After several good nights of observing — and several days of excellent talks, along with visiting with friends — the 2012 Winter Star Party (WSP) has come to a close. The closing event on Friday, February 25, was an announcement of astrophotography and photography winners, the party's "Astro Oscars," and an extravaganza of door prizes.
Mike Reynolds and Tippy D’Auria present the 2012 Astro Oscars. // All photos by Mike Reynolds
The Astro Oscars, to recognize excellence in astronomy outreach, have been presented at the WSP by the
AstronomyOutreach Network since 2004. This year, three individuals and one club were recognized:
- Individual Astro Oscar to Peter Lord for his ongoing outreach and education work as well as for his ceaseless efforts to reduce light pollution and save our remaining dark skies; Peter also organized the Acadia Night Sky Festival in conjunction with the National Park Service.
- Club/Society Astro Oscar to the Pomona Valley Amateur Astronomers for a program they started called Project Bright Sky — bringing astronomy to the visually impaired, including those who are legally blind but still can detect a small amount of light.
- Professional Astro Oscar to Michelle Thaller, the assistant director for science communication at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, who served as the face of infrared astronomy (Spitzer Space Telescope) to the public.
- Special Astro Oscar to Steve Edberg for his tireless hours and effort as the Riverside Telescope Makers’ Conference and his NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory outreach.
WSP attendees listen to hear if they will win one of the many door prizes.
One of the highlights, for me at least, was to visit the many vendors who attend the WSP. I love seeing new products, picking up that accessory that I had to have (or maybe didn’t even know I needed!), and talking shop. Many of the vendors, like Scott Roberts of Explore Scientific, had telescopes set up at night, and Al Nagler is known to wander the field while we are observing to show off his latest Tele Vue eyepieces.
If you have never been to the Winter Star Party — or any star party like this — put it on your list of must-do events. Trust me: you will not regret it! The night skies are incredible, local scenery unforgettable, and the friends are forever.
So mark your calendars for next year’s WSP: February 4-10, 2013. Until then, keep looking up!
Related blog: The Winter Star Party is underway! by Mike Reynolds, contributing editor