Live EventBortle 3
Silver Lake Star Party
Silver Lake Sand Dunes
A public astronomy gathering designed for beginners, returning stargazers, and telescope owners to explore the night sky together.
Event-Day Wayfinding
Meet at the red-light gate before unloading gear.
Arrival Point
Meet at the red-light gate before unloading gear.
Parking
Use the east lot and walk lights-down to the host table.
Help
Water and first aid are by the visitor center.
Beginner Tip
Start with one bright target, then try one object you could not easily find on your own.
Featured Targets
The strongest picks for tonight
Moon
Easy first target
Study crater edges and shadow transitions along the terminator.
Jupiter
Bright giant with visible moons
Count the bright Galilean moons lined up around the planet.
Saturn
Iconic rings visible in any scope
Look for the Cassini Division in larger scopes.
Pleiades
Wide bright star cluster
Use the widest field available rather than too much magnification.
Host Notes
West Michigan Astronomy Club
Start with bright targets
New attendees should begin with the Moon or Jupiter before moving to dimmer deep-sky targets.
Binoculars are enough
Several of tonight's strongest targets do not require a telescope to be enjoyable.
Watch the low horizon haze
Objects near the horizon may look weaker if the city haze thickens later tonight.