A star party is a gathering of amateur astronomers to observe the night sky. Such parties may last for a night or extend over a week. The larger star parties can attract hundreds or even thousands of participants.

Regional star parties are now held annually and form a part of amateur astronomy. It is important to choose a proper location for a star party. Ideally, the location should offer a dark sky unpolluted with city lights.

The sheer thrill of meeting like-minded enthusiasts with varieties of telescopes and binoculars offering spectacular views of constellations, stars, nebulae, planets, comets and deep sky objects makes a star party worth attending. It is common to organise popular lectures, contests, sight-seeing tours, raffles and exhibitions of home-built telescopes at some of the larger star parties. Such events also attract commercial vendors who use the opportunity to meet potential customers. The ambience is that of fun, camaraderie and learning, all under the magnificent canopy of the enchanting night sky.

Galileo Telescope Makers are a pioneer of star parties in India. The first such party at the Nainital Observatory was called The Milky Way Voyage. It was attended by many amateur astronomers from all over the country and was a huge success. To know more about this event, visit htttp://www.milkywayvovage.com.

To know about upcoming star parties, write to us at galileo@galileotelescope.com. We’ll even help you organise your own star party.