Mid Atlantic Star Party
Encyclopedia
The Mid Atlantic Star Party (MASP) is an annual regional gathering of amateur astronomer
s (star party
) held each fall around October near Robbins, North Carolina
.
First held in 1995, MASP is located in one of the darkest spots along the eastern U.S. coast and is the largest annual gathering of amateur astronomers between Vermont
's Stellafane
and Florida
's Winter Star Party
. With attendance usually numbering in the hundreds, MASP was held at the Occoneechee Council
Boy Scout camp for the first decade of operation before scheduling conflicts forced a site change. The star party has become a focus of the town of Robbins' economic and cultural planning process and has spurred the creation of a regional "dark park" to control light pollution
.
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
s (star party
Star party
A star party is a gathering of amateur astronomers for the purpose of observing the sky. Local star parties may be one night affairs, but larger events can last up to a week or longer and attract hundreds or even thousands of participants. Many regional star parties are now held annually and are an...
) held each fall around October near Robbins, North Carolina
Robbins, North Carolina
Robbins is a city in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,195 at the 2000 census.Robbins is the hometown of the late Charles E. Brady, NASA astronaut of STS-78 space shuttle mission in 1996...
.
First held in 1995, MASP is located in one of the darkest spots along the eastern U.S. coast and is the largest annual gathering of amateur astronomers between Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
's Stellafane
Stellafane
Stellafane is the name of the clubhouse built by the Springfield Telescope Makers club of Springfield, Vermont in the early 1920s, and has since come to refer to the club's land and buildings on the summit of Breezy Hill...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
's Winter Star Party
Winter Star Party
The Winter Star Party, aka WSP, is an annual convention of amateur astronomers where the primary activity is nighttime astronomical observation. Most attendees camp on site....
. With attendance usually numbering in the hundreds, MASP was held at the Occoneechee Council
Scouting in North Carolina
Scouting in North Carolina has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.-Early history :...
Boy Scout camp for the first decade of operation before scheduling conflicts forced a site change. The star party has become a focus of the town of Robbins' economic and cultural planning process and has spurred the creation of a regional "dark park" to control light pollution
Light pollution
Light pollution, also known as photopollution or luminous pollution, is excessive or obtrusive artificial light.The International Dark-Sky Association defines light pollution as:...
.