The Heart of America Star Party is an annual gathering of amateur astronomers at the Astronomical Society of Kansas City’s Dark Sky Site, near Butler, Missouri, about 75 miles south of Kansas City. Our remote location offers dark skies and wonderful nighttime viewing. Each year, observing friends from across the country gather to share, to learn, and most of all, to observe.
This year's star party was very successful, with over 140 attendees. The weather cooperated and provided mostly clear skies. Daytime activities included speakers, a treasure hunt, solar viewing, and a Beginner’s Field School, plus a variety of activities in our newly dedicated Robert E. Boyle Building. Bingo continued to draw a crowd. AstroPrize giveaways on Friday and Saturday afternoons added to the excitement.
The Heart of America Star Party relies entirely on volunteers. In addition to the committee members who work all year planning the star party, attendees volunteered hundreds of hours to help with a variety of on-site tasks: site preparation (mowing, cleaning, stocking), staffing the registration table, greeting incoming attendees, set-up and preparation of meals, clean-up afterwards, daily site maintenance, and many other tasks. The HOASP committee members extend a heartfelt thank you to our on-site volunteers! Without your willingness to pitch in and help, we simply could not meet the many needs of an event of this size. A special thanks goes to our speakers, vendors, and donors—you made HOASP 2011 a great event.
We received many compliments and great suggestions for next year’s star party. That’s right! Planning has already begun for HOASP 2012. The dates are October 10-14, 2012. Look for additional youth activities and excursions to local sites as just some of the added features at future star parties.
Thank you again to everyone who made HOASP 2011 a success! We look forward to observing with you next year.
Mike Stewart
HOASP 2011 Chair
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