When and where Almost Heaven Star Party is held
Not yet announced. Its usual timing is new-moon weekend in August; the darkest weekend that fits is computed from the Moon.
Almost Heaven Star Party is held at Spruce Knob Mountain Center near Riverton, West Virginia, each year at about the same time (new-moon weekend in August). It is organized by Almost Heaven Star Party.
Dates here are planning estimates from the Moon, not announced dates. Confirm with the organizer before you book.
How dark the sky gets at Almost Heaven Star Party
Computed for the night of the party at the observing field, in local time.
Astronomical darkness
-
Moon
-
Milky Way core
rises to 22° at best from this latitude
Southern limit
stars to declination -51° clear the horizon
Elevation
about 1,250 m (4,100 ft)
At latitude 38.7°N, every star north of declination -51° rises here at some time of year. That puts Omega Centauri, at -47°, within reach low in the south. The Milky Way core in Sagittarius tops out 22° above the southern horizon. On the party night the Sun stays less than 18° below the horizon, so the sky never reaches full astronomical darkness; faint galaxies suffer, but bright clusters, planets and the Milky Way still show.
| Twilight | Evening | Morning |
|---|---|---|
| Sunset and sunrise | - | - |
| Nautical twilight (Sun 12° down) | - | - |
| Astronomical darkness (Sun 18° down) | - | - |
What you can see from Riverton on the party night
Highest altitude each showpiece reaches between the end of evening twilight and the start of morning twilight that night. Dimmed rows are out of reach from this latitude or this season; that is the case for choosing a party farther south.
| Object | What it is | Highest | Best at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milky Way core | The bright star clouds of Sagittarius | - | - |
| Omega Centauri | The biggest globular cluster in the sky | - | - |
| Southern Cross | Crux, the smallest constellation | - | - |
| Carina Nebula | Eta Carinae and its nebula | - | - |
| Large Magellanic Cloud | A satellite galaxy of the Milky Way | - | - |
| Andromeda Galaxy | M31, the nearest big galaxy | - | - |
| Hercules Cluster | M13, the showpiece northern globular | - | - |
| Orion Nebula | M42, the brightest nebula | - | - |
| Pleiades | M45, the Seven Sisters | - | - |
Planets in the night sky
| Planet | Magnitude | Highest | Best at |
|---|
Where Spruce Knob Mountain Center is
Spruce Knob Mountain Center near Riverton, West Virginia. Coordinates 38.700°N, 79.530°W (approximate).
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Open the larger map · Directions. Arrive before dark: headlights on the field ruin everyone's night vision.
Camping and lodging at Almost Heaven Star Party
Camping, RV, cabins. Book early; on-site spaces at popular parties fill months ahead.
Nights at 1,250 m
Expect cold nights; air cools about 6.5 °C per 1,000 m of height
Red light only
White flashlights and phone screens stay off on the field
No telescope needed
Owners share views; binoculars and a chair go a long way
Star parties near Almost Heaven Star Party
| Star party | Near | Distance | Usual timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Bank Star Quest | Green Bank, West Virginia | 39 km (24 mi) | Summer |
| Shenandoah Night Sky Festival | Luray, Virginia | 98 km (61 mi) | Late summer |
| Cherry Springs Star Party | Coudersport, Pennsylvania | 360 km (224 mi) | June, near new moon |
| Black Forest Star Party | Coudersport, Pennsylvania | 360 km (224 mi) | September |
| Starfest | Ayton, Ontario | 608 km (378 mi) | August new moon |
Almost Heaven Star Party record
Every value in the star parties dataset for Almost Heaven Star Party
| ID | 1 |
|---|---|
| Name | Almost Heaven Star Party |
| Slug | almost-heaven-star-party |
| PageURL | star-party.php?party=almost-heaven-star-party |
| Country | United States |
| Region | West Virginia |
| NearTown | Riverton |
| Site | Spruce Knob Mountain Center |
| Lat | 38.7 |
| Lon | -79.53 |
| CoordCheck | approx |
| Elevation_m | 1250 |
| Organizer | Almost Heaven Star Party |
| Founded | |
| TypicalMonths | 8 |
| TypicalTiming | New-moon weekend in August |
| NextStart | |
| NextEnd | |
| DateStatus | Not yet announced |
| Lodging | Camping, RV, cabins |
| DarkSkyPlace | |
| TimeZone | America/New_York |
| Website | https://www.ahsp.org/ |
| ImageKey | almost-heaven-star-party |
| Note | |
| Source | Legacy star-parties.htm; organizer website |
From the site's star parties dataset (starparties_q426). Sky conditions are computed in your browser for the field's coordinates.