The video featuring Park Manager Chip Harrison, fellow ASH members Tony Donnangelo and Doug Grove, and Ron Burrows of Michigan that was recorded at this year's BFSP is now posted at http://greenlifepenn.org/?p=264

I was just off-camera when Tony was interviewed.  There's a very brief shot of my 101mm Tele Vue refractor in the video.

For more on astronomy at Cherry Springs State Park, click here.

Dave Mitsky

Excellent video. It looks like you lucked out with awesome weather. I live about 4 hours from Cherry Springs and was planning on going this year. It never worked out and I was not able to attend. What can you tell me about observing there throughout the year? Living so close I feel like I have to observe there. I have read all about the park and its facilities but first hand experience is appreciated.

Dave, Tks for the video. It is nice.

 

TBone:

What can you tell me about observing there throughout the year? Living so close I feel like I have to observe there. I have read all about the park and its facilities but first hand experience is appreciated.

I've been observing at Cherry Springs for about 10 years.  The skies there can reach a VLM of seventh magnitude.  I've logged many DSOs without optical aid, including some of the tougher ones such as M15, M33, M35, M37, and M39, as well as the gegenschein and the extremely faint zodiacal band (the zodiacal light is very bright in comparison) on a couple of occasions.  The Milky Way is very prominent and many dark nebulae such as the Pipe Nebula can be seen with the naked-eye.

The observing fields have been expanded and the facilities improved upon quite a bit over the past few years.  One result is that observing there, which used to be free, now costs $10 a night. 

It can get very cold at CSSP.  During one May night a couple of years ago, the temperature dropped into the low 20s.

The issue of future gas well flares occuring in Potter County is a very serious one.

http://ghonis2.ho8.com/0709gasfield/0709gasfield.html 

Dave Mitsky

That was amazing all those huge telescopes.  I want to go.

Tony's 20" Starmaster Sky Tracker Dob can't even be considered a huge telescope compared to some of the the largest Dobs making appearances nowadays at major star parties.

The biggest scope at the BFSP was John Vogt's ATM (i.e., homemade) 32" Dob.  (I posted a photo of John's scope on the Cloudy Nights BFSP thread.)  Also present at the BFSP were a 24" ATM Dob and a 25" Obsession Dob.  Many 18" and 20" Dobs were scattered across the observing fields.  A 30" Starmaster was at the park prior to the weekend of the star party.

There are now a number of telescopes owned by amateur astronomers with apertures of 40" and greater, including a 48".

http://www.tomclarkbooks.com/tomclarkbooks.com/Astronomy_Gods.html

http://www.opticalmechanics.com/evolution_dobs/Evo-48_intro/index.html

Dave Mitsky

I like the aperture size but not the need for a sky hook to look through the ep.

Dave,

Thanks for the link looks like a great time, I hope to make it next year!!!

Jeff

Thanks for the entertaining video and links to the star party.  Looks like a good time was had by all.  I have to agree with John though, as nice as these huge telescopes are I prefer to keep both my feet on the ground.

L

Leo,

You're welcome.

The latest trend is to use large ultrafast primary mirrors, which means no or at least a minimal climb up a ladder.  A friend of mine just replaced his 18" f/4.5 Obsession with a 22" f/3.6 S.D.M. Dob built by Australian Peter Read.

http://www.chesmontastro.org/?q=node/5120

The 30" Starmaster that was at Cherry Springs had a focal ratio of 3.7. 

http://www.starmastertelescopes.com/FXscopes.htm

http://www.loptics.com/twotelescopes.html

Of course, these new ultrafast mirrors are quite thin, require a large secondary, and are certainly not cheap.  A coma corrector such as the Tele Vue Paracorr is a necessity.

Dave Mitsky