Hawking

The Milky Way Galaxy - Cherry Springs State Park

Event Horizon: It's coming up on that time of year again. If there's any event in the Big Woods Country of north central Pennsylvania that is looked forward to with more unbridled enthusiasm than the annual Black Forest Star Party (sponsored by the Central Pennsylvania Observers of State College, Pa) it's certainly not on my radar screen. This years event is scheduled to run from Friday September 14 thru Sunday September 16 at Cherry Springs State Park. Cherry Springs is located on a mountain top between the headwaters of the East Fork of the Sinnemahoning and the West Branch of Pine Creek in Potter County.

The star party is a paid, pre-registered event where close to 500 participants will have the opportunity to hear expert speakers out standing in their field, visit with vendors of various tools of the trade and trade notes with fellow astronomy buffs. And, of course, the real bonus will be being able to view the night sky from one of the darkest locations on the east coast -Cherry Springs State Park- through state of the art optics.

2012 Cherry Springs Star Party 

The general public is invited to interact with the astronomers on the observation field on Saturday night from 8pm to 11pm. As the ambient light begins to fade they will have the opportunity to view the celestial wonders through the various telescopes set up around the observing field. There is no fee for the general public.

If you are interested try to get there a little before 8pm and park on the north side of PA44 next to the state park amphitheater and campground kiosk. There should be red cellophane and rubber bands available to put over the lens of your flashlight. White lights are not permitted on the observing field because they negatively effect ones night vision. Astronomers who are volunteering their expensive telescopes for public viewing will have green light sticks marking their location. Always ask permission before looking through the business end of any telescope.

The event concludes at 11pm to allow star party astronomers the opportunity to "party" without interruption. Camping is available at Cherry Springs and Lyman Run State Parks.

A strong dose of wonder and humility can be a character forming experience.

We need something new. We can't predict when that will be or when we will find it because if we knew that, we would have a found it already.

When we understand every single secret of the universe, there will still be left the eternal mystery of the human heart.

There is no heaven and no afterlife, such a notion is a fairy tale for people afraid of the dark.

Evolution has ensured that our brains are just not equipped to view 11 dimensions directly

-All quotes above by Stephen Hawking.
-Deep space images courtesy of the Hubble Space Telescope

I see time without beginning

Space without an ending

Bodies strong and running

With minds not comprehending

Have pity on your brother

Please have pity on your sister

Take pity on each other

And on every living creature

-Hawking, Todd Rundgren