Highland County Star Party is Saturday September 16, 2023

September 9, 2023

The 2023 Highland County Star Party is Saturday, September 16th.  The public is invited, at no charge, to celebrate Highland County’s unique dark sky resource.

The event will be held at the Skip Jones property at 923 Sounding Knob Road, at the top of Jack Mountain, east of Monterey.  From US 250, turn south onto Sounding Knob Road and drive up the fairly steep gravel road for approximately a mile and a half.  The address is clearly marked on the left.

High clearance vehicles are recommended.

A number of knowledgeable amateur astronomers will be on hand with their telescopes to give attendees a chance to see celestial objects visible in our dark skies.  You can bring your own telescopes and binoculars.  Dress warmly, wear sturdy shoes, and bring a lawn chair. If you have a red flashlight, please bring it as white flashlights are discouraged, because they ruin night vision. Red glow sticks will be provided.

Plan to arrive around sundown at 7:26 pm, so you can get oriented to the layout before darkness. Carpool if you can, as parking at the site is limited. As you enter the driveway, park to the left.  The viewing field will be to the right.

If the weather does not cooperate, a cancellation will be announced on the event day by 4:00 P.M. on Allegheny Mountain Radio, WVLS FM (89.7), the Highland County Stargazer Facebook page, the Highland County Chamber of Commerce website, and on The Recorder Facebook page.

Another Star Party is planned for October 14.

For more information, contact Michael Bedwell at 540-468-2316 or mbedwell6@gmail.com.

Story By

Bonnie Ralston

Bonnie Ralston is the Assistant Station Coordinator at WVLS and a Highland County news reporter. She began volunteering at Allegheny Mountain Radio in the fall of 2005. In 2006 she became an AMR employee and worked in Bath County for eight years as the WCHG Station Coordinator and then as the news reporter there. She began working in radio while in college and has stayed connected to radio, in one way or another, for more than thirty years. She grew up in Staunton, Virginia, while spending a lot of time on her family’s farm in Deerfield, Virginia. She enjoys spending time outside, watching old TV shows and movies and tending to her chickens.
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