the UK but I've been to Australia twice and TSP four times. I am going to Australia again next year (OzSky 2014) and hopefully TSP again, if my finances allow.

I love TSP, it's my favourite vacation and, after four visits, I go as much to meet friends again as for the observing. It's always great to catch up with people again.

[Don Pensack]

Faith,
My wife and I will also be at OzSky 2014. It will be nice to see you there.

[Dragan]

Don,

As will we! Anja, myself and our 19mo (at that time) will be attending.

We can't wait!

Faith,
My wife and I will also be at OzSky 2014. It will be nice to see you there.