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Join the Bucks-Mont Astronomical Association in its 24th year of the Stella-Della Valley StarParty in beautiful Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The weekend will be filled with vendors, swap meet, a great pizza party and door prizes raffles, guest lecturers and of course two nights of terrific stargazing. Stella Della Valley is a relaxed friendly StarParty where astronomical friends gather from all over southeastern PA, NJ, DE and NY.
Location
Stella Della Valley will again be held at Camp Onas, a private camp near Ottsville, PA. This site in northern Bucks County offers some of the darkest skies remaining in the Philadelphia and Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton area. Stella Della Valley is conveniently located to astronomy enthusiasts from Philadelphia (52 miles), Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton (33 miles), Trenton (47 miles), Wilmington (69 miles), New York City (88 miles), Harrisburg (116 miles), and Baltimore (143 miles). Certainly one of the nicest aspects of Stella Della Valley is the fact that you don't have to drive half a day to get there.
Amenities
Stella Della Valley is
a little different than most star parties you might attend. Our admission
price includes indoor plumbing with hot showers at no additional charge.
There are also a number of pavilions, or pre-erected tents on wooden
floors with bunk beds available on a first come first served basis.
If the fall weather should turn cold, you can head indoors to warm
up by the camp fireplace. For those who do not enjoy camping, there
are dormitory style accommodations available for a very modest additional
fee. Campers and recreational vehicles are also welcome, but utility
hook-ups are not available.
Food and Beverage
There will be no on site food vendor this year, but guests will be provided with a list of nearby restaurants and fast food options all within a few minutes drive of SDV. Complimentary coffee and Danish will be available Saturday and Sunday morning. In addition, we will continue with our very popular Pizza Party on Saturday evening. Enjoy pizza, soda, coffee and dessert (additional fee).
Speakers & Hands On Workshop
10:00 AM Saturday Oct 9th "Make your own White Light Solar Filter with Baader Solar Film". There will be a small materials fee for this workshop of 11¢ per sq. in. of solar film used.
On Saturday afternoon we will present several outstanding lecture programs. All presentations will occur in the dining hall beginning at 1:00 PM.
Dr. Julia Plummer, Asst. Professor and Coordinator of Science Education at Arcadia University. “Habitability in the solar system: Where should we look for life and why?” For the last few decades, the science of Astrobiology has explored the question of where and when life may have arose beyond the Earth. Building on what we know about the biology, chemistry, and physics of life on earth, this talk will examine the best candidates for habitable locations throughout the solar system and how this helps us understand where life may exist in other solar systems.
Preston Smith, “Collecting Vintage Astronomical Telescopes”. Preston is a BMAA member who has traveled far and wide in his military career and as an ambassador of amateur astronomy. Preston has presented several times at NEAF and other Star Parties in the region. This year Preston is talking about "Collecting Vintage Astronomy Equipment". He has some fascinating collectables and rare finds from the dawn of amateur astronomy. Long time astronomers are bound to enjoy seeing some of the scopes they may have started with - back in the day!
Dr. Ken Kremer, "The Space Shuttle, The Space Station and What's Beyond for NASA with Orion & Falcon 9" will join us again talking about NASA at the crossroads. So much is happening between our Shuttle Program winding down, completing the ISS and the ever changing future objectives for of our space program. Ken always has a great presentation of first hand accounts and an insider's view of the space missions. Dr. Kremer is an active member of the Planetary Society, The Rittenhouse Astronomical Society and a NASA Solar System Ambassador.
Door Prizes
Check here for new rules governing our door prizes.
A Stella Della Valley tradition, every registered attendee will be eligible to win door prizes from our sponsoring vendors. This year's prizes include telescopes, gift certificates and other astronomy gear. Separate drawings will be held for children's and adult's prizes. To see a list of this year’s prizes, go to: www.bma2.org/Sdv_sponsors.html. Check back often as new prizes roll in we’ll update our list.
Registration & Information
A separate mail-in registration form is available HERE. If you have questions about registration please contact our registrar Art Baldwin at ottjac@comcast.net or (215) 698-5804. Other questions may be directed to Dwight Dulsky, SDV Chair at sdv@bma2.org or (267) 733-7253. Visit our website at www.bma2.org.
Getting To Stella Della Valley
Caution: Bridge (Still) Out!
Returning guests are encouraged to carefully read the new directions to the camp, due to a bridge outage about ½ mile from the camp on Geigel Hill Road. The main detour is about five miles long, but should be quite scenic due to the fall foliage. One bridge along this detour may not be suitable for all campers and trailers. Contact BMAA if you have any concerns about ground clearance.
From Philadelphia and Points South
Take I-95 North to US-1 North to the PA Turnpike West. - OR - the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) West to the PA Turnpike East. Exit the PA Turnpike at exit #343 (old exit #27), Willow Grove, and merge onto PA-611 North. Proceed for about 24 miles, passing Doylestown, to the intersection of PA-113. Proceed North on PA-611, watching for Durham Road about 2/10 mile on your right. Turn right onto Durham Road, and proceed about 1 mile to Headquarters Road. Follow directions from Headquarters Road.
From Allentown-Bethlehem, and Points North
Take PA-309 South to Quakertown. Turn right onto PA-313 East. Follow PA-313 to the intersection of PA-563. Turn left onto PA-563 North. Proceed about 7.5 miles to the end of PA-563 at the intersection of PA-412, and turn right onto PA-412. Proceed about ½ mile to the intersection of PA-611. Proceed straight onto PA-611 South for 1.25 miles. Turn left onto Durham Road, which leaves the highway on a shallow tangent. Proceed 1.7 miles on Durham Road, and turn left onto Headquarters Road. Follow directions from Headquarters Road.
From New York City and Points East
Take I-78 East, crossing the toll bridge from New Jersey into Pennsylvania. Exit immediately after the tollbooth and follow the signs for PA-611 South. Follow PA-611 South for about 16 miles, and watch for the intersection of PA-412. Continue on PA-611 South another mile, now watching for Durham Road your left hand side. Turn left onto Durham Road, which leaves the highway on a shallow tangent. Proceed 1.7 miles on Durham Road, and turn left onto Headquarters Road. Follow directions from Headquarters Road.
From Harrisburg and Points West
Follow the PA Turnpike eastbound to exit #343 (old exit #27), Willow Grove, and merge onto PA-611 North. Proceed for about 24 miles, passing Doylestown, to the intersection of PA-113. Proceed North on PA-611, watching for Durham Road about 2/10 mile on your right. Turn right onto Durham Road, and proceed about 1 mile to Headquarters Road. Follow directions from Headquarters Road.
From Headquarters Road
Proceed on Headquarters Road until you reach a one-lane bridge. This bridge may not be appropriate for guests towing campers; contact BMAA for an alternate if you are concerned about ground clearance. There are two options immediately after crossing this bridge. Turning left onto Sheep Hole Road is the shortest route, but the road is unpaved. Follow Sheep Hole Road 1 mile to a stop sign. Turn right onto Geigel Hill Road, and watch for Camp Onas ½ mile on your right. Turning right immediately after the bridge will keep you on paved roads. Proceed another two miles on Headquarters Road, watching for Van Sant Airport and Cafferty Road on your right. Proceed ¼ mile past the turn for Van Sant Airport, and turn left onto Cafferty Road. Proceed 1.4 miles to a stop sign, and turn left onto Geigel Hill Road. Watch for a sign for Camp Onas 1.8 miles on the left.