The Flagstaff Star Party would not be possible without the assistance of volunteer telescope hosts. Volunteer hosts help bring the wonder and beauty of our star-filled Universe to everyone and keep FSP a free event for the public.
The Flagstaff Star Party welcomes 500-1500 attendees each night, so please take note of the following in order to comply with Buffalo Park regulations and public safety considerations:
- Telescope setup begins promptly at 4 PM.
- You may use your vehicle to bring your telescope and any associated equipment to your assigned setup location, and may remain only to unload.
- During the event, your vehicle will be in the parking lot – no vehicles are permitted in the park until after 10pm.
- Please plan on remaining on-site until the event ends at 10 PM.
- If you need electrical power batteries must be used.
In appreciation for your time and expertise, FDSC and our sponsors and partners will treat you and up to two assistants or family members to an invitation-only VIP reception including a complimentary drink and food at Dark Sky Brewing on Saturday at 12-2 PM.
Digital Imaging Devices Not Permitted
The Flagstaff Star Party is unlike any other star party – it takes place in the middle of the city of 77,000 people instead of a remote site. Hosted by the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition in the world’s first International Dark Sky City, the Flagstaff Star Party is a demonstration of what people can experience in a city that has effectively reduced light pollution.
FDSC envisions a world in which everyone can see the Milky Way where they live.
Naked-eye visibility of the Milky Way at Buffalo Park demonstrates that Flagstaff has definitively succeeded in this measure. Binoculars and telescopes hosted at the Flagstaff Star Party also demonstrate this success by revealing to guests fainter celestial objects that would not otherwise be visible from a city of Flagstaff’s size due to light pollution. Today’s digital imagers integrate and/or stack multiple images to reduce noise, which produces high signal-to-noise images under even light-polluted skies. This obscures the results of the remarkable light pollution reduction that Flagstaff has achieved, so the FDSC Board of Directors has elected to prohibit the use of digital imaging devices at the Flagstaff Star Party.