Our first PAS Observer's Weekend at the White Horse Retreat Center (21 miles north of Bogalusa, LA and 11 miles south of Columbia, MS begins next Friday on the 28th of March. This event and subsequent later Observer's Weekends are designed to fill the need for dark sky observing, particularly crucial as we no longer have the SPMOS Observing Site near Franklinton, LA.
As most know, the White Horse Retreat Center has been the home of the Deep South Star Gaze and the Deep South Spring Scrimmage since 2018. Those two longer events have been held annually at this and other venues since 1983. They both are longer events spanning 4 (Spring Scrimmage) or 5 (Deep South) days and nights. These longer events feature programs and door prize give-aways. The "Observer's Weekends" are both shorter and no-frills, but given good weather the skies are as dark and nothing like what you can see (or not see) on the best of city nights.
As of now we have 12 PAS members who are planning to attend next weekend. Remember too that the PAS is subsidizing your costs if you are a PAS member. Your cost is $20 per night for a bunk, and the club pays the balance of that. This is half price compared to the bunk cost during the Deep South and the Spring Scrimmage. You do have to bring your own bedding and soap, towels, etc. for the bathroom.
If interest is high enough we will likely be able to have Carol do a "burger bar" for us in the late afternoon for dinner. You will have to pay for that when you participate. There are other options in the area for meals either at "The Smokehouse" nearby or in Columbia.
As we are a relatively small group for this event we do not need to have a formal set-up on the observing field. We should abide by the typical "dark sky' rules in place for star parties including no driving onto or off the observing field areas after dark and no use of white lights. Use red lights! If anyone new to dark sky observing has any questions, please ask.
Additionally the PAS officers are all in agreement that anyone who has a gun with them, leave it (or them) in your vehicle. They are not to be carried on your person either holstered or concealed. We are all friends here so do not spoil the mood.
More astronomy items are available from the estate of Ron Marcella. A lot has been sold but there are a lot of good items left. I plan on bringing what I can. Some of what is available includes an ExploreScientific 127mm f/7.5 triplet apo refractor in case ($800.00), a William Optics 110 f/7 triplet refractor tube assembly in case ($750.00), a TeleVue Genesis 4" f/5 APO refractor in case ($750), as well as a Celestron AVX Go To equatorial mount ($500.00). Note - buy this mount and any of the above refractors together and the price for both is $1000.00. This is a whopping good deal. Also availabe is a pair of Fujinon FMT-SX 7x50 binoculars which cost over $600 new and they are priced at $300.00 and they are in like new condition with case. Also available is Ron's orange tube Celestron C-8 with exceptional optics for $400.00 and a Celestron C-14 tube assembly for $500.00, note this one has very slight damage to the edge of the primary mirror which I have been told does not affect the image quality of the view. Both of these Celestron scopes are in soft cases and have finders and dovetails. Also a Bogen 3036 tripod is available for $125.00, plus a complete unused set of Coronado Cemax eyepieces with barlow which are coated for h-alpha solar viewing - $150 for this set of 3 unused eyepieces with barlow in dedicated case for $150.00. Plus numerous Losmandy or APM dovetail bars. All proceeds go to Norma Marcella, I am just helping her out.
I am planning on getting to White Horse at or very close to 10:30 am on Friday. Just enough time to unload and then off to lunch. All who are signed up have been there before so they know the way. Anyone new, here is the address - 315 Hurricane Creek Rd., Sandy Hook, MS. If you are on Hurricane Creek Rd. coming from the east you turn right at the mailbox and the property sign and head north for one mile on the straight but hilly road to White Horse. If coming from the west, turn left at the mailbox/property sign.
Questions? Please post them to this thread.
Barry Simon