This Saturday (July 11), is the annual Bogus Basin star party, at the Nordic Lodge at Bogus Basin Ski Resort. The event commences at 7 p.m. with solar viewing (using CWI’s solar telescope amongst others) until around 9 p.m. In the darkening twilight, Venus and Jupiter will make their appearance in the western sky, and shortly thereafter, Saturn and its glorious rings will come into view in the southeast. Around 10 p.m., Idaho Camera will be raffling off a Celestron telescope to one lucky attendee. At 10:30, I will be giving a constellation tour to the assembled crowd. By 11 p.m., it will become dark enough to view many celestial wonders, from star clusters to nebulae to galaxies.
The Nordic lodge will be shut down at midnight, though the event may continue as long as there are visitors interested in observing the night sky. The star party is free and open to the general public. We do ask that visitors bring along one can of food per person to donate to the Idaho Food Bank. No white light flashlights please (only red filtered flashlights are acceptable at star parties). It may cool down after sunset, so be sure to bring some outer wear. Bug spray is also a good idea, as those mosquitos get quite aggressive after sunset. There is no outdoor seating at the lodge, so you may want to bring along a lawn chair or two to set up and get off of your feet for a brief respite.
Hope to see you up there for a wonderful evening!
