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Wickenburg, AZ Public Star Party

Started by Jwemes , Dec 09 2010 04:57 PM
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606 replies to this topic

#276 rboe

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Posted 11 February 2012 - 05:23 PM

I'm stuck at home. Still getting the house in order from getting carpet installed. Company coming in a few weeks and a new puppy next weekend. Skies look darn good too. Wouldn't you know. :p

#277 skyward_eyes

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Posted 12 February 2012 - 11:45 AM

We had awesome skies here in Phoenix but got shut down around 8:30pm when a cloud band rolled in. Did you get the clouds?

#278 Jwemes

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Posted 12 February 2012 - 02:11 PM

Ha! We sent them to you! Skies had been deep blue all day. Cirrus started moving in just before Polaris was visible. Thin clouds covered the entire sky by 7:30.

We're seriously considering another star party next Saturday. Location will be Sophie's Flat or an open area 1/2 mile beyond Sophie's. Stay tuned for a weather update on Saturday morning.

#279 rboe

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Posted 12 February 2012 - 03:52 PM

Oh man! Looked good till about 7 while walking the dog (twinkles though, so not great). I'll be out of state next weekend. :(

What a winter!

#280 Jwemes

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Posted 17 February 2012 - 05:37 PM

Due to the large number of Horse Trailers and associated campers at Sophie's Flat this weekend, we will be holding outreach via sidewalk at the park just south of the South roundabout. All are welcome, but the nearest public parking is ~100ft. away. Wagons or handcarts will be called for. A midmorning weather report will be posted tomorrow morning.

#281 hm insulators

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Posted 17 February 2012 - 09:12 PM

What's the status on the proposed star party out past Sophie's Flat; the one we were talking about last week? I guess this would be separate from the one right in Wickenburg.

#282 Jwemes

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 06:36 AM

On Friday afternoon, there were horse trailers and ATVs parked everywhere at Sophie's and at the water tank site. We opted for an 'in-town' location to avoid dust.

#283 hm insulators

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 10:59 AM

Perfect, then; I'll see you out there tonight! :jump: I was going to try to see the parade in Wickenburg this morning but it's probably too late for that (I just learned that a bunch of Red Green episodes are on youtube and I just couldn't resist watching one I had never seen before). However, I had planned on eating lunch there, if nothing else, spend the afternoon at the festivities or perhaps a hike and then dinner, and then the stars! Dinner and the stars--better than dinner and a movie, plus you don't have to pay for the popcorn! :grin:

#284 rboe

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Posted 29 February 2012 - 09:07 AM

First order of business is to wish all who read this a Happy New Year. If La Nina does it's stuff, we shouldn't see rain until March.

That said,here are the dates for the Wickenburg Public Star Parties for 2012: 1-14, 2-11, 3-10, 4-14, 5-12, 6-9, skip July and August. 9-8 unless the monsoon/temps are against us, 10-6, 11-2, 12-1.

These dates should avoid AAMM, RTMC,The eclipse, and AASP.

If I can get things wrapped up here in SoCal, see you all on 1-14.

Clear,Dark, and Steady,
John W

Two weekends from now. Bumping the date post so we can keep track of the weekends that promise rain.... :ohgeeze:

Nothing like gallows humor in the morning. :)

#285 Jwemes

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Posted 29 February 2012 - 09:10 AM

Look for a weather update on Saturday morning. Since Mars' closest approach is March 5, we may have a great opportunity for details on the disc. That is, of course, if the skies allow. I'm thinking that the C-14 might be a good choice for that night.

#286 skyward_eyes

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Posted 29 February 2012 - 09:25 AM

Won't be out there this Saturday, going to look for places to live in SoCal. Got a job at Woodland Hills telescopes.

#287 rboe

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Posted 29 February 2012 - 10:37 AM

March 10th is the next scheduled star party. Hopefully we'll get to see you Kevin before you move.

#288 skyward_eyes

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Posted 29 February 2012 - 10:48 AM

I will be at the AAMM Ron so if I dont hopefully I will see most of you there.

#289 Jwemes

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Posted 06 March 2012 - 06:50 PM

Just a quick note to earn a bump. The next Wickenburg Public Star Party is this coming Saturday. Look for a weather update mid-morning on Saturday. If you may attend, but haven't been here before, send me a PM, and I'll feed you directions.
Clear, Dark, and Steady,

#290 Jwemes

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Posted 10 March 2012 - 09:11 AM

A little bit early in the AM, but here's the morning report.
Skies are clear, no wind, still air temp at 7AM is 51F. NOAA forecasts clear sky and 5-10 MPH evening breezes.
See you tonight!

#291 rboe

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Posted 10 March 2012 - 11:28 PM

Good intentions but my batteries are low, getting to bed early. Looks like a good night too. :ohgeeze:

Hope you had fun and great turnout! :jump:

#292 hm insulators

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Posted 12 March 2012 - 10:40 AM

As you might have noticed, I didn't get to Wickenburg, but I did do a little bit of astronomical outreach.

First on Saturday was an aviation expo at Mesa Gateway Airport. It wasn't an airshow with aerobatics, but there was a nice little collection of planes and helicopters on display. Then it was on to Superior, where they were having a little street fair. That was lots of fun (except for a couple of stand-up comedians who weren't all that funny), with mining competitions, native American dancers and so forth. After that was dinner, and after dinner it was now getting dark and I decided to stop near the Picketpost Trailhead off US 60 for a little stargazing. I even had the binoculars just in case I would look at the stars. It's pretty dark out there.

So a few minutes after starting observation, a man walking his dog stopped by and was wondering what I was looking at. So we got to talking and as it turns out, he was one of the many people who thought Polaris was the brightest star in the sky and that the Pleiades was the Little Dipper. So I showed him the true brightest star, which is of course
Sirius, which marks the location of the Big Dog (and this guy had a big dog, a Great Pyrenees that wanted nothing more than for me to keep petting him and petting him) and Ursa Minor, the true Little Dipper. I showed him a few other objects and we must've talked for about a half hour before he had to leave. After he was gone, I watched the stars for a little while more, then left shortly before nine o'clock.

#293 Jwemes

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Posted 09 April 2012 - 08:00 AM

The next Public Star Party at Wickenburg will be Saturday, 4/14, at Sophies Flat. Look for a conditions update on Saturday at mid-morning.

#294 hm insulators

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Posted 10 April 2012 - 01:53 PM

Weather conditions are bound to be "iffy" at best this Saturday; if possible you might want to switch to the following Saturday or even the 28th for National Astronomy Day.

#295 Jwemes

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Posted 14 April 2012 - 12:01 PM

The mid-morning report for Wickenburg at 10 AM local time:
Air Temp: 61F Wind: variable to 10 mph. Current cloud cover: ~70%. NOAA and CSC both show poor conditions until at least 10 PM local time, and a 10% chance of rain throughout the night.

#296 hm insulators

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Posted 14 April 2012 - 01:34 PM

Like I said Tuesday, we ought to shoot for next week. In the meantime, I'm staying home and making homemade Italian sandwiches tonight! :drool5:

#297 rboe

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Posted 15 April 2012 - 01:08 AM

We were supposed to go to a dog trial in Chino Valley. Snow and wind. We bailed. Tonight did not look like a good time to bring out the scopes so we watched a movie instead. What it that, three months in a row? What the heck!?

#298 rboe

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Posted 16 April 2012 - 05:42 PM

That said,here are the dates for the Wickenburg Public Star Parties for 2012: 1-14, 2-11, 3-10, 4-14, 5-12, 6-9, skip July and August. 9-8 unless the monsoon/temps are against us, 10-6, 11-2, 12-1.


Clear,Dark, and Steady,
John W


5/12 will be the next star party. Don't wash your car that weekend. :p

#299 Jwemes

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Posted 17 April 2012 - 12:08 PM

The pickup hasn't been washed in a month, and won't be washed until the day after the star party. Will that help?

It is seemingly quite curious, that our star party dates tend to coincide with cloudy days. No rain.....just clouds. If paranoid, one might believe that someone neaby has been buying expensive astro equipment. But it ain't me!

#300 rboe

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Posted 17 April 2012 - 03:02 PM

There are some suspects out Wickenburg way, probably more than one too. Little rotters. :shakecane:

Skies in Phoenix have been clearn and dark the last few nights but very twinkly. :p
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