Memory sometimes fails me...but didn't spring ECSP used to be in May? Seems like lots more people would have attended if it were in May, not in the windy month of March and in direct conflict with SRSP. Of course there may have be other circumstances that dictated the March date.
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Stu
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Thanks for the nice star party and thanks to those who made it happen.
Thank you to Jeffery, Shawn, Bruce, Jeremy, and all others who made the star party come off.
If we could remember to post the site to thank the park and commend a ranger on the IO group chat that would be nice. It may be on facebook already as that seems to be the main way of communications but being on IO (not facebook) I don't want to miss the ability to thank the park.
Once again thank you to the organizers.
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ECSP2 March 2025 at Chippokes State Park
We had a very good time at East Coast Star Party (ECSP) March 27-29. The skies were clear Thursday night and mostly clear Friday evening. The brisk winds all kept the dew away every night. Friday's open house was successful with about 50 guests from the Chippokes State Park Campground.?
Hats off to the entire ECSP committee. Special thanks to Jeff Goldstein for making the spaghetti dinner Friday night. Thanks to Jeremy Mitchell for cooking burgers and hot dogs for the Saturday cookout, and a special thanks for all the effort put forth by Shawn Loescher. Bruce Powers deserves mention for getting ECSP rolling again. Here are a few pictures of the party, and some pictures I snapped on a nature walk along the James River.
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I did. Report to follow
On Thursday, March 27, 2025 at 05:51:06 PM EDT, Ted Forte via groups.io <tedforte511@...> wrote:
I thought he¡¯d bring the big refractor. ?
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We had a good time last night at the East Coast Star Party at Chippokes State Park near Surrry, Virginia. We were treated to a traditional ECSP spaghetti dinner early on. About 50 campers in the campground came to look through our telescopes from 7-10 pm.
Here are some objects I showed the campers through my telescope.
List: 25/03/25 ECSP2 10¡±
Jupiter
(Planet in Taurus)
Messier 41
(Open Cluster in Canis Major)
Messier 35
(Open Cluster in Gemini)
Bode's Nebulae - M 81
(Spiral Galaxy in Ursa Major)
Bode's Nebulae - M 82
(Spiral Galaxy in Ursa Major)
Ghost of Jupiter Nebula - NGC 3242
(Planetary Nebula in Hydra)
Eskimo Nebula - NGC 2392
(Planetary Nebula in Gemini)
Messier 93
(Open Cluster in Puppis)
NGC 2467
(Open Cluster in Puppis)
NGC 2467
(Bright Nebula in Puppis)
Messier 48
(Open Cluster in Hydra)
NGC 2506
(Open Cluster in Monoceros)
NGC 2539
(Open Cluster in Puppis)
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Re: I will be missing the ECSP
George you are missed and I hope you make a quick recovery as well.
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Re: I will be missing the ECSP
Bob, I am sorry to learn about your wife's unfortunate fall.? I'll be praying for her recovery.??
I am still recovering from my prostate surgery, and will not be attending this ECSP either.? I hope to make it for the Saturday cookout, however.
I hope everyone has clear skies.
George
George Reynolds
"Solar System Ambassador" for South Hampton Roads, Virginia
Back Bay Amateur Astronomers (BBAA)?
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On Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 05:47:33 PM EDT, bob414 via groups.io <bob414@...> wrote:
? ? ? I signed up for the party, but my wife, Lynne, fell.? She dislocated and broke her left ankle.? She is currently in an external fixation device and in Riverside rehab hospital in Yorktown.? She is scheduled another surgery to repair ankle April 1st. ? Hope everyone has a great time, and Clear Dark Skies.? I will miss seeing everyone! ? Bob Beuerlein
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Not gonna lie, that's actually pretty dang cool.
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Mark Ost just pulled up to Chippokes State Park for ECSP 2025.
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Re: Two good deep sky objects
They were quite surprisingly good for urban skies.
On Thursday, March 27, 2025 at 12:00:34 PM EDT, Ian Stewart <ian@...> wrote:
Both looked great here at SRSP last night. I hope you have a great ECSP sorry I¡¯m missing it.
On Mar 27, 2025, at 11:36?AM, Kent Blackwell via groups.io <kent@...> wrote:
? We'll have numerous deep sky objects to observe this weekend at ECSP, but there are two particularly well suited to small as well as larger apertures.
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NGC 3115, aka The Spindle Galaxy in Sextans. The thin edge-on galaxy is quite a treat in modest to large telescopes.
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NGC 3424, aka The Ghost of Jupiter in Hydra. An awesome planetary nebula with very high surface brightness. I observed it last night in Virginia Beach at 500. Look for the brighter central portion shaped much like the "CBS-Eye".
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Kent Blackwell
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Re: Two good deep sky objects
Both looked great here at SRSP last night. I hope you have a great ECSP sorry I¡¯m missing it.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Mar 27, 2025, at 11:36?AM, Kent Blackwell via groups.io <kent@...> wrote:
? We'll have numerous deep sky objects to observe this weekend at ECSP, but there are two particularly well suited to small as well as larger apertures.
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NGC 3115, aka The Spindle Galaxy in Sextans. The thin edge-on galaxy is quite a treat in modest to large telescopes.
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NGC 3424, aka The Ghost of Jupiter in Hydra. An awesome planetary nebula with very high surface brightness. I observed it last night in Virginia Beach at 500. Look for the brighter central portion shaped much like the "CBS-Eye".
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Kent Blackwell
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Two good deep sky objects
We'll have numerous deep sky objects to observe this weekend at ECSP, but there are two particularly well suited to small as well as larger apertures.
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NGC 3115, aka The Spindle Galaxy in Sextans. The thin edge-on galaxy is quite a treat in modest to large telescopes.
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NGC 3424, aka The Ghost of Jupiter in Hydra. An awesome planetary nebula with very high surface brightness. I observed it last night in Virginia Beach at 500. Look for the brighter central portion shaped much like the "CBS-Eye".
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Kent Blackwell
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I want the thank Kent Blackwell for the sacrifice of one eye in order to make this happen. I enjoyed the view.
On Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at 06:45:17 AM EDT, Kent Blackwell via groups.io <kent@...> wrote:
We had a nice view of a very slender 1.3% Illuminated crescent of Venus yesterday afternoon at a small gathering in my backyard. I have never seen it so slender and so close to the sun.
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We had a nice view of a very slender 1.3% Illuminated crescent of Venus yesterday afternoon at a small gathering in my backyard. I have never seen it so slender and so close to the sun.
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Re: I will be missing the ECSP
Best wishes for Lynne¡¯s quick recovery, Bob, and good luck with the surgery. ?I¡¯m sure it¡¯s quite painful for her, quite busy for you.?
Roy
On 03/25/2025 5:45 PM EDT bob414 via groups.io <bob414@...> wrote:
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I signed up for the party, but my wife, Lynne, fell.? She dislocated and broke her left ankle.? She is currently in an external fixation device and in Riverside rehab hospital in Yorktown.? She is scheduled another surgery to repair ankle April 1st.
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Hope everyone has a great time, and Clear Dark Skies.? I will miss seeing everyone!
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Bob Beuerlein
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Re: I will be missing the ECSP
I'm sorry to hear that Bob. I hope she recovers quickly. Hopefully we will see you in the fall instead.
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I will be missing the ECSP
? ? ? I signed up for the party, but my wife, Lynne, fell.? She dislocated and broke her left ankle.? She is currently in an external fixation device and in Riverside rehab hospital in Yorktown.? She is scheduled another surgery to repair ankle April 1st. ? Hope everyone has a great time, and Clear Dark Skies.? I will miss seeing everyone! ? Bob Beuerlein
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Re: Venus inferior conjunction yesterday
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Venus inferior conjunction yesterday
Photo by Georg Klingersberger posted on Spaceweather. A little too close for visual. He used projection to get it. Nice work.
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Kent Blackwell
Shawn Loescher
Ted Forte
