Library telescope star parties are very popular with the public and are one of the best ways to promote the library telescope to library patrons. Typically library star parties are held at the library with the program starting inside where the telescope is explained and then moving outside for star gazing. Library star parties should start no early than sunset to make sure that the sky will be dark.
The challenge of holding a star party at a library is the bright lights of the library's parking lot which can make stars difficult to see. With this challenge in mind, one of the best targets for a library star party is our Moon which can be big, bright and easy to find. However, the Moon is available in the early night sky only during certain days of the month.
To determine when the Moon is available in the early evening for particular night, it helps to know how the Moon schedule works. The basic rule is this: The Moon is up early on nights starting a few days after the “New Moon” of each month through the date of the Full Moon. Use this handy website to find the date of the "New Moon" and "Full Moon" each month for 2019: https://www.calendar-12.com/moon_phases/2019
As example for April 2019, the Moon would be up early starting on April 7th (a few days after “New Moon of April 5th) through April 19th (full Moon). Any of these dates are good from a Moon visibility point of view. Of course there are other factors to consider such as conflicting events and avoiding weekends, but this is a good start.
Once you have your dates set, visit this website to officially Request a Star Party.
For questions, please Contact us.