Schedule of events
Solar viewing picture
Any Updates to this schedule will be posted at the Rivers People Visitors Center! (RPVC)

Please note that this year our sky stays light until 10:30PM so we have adjusted the schedule to take advantage of our increased daylight, remember this is a solstice star party. Once again solar viewing will take place during free times on all days, watch for solar viewers at the visitors center. Additionally a updated on-site schedule sign will be posted listing times people will be viewing the sun.

Any updates to this schedule below will show up in bright yellow color, check often and before you leave for our star party for changes.

Friday June 23, 2006:
6:00PM - 7:00PM <Promptly> Registration and hand out of materials at River People's Visitors Center (RPVC)
7:10PM - 7:20PM Introductions and Welcome, ParkRules and Regs (amphitheater)
7:20PM - 8:00PM Vishnu Reddy Meteorites
8:10PM - 9:00PM Dean Smith, Gamma Ray Bursts
9:10PM - 9:40PM What's up tonight & Deep Sky Scavenger Hunt: Dean Smith
(Darkness does not occur until late, but if you are going to set up scopes we suggest that you do this early in the evening before registration.)

Saturday June 24, 2006:
10:00AM - 1:30PM Brunch in town with trip to historic center for tour
2:00PM - 3:00PM Registration and hand out of materials (RPVC)
3:00PM - 4:00PM Meteorite Workshop with Vishnu, chance to find and keep meteorite
5:00PM - 6:00PM BBQ Dinner, follow the signs to the location, same as prev years.
5:30PM - 6:00PM Dinner talk, Fredrick Baker location will be same as dinner site.
6:30PM - 7:00PM Final Registration period (RPVC)
7:10PM - 7:30PM Amateur Astronomer Award Ceremony, Amphitheater
7:40PM - 8:10PM Cindy Hoff, Lewis and Clark,
8:20PM - 9:20PM Calina Seybold, Deep Impact Science

Observing will begin at dark

Sunday June 25, 2006:
Morning Cleanup
11:00AM - 12:00PM Final ceremonies, including give away of 6-inch telescope, 10x50 binoculars, observing kit, and 9mm plossl eyepiece
12:00PM - 1:00PM Lunch period for staff
3:00PM - 4:00PM Debriefing with park rangers
Registration News for 2006: The planning committee has decided to speed up the on-site registration and hand out of star party materials. In order to do this we have organized one single registration time on Friday evening and two on Saturday . Each period will be about an hour long and we hope to get everyone registered in this time. For this to work EVERYONE who has PRE-REGISTERED and will arrive on FRIDAY will get their material FRIDAY NIGHT between 6:00PM - 7:00PM. On SATURDAY the registration will take place from 2:00PM - 3:00PM and again after dinner at 6:30PM - 7:00PM. We have planned an organized method to speed up the process.

If your LAST NAME starts with letters A thru L your material will be at TABLE 1
If your LAST NAME starts with letters M thru Z your material will be at TABLE 2
Finally if you are registering on-site you will be directed to TABLE 3, the registration forms will be located outside the lodge so you can fill one out before you arrive at TABLE 3.

We understand this is a new way to work registration and that many may find the new method not as calm as the previous way, we are doing this so that the registration process will be sped up and we all can have more time to enjoy the weekend. Please arrive early to the registration process as we will need to end promptly at 7:00PM for the begining of the star party.

We also suggest that you take care of camping and entrance fees for Cross Ranch State Park at the time you arrive and NOT during the NDSP registration period to reduce congestion in the visitors center during registration periods. Thank you and we are always looking for better ways to run this process so give us your suggestions if you feel this did not work well.