Join us at one of our monthly public star parties
We hold monthly public star parties at the Biolab Boat Ramp in the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge once a month. see below for more information.
Upcoming Star Parties
We schedule our monthly star parties so that they occur as close to a New Moon as possible to ensure we have dark skies without significant moonlight. Florida weather can be less than optimal at times, so we will sometimes schedule up in advance a backup night in addition to our primary Star Party night. Our Star Parties start just before dark (around dusk so we can setup our equipment before it gets too dark) and last as late into the evening as the last person that remains at the site viewing that night. Below are our scheduled Primary and Backup star parties for the next 2-months...
We have resumed star parties at Biolab Boat Ramp!
Primary - December 27th, Backup - January 3rd
Primary - January 24th, Backup - January 31st
Star Party Location
Our monthly star parties are held at the Biolab Boat Ramp in the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Below is an embedded map showing the location of our viewing site. The map is interactive so you can zoom in to see more details on the location. For a more detailed set of directions please click here and visit our Biolab Boat Ramp Directions page. Most mapping services will direct you to our site if you simply search for "Biolab Boat Ramp." For the really geeky folks out there the GPS coordinate of our view site is North 28 Deg 42' 21" by West 80 Deg 43' 38".
Instructions For Attending
No RSVP is required, just show up and enjoy the views. Weather, particularly in the summer can be localized so decision to head out is a personal one based on what you see outside and on radar. All are welcome including children, but please remember it will be dark and there will be a lot of expensive telescopes setup so kids won't be able to safely run around (adult supervision required). We highly recommend you show up before it gets dark to make finding our viewing site easier. If this is your first star party or if you simply need a refresher please read our "Star Party Etiquette" guide by clicking on the link below.