AstroFest 2007 - Rationale
Because SAO is a fully online program, participants either never or very rarely get to actually meet each other or their instructors. It has been suggested for some time now that SAO should organise a series of face-to-face gatherings in various countries around the world so that the SAO community can come together and meet each other! Hence AstroFest was born.
The inaugural AstroFest 2007 will be held in Quanah, Texas, USA. Why Texas you ask?? Because the very generous folk of the
Three Rivers Foundation have offered us the use of their
Comanche Springs Astronomy Campus, a 50 acre dark sky site located about 15 miles west of Crowell, Texas. Comanche Springs hosts a 12.5" Ritchey-Chretien, an 8" refractor, a 22" binocular telescope, a bunch of Obsession Dobs (15", 18", 20", 25" and 30"), as well as filters and CCD cameras etc. The Three Rivers Foundation have asked that we stress to you that Comanche Springs is still a 'work in progress' and thus we will all be pioneering participants! Ultimately Comanche Springs will be a one-stop location where housing, education, observing, entertainment, and other amenities are onsite.
AstroFest will include a series of astronomy lectures, hands-on demonstrations and night observing, as well as a chance for SAO alumni and students to present their own research results.
