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General Information & Registration
Mark Your Calendar: June 13-20, 2009
The 2009 Grand Canyon Star Party (GCSP)
will be held from June 13 through 20th on the South Rim in
northern Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park. All amateur astronomers
and the interested public of all ages are invited! Bring your
telescope and enjoy the camaraderie. But you don't have to have a
telescope to come and enjoy the beautiful Arizona night skies. You
DO need to reserve a room or campsite and make your travel
arrangements early. See
Accommodation Information for details. A visit to the
breathtaking Grand Canyon is an unforgettable and fabulous vacation
for families, singles, and seniors. Add a week of dark Arizona skies,
lots of friends, fun, and astronomy education, and you have a recipe
for perfection! |
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GCSP News
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General Information |
Registration Information
News Date: February 23, 2009
Grand Canyon Star Party
- Time for Reservations!
It's about time to lock down plans to attend the 2009 edition of the
Grand Canyon Star Party. GCSP '09 is the 19th annual collaboration
between the National Park Service and astronomers from around North
America to bring astronomy outreach to Park visitors.
For those astronomers intending to stay 6 or more
nights, there are plans for a limited number of no-cost campsites to
be available. Requests for a free campsite will be accepted beginning
March 1. Campsites will be assigned in order of request received
beginning March 1 until none remain. They go fast, so if you intend to
participate for six or more nights and wish consideration for a free
site, please send an email March 1 to the above address to get on the
list.
Other lodging at the Grand Canyon fills fast, so make your plans and
reservations as soon as possible. For the North Rim, word is that the
veranda is already filled with telescopes for the entire week.
However, there is an attempt to man a satellite location at Kaibab
Lodge on the North Rim; there are two
complementary camp sites available for anyone willing to do the party
for the week at that location. For further information and current
status on the North Rim, please check at
http://www.saguaroastro.org/content/2009GrandCanyonStarPartyNorthRim.htm
Thanks,
Jim O'Connor
General Information |
Registration Information
News Date: February 11, 2008
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The Phoenix-based
Saguaro Astronomy Club is planning a North Rim component of the GCSP.
This is good news for those of you who prefer the North Rim of the
Grand Canyon. More details will be posted here as soon as they
are available.
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For more information on the
North Rim party,
please contact Steve Dodder, Coordinator, Grand Canyon Star Party,
North Rim, by email at fester00 [at] hotmail.com.
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A bit of news for my Canyon regulars: Many of
you met Kristi Neilson at this year's event - hand picked to
be our contact ranger for next year. Well, evidently after one look
at us (just kidding), she recently accepted a position up in Sitka,
Alaska! Though we will be sad not to have her join us next year, we
wish her luck in her new position. Marker Marshall indicated she
will likely continue as liaison next year.
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The current version of the Grand Canyon Star
Party began 1991 as the first anniversary of Dean and Vicki Ketelsen's
honeymoon there. It was noticed that a telescope set up looking at the
Canyon or sky soon gathered a crowd, so a public oriented event was
planned. Though tens of thousands visit every day, a small fraction
stay overnight to be treated to the spectacular views of the night sky
there. The appreciative tourists tend to leave early, leaving the
astronomers in solitude for observing far into the night.
Prior to 1991, the San Francisco Sidewalk
Astronomers made annual pilgrimages to several western National Parks
in the late 1970s and 1980s, spending several weeks at each stop,
including the Grand Canyon. The latest version of this star party has
been readily endorsed by several of their members who have become
regular attendees.
The Grand Canyon Star Party is sponsored by the Tucson Amateur Astronomy
Association.
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- For more information or to RSVP for the
South Rim star party, please contact me at:
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Jim O'Connor
Coordinator, South Rim component of the Grand Canyon Star Party
P.O. Box 457
Cortaro, AZ 85652
E-mail: gcsp [at] tucsonastronomy.org
Phone: 520 546-2961
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- For more information or to RSVP for the
North Rim, please contact:
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Steve Dodder
Coordinator, Grand Canyon Star Party, North Rim
53750 W. Prickley Pear Rd.
Maricopa, AZ 85239
Cell phone: 602-390-0118
2009 Grand Canyon Star Party North Rim
E-mail:
fester00 [at] hotmail.com
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