Twenty years ago, the first Northern Prairie Star Party (NPSP) was hosted by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) – Edmonton Centre at the Black Nugget Lake campground located southeast of Tofield. This year’s event will run from Tuesday, September 12 to Sunday, September 17, 2023. Most of our group activities are planned for Friday, September 15 and Saturday, September 16.

It’s not too late to register and take in the many activities of this year’s NPSP. As a registrant, you are welcome to take in any or all of the events planned from Tuesday to Sunday as listed below and in the 2023 NPSP Schedule, General Information and Ground Rules.

The registration fees are: $30 per person and $60 for a family. We highly recommend that you REGISTER IN ADVANCE by emailing the 2023 NPSP Coordinators emailing coordinators Rick and Susan Bramm. This will help with planning, especially for seating in the event tent and for food for the Saturday BBQ. You have the option of sending payment via e-transfer or paying when you arrive onsite. Additional camping fees apply if you are staying overnight – click here to camping arrangements below.

If you’re NOT camping, PLEASE ENTER and exit via the NORTH GATE off TWP road 492 (see map at: https://www.beaver.ab.ca/public/download/files/206106 ) between Group Site 8 and site 91. (The campground operator has requested that ONLY those who are camping need to enter through the main campground entrance.) Proceed to the event tent at Site 92 to check in – this is the location of Friday’s workshop and Saturday’s afternoon presentations. If you are coming out in the evening for viewing at the Black Nugget Lake Observatory with the new Unyk-Drew Telescope, you will be directed there when you arrive at the North Gate.

The 32-inch Unyk-Drew Telescope is now installed in the Black Nugget Lake Observatory, with viewing offered every evening during 2023 NPSP from 9 PM to 1:30 AM (viewing conditions permitting). A daytime tour is scheduled on Saturday from 12 to 1 PM.

Before you come out, please review the detailed schedule and rules & regulations (PDF) about this exciting event.

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2022 Northern Prairie Star Party

The 17th annual Northern Prairie Star Party (NPSP) was held at the Black Nugget Lake campground southeast of Tofield, Alberta, from September 20 to 25, 2022. We enjoyed four nights of dark sky viewing and a busy Saturday with Black Nugget Lake Observatory building tours, solar observing, three excellent speakers, a variety of door prizes, and a BBQ followed by a great evening of sky viewing.

Please see the October issue of Stardust for a report on this event.

The 2022 NPSP was open to the public – registration fees applied: $30 per person and $60 for a family. Camping fees appled if staying overnight – the northern portion of the campground had been reserved by RASC-Edmonton Centre. The process for reserving a site in that area is described below. Continue Reading →

RASC members only event
Tuesday, September 7 to Saturday, September 11

Update September 3, 2021

This is a members-only event for those wishing to book a campsite for personal observing. Almost all of the sites reserved by RASC-Edmonton Centre have been taken. Please email the Northern Prairie RASC Dark Sky Weekend coordinators Northern Prairie RASC Dark Sky Weekend coordinators Susan and Rick Bramm, for more information.

The sixteenth annual Northern Prairie Star Party was held at the Black Nugget Lake campground south east of Tofield from September 24 to 29, 2019. Most of our group activities occured on Friday, September 27 and Saturday, September 28.

This event is open to the public – registration fees apply. Camping fees apply if staying overnight.*

For more information, please review the schedule and rules & regulations (PDF) and the Northern Prairie Star Party main page.

If you need more information or have questions, please email Rick Bramm.

Friday Program (September 27)

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The fifteenth annual Northern Prairie Star Party will be held at the Black Nugget Lake campground south east of Tofield from September 4 to 9, 2018. Most of our group activities will occur on Friday, September 7 and Saturday, September 8.

This event is open to the public – registration fees apply. Camping fees apply if staying overnight.*

For more information, please review the schedule and rules & regulations (PDF) and the Northern Prairie Star Party main page.

If you need more information or have questions, please email Rick Bramm.

Saturday Afternoon Program (September 8)

1:45 Starting with a 32-inch mirror
Roman Unyk

2:45 The origin of gold and other very heavy elements in the Universe
Rodrigo Fernandez

3:45 Adventures in Meteor Chasing
Bruce McCurdy Continue Reading →

The fourteenth annual Northern Prairie Star Party will be held at the Black Nugget Lake campground south east of Tofield from September 19 to 24, 2017. Most of our group activities will occur on Friday, September 22 and Saturday, September 23.

For more information, please review the schedule and rules & regulations (PDF) and the Northern Prairie Star Party main page.

Keynote at 3:45 PM on Saturday, September 23, 2017

Dr. Peter Brown
Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario and Canada Research Chair in Meteor Astronomy

Canadian meteorite falls over the last quarter century – How has detection been enhanced and what have we learned?

Having been involved in one aspect or another of almost all Canadian meteorite falls since 1994, Dr. Brown will give a general talk about these falls, the development of a 20-camera meteor network in the last decade and what researchers have learned.

About the Speaker
Dr. Peter Brown is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario and Canada Research Chair in Meteor Astronomy. Born and raised in Fort McMurray, Alberta he got his undergraduate degree in physics from the University of Alberta and completed his MSc and PhD degrees at the University of Western Ontario. Dr. Brown studies small bodies of the solar system, with particular emphasis on the origin and evolution of meteors, meteorites, meteoroids and asteroids. His PhD thesis focused on the Evolution of Two periodic Meteoroid Streams: the Perseids and Leonids.

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The thirteenth Northern Prairie Star Party will be held at the Black Nugget Lake campground south east of Tofield from September 27 to October 2, 2016. Most of our group activities will occur on Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1.

For more information, please review the schedule and rules & regulations (PDF) and the Northern Prairie Star Party main page.

Keynote at 4:00 PM on Saturday, October 1, 2016

David Levy
My life as a comet searcher

NPSP 2016 T-Shirt Design
Order yours by Monday, September 5

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