Where and when Bays Mountain Astronomy Club meets: 1st Friday monthly, 7 pm
Bays Mountain Astronomy Club meets 1st Friday monthly, 7 pm, Bays Mountain Park, 853 Bays Mountain Park Rd, Kingsport TN. Visitors are welcome at most club meetings; check the club's site for the next date and any change of room.
The map point is meeting place Bays Mountain Park (approximate): 36.504°N, 82.602°W.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Open the larger map · Directions.
Where Bays Mountain Astronomy Club goes to observe
The list does not name a club dark site. Clubs often use the dark sky places below, or a member's rural property.
Public star parties and outreach by Bays Mountain Astronomy Club
Park StarWatch public observing events, Bays Mountain Park.
Loaner telescopes
Many clubs lend telescopes to members, so you can try a type before you buy one.
Help with a new telescope
Bring a scope to a meeting or observing night and members will help set it up and align it.
Dark sites and star parties
Members share their observing sites and travel together to regional star parties.
Dark sky places and observatories near Bays Mountain Astronomy Club
Nearest dark sky places
| Place | Where | Bortle | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee National Forest | Tennessee | 4 | 46 km (29 mi) |
| Cherokee National Forest | Tennessee | 4 | 46 km (29 mi) |
| Kentenia State Forest | Kentucky | 4 | 72 km (45 mi) |
| Mayland Earth to Sky Dark Sky Park | North Carolina | 4 | 74 km (46 mi) |
| Linville Gorge Wilderness | North Carolina | 4 | 91 km (57 mi) |
| Grayson Highlands State Park | Virginia | 3 | 98 km (61 mi) |
Observatories open to the public within 150 km
- Willis ObservatoryBakersville, North Carolina, 65 km (41 mi). Stargazing visits with large refractor and 12-inch telescope, by arrangement; Airbnb lodging on site
- Dark Sky ObservatoryPurlear, North Carolina, 90 km (56 mi). Monthly ticketed Saturday evening events (about 8:30-10:30 pm), buy online in advance; no visits outside these events
- Pisgah Astronomical Research InstituteRosman, North Carolina, 144 km (89 mi). Public star gazes and solar observing with the Astronomy Club of Asheville (e.g. Apr 2025); daytime tours; Wednesdays at PARI program
Other astronomy clubs within 150 km
- Knoxville Observers Astronomy ClubKnoxville, Tennessee, 131 km (81 mi)
- Smoky Mountain Astronomical SocietyKnoxville, Tennessee, 135 km (84 mi)
Star parties near Bays Mountain Astronomy Club
- Green Bank Star QuestGreen Bank, West Virginia, 326 km (202 mi)
- Almost Heaven Star PartyRiverton, West Virginia, 364 km (226 mi)
- Shenandoah Night Sky FestivalLuray, Virginia, 431 km (268 mi)
- Cherry Springs Star PartyCoudersport, Pennsylvania, 706 km (439 mi)
Planning a trip? Astrotourism in Tennessee puts the dark sky places, observatories, clubs, star parties, planetariums and science centers of the state on one map, with the best night out worked out.
Bays Mountain Astronomy Club among the clubs and observatories of Tennessee
Gold dots are astronomy clubs, green dots observatories open to the public, squares dark sky places; select one for its page. See Tennessee astronomy clubs for the full list.
Bays Mountain Astronomy Club record
Every value in the astronomy clubs dataset for Bays Mountain Astronomy Club
| ID | 85 |
|---|---|
| Name | Bays Mountain Astronomy Club |
| Address | 853 Bays Mountain Park Rd. |
| City | Kingsport |
| State | TN |
| Zip | 37660 |
| Country | USA |
| Web | https://www.baysmountain.com/astronomy/astronomy-club/ |
| Meet | 1st Friday monthly, 7 pm, Bays Mountain Park, 853 Bays Mountain Park Rd, Kingsport TN |
| Notes | 50 members |
| Lat | 36.5040 |
| Lon | -82.6020 |
| LatLonSpot | meeting place Bays Mountain Park (approximate) |
| Status | Active |
| PublicNote | Park StarWatch public observing events, Bays Mountain Park |
| Sources | https://www.baysmountain.com/event/bays-mountain-astronomy-club-meeting-2/2025-12-05 |
| SQM | 20.2 |
| Bortle | 5 |
From the site's astronomy clubs dataset (clubs_q426). Distances are computed from the coordinates.