Astronomy

StarFest is the Bays Mountain Astronomy Club’s annual astronomical convention / star gathering held each October. Situated in the heart of the Appalachians, it is three days and two nights of astronomical heaven!

During the day, our delegates enjoy many keynote speakers, planetarium programs, activities, solar viewing, and the splendor of autumnal colors. The night brings more speakers, activities, night viewing, and crisp, cool air. Attendance can only be attained by pre-registration with payment. Sorry, to be fair to our registered delegates, NO walk-ins nor “visits.” Your one, low cost includes everything: access to all speakers, all activities, five scrumptious meals, free access to the Park’s public programming, the opportunity to sleep/camp on Park grounds at no additional cost, AND a unique, commemorative T-shirt with custom artwork.

Initiated in 1984, the Bays Mountain StarFest is still one of the finest astronomy events in the nation.

If you would like to be added to the StarFest mailing list, please click here.

StarFest 2020 has been cancelled as it would be impossible for us to have a large gathering and be 100% safe due to COVID-19. We apologize for the disappointment. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

StarFest 2021 is scheduled for October 29-31.

The following information is from StarFest 2019 for your reference.

“Exploring the Spectrum”

Greetings Everyone!

The 36^th StarFest at Bays Mountain Park is soon upon us. Expect beautiful fall colors, cooler weather, and lots of astronomy fun for this astronomical convention / star party. The event is hosted by the Bays Mountain Astronomy Club (BMAC) and the staff of Bays Mountain Park. It is being held on October 18-20, 2019. It is run as a non-profit event, so registration is as low as possible.

The theme of this year’s event is “Exploring the Spectrum.” All of our speakers do astronomical research in different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. We’ll be learning about radio, infrared, high energy like gamma and x-rays, and gravity waves (yes, gravity waves aren’t really on the EM spectrum, but they do have a wavelength).

This year includes four distinctive keynote speakers; five great meals; door prizes; the ever popular swap shop; solar viewing; night-time observing (both private on Fri. and with the public on Sat., so bring your favorite scope); and the exceptional planetarium will be open. We’ll also have a twilight soirée on Friday. And, new for 2019, the Saturday breakfast will be a full breakfast!

In addition to all the StarFest activities, there are public programs and activities available at the park, such as the wildlife exhibits, planetarium shows, barge rides, and plenty of trails to explore.

A unique facet of StarFest is a commemorative T-shirt with one-of-a-kind artwork that is included with each registration. Lindsey Conrad, from the Park’s exhibits staff, has created a special design to represent this year’s theme. I know you’ll be pleased with the art.

This three-day long gathering is filled with great activities, but also makes sure there’s quality free time for you to explore the Park and enjoy the camaraderie of your fellow StarFesters. Attendance will be limited and registration must be received prior to the deadline, September 27, 2019. To be fair to our registered delegates, there are no walk-ins nor “visits.” Please complete the registration sheet for each person and mail, fax, or e-mail it in so we can see you in October. If you use a credit card, you can write it on the sheet or call me and I can process it for you.

Registration is $155 per person. Full-time students with ID and ≤21 years, subtract $20.

Adam Thanz – StarFest 2019 Chair

Keynote Speakers / Activities – in chronological order:

Friday Night:

Dr. Chuck Higgins – Professor – Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, Middle Tennessee State University

Title:

“The Radio Universe”

Abstract:

Radio astronomy is one way scientists can study the invisible Universe – using detectors to measure energy beyond the visible spectrum. I will explain why we study the Universe using radio waves, give a brief history of radio astronomy, compare optical and radio telescopes, and discuss the major discoveries made from radio telescopes, including how astronomers made an image of a black hole.

Radio sources generally emit their energy differently from optical sources, and I will outline some basic physics behind radio source emissions and relate it to planetary, stellar, galactic, and cosmological astronomy. Finally, I will introduce Radio JOVE, an easy way you can learn radio astronomy by building your own radio telescope.

Bio:

Chuck Higgins received his Ph.D. and M.S. in astronomy from the University of Florida where he studied radio emissions from the planet Jupiter. He received his B.S. in physics from the University of Alabama-Huntsville.

Dr. Higgins teaches undergraduate lecture and lab courses in astronomy and physics, including general astronomy, general physics, astrophysics, and classical mechanics. His research interests are the radio emissions from Jupiter and the Sun, using both ground-based and spacecraft data in his studies. He is a founding member of a NASA-sponsored citizen science and education project called Radio JOVE that uses radio astronomy to promote scientific inquiry.

Dr. Higgins is the advisor of the MTSU Astronomy Club and he mentors undergraduate students with their research projects. Prior to joining MTSU, Dr. Higgins was a National Research Council postdoctoral fellow at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. He is a frequent hiker in many of the great state parks in Tennessee.

Rental facility image – Pavilion at Lily Pad Cove

Friday Night:

Twilight Soirée

A big part of the StarFest experience is to be at and enjoy the Park. What better way than to have a relaxing time at the Park’s brand new Pavilion at Lily Pad Cove! We’ll enjoy twilight on the lake along with a tipple from local breweries. Three hand-crafted choices include ale, hard cider, and non-alcoholic root beer, all on tap!

Saturday Morning:

Dr. Erin Smith – Deputy Observatory Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope, Goddard Space Flight Center

Erin Smith — ASD 660 Staff Photos (Astrophysics Science Division, Code 660/NASA/GSFC)

Title:

“The Infrared Universe: What Astronomers See, How We See it, and Why JWST Will Change it All”

Abstract:

Infrared light is light just redder than what our eyes can see, and in astronomy, infrared observations allow us to explore the cold clouds shrouding forming stars, to study the dusty outflows of evolved stars and examine the Super-Massive Black Holes at the centers of many galaxies. Infrared observations have also informed us about how planets, stars and galaxies form and evolve. This presentation will show why infrared astronomy is so fundamental to our understanding of the cosmos, and will look at the missions that have, are, and will fundamentally alter our understanding of the Universe, with special emphasis on the James Webb Space Telescope, a 6.5 meter infrared observatory being developed by NASA, which will push the boundaries of our understanding by providing an unprecedented view of the infrared sky.

Bio:

Erin Smith is a Deputy Observatory Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope at Goddard Space Flight Center. Her work centers in developing commissioning plans to measure on-orbit observatory performance. She is also the Deputy Chief Scientist for the Cosmic Origins Program Office. Prior to working at GSFC, she worked at NASA headquarters as a Program Scientist and Policy Analyst for the Astrophysics Division in the Science Mission Directorate. From 2009 to 2014 she worked at NASA Ames as the SOFIA Science Instrument Development Manager, helping to integrate the first generation of science instruments onto NASA’s airborne infrared observatory.

Saturday Evening:

Dr. Tyson Littenberg – Research Astrophysicist, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama

Title:

“Tuning in to Einstein’s Universe”

Abstract:

Gravitational waves were predicted by Einstein in 1918 and remained an abstract mathematical curiosity for most of the ensuing century. In the 1990’s and early 2000’s, technological advances invigorated efforts to directly detect gravitational waves, and exploit them as a new way to learn about the cosmos. The curtain finally lifted in 2015 with the spectacular discovery of colliding black holes by LIGO–the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory. Today, though still in the dawn of the age of gravitational wave astronomy, these new cosmic messengers are already answering long-held questions about the Universe, while simultaneously revealing new mysteries to explore. In perfect accord with the evolution of traditional electromagnetic astronomy, the next decades will see our access to the gravitational wave spectrum dramatically broaden as new observatories come on line in space and on the ground, revealing a heretofore unexplored sector of the Universe. This talk will give an overview of the physics of gravitational waves, reveal why they are an invaluable part of astronomy’s toolbox, survey the latest observations, and reveal what the near future has in store.

Bio:

Dr. Tyson Littenberg is a research astrophysicist at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. He earned a B.S. in physics from the State University of New York at Oswego in 2003, and a Ph.D. from Montana State University in 2009, followed by post-doctoral research positions at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the University of Maryland, and Northwestern University. Dr. Littenberg conducts research in gravitational astrophysics and data science, specializing in the development of computational algorithms for the detection and characterization of gravitational waves. Dr. Littenberg leads research groups at NASA Marshall supporting the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and the ESA-led Laser Interferometer Space Antenna mission—a space-based gravitational wave observatory scheduled for launch in the 2030’s. As part of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, Dr. Littenberg was on the thousand-member team of researchers that made the ground-breaking discovery of gravitational waves in 2015 and, working with researchers from the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on NASA’s Fermi gamma-ray space telescope, the revolutionary joint observations of gravitational waves and gamma-rays from merging neutron stars in 2017.

Sunday Morning:

Dr. Stephen P. Reynolds – Professor of Physics, NC State University

Title:

“Exploring the Spectrum of the Remnants of Stellar Explosions”

Abstract:

Most stars die quietly, but a few go out with a bang: a supernova explosion. These events release in seconds an energy comparable to what the Sun will radiate in its entire 10-billion-year lifetime. The initial burst of light is so bright that supernovae can be seen across the Universe, and are used as cosmic yardsticks to gauge the Universe’s expansion. The shock wave produced by the explosion travels into interstellar space for thousands of years, gradually slowing down: a supernova remnant. Supernova remnants produce radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum: at first, mainly bright radio emission and X-rays, and later on, brighter optical and infrared emission. In the explosion, heavy elements are synthesized and ejected into the surrounding material; their radioactive decay can produce observable gamma rays. The shock wave also accelerates a small fraction of the particles it encounters to absurdly high energies: the cosmic rays, which fill the Galaxy and constantly rain down on the Earth. These cosmic rays produce radio, X-ray, and gamma ray emission. If the explosion was that of a massive star, a pulsar may be left behind, a rotating magnetized neutron star that can inflate a bubble of energetic particles and magnetic field inside the remnant: a “pulsar-wind nebula,” observable from radio waves to gamma rays. Supernova remnants show us the contents of the exploded star, but also light up the surrounding material, and produce many of the elements which go to make up new stars, planets, and people. To extract this information requires multiwavelength astronomy, with instruments on Earth and in space joining forces to give a complete picture of these violent events.

Bio:

Reynolds attended public schools in Seattle. He received a bachelor’s degree in physics from Harvard in 1971, and MS and PhD degrees in physics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1973 and 1980, respectively, where he specialized in theoretical astrophysics. During this time he also worked as a professional violinist, performing with the Oakland Symphony, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, and other Bay Area musical organizations. He did post-doctoral work in the University of Virginia Astronomy Department and at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. In 1985, he joined the Physics Department at North Carolina State University, where he was charged with founding a research group in astrophysics. That group, now numbering ten faculty, is known worldwide for expertise in high-energy astrophysics, with a particular focus on supernovae and their remnants. Reynolds was promoted to Associate Professor in 1990 and to Professor in 1995. He is an Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor, and received the 2012 Board of Governors Teaching Award for NC State University. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society.

Meals

What’s StarFest without great food? We think you’ll be excited about our menu. Please pay attention if you want the vegetarian option for any specific meal in case you don’t want the main dish.

Friday Dinner

Pulled Pork Barbeque – Vegetarian: Eggplant Parmesan

Jonathan’s Smokehouse Beans, Mustard Potato Salad, Rolls, Chocolate Brownies, Sweet & Unsweet Iced Tea

Saturday Breakfast

Pratt’s Tennessee Breakfast with Egg, Cheese & Spinach Casserole – Vegetarian: Same as breakfast

Fresh Fruit, Bacon, Ham, Hash Browns, Grits, Biscuit, Gravy (no meat), Coffee, Milk, OJ

Saturday Lunch

Delicious deli sandwiches on freshly baked authentic New York sesame, whole wheat and plain bagels with Boars Head brand roast beef, turkey, or black forest ham. All with cheese, tomatoes and lettuce. – Vegetarian: vegetable cream cheese spread on a bagel, topped with thinly sliced cucumbers lettuce and tomato

Potato Salad, Pasta Salad, Special Cupcakes from Little Cake Bakery, Sweet & Unsweet Iced Tea

Saturday Dinner

Chicken Teriyaki – Vegetarian: Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushroom

Tossed Spring Mix Salad with Asst. Dressings, Grilled Asparagus, Rolls, Banana Pudding, Sweet & Unsweet Iced Tea, Coffee

Sunday Breakfast

Pratt’s Tennessee Breakfast – Vegetarian: Egg, Cheese & Spinach Casserole

Eggs, Fresh Fruit, Bacon, Ham, Hash Brown Casserole, Grits, Biscuit, Gravy (no meat), Coffee, Milk, OJ

Important Information:

Welcome

The fun starts in the Farmstead each day. That’s the large log structure at the top of the parking lots. But, we will be in other areas of the Park during the three-day event, so pay attention to the tentative schedule. Check-in will start at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, and no earlier. (Notice the time change from past events!) You are welcome to visit the Park earlier on Friday and take advantage of the Park’s programming, trails, and gorgeous fall colors. For those setting up for the swap shop, there will be tables on the main level of the Farmstead. There is no additional fee for the swap shop, but let us know so we can reserve a table for you. You will be able to leave your content out for the full event as the Farmstead will be locked when we are not inside. But, access will NOT be available UNTIL 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

Please park in the main lots and NOT in the small staff lot by the lower back door of the Nature Center.

T-shirt

Included with each registration is the unique T-shirt designed and made for this StarFest. The artist this year is Lindsey Conrad. This year’s shirt is charcoal with fabulous original art on the front. It really fits the theme. The back has a unique StarFest logo. The shirt is a cotton blend, so consider a little shrinkage after washing when choosing the size. The shirt is available in XS-4X. Additional shirts can be pre-ordered and are $18 each. They are only available through pre-payment with registration.

Observing

Observing is easy at Bays Mountain. Solar viewing will be at the dam and night viewing will be at our observatory area. Bring your own equipment. Some rules: only park in designated spots and not on the grassy area. You can leave your scope out all day unattended, but it is not recommended. The grounds are open to the public during the day and for the Saturday night StarWatch.

Sleeping Arrangements

If you want to sleep within the Park grounds (at no additional charge!), you can bring your sleeping gear and find a space in the Nature Center, but it must be put away before the building opens to the public at 8:30 a.m. Pitching a tent or using a hammock is fine and a great area is back behind the Zipline up towards the Maintenance Building. This space will be out of the way of the general public and more secluded. Please, do not pitch a tent anywhere near the parking lots nor observatory. Also make sure tree damage does not occur. You can also sleep in your car or bring a small camper/popup. Please don’t park your camper near the Farmstead, but the side lots near the Amphitheater is a great place. Be aware that parking is very limited, so please do not use up many spots with a camper/popup. StarFest is the only event of the entire year in which we allow non-primitive camping. The Park does not have showers and camp fires are not allowed in the Park.

For those wanting a little more comfiness in the evening, we have arranged for a special rate of $105+tax/night at the Marriott MeadowView Resort. This is the closest and also the most luxurious amenity in the Tri-Cities region. It is a four+ star facility. Call the MeadowView (423-578-6600) and ask for the StarFest rate or see the website to use the link to get the special rate. This rate is guaranteed up to September 27, 2019. Here’s the link:

http://www.marriott.com/meeting-event-hotels/group-corporate-travel/groupCorp.mi?resLinkData=Bays%20Mountain%20Starfest%5Etricc%60baybaya%60105.00%60USD%60false%604%6010/18/19%6010/20/19%609/27/19&app=resvlink&stop_mobi=yes

Pets

If you have a dog, we are puppy-friendly, but they must be on a leash at all times, cleaned up after, and not allowed near any of the animal habitats.

Public Park Activities

As always, the schedule allows for many opportunities to enjoy park programming. Note, with your StarFest badge, you can receive free, on Oct. 18-20, entrance to the Park and passes to planetarium shows, nature programs and barge rides. Yes, you need your stinkin’ badge! Public planetarium shows are offered at 4 p.m. on Fridays and 1, 2, and 4 p.m. on weekends.

Barge rides are a 45 min. tour of the lake and its natural habitats. They are at 3 p.m. on Fri. and 1, 2, & 5 p.m. on weekends. Nature programs are offered at 3 p.m. on weekends and the topic varies with each offering.

Note: the zip line is not included with registration. That is $10 per person.

Please note that if your family arrives with you, they MUST be fully registered if they also want to partake of any of the meals or attend any of the StarFest talks.

The Bays Mountain Astronomy Club and Bays Mountain Park staff look forward to seeing you for StarFest 2019! Please contact me if you have any questions.

Adam Thanz; StarFest Chair; 423-224-2532

Tentative Schedule:

Bays Mountain StarFest – 36^th Anniversary

Kingsport, TN – October 18-20, 2019

Friday, Oct. 18, 2019

4:30 p.m. Farmstead Check-in and Swap Setup (no earlier!)

5:30 p.m. Farmstead Dinner

6 p.m. Farmstead Chuck Higgins – “The Radio Universe”

7-9 p.m. Pavilion Twilight Soirée

8-? p.m. Observatories Observing on your own.

Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019

7:30 a.m. Farmstead Big TN Country Breakfast (no earlier!)

8:45 a.m. Planetarium Welcome [Note: No Food nor Drink!]

9 a.m. Planetarium Erin Smith – The Infrared Universe…

10:15 a.m. Planetarium Show – “Cosmic Colors”

Noon Farmstead Lunch (no earlier!)

12:45 p.m. Farmstead Panel Discussion

2 – 4 p.m. Farmstead Swap Shop – Please do not start until 2!

3-3:30 p.m. Dam SunWatch (weather dependent)

4:55 p.m. Amphitheater Group Photo

5:05 p.m. Farmstead Dinner (no earlier!)

5:30 p.m. Farmstead Tyson Littenberg – “Tuning in to Einstein’s Universe”

6:45 p.m. Observatories StarWatch Set-Up

7 p.m. Observatories Public StarWatch (in Planetarium if poor weather)

Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019

9 a.m. Farmstead Big TN Country Breakfast (no earlier!)

10:00 a.m. Farmstead Stephen Reynolds – “Exploring the Spectrum of the Remnants of Stellar Explosions”

11 a.m. Farmstead Door Prizes