The RASCals Star Party August 30 - September 2, 2013 Held on beautiful southern Vancouver Island Metchosin, British Columbia, Canada

 

Admission Fees Public are welcome to drop by free of charge. RASC members and visiting observers (camping or staying overnight): suggested donation of $20 per Adult, one day or two or three. No donation is expected for children. This is an amazing camping deal! Where else can you camp for three nights on the Labour Day weekend for forty bucks for two people (twenty bucks for single)? Everyone is entitled to: tickets for daily door prizes for children and adults attend all lectures and workshops access the observing field Winners must be in attendance at the time of the draw to collect their prize.  Free public access includes a ticket for door prizes (for children and adults). There is no need to pre-register.  There is lots of room on the field for everyone, so spread out and enjoy yourselves. Please bring cash to pay for your donation onsite (if you plan to camp overnight). Shop Online - Please pre-order your RASCals Star Party t-shirts online. None will be available for sale onsite.  Pick-up your pre-ordered t-shirt at the event to avoid additional shipping charges.

Shop Online for your t-shirts T-shirts can still be ordered after the event.

Schedule of Events Friday - Aug 30th 12:00pm noon til dark - gates open, arrivals 8:00pm - Door prize draws 8:30 pm - Presentation: A Magic Lantern Show - Charles Banville, RASC Member Online Gallery 9:30pm Guided Telescope Walk - a walking tour of the observing field with a guide to explain about all the gear Astronomy 101 - an observing workshop followed by a laser tour of the night sky Viewing the night sky till dawn - we had some sucker holes to look through this evening

Saturday - Aug 31st Solar viewing - all day 2:00 pm - Workshops Observing Lists - Nelson Walker, RASC Member Astrophotography - Charles Banville, RASC Member Double Stars - Michel Michaud, RASC Member 8:00pm - Door prize draws 8:30 pm - Speaker: "Shedding Light on Light" - Mark Wheen, Physics Instructor at Pearson College of the Pacific Presentation video (Youtube) Viewing the night sky till dawn - we had a terrific night of observing to the wee hours!

Sunday - Sept 1st Solar viewing - all day 8:30 pm - Presentation: Aurora - Sherry Buttnor, RASC Member Presentation (3.6Mb PDF) Viewing the night sky till dawn - we had some sucker holes to look through this evening

Monday - Sept 2nd 9:30 am Site Cleanup - please pitch in and help! 12 noon - early departures please

Location - The star party is held on the cricket field & municipal grounds, located behind the Metchosin Fire Hall in this small rural community. Street address 4450 Happy Valley Road Victoria, BC Canada V9C 3Z3 Geographic position Latitude: 48� 23' N Longitude: 123� 32' W Elevation: 50m Directions using Google Directions using Bing   Newton-Godin Observatory Clear Sky Chart - observing conditions report from the closest reporting station Things to do in Metchosin Metchosin Community Metchosin - BritishColumbia.com Metchosin Community House Metchosin - BC Travel & Discovery

Metchosin Area Map

Site Map for Star Party

	Camping - a good sized camping area is available on the Cricket Field - camp on the field with your telescope alongside your tent, motor home or camper.
	Astronomy lectures - we always offer interesting lectures featuring professional and amateur astronomers
	Door prize raffles - held each night - for the kids and for the adults - thanks go to our sponsors for their generous support.
	Parking - lots of space available on the main observing field and in adjacent parking lots. Please do not park in the nearby retail parking areas! There will be a special parking area for those of you who plan to leave after dark - our keen observers will thank you for preserving their night vision and not ruining their photographs with your headlights.
	Power - available on the field for telescope-related equipment only. No RV plug-ins or full service hook-ups are available.
	Water - potable water available on-site from a tap. RVs should bring a full tank of water with them.
	Washrooms - both flush toilets and portable washrooms will be available (at least one will offer disabled access)
	Food - there is a coffee shop and restaurant within a five minute walk of the field. We encourage you to support our local businesses.
	Fast food - Order in or pick up pizza, Chinese, sushi, Tim Horton's or what you wish - we are only 15 minutes` drive away from major shopping & restaurants!
	Elevation - the site is approximately 50 metres (165') elevation and is approximately 1 km from the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean. Some coastal marine air or strong winds may be a factor depending on weather conditions.
	Horizon - a good 360 degree view of the dark sky. The only visible light dome is from Victoria to the east.
	Shopping - Food, drinks and sundries are available from small retail stores within an easy 5 minute walk.  Major big box stores, shopping centres and food markets are located in Langford - a 15 minute drive.
	Workshops - we offer useful and topical workshops on Saturday during the day.
	Kids activities - craft-related activities for kids will be coordinated on Saturday afternoon, and videos will be shown each night on the big screen for kids & teens to stave off any boredom. Don't forget to take your kids swimming, hiking and biking at nearby regional parks and the Galloping Goose Trail.
	Regional Parks & Recreation - no fees, gates generally locked at sunset Witty's Lagoon Regional Park - 2 entrances offering gravel & sand beach access and/or lagoon access (hiking, wildlife, swimming) -- 5 minute drive or cycle, 15 minute walk Devonian Regional Park - hiking, small pond, gravel beach at end of the trail - 10 minute drive or cycle Matheson Lake Regional Park - hiking, swimming, kayaking, canoes (bring your own equipment) - 10 minute drive or cycle Galloping Goose Regional Trail - access near Matheson Lake Park or off Happy Valley Road - walking, running, cycling - 10 minute drive or cycle to trail head