After Party Report

I went up to the Industrial Park last night around 11:30. It was just me but the conditions were ideal: clear sky, no moon, temperature in the 60s. The lights from the adjacent airport and yard lights from two buildings in the industrial park were intrusive but I found a low spot which, coupled with the shadow from my vehicle, blocked most of the direct light so, all in all, the viewing conditions were pretty good. The meteor shower was not up to what I had been told to expect. The sites I checked predicted a sharp peak in meteors around 4am with a max of 70 per hour. I only saw about a dozen all told and most of them were earlier, around 1am. I can't say I was watching and alert the whole period from midnight to dawn but I was definitely on duty from 3:30 to 4:30 and in that stretch I saw none. Granted, I am old and my night vision is shot, so I may have missed some of the fainter ones but I checked online and others remarked on the poor showing last night so it was not just me.

On the other hand the night was by no means a bust. I spend the majority of my time in a windowless box so this was 180 degrees out from that on a few independent axes. I brought along a number of tablets and phones with astronomical apps but I put them all aside in favor of just staring at the sky for hours; it just doesn't get more cosmic than that.

I may try to do something similar again. If I do, I will put more emphasis on the naked eye astronomy and less on spectaculars that may, or may not, live up to their billing. Two things I learned from last night, I should have listened to myself when I said to bring a sweater; I didn't and I did regret it. Second, 4 or 5 hours is a long time to sit around and next time I will put more thought into snacks and beverages. Thanks to everyone who gave me support and we will keep you posted on further adventures.

The Stars Shine It On

Sadly, we did not get enough response to do the party. The meteor shower, of course, will proceed as usual. And I will proceed as planned without the midnight supper, etc. I will wait at the Industrial Park sign for about a half an hour around midnight in case anyone else wants to join me and then I will spend the night watching the show. Anyone and everyone is welcome; no charge of course. Maybe we will try again next year, meanwhile thanks to everyone for their support and encouragement.
Dave Driscoll

Time to Get Ready

Things are looking good. My weather report says partial clouds on Wednesday and clear on Thursday, so we may have some clouds in the evening and clear towards morning. The moon will set around 10pm and my weather report says low of 66. So just about as good conditions as we could hope for. If you are not familiar with the Industrial park, There is a big Sign at the entrance and, just past that, the paved road goes straight ahead and a gravel road goes off to the right. The gravel road goes around the west side of the park and rejoins the pavement at the far end of the industrial park. The ground inside the ring road has been leveled and is covered with high grass (about 2') no cheat grass or punch weed that I saw. You can drive right off the road into the field just about anywhere (look out for the few hydrants or utility boxes that may be there). A tarp to flatten the grass and an air mattress is perfect but a chaise would work too; anything that will let you lie comfortably and look at the sky. The paved road runs roughly north-south and you want to orient yourself so you are facing northeast, trending east and higher in the sky as the night progresses. I suggest you park your vehicle so it will block the light from the rotating beacon at the airport. You might bring a sweater just in case because you will not be moving around much. Bugs should not be a problem but there may be some mosquitoes so insect repellent is a good idea. I checked last night, the 6th, and there are already shooting stars so it should be good. See you Wednesday night.

Now It's Up to You

We need to sell 30 tickets to break even. If we do better than that, we will donate the proceeds to the Grant County Library book fund. We have enough space for everybody and still have room for as much social distancing as you like. So let's all get together and have some fun.

It's a Go!

On the night of August 11 we will have the first Shooting Star Party at the John Day Industrial Park next to the airport. We will have a midnight supper including steak soup full of vision-enhancing steak and carrots, bread, salad, cookies and a selection of non-alcoholic beverages (coffee, tea, lemonade). You bring a lawn chair or blanket, music if you like, and join your neighbors and friends in watching the biggest meteor shower of the year from midnight to dawn.

Permit Approved!

We now have our permit from the City of John Day. Thanks, John Day. Now we are waiting to hear from our caterers and we will be ready to start selling tickets.

Breaking News

Thanks to a very generous sponsorship from Len's Pharmacy, the Shooting Star Party is definitely on! A lot of details still need to be decided but there will be an event at the site of the John Day Industrial Park on the night of August 11-12 (Wed night to Thursday morning). We applied for an event permit from the city yesterday so things are moving along. We will keep you posted.

Grant County has some of the darkest skies in the continental US

which makes it a great place for star gazing. And one of the most spectacular sights is when a meteor shower fills the sky. The drawback is that meteor showers typically reach their peak in the hours just before dawn so you either get up very, very early or stay up very late.

So let's make a party of it.

These people tell me that the Perseids, the most popular meteor shower, will reach a strong maximum this year on the night of Aug 11-12. The industrial park next to the airport offers clear sightlines and fairly low nearby light. It's not perfect but it is very convenient. And all you have to do is show up.

But we could do even better

by making a real event out of it. An event permit from the city would cost $25 and the airport could keep their kitchen open for about $300. If 20 people were willing to kick in $30 per head we could do all that and have a little bit left for some extras like speakers on astronomy, astrology, native American legends, or who knows? If covid is still a thing in August, 20 people spread over an acre is plenty of social distance. There are local wifi solutions so everyone could hear the speakers. And if we are not concerned about covid by then, so much the better.

It does not need to be fancy.

Start at midnight with a big midnight supper (lots of carrots so your eyes are real sharp), maybe someone could bring some music and we can all hang out with our friends until morning.

If this sounds like fun

and you would like to help make this happen, or if you have some even better ideas, you can email me at dgdriscoll@oregonguidespublishing.com or you can call at 248-719-2122 or stop by the book store in Canyon City.

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