Orange Blossom Special 14^th Annual International Star Party

February 6 to February 10, 2008

Hosted by the St. Petersburg Astronomy Club, Inc. (SPAC, Inc.), the Orange Blossom Special Annual International Star Party 2008 (OBS) will be held at the Alafia River State Park in Lithia, Florida.  The park is Southeast of Tampa and the skies are dark enough for deep sky observing.  The many amenities include room to roam, paved roads throughout the campground and park, paved campsites with a picnic table, fire pit with grill grate (no campfires during the OBS), electric & water, 2 covered pavilions with a lot of picnic tables, charcoal grill, water & electric, restrooms with showers (men’s & ladies), 60 miles of bike and hiking trails (mixture of terrain-easy to difficult), a playground and 2 more picnic pavilions by the bike/hiking trails away from the camping area, volleyball/badminton net, horseshoe game area, lake access for canoeing & kayaking (bring your own boat) and a dump station for RVs.  The agenda for the star party along with deep sky and solar observing includes lectures, mirror lab demonstrations, our popular telescope tour, a group hike in the park trail, Hee Haw Hayride, Orbiting Music Jam Session, our famous good food, great door prizes, a telescope raffle, and much more.

All attendees must be pre-registered (no walk-ins) whether they plan for one day or the full event.  The $40.00 per person Registration Fee is all-inclusive for the 4 days (except meals and drinks).  New this year is a spouse discount if both attends this star party (spouse price will be $25.00 – 1 discount per family).  The star party will begin on Wednesday, February 6, 2008 at 3 PM and will end Sunday, February 10, 2008 at noon. You need to register by December 31, 2007.  If not, late fees will be applied for registrations received between January 1, 2008 and January 24, 2008. Registrations will not be accepted after a January 24, 2008 postmark. A confirmation card will be mailed to you. You can pick up your Camping Packet at the registration tent upon your arrival to the OBS. Items included in the pack are: OBS Agenda, park information and rules, a map of the campgrounds showing your assigned site, your name badge and your vehicle ID tag.  Be advised that each campsite will be shared…. 1 RV (motor home, trailer, Pop-up, etc) and several tents.  We will make every effort possible to honor special requests of preferred campsites and requests for sharing campsites with family or friends.  Those requests must be made early and all concerned need to register close to the same time.   There will be no refunds after January 1, 2008.  Any refunds will have a $10.00 service charge.

If you plan to arrive early, call or email us for information on reserving a campsite for the extra days.  Please be aware that this is a state park and it is their peak season so you will have to reserve ASAP.  When reserving a site before the OBS start date, if at all possible reserve the same site you are assigned to for the OBS to avoid having to make a move on Wednesday.  Some sites are designated for special use and are unavailable. If you want to see a map of the campsite before registering you can check out: www.flstateparks.com and click camping then Alafia River State Park. Any reservations for the extra day(s), before or after the star party, must be made online at www.ReserveAmerica.com, or by phone at 1-800-326-3521.

A zip file containing the Word documents may be downloaded by right-clicking on this link 2008obs.zip and selecting “save link target as”.  You can then extract the files and print them for your own use.

The map with directions to Alafia River State Park is on the other side of the information sheet as well the menu and our club websites.  This page is for you to keep for your reference.  The registration and release form must be filled out completely (please type or print legibly that information & sign the release form) and mail both forms to us.  A membership form is also attached for a new or renewal membership.

For more information contact OBS Star Party Chairpersons:

Dennis & Ellen Farr                                                                                                                   

19309 Eastbrook                                                                                                                          

Odessa, FL  33556

 Phone: (813) 792-0721

Email:  dnefarr@msn.com