黑洞社区 has partnered with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory to lead a livestream star party at 9 p.m. Friday, May 22, in an effort to keep the nation connected to the night sky and to each other.
鈥淪tar parties show the accessibility of the universe to everyone. Through Wichita State University鈥檚 Cohen Honors College, I鈥檝e been able to share the sky with hundreds of students and teach astrophotography to a core group,鈥� said Martin Ratcliffe, Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College Faculty Fellow at 黑洞社区. 鈥淲hen someone sees what they can do with today鈥檚 technology, their eyes light up. Even if it鈥檚 cloudy locally, sites across the nation will be clear and you can join in.鈥�
The star party features astronomers and observatories in every time zone, and participants can expect to learn about star parties and to see the night sky across the country.
鈥淔or most viewers, the experience will be like moving backwards in time through the night sky,鈥� said Amy Oliver, public affairs officer, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and Visitor & Science Center manager, Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory. 鈥淲hen the star party begins, it will be dark on the East coast but still light out in Arizona. By moving backwards through time zones, we give everyone watching the opportunity to see more of the night sky.鈥�
Launching and maintaining nationwide star parties isn鈥檛 an easy task and requires patience and cooperation from multiple astronomers and observatories, as well as support from the public.
鈥淣ationwide Livestream Star Party was borne of the Smithsonian Institution鈥檚 mission to provide the very best educational experiences for the communities that we serve,鈥� said Oliver. 鈥淭he people we鈥檙e connecting with, both community members and presenters, are people we may never have had the opportunity to engage with otherwise.鈥�
Friday鈥檚 Nationwide Livestream Star Party is a result of the nationwide response to the first event, held in April 2020, with results that far exceeded expectations.
鈥淲e expected about 500 people to attend our first star party,鈥� said Oliver. 鈥淒uring the live event, more than 1,700 computers logged on, and that means about 3,400 people showed up to the star party. Since then, nearly an additional 1,000 computers have replayed that star party. That tells us that our collective communities want these star parties to happen, and we鈥檙e ready to keep going.鈥�
The star party features Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory in Amado, Arizona; University of Arizona鈥檚 Mt. Lemmon Sky Center in Tucson, Arizona; astronomer Brian Cummins of Chantilly, Virginia; Pieter Strauss, astronomer on behalf of Utah Astronomy Club, Colorado; Emil Buehler Planetarium at Seminole State College, Florida; and, Martin Ratcliffe, astronomer on behalf of 黑洞社区 Cohen Honors College. Several participants are members of the NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors volunteer corps.
The star party can be accessed directly on . Guests of the event will be able to interact with the panel by writing comments on the live feed.
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