2024-03-29

South Plains Astronomy Club

Observing Under The Dark West Texas Skies

Star Parties

Gary Leiker Observing by Tom Heisey

The South Plains Astronomy Club is people of all ages who enjoy exploring the beautiful skies of West Texas. Founded in 1959, the club sponsors more than 20 free public star parties per year in and around Lubbock. Some of us are beginners with small inexpensive telescopes. Some of us are lifelong hobbyists with larger scopes. A few operate professional-grade remote-controlled observatories located under pristine dark skies out in ranch country. What unites us all is a passion for the glorious sights in the heavens above us, a fascination with the science of astronomy, and a desire to share this with others. Please stop in at one of our public events and let us show you the stars!

The club’s star party schedule follows the phase of the moon so that our Ransom Canyon parties have skies that promote viewing deep sky objects. In the winter, spring, and fall, we will be at First Friday Art Trail (FFAT) at the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts. During the late spring through early fall, FFAT hours are in daylight, so we will shift to Tech Terrace Park for the Lubbock star party. Also, look for announcement for Texas Tech Astronomy’s Astronight, where club members often provide scopes for their star as well.

Star parties start approximately 30 minutes after sunset and are weather dependent. High winds, clouds, rain/snow, and haze interfere with viewing and can cause cancellation. We’ll update our news feed or Facebook page with weather cancellations. We try to make the call at least a few hours before the start.

We are family friendly and are thrilled to share our love of the sky with everyone. We ask that you abide by a few simple rules for the enjoyment and safety of everyone.

Check our events calendar for upcoming star parties.

First Friday Art Trail

Tech Terrace Map

Ransom Canyon Map