The Astronomical Society of South Australia (ASSA) is the oldest astronomical society in the country.  ASSA has a proud history of providing public viewing nights, better known as star parties, several times per year at its observatory at Stockport.  This year, we wish to give people in the Mid-Murray Council region an opportunity to experience and share in the love of astronomy by holding the event at Cambrai Primary School. Cambrai is located in the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve (RMIDSR) and, consequently, enjoys some of the darkest skies in Australia. In addition to the star party format, we will be running a workshop on astrophotography using mobile phone cameras. This has been specifically chosen as virtually everyone owns a smartphone, and thus it provides an affordable introduction to the hobby.

The star party is open to everyone in the Mid-Murray Council region, young and old. There is an ever-growing interest in astronomy given the public’s fascination with black holes, exoplanets, gravitational waves, solar system missions, and the return of human space exploration. There are now increasing opportunities for careers in space science with the Australian Space Agency being located in Adelaide. National Science Week is an ideal time to build on that interest and provide an educational and entertaining evening for everyone.

The Star Party is scheduled for Saturday, 7 September 2024.  As an outdoor event, we will be at the mercy of the weather. If it is inclement or clouded over, we will need to reschedule.