Science enthusiasts, amateur astronomers, and those who love a dark night sky should set aside Saturday, April 29, 2017, and target Lordsburg and Animas, New Mexico. There, under one of the darkest night skies in North America, a unique star party will take place.

Astronomy Magazine Editor David Eicher and Senior Editor Michael Bakich will each present two talks, covering the latest discoveries about the universe, bizarre galaxies and nebulae, the coming total solar eclipse later this year, and a preview of what attendees will see at this star party, later the same evening.

Then the group will travel a short distance, from Lordsburg to Animas, for incredible dark sky viewing of the heavens. A variety of telescopes will be on hand for this purpose.

The star party will be unlike any other that’s taken place before it. For more information and to register, see http://darkskynewmexico.com/blog/index.php/2017/02/23/dark-sky-hosts-star-party/

A full press release follows:

FOR RELEASE: March 6, 2017

On Saturday, April 29, 2017, a unique star party will take place in southwestern New Mexico. America’s Darkest Sky Star Party will occur with a variety of telescopes in Lordsburg and Animas, New Mexico, a lovely area dominated by antique silver mining that now boasts one of the best skies in the world for stargazing.

Astronomy magazine Editor David Eicher and Senior Editor Michael Bakich, well known astronomy personalities, will present several talks prior to the dark-sky observing. Eicher will speak on “The New Cosmos: Great Discoveries of the Past Decade” and “25 Exotic Targets for Deep-Sky Observers.” Bakich will speak on “The Great American Eclipse of 2017” and “What We’ll See Tonight.”

Eicher and Bakich are well known authorities in the field of astronomy. Eicher is author of 21 books on science and history, a member of the Board for the Starmus Festival, Editor-in-Chief of Asteroid Day, and an authority on deep-sky observing. Bakich is a frequent and popular speaker on astronomy and has also written numerous books.

The meeting and talks will take place beginning at 11 a.m. at the Hampton Inn in Lordsburg. Following the talks, the group will travel to the Dark Sky New Mexico Ranch in Animas, where attendees will enjoy a chuck wagon dinner. Participants will be able to interact with the astronomers during the event, but the party will really begin at sunset (7:55 p.m.), as the 3-1/2-day-old crescent Moon appears low in the west while brilliant Jupiter dominates the eastern sky. Then, as night truly falls (9:24 p.m.), the celestial scene opens up to star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies.

The event is open and will be a magnificent time for the general public, for amateur astronomers (who can bring their telescopes if they choose), for the science curious, and anyone who would like to see what our universe is all about. For more information and to register for what promises to be a great astronomical get-together, head to Dark Sky New Mexico’s website at http://darkskynewmexico.com/blog/index.php/2017/02/23/dark-sky-hosts-star-party/