Post by bsimon615 on Aug 13, 2018 9:14:51 GMT -6
White Horse Trial Run Report – Deep South Star Gaze Home for 2018
As many know, this fall the Deep South Star Gaze will be held at a new site (our 4th since the DSSG started in 1983). The new location is the White Horse Christian Retreat near Sandy Hook, MS. This site is about 12 miles south of Columbia, MS, 21 miles north of Bogalusa, LA and 35 miles southwest of Hattiesburg, MS.
The primary reason for relocating from the Feliciana Retreat Center, where the DSSG has been held for the past 9 years, is the new location offers darker skies and lower horizons, while providing us with food service and lodging necessary to host an event like the Deep South Star Gaze. While the DSSG will not be held until early November, it was important that more people see it prior to then and for all attending to get a feel for how things will work at White Horse. On Friday, August 10th to Sunday, August 12th, 13 members of the Pontchartrain Astronomy Society were able to do just that. 8 of us were there for both Friday and Saturday night and 5 others came up on either Friday or Saturday. It did not hurt that this was “New Moon” weekend and also coincided with the Perseid Meteor Shower.
The weather forecast however looked dicey in the days leading up to our trial run and the daytime hours on both Friday and Saturday were cloudy, but amazingly it did clear at night. Friday was better than Saturday and we did see some nice Perseid meteors and all that were there, particularly on Friday were able to witness why we are so enthusiastic about the new location.
Those in attendance for both days and nights included Gabe Dickens, Steve Harrison, Jerry LaBauve, Tim Mann, Ron Marcella, Len Philpot, Barry Simon and Philip Wollenberg. Kent Birkle and his wife, Rene, visited on Friday and Bill and Nanette Johnson and Richard Erbe came up on Saturday. We observed from within the outside arena on both nights. This was a good location in respect to good horizons all around and a nice flat area for set up. I believe all are very happy in what the White Horse location offers in respect to the sky. In my estimation we will be able to get 20 to 25 vehicles, canopies and equipment into this area for the DSSG. There are other areas just outside of the arena where other can set up their canopies and equipment. I believe we should be able to accommodate as many as 150 people comfortably during the DSSG.
Pictures sometimes paint a better picture than words so I am including some pictures so that all can get a better look at the night sky from White Horse and a view of White Horse from the sky above courtesy of Philip Wollenberg and his drone.
Barry Simon
As many know, this fall the Deep South Star Gaze will be held at a new site (our 4th since the DSSG started in 1983). The new location is the White Horse Christian Retreat near Sandy Hook, MS. This site is about 12 miles south of Columbia, MS, 21 miles north of Bogalusa, LA and 35 miles southwest of Hattiesburg, MS.
The primary reason for relocating from the Feliciana Retreat Center, where the DSSG has been held for the past 9 years, is the new location offers darker skies and lower horizons, while providing us with food service and lodging necessary to host an event like the Deep South Star Gaze. While the DSSG will not be held until early November, it was important that more people see it prior to then and for all attending to get a feel for how things will work at White Horse. On Friday, August 10th to Sunday, August 12th, 13 members of the Pontchartrain Astronomy Society were able to do just that. 8 of us were there for both Friday and Saturday night and 5 others came up on either Friday or Saturday. It did not hurt that this was “New Moon” weekend and also coincided with the Perseid Meteor Shower.
The weather forecast however looked dicey in the days leading up to our trial run and the daytime hours on both Friday and Saturday were cloudy, but amazingly it did clear at night. Friday was better than Saturday and we did see some nice Perseid meteors and all that were there, particularly on Friday were able to witness why we are so enthusiastic about the new location.
Those in attendance for both days and nights included Gabe Dickens, Steve Harrison, Jerry LaBauve, Tim Mann, Ron Marcella, Len Philpot, Barry Simon and Philip Wollenberg. Kent Birkle and his wife, Rene, visited on Friday and Bill and Nanette Johnson and Richard Erbe came up on Saturday. We observed from within the outside arena on both nights. This was a good location in respect to good horizons all around and a nice flat area for set up. I believe all are very happy in what the White Horse location offers in respect to the sky. In my estimation we will be able to get 20 to 25 vehicles, canopies and equipment into this area for the DSSG. There are other areas just outside of the arena where other can set up their canopies and equipment. I believe we should be able to accommodate as many as 150 people comfortably during the DSSG.
Pictures sometimes paint a better picture than words so I am including some pictures so that all can get a better look at the night sky from White Horse and a view of White Horse from the sky above courtesy of Philip Wollenberg and his drone.
Barry Simon
M31's naked-eye appearance Friday night was as good as I've seen it anywhere. In addition to the quantifiable advantages, the lower horizons make observing more fun and less of a "porthole" experience, IMO. For me, it's completely worth the extra half hour of travel time.
