The 2013 IOWA STAR PARTY, hosted by the Ames Area Amateur Astronomers, will be held at Whiterock Conservancy's Resort, Coon Rapids, Iowa . Anyone who would like to see the night sky unhindered by artificial lights will be entranced by the view in this remote setting.

This is a once a year opportunity to observe/photograph the stars and other heavenly bodies to your heart's content with very dark skies, in a picturesque camping, canoeing, hiking, bird watching, no traffic, no street lights, beautiful nature environment.

For more information see www.iowastarparty.com and Iowa Star Party on Facebook.

The speaker for the banquet at the 2013 Iowa Star Party, Dr. Scott Bounds, will talk about A Return to Earth's Radiation Belts. This is important because the radiation belts affect space investigation of all kinds.

Dr. Bounds has worked in many projects and studies in this and related fields, including most recently as: 

Project Manager/Co-Investigator for the Electric and Magnetic Fields Instrument Suite with Integrated Science (EMFISIS) on board the Van Allen Probes satellites;
Instrument Manager for Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission--Electron Drift Instrument Optics; and;
Principal Investigator for the Aurora Current and Electrodynamics Structure (ACES) sounding rocket mission.

Contact info and web site: Deb Bonser
dbonser@usa.net 641-751-4645,
http://www.iowastarparty.com

View Larger Map Get Driving Directions to the Star Field below