The Darkish Skies of the Okie-Tex Star Celebration

Now we have simply returned from a memorable astrophotography journey at a Bortle 1 darkish sky web site. The occasion was an annual star occasion hosted by the Oklahoma Metropolis Astronomy Membership often known as the Okie-Tex Star Celebration.

After a number of location adjustments in the course of the first a number of years, the star occasion discovered its residence at Camp Billy Joe close to the small city of Kenton, OK, not removed from the Oklahoma/Texas border. The identify ‘Okie-Tex’ was chosen to point out the collaborative efforts of the 2 states. 

Except for taking some wonderful astrophotography photographs by means of our telescopes, the occasion opened our eyes to the expertise of being below a really darkish sky. 

Arriving on the Okie-Tex Star Celebration 

Camp Billy Joe is a really distant location away from all metropolis mild air pollution. This additionally signifies that relying on the place you reside, you may need to drive (or fly) an extended distance to get there. 

We flew from Toronto to Dallas/Fort Value the place we boarded our connecting flight to Amarillo, Texas. From there, we rented a automotive and drove roughly 2.5 hours to the star occasion web site. 

If you arrive, you possibly can test in (if registration is open) after which arrange wherever on the sector. Like most star events, your probabilities of getting a greater spot are increased the sooner you arrive. 

Journey Suggestions:

• When touring to the star occasion by automotive, there are vital distances between every of the small cities alongside the way in which. You’ll wish to be sure you all the time have loads of gasoline to keep away from operating out earlier than the following gasoline station. There is no such thing as a gasoline station in Kenton and the closest gasoline station to the star occasion is both Boise Metropolis, OK (36 miles) or Clayton, NM (43 miles).
• It’s all the time good (and infrequently best) to reach at a brand new location in daylight. For our journey, we organized for an early morning flight to reach round time for supper to get settled and arrange the primary night time. For our flight residence, we made certain to e book a day flight to accommodate the lengthy drive from the star occasion again to the Amarillo airport.

The place to Keep for the Okie-Tex Star Celebration

Like most star events, tenting is your best choice for having fun with the star occasion. You possibly can arrange your gear outdoors your camper or tent and revel in all the opposite actions and occasions on-site.

For those who’d desire a bit extra shelter or a mattress whereas at Okie-Tex, they do have a restricted variety of bunkhouses out there on a primary come first serve foundation. This features a separate bunkhouse for women and men, in addition to a household choice. 

Except for the above choices, there are restricted alternate options for sleeping preparations outdoors Camp Billy Joe. There’s a small mattress and breakfast close by that we heard books up early.

As a speaker on the occasion, they organized for a cell residence rental for us within the small city of Kenton, OK. This meant we needed to drive the brief distance (3 minutes) to and from the star occasion and park outdoors the gates, which closed at 9 p.m. to keep away from headlights or any sort of white mild as soon as it was darkish out.

A view of the Okie-Tex Star Celebration from the rock formation close by.

Meals and Meals Choices

When you find yourself to this point faraway from metropolis facilities, the logistics for operating a star occasion are extra sophisticated. 

By way of meals, there may be catering out there for individuals who are in a tent or staying offsite. There’s a separate registration course of and value related to this, so preserve a watch out for this when finishing registration. 

For those who’re on the lookout for a late-night snack, the Cosmic Cafe can also be out there on-site every night time from 10 p.m. till 2 a.m.

In case you are tenting, please observe that open flames usually are not allowed for cooking (to discourage smoke and hearth points) however cookstoves are okay. 

And if you happen to’re up for a little bit of a drive (roughly 45 minutes), there are additionally meals choices out there in Boise Metropolis OK, and Clayton, NM. 

Occasions at Okie-Tex Star Celebration

There are loads of actions to do on the Okie-Tex Star Celebration in addition to astronomy or astrophotography. 

There are many nice audio system lined up all through the week and a few further workshops you possibly can register for. There’s additionally a swap meet, vendor tents, and a few fairly superior giveaways. 

For those who’re up for a bit journey, there are another sightseeing actions that you are able to do within the space, together with mountain climbing the Black Mesa Summit, strolling alongside a dormant volcano, and trying out preserved dinosaur tracks. 

South View on prime of Black Mesa Summit

Black Mesa Summit

We hiked the Black Mesa Summit which is just a brief 10-15 minute drive from the star occasion. You should utilize Google Maps to get you to the parking zone and comply with the path to the highest. You’ll want to convey a backpack with water to maintain you hydrated for the 9 mile trek and be on the look out for rattlesnakes. 

Enjoyable truth: Cimarron County, OK, which incorporates the City of Kenton and the summit, is the one county in the usA to the touch 4 completely different states (Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, & Kansas). 

Summit suggestions:

• It would be best to be sure you depart loads of time earlier than nightfall to finish your complete journey. It took us three hours to complete the 9-mile (14-kilometer) hike.
• You’ll hike a good distance (approx. 2 miles) earlier than reaching the purpose of the hike the place you truly begin to ascend the Mesa.
• You’ll want to get your photograph on the prime of the summit, which is signified by a granite column. That is the place you will note details about the 4 completely different states.
• There’s apparently a logbook on the base of the column as we later noticed on social media. We didn’t signal it as we may have sworn the case it was in stated ‘don’t open’.
• If you need the very best view (and a view of the star occasion) however certain to comply with a small path to the south. This may take you close to the sting marked by two massive wood crosses. You possibly can spot Kenton and to the left, the sector of the star occasion. Once more, be on the search for rattlesnakes that apparently just like the tall grass.

Black Mesa Summit Column.

Bortle 1 Skies 

As a Bortle 1 web site, the skies at Okie-Tex have been unimaginable. We have been fortunate sufficient to have two crystal clear nights below the darkest skies I’ve ever seen.

Sadly, a type of nights was the day we arrived and we have been, after all, exhausted from journey. With a half-day workshop the following day, I needed to pack it in early. However the next night time was additionally nice. 

We have been informed by the common attendees of the Okie-Tex Star Celebration that some years have been very windy, however this was not the case for our journey. The skies have been calm, cool, and most significantly, darkish. 

A 25-second publicity of the Milky Approach, Ash, Okie, and Tex.

The scenic, rolling panorama on the Okie-Tex Star Celebration is well-suited for nightscape pictures. Our host (Andy) spent a lot of his time on the occasion taking unimaginable nightscape photographs with artistic compositions (together with this unimaginable 360-degree view of the night time sky).

I attempted to seize as many Milky Approach nightscape-style photographs as I may with my stationary tripod and filming digital camera (a inventory Canon EOS R6). The next picture is a single, 25-second publicity at ISO 3200 of the Milky Approach from our campsite. 

A single 25-second publicity of the Milky Approach from our campsite.

Deep-Sky Astrophotography Setup

Although we flew, we have been in a position to convey a good quantity of drugs with us to reap the benefits of the darkish skies. As a result of this was our first time below Bortle 1 skies, I did wish to convey a bit extra focal size than I sometimes convey to a star occasion.

Under is the breakdown of the rig that I introduced in my carry-on baggage and private merchandise (backpack). We did should test one bag as our tripods didn’t slot in any of our carry-on baggage. It additionally got here in useful for packing some warming clothes for at night time.

Trevor (left) and Ashley’s (proper) setup

My Setup:

Ashley’s Setup:

I selected to {photograph} the Embryo Nebula in Perseus in LRGB. Sadly, the clearest nights of our journey landed at instances after I needed to current within the morning, and I didn’t run the rig so long as I wished to. 

My last picture consists of simply 2.5 hours of complete publicity time, utilizing a ZWO ASI6200MM Professional digital camera and LRGB filters. 

The Embryo Nebula in Perseus. 

(Ashley has not but processed her photographs of the Cave Nebula, however we’ll add these to the submit when prepared!)

When you find yourself flying to a star occasion, you understand there are many different issues that you just sometimes convey to make issues extra snug, that you just wouldn’t be capable of given the circumstances – issues like chairs, a desk, a blanket, and many others. Fortunately, Andy, from the Oklahoma Metropolis Astronomy Membership had us coated, and introduced all these issues for us, together with extension cords.

He even introduced and arrange a sky-box for us to have a bit place to go in the course of the star occasion, which additionally doubles as safety from the wind, which is widespread at Okie-Tex. He additionally stored a watch on our gear, so we may depart it arrange, whereas we traveled to and from the city the place we have been staying. Thanks, Andy!

Sky Field for Astrophotography

Star Celebration Audio system

In 2022, I used to be a speaker on the Okie-Tex Star Celebration. They expressed curiosity in having me attend in 2021, however because of the pandemic and the lockdowns between the Canada and USA border, it was organized for the next yr. 

I introduced on two subjects: a half-day workshop on wide-field Astro imaging, and as per the request of the star occasion organizers, a presentation on the ZWO ASIAIR. Each talks went nicely and attendees appeared to be engaged within the data. 

Along with myself, there have been different shows from of us like Jonathan Talbot and Rick Fienberg on the subjects of ‘Leveraging New CMOS Know-how’, ‘Pixinsight Newbie Imaging’, ‘The New Period of Skilled-Newbie Collaboration in Astronomy’ and ‘The Nice North American Photo voltaic Eclipses of 2023 & 2024’.

ASIAIR Presentation at Okie-Tex Star Celebration

Guidelines at Okie-Tex Star Celebration

So far as guidelines go, Okie-Tex is a reasonably laid-back star occasion. They do have a number of guidelines to comply with, largely pertaining to white mild which is regular for a star occasion:

• No white mild after darkish (laptops, automobiles, cell telephones, and many others.)
• No laser pointers
• Dim pink mild solely and purpose it on the floor
• Anticipate your car lights (opening and locking doorways) and take the suitable steps to verify there are not any points with mild
• Park outdoors the gates after 9 p.m. in case you are not staying in a single day and park going through away from the star occasion 
• Pets are allowed however they should be leashed and contained always. You’ll want to clear up after them.

Okie-Tex Star Celebration Impressions

It is a very relaxed and informal star occasion that doesn’t impression the wonderful Bortle 1 skies. Folks simply ‘get’ the principles (i.e. no white mild) so all you’ll want to do is present up, arrange, and revel in your self. 

The Oklahoma Metropolis Astronomy Membership are nice hosts. Being in such a distant location, it may be straightforward to really feel a bit uneasy, however they actually do be sure you have all of the comforts and requirements on the web site – washrooms, showers, catering, energy, and many others. The star occasion is nicely organized and runs such as you suppose a star occasion that has run for 30+ years would run – like a well-oiled machine. 

The Okie-Tex Star Celebration from above. 

There are loads of seasoned attendees at this star occasion that make it loads of enjoyable. You possibly can take part on the dialog, and get the inside track on their tales from the numerous years they’ve spent attending the star occasion and make new mates.

You’ll additionally wish to be sure you hike to the highest of the close by rock formation adjoining to the star occasion to see Okie and Tex, the official flamingo mascots of the star occasion.

Total, we had such a good time on the Okie-Tex star occasion and might undoubtedly see ourselves returning sooner or later. An enormous because of the Oklahoma Metropolis Astronomy Membership for the invite and for taking such excellent care of us!

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