The Oregon Star Party (OSP) was founded in 1987 and is considered one of the best annual events in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

for

observational astronomy Observational astronomy is a division of astronomy that is concerned with recording data about the observable universe, in contrast with theoretical astronomy, which is mainly concerned with calculating the measurable implications of physical m ...

. The Oregon Star Party takes place in the

Ochoco National Forest The Ochoco National Forest is located in the Ochoco Mountains in Central Oregon in the United States, north and east of the city of Prineville, location of the national forest headquarters. It encompasses of rimrock, canyons, geologic oddities, ...

, near the geographical center of the

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. It is far enough from population centers to provide some of the darkest skies in North America. The area's altitude contributes to steady seeing, which frequently provides near ideal observational conditions. The OSP site also has a treeless field of view providing an unobstructed 360 degree horizon. Usually held in August or September during a new moon, OSP attracts as many as 600-800 attendees. The highest attendance was in 2003, with 900 attendees. OSP features a wide range of amenities such as a

latte Caffè latte (), often shortened to just latte () in English, is a coffee beverage of Italian origin made with espresso and steamed milk. Variants include the chocolate-flavored mocha or replacing the coffee with another beverage base such as ma ...

stand,

chuckwagon A chuckwagon is a type of field kitchen covered wagon historically used for the storage and transportation of food and cooking equipment on the prairies of the United States and Canada. Such wagons formed part of a wagon train of settlers or fed ...

stand, and showers. Many vendors sell various astronomy-related goods, and there is a swap meet every day during the four-day event. Participation does not require a telescope, as most amateur astronomers let visitors look through their telescopes. Daytime events include guest speakers, such as telescope makers, NASA representatives, and optics manufacturers. Also, OSP has a guided tour through the "telescope fields" which discusses many of the different telescope designs and custom builds. OSP also offers activities for children and offers an observing challenge ranging in difficulty from beginner to advanced. Due to its unique location, OSP attracts casual observers, professional observers, astro-photographers, and beginners interested in astronomy. The Star Party was cancelled in 2020 on grounds of

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, and cancelled in 2021 due to fire risk.

References

External links

Oregon Star Party
(official website)

{{Astronomy navbox Amateur astronomy organizations Astronomy organizations Star parties Oregon culture Ochoco National Forest 1987 establishments in Oregon Science events in the United States Annual events in Oregon Recurring events established in 1987

See also

References

External links