the rules of engagement
so... went with my dad to Mt. Pinos for a starparty. (if you dont know what that is, a bunch of nerds gather in a spot where the sky is dark and set up telescopes.) i was really annoyed by how big the crowd is there compared to when i first began going there 9 years ago, and how annoying the crowd is. i will explain the rules of a star party.
1. LIGHT.
- head lights: please do not use headlights as much as you possibly can. you can drive slowly if you need to, better yet have someone guide you out. if you know you are leaving early (before dawn), park strategicly, so that you will not have to reverse.
- car lights: please make sure if you are going to be opening doors/trunks that have automatic lights, you turn them off or you put red tape over them.
- flashlights: buy one designed for this particular event. other alternatives; put a fitted red lens in place of the clear one, or layer it with red tape. light should be a dark/dullish red, not pink. in all cases, shine light only where light is needed, please do not shine light up at people or at telescopes that do not belong to you.
- lasers: NO. if you MUST bring a laser pointer, please make sure it's red, not green, and do not use excessively. this is very annoying.
- flashes: DONT USE CAMERA FLASHES, FUCK PEOPLE!
- campfires: obviously no fires. sometimes it gets cold. suck it up, bitch. next time bring a jacket.
the idea is darkness. me and my dad drive hours to get a somewhat decently dark sky, and it only makes us irrate when the experience is ruined. notice red is an important color. sometimes light is needed, understood. but by reducing the light to a minimum and using an appropriate intensity of red light when light is needed, it helps saves night vision. in addition, a lot of people who go to star parties arent just there to observe, they may also be taking pictures. astrophotography is very tedious and requires long exposures, a bright enough light can ruin a frame that took a lot of work and time to set up and wait for.
2. NOISE.
- music: is fine. it puts people in the mood, but please keep any and all music at a comfortable level. that means you can hear it, and i cant. the most annoying is very loud nerd music. just because im a nerd doesnt mean i want to hear the theme songs to 2001: a space oddessy, star trek, and star wars among others. i dont blast my music, but if you do, my way to tell you yours is too loud, will be to blast mine. and you probably WONT like that.
- singing: please dont.
- kids: control them. dont let your kid scream annoyingly the entire night. i deal with this at home, everyday. i dont need it here.
3. ME, MY CAR, MY TELESCOPE, MY STUFF, MY AREA.
- dont touch, pick up, move, tap, or automatically assume just because its there its there for you. no. this assumption is WRONG. it is there for me.
-if you want to look through the telescope, ask, and if my mood isnt already spoiled i will be more than happy to allow you to. if im in a particularly charming mood, i might even tell you, and give an explanation of, what you are looking at, if the knowledge is wanted.
- walking through my area to get from point a to point b is a violation of my personal space. not only could you accidently damage something, you are at risk to being stun gunned. im not shy about protecting my area and my things.
overall we're all there for the same reason, to enjoy ourselves and our night sky. so please let me enjoy myself and not be so annoying that when i come home the next day, i write an entry on SG about how annoyed i am. thank you.
so... went with my dad to Mt. Pinos for a starparty. (if you dont know what that is, a bunch of nerds gather in a spot where the sky is dark and set up telescopes.) i was really annoyed by how big the crowd is there compared to when i first began going there 9 years ago, and how annoying the crowd is. i will explain the rules of a star party.
1. LIGHT.
- head lights: please do not use headlights as much as you possibly can. you can drive slowly if you need to, better yet have someone guide you out. if you know you are leaving early (before dawn), park strategicly, so that you will not have to reverse.
- car lights: please make sure if you are going to be opening doors/trunks that have automatic lights, you turn them off or you put red tape over them.
- flashlights: buy one designed for this particular event. other alternatives; put a fitted red lens in place of the clear one, or layer it with red tape. light should be a dark/dullish red, not pink. in all cases, shine light only where light is needed, please do not shine light up at people or at telescopes that do not belong to you.
- lasers: NO. if you MUST bring a laser pointer, please make sure it's red, not green, and do not use excessively. this is very annoying.
- flashes: DONT USE CAMERA FLASHES, FUCK PEOPLE!
- campfires: obviously no fires. sometimes it gets cold. suck it up, bitch. next time bring a jacket.
the idea is darkness. me and my dad drive hours to get a somewhat decently dark sky, and it only makes us irrate when the experience is ruined. notice red is an important color. sometimes light is needed, understood. but by reducing the light to a minimum and using an appropriate intensity of red light when light is needed, it helps saves night vision. in addition, a lot of people who go to star parties arent just there to observe, they may also be taking pictures. astrophotography is very tedious and requires long exposures, a bright enough light can ruin a frame that took a lot of work and time to set up and wait for.
2. NOISE.
- music: is fine. it puts people in the mood, but please keep any and all music at a comfortable level. that means you can hear it, and i cant. the most annoying is very loud nerd music. just because im a nerd doesnt mean i want to hear the theme songs to 2001: a space oddessy, star trek, and star wars among others. i dont blast my music, but if you do, my way to tell you yours is too loud, will be to blast mine. and you probably WONT like that.
- singing: please dont.
- kids: control them. dont let your kid scream annoyingly the entire night. i deal with this at home, everyday. i dont need it here.
3. ME, MY CAR, MY TELESCOPE, MY STUFF, MY AREA.
- dont touch, pick up, move, tap, or automatically assume just because its there its there for you. no. this assumption is WRONG. it is there for me.
-if you want to look through the telescope, ask, and if my mood isnt already spoiled i will be more than happy to allow you to. if im in a particularly charming mood, i might even tell you, and give an explanation of, what you are looking at, if the knowledge is wanted.
- walking through my area to get from point a to point b is a violation of my personal space. not only could you accidently damage something, you are at risk to being stun gunned. im not shy about protecting my area and my things.
overall we're all there for the same reason, to enjoy ourselves and our night sky. so please let me enjoy myself and not be so annoying that when i come home the next day, i write an entry on SG about how annoyed i am. thank you.
VIEW 5 of 5 COMMENTS
sethy:
*nod* huff.
pippi:
NERD!!