The 40th Annual Deep South Star Gaze is just 13 Weeks Away!
Jul 26, 2022 14:10:06 GMT -6
gregthompson1960 likes this
Post by bsimon615 on Jul 26, 2022 14:10:06 GMT -6
Yes, just 13 weeks which is just 91 days. Time has flown by since the last one and the one coming up is truly a milestone. Some of our most accomplished observers and astrophotographers were not even born when this puppy got started. Others that were relatively young adults when we held our first Deep South back in 1983 are now well into their 60's, 70's, and 80's.
So have things changed? Quite a lot. Telescopes and imaging equipment is a heck of a lot more sophisticated plus we now have home computers, cell phones which double as mini-computers and other great devices for astronomer that make accessing the sky easier (or at least when we make it thru the steep learning curve which accompanies much of this advanced technology. To a degree, or at least we hope, all of these advancements help us to offset the ever increasing encroaching light trespass that we face in pursuing our hobby. Hence the need for a place to do astronomy under the cover of darkness, thus the need for events such as the Deep South Star Gaze.
As said earlier, this October 25th thru October 30th will mark our 40th Annual Deep South Star Gaze, with about 30 of those year using our former name "Deep South Regional Star Gaze". We took "Regional" out of it about 9 or 10 years ago as "Regional" was redundant as Deep South in itself identified where we were. Over the years we spent our years at 4 different venues and they were:
Percy Quin State Park, near McComb, MS. We were there for 22 years from 1983 thru 2004. We left due to advancing light pollution and trees that restricted our horizons.
Camp Ruth Lee, about 10 miles north of Clinton, LA. We were there for 4 years from 2005 thru 2008. We left there due to poor accommodations and the place was sold to a private owner.
Feliciana Retreat Center, about 10 miles north of Clinton, LA. We were there for 9 years from 2009 thru 2017. We left there due to advancing light pollution in the direction of Baton Rouge and because of promises/commitments that were not kept on the part of the new management team at FRC.
White Horse Christian Retreat Camp, has been our home base since 2018. This fall will be our 5 year at "White Horse". Our host, Carol Nicaud, has been very accommodating. "White Horse" gives us the best 2022 skies of any of the other locations that we called home. While it does not give us the same accommodations of FRC, it does give us better skies, and the skies are the #1 priority. The main building is also very convenient for off-field activities such as having meals and using the internet or watching a movie.
I intend to have registration and liability waiver forms available here within the next week. I do not anticipate a price increase, but I will be checking. If anyone has a question or two that you would like me to ask Carol, please let me know and I will ask.
Please note too, and this bears repeating - No one is allowed to carry a firearm on their person while at the Deep South Star Gaze either outside or in any of the buildings including bunk houses. This is being done in accordance with Mississippi State Law and we do have and will post the necessary signage in accordance with those ordinances. In addition this is covered in our liability waiver form and in order to attend you must abide by the regulations that you agreed to comply with when you signed off on the liability waiver. Non compliance with these rules, both ours and those of the state of Mississippi will result in expulsion from the star gaze with no future second chances.
Enough said about that.
Barry Simon, Director
Deep South Star Gaze
So have things changed? Quite a lot. Telescopes and imaging equipment is a heck of a lot more sophisticated plus we now have home computers, cell phones which double as mini-computers and other great devices for astronomer that make accessing the sky easier (or at least when we make it thru the steep learning curve which accompanies much of this advanced technology. To a degree, or at least we hope, all of these advancements help us to offset the ever increasing encroaching light trespass that we face in pursuing our hobby. Hence the need for a place to do astronomy under the cover of darkness, thus the need for events such as the Deep South Star Gaze.
As said earlier, this October 25th thru October 30th will mark our 40th Annual Deep South Star Gaze, with about 30 of those year using our former name "Deep South Regional Star Gaze". We took "Regional" out of it about 9 or 10 years ago as "Regional" was redundant as Deep South in itself identified where we were. Over the years we spent our years at 4 different venues and they were:
Percy Quin State Park, near McComb, MS. We were there for 22 years from 1983 thru 2004. We left due to advancing light pollution and trees that restricted our horizons.
Camp Ruth Lee, about 10 miles north of Clinton, LA. We were there for 4 years from 2005 thru 2008. We left there due to poor accommodations and the place was sold to a private owner.
Feliciana Retreat Center, about 10 miles north of Clinton, LA. We were there for 9 years from 2009 thru 2017. We left there due to advancing light pollution in the direction of Baton Rouge and because of promises/commitments that were not kept on the part of the new management team at FRC.
White Horse Christian Retreat Camp, has been our home base since 2018. This fall will be our 5 year at "White Horse". Our host, Carol Nicaud, has been very accommodating. "White Horse" gives us the best 2022 skies of any of the other locations that we called home. While it does not give us the same accommodations of FRC, it does give us better skies, and the skies are the #1 priority. The main building is also very convenient for off-field activities such as having meals and using the internet or watching a movie.
I intend to have registration and liability waiver forms available here within the next week. I do not anticipate a price increase, but I will be checking. If anyone has a question or two that you would like me to ask Carol, please let me know and I will ask.
Please note too, and this bears repeating - No one is allowed to carry a firearm on their person while at the Deep South Star Gaze either outside or in any of the buildings including bunk houses. This is being done in accordance with Mississippi State Law and we do have and will post the necessary signage in accordance with those ordinances. In addition this is covered in our liability waiver form and in order to attend you must abide by the regulations that you agreed to comply with when you signed off on the liability waiver. Non compliance with these rules, both ours and those of the state of Mississippi will result in expulsion from the star gaze with no future second chances.
Enough said about that.
Barry Simon, Director
Deep South Star Gaze
At least I sincerely hope so... yikes!