15th Annual Camping With The Stars at Eagle Lake Observatory

July 29-31, 2022

Eagle Lake Observatory at Baylor Regional Park
10775 County Rd 33, Norwood Young America, MN

The Minnesota Astronomical Society would like to invite you to attend the 15th Annual Camping With the Stars at the Eagle Lake Observatory in Baylor Regional Park. Speakers are scheduled throughout the day and will give talks on astronomy and what there is to see. Door prize and raffle prize drawings will be held Saturday evening and include telescopes, bionoculars, MAS merchandise, astronomy books and more. Weather permitting, the evening will conclude with a tour of the night sky and of course stargazing.

 Registration & Check-in

 Registration 

• Call the Carver County Park Office at 952-466-5250 to register and reserve your spot.
• Utility Campsite in family campground + MAS EVENT Registration $113.00
• Primitive Campsite in family campground + MAS EVENT Registration $97.00
• Group Camp Setting in Ball field below the observatory + MAS EVENT Registration $70.00
• Daily Admissions (not camping) to MAS EVENT $10.00/person/day

Registration fees include
Two nights of camping
Guest wristbands (one per person)
Door prize drawing tickets (one per person)

All registration fees are for up to 4 people. Extra Person – $10/each for weekend

Check-in

The campground host will be checking in any CWTS campers that arrive on Friday & Saturday. Any walk-ins will be sent to the observatory.

All CWTS guests, after checking in and getting their campsite, will pick up their CWTS packet at the observatory. Among other things, the packet will provide information on the weekend activities, event schedule, and door prize tickets for Saturday night drawing. 

Walk-in fee are collected at the observatory. Included with the fee are the door prize tickets (and wrist bands).  Anyone can also buy a raffle ticket, whether registered or not.

Schedule of Events

Friday July 29

The observatory opens and the Star Party begins at 7:00 pm. We will begin with solar viewing and other daytime objects. The star party continues past midnight.

7:00pm – Sarah Devine – Exploring with the James Webb Space Telescope

8:00pm – Brad Nasset – How to find constellations & SkySafari Demo

Saturday July 30

The observatory opens at 1:00 pm. for daytime viewing of the sun, stars & planets (if clear).

2:00PM – Colin Kilbane – Rocket making and launching

3:00PM – Lindsay Emert – How to make and use a planisphere

4:00pm – Steve Emert – The Unsung Heroes of Apollo

5:00pm – Picnic

Grilled burgers, hotdogs, buns and condiments will be served.

7:00pm – Ron Schmit – “This is BIG!” A zoom out through the cosmos

8:00pm – Door prize drawing in the HotSpot Classroom.

Registered campers, bring your door prize tickets in your CWTS information packet. Must be present to win.

8:30pm –  Raffle prize drawing in the HotSpot Classroom.

This year we have an 8″ Orion SkyQuest telescope to raffle, along with astronomy binoculars, MAS merchandise, astronomy books, etc.

10:30pm – Ron Schmit – Laser show of the sky

Live Laser Tour of the Night Sky – (Weather permitting) – Step out to the plaza and get a guided tour of the night sky. Ever wonder how to find the North Star? We’ll show you a neat little trick, so you’ll find it every time. Want to find the planets in the sky? We’ve got a trick for that, too! Watch in amazement as we turn the sky into a real live planetarium! If it’s cloudy, we’ll simulate the sky with the digital projector inside the Hot Spot classroom.

 Sunday July 31

The observatory opens at 8:00 am. for solar viewing and other daytime objects (if clear).

8:00am – Continental Breakfast

Morning coffee & donuts (Juice for the kids) – Celebrate the day of the Sun with views through the solar observing telescopes and binoculars. The observatory will be open throughout the morning and early afternoon.

2:00pm Activities conclude