Sponsored by the Magic Valley Astronomical Society, the College of Southern Idaho’s Centennial Observatory, and the City of Rocks National Reserve, the 9th annual edition of the star party will again be held at the City of Rocks National Reserve and its partner site, Castle Rocks State Park. While the reserve is well-known for its rock climbing opportunities and attracts climbers from around the world, the skies at the Reserve are also regarded as some of the darkest in Idaho. Don’t be surprised if you find someone talking about the moons of Jupiter in French or brightness of the Milky Way in Polish; it’s happened before.

Each day, solar viewing during the afternoon is scheduled at the Reserve, while dark sky viewing will be at the adjacent Castle Rocks State Park. For more details, please check out the MVAS Facebook site, the City of Rocks Facebook site, or the College of Southern Idaho’s Herrett Center website (http://herrett.csi.edu/astronomy/observatory/index.asp).

The only cost is a $20 state day use fee for visitors to the state park portion. RV sites, as well as Yurts and other campsites are available for reservation. Call the Reserve at 208-824-5901 for more details regarding camping.