Unveil the night sky with ANC star party April 22

Local aspiring astronomers will soon be able to enjoy the rare beauty of a star-filled night sky up close — with the help of high-powered telescopes and knowledgeable amateur astronomers.

The Hood County Amateur Astronomers Facebook group is hosting its second star party beginning at sunset on Saturday, April 22, at the Acton Nature Center, 6900 Smokey Hill Ct.

Gregg White, creator of the Facebook group, moved to Granbury from Keene last September, where he was a volunteer assistant at the Thomsen Observatory — a major contributor in the development of Hood County’s star parties.

“(In Keene), they have star parties twice a month on the first and third Fridays,” he said. “When I moved here, I wanted to start something similar as a way to socialize with other astronomers and to share our enthusiasm for astronomy with the general public. The Facebook group seemed like a good place to start.”

The group launched in February, and the community response has grown exponentially, White said.

"What was originally intended as a handful of people getting together and talking about telescopes and stars has grown beyond my expectations,” he said. “Almost a month after the group was started, just before our first star party, we had about 50 members. Within a couple of days, we had grown to over 200 members and now we're over 300. I'm very grateful to the folks at the Acton Nature Center for generously allowing us to use their facility. We needed a spot with open skies away from the city lights and they were happy to help.”

During each star party, attendees set up their telescopes in an empty field near the entrance to the Acton Nature Center.

"We basically try to show our guests things in space that we find interesting; planets, the moon, nebulae, and star clusters,” White said. “My specialty is in binary or double stars. Guests generally wander from one telescope to the other looking at various sky views and asking questions that we try our best to answer. If you have something in particular you'd like to see, we'll do our best to accommodate you. Our last star party had four telescopes and about 30 guests. I expect a lot more at the next one now that we've had some exposure.”

Star parties are free and — starting next month — will be held on the third Saturday of every month beginning at sunset and will typically last until around 10-11 p.m.

“We are family friendly, and children are welcome — the more curious the better,” White said. “There is no set arrival time, and you may come and go at your leisure.”

Attendees do not have to own a telescope or be a member of the Hood County Amateur Astronomer Facebook group to attend.

“If you have an interest in astronomy you are encouraged to join Hood County Amateur Astronomers,” White said. “The group is set to private to weed out the spammers. Send a request and you'll be accepted as soon as I can get to you.”

For more information about local stargazing and astronomy, join the Hood County Amateur Astronomers Facebook group.