I finally got to attend my first Star Party this weekend. It was a small crew, perhaps because there was an impromptu party last week (I didn’t see the email in time). But as an introvert I appreciated the more relaxed and personal feel of the small group.
I was a little nervous going in but everyone was welcoming and full of great advice. Between spotting meteors, seeing double stars, and hearing all kinds of astronomy tips, I learned a ton — and had a few unexpected adventures along the way.
Meeting the Crew
We met at the local fairgrounds. As a newbie, I was instructed to show up before sunset so as not to blind folks with headlights – a huge no-no.
When I first arrived, it was just Don setting up — like a boss! He had this huge telescope, a C14 – I have no clue what that means – and even though he’s newer to this club, he’s been an off-and-on astronomer most of his life.
After a little while, club regular Gary showed up, and then I met Mitch for the first time. Mitch was super outgoing and brought some cool DIY gear, like custom eyepieces and a height-adjustable observing seat.
Between the three of them, I picked up a ton of new info about telescopes, binoculars, and star-hopping. A couple more folks showed up later but kept to themselves, so I mostly just hung out with Don, Gary, and Mitch for the night.
What I Saw and Learned
Celestial objects
Even though the skies were mostly clear, I learned pretty quickly that Florida humidity can really mess with visibility. Gary explained that even without clouds or a moon, all that moisture in the air makes the sky glow gray instead of deep black, and adds more atmospheric haze to see through.
Despite the brighter sky, we still got to see some really cool things. I spotted the Orion Nebula tucked inside Orion’s sword — I could clearly make out the 4 little stars known as (I think) the trapezium. And I could just barely make out the little wings around it.
I also learned where Castor and Pollux (the Gemini twins) are in the sky and got to see Castor, a multiple star system, through the scope, which was awesome. I saw a couple double star systems, though I fail to remember where. I’ll try to document better next time.
We spent a little time with Jupiter, and I noticed something surprising — its stripes appeared vertical! They’re definitely supposed to be horizontal. What up, Jupiter?
Turns out this is due to a number of factors, including telescope setup and observation location. (Here’s a great explanation on Cloudy Nights if you’re curious.)
It was really cool to see Jupiter’s four moons so clearly. Even cooler? Noticing how far they’d moved the next time I looked — constant rotation and all.
I was really excited to see the Milky Way, I’ve never seen it before. But apparently it’s not quite the time of year for it yet. Something to look forward to!
For me, probably the most exciting moment of the night was when I was the first to spot a raging fireball meteor streaking overhead. It went for several seconds, much longer than the brief flash I caught at my neighborhood outreach. Steppin it up!
Key astronomy concepts
Aside from the objects we saw, I also picked up a few basic astronomy concepts. The biggest shocker was learning the difference between asterisms and constellations. Apparently, I’ve been calling asterisms constellations.
Take the Big Dipper. Constellation, right? Nope. Asterism. Which means a smaller part of a larger constellation. The Big Dipper is just part of the constellation Ursa Major, the bear.
And Orion? The belt, the sword, the shoulders — that’s it, right? Nope. The constellation also has a bow stretching out to the side and a quiver of arrows slung behind his back. The armless version I’ve been spotting is just an asterism.
Who knew? Well. Pretty much everyone there but me. But hey, that’s why my site is called Novice Astronomer, not Expert Astronomer.
Oh, and I finally learned what magnitude means! It refers to the brightness of a celestial object. Lower numbers mean brighter stars — a bit confusing at first. Kinda like golf.
Also, Gary told me about something called the Messier Marathon, where people try to find all 109 Messier objects in one night. That’s an ambitious project, but he also directed me to the Astronomical League website to find great beginner-friendly projects. They have certificates for finding Messier objects (non-marathon style) and other projects relating to different areas of astronomy.
Apparently, the Messier list started because poor Charles Messier, back in the 1700s, wanted so badly to get his name on a comet – a fast-track to fame in those days. Try as he might, he never discovered one. What he did find was a whole mess of non-comet stuff in the sky. He meticulously documented this “junk” so it would not clutter up his comet investigation.
Cut to centuries later with vastly improved telescopes, turns out this supposed sky trash includes some pretty interesting stuff – star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. Now, he’s way more famous than any of those comet guys. Of course, he’s long dead. Isn’t it ironic? Don’t ya think?
Beyond just looking through the scopes, I picked up a lot of beginner tips. Don gave me great advice about choosing binoculars — to stick with 7×35 or 8×40 because anything stronger would magnify something called “the wiggles” too much, and be too heavy to hold.
I also found a few cool beginner resources — see the list at the end of this post.
Funny Moments and Fails
Of course, no good first star party would be complete without a little chaos. At one point, someone drove into the fairgrounds with their brights blazing straight at us, completely blinding everyone. Clearly, they didn’t understand the assignment. But everyone was cool about it.
Luckily, most people were super careful with their lighting — including me. I was really proud that I stayed conscientious with my red flashlight all night and didn’t accidentally flash anyone.
But pobody’s nerfect, right? Toward the end of the night, poor Don opened the back of his car to pack up — and forgot that his automatic headlights would come on full blast. He accidentally flashed the two in front of us several times, apologizing profusely each time. It was a good reminder that even experienced astronomers have oops moments.
And let’s not forget the mosquitos. Foul creatures! I borrowed some bug spray from Don, but they still managed to feast on my ankles and a few spots I forgot to cover. Definitely bringing my own heavy-duty repellent next time! Anybody know any good eco-friendly options?
Oh, and for a little extra drama: I somehow managed to lose my glasses. I didn’t even realize they had fallen off my head until Don called out asking if someone had lost a pair. Thankfully, I got them back — though stepped on and mangled. Oh well, at least they were found.
Final Thoughts
Even with the challenges — the humidity, the unexpected bright lights, the mosquitoes, and my poor glasses — it felt so good to finally get out under the stars and really start learning the sky.
Seeing meteors streak across the sky (especially that fireball!) was such a rush. And even driving home, with the sunroof open, I spotted another little meteor flashing by — a perfect little exclamation point at the end of the night.
I’m already looking forward to my next star party. Next time, I’ll be armed with bug spray, a little more knowledge, hopefully some decent binoculars, and maybe one of those laser pointer things for pointing out stars, if I can remember what they’re even called. I know I still have a ton to learn, but after this first real night out, I’m eager to explore further!
Cool Astronomy Resources I Learned About
- Book: Turn Left at Orion (Beginner sky guide)
- Website: Astronomical League (Certificates and projects)
- Author: Dan Hooper (Recommended for astrophysics books)