Hi all. The following message is especially for those SLAS members who indicated their interest in attending the Memorial Day weekend star party at Great Basin National Park, but everyone is invited, so I'm sending this also to the Utah Astronomy group. Great Basin National Park is hosting an astronomy event modeled on the highly successful annual astronomy festival held at Bryce Canyon National Park. It is hoped that this event will become an annual affair with similar support and attendance. Great Basin NP has asked the Salt Lake Astronomical Society to assist by providing experienced lecturers for indoor activities and telescopes and operators for evening star parties. In return, the Park will provide free access to the Park and camping space for SLAS members and their families, also free of charge. For more information about the Park, daytime activities, park map, etc., here is the link to the Park's website: http://www.nps.gov/grba/index.htm. The following URL should take you to Mapquest directions to Great Basin NP from downtown SLC: http://tinyurl.com/jvmb7 . (I believe the drive time is closer to 4 hours from downtown, but I haven't made the trip in quite a long time so I'm not sure.) When you arrive, ask for Roberta Moore. You'll be asked to sign some paperwork to make you an official volunteer, and she will give you directions to the campground. The Park has reserved Loop B, site B2 in the Lower Lehman Creek campground for us. The site will accommodate up to 7 vehicles, 28 persons, so if anyone who has not already let me know would like to come, please contact me and I'll try to arrange for additional space, if needed. The weekend schedule is as follows: Friday, May 26: Arrive, set up camp; ranger talk and astronomy lecture at 7:30PM; star party at dusk. Saturday, May 27: Solar observing (if possible, but we'll need telescopes - I am not so equipped); ranger talk and astronomy lecture at 7:30PM; star party at dusk. Sunday, May 28: Informal star party at dusk (the Park isn't necessarily planning on anything on Sunday, but we're welcome to stay and set up scopes if we wish). I will be giving the lecture on Friday, but if any of you is so inclined, you would be welcome to speak Saturday. Or, if you wish, we could swap. (I'm just not sure I can be very entertaining two evenings in a row. In fact, I'm not sure I can be very entertaining at all, but I'll give it a shot.) If I've left out any key information, please feel free to contact me. Oh, it might also be nice if you would confirm whether or not you will be able to come. Thanks, all - see you there! Kim Kim A. Hyatt Architect P.O. Box 124 12610 East 19750 North Mt. Pleasant, Utah 84647 Tel: 435.462.9207 Fax: 435.462.5013 Mobile: 801.631.5228 kimharch@cut.net