Nova East 2024

[KathyNS]

The Nova East star party is the annual astro camp-out of the RASC's Halifax Centre. This year, it will be held at Blomidon Provincial Park, near Canning, NS. The 2024 event will be held Aug 9-11. Registration is required. Advance registrations will be announced here when they are available.

The event is normally held at Smiley's Provincial Park, but the flood damage that forced last year's Nova East to be cancelled at the last minute is still being repaired. The Park cannot tell us whether the group camping area will be available, so we have moved it to Blomidon Provincial Park. Facilities there will be very similar to those at Smiley's, and the sky should be even darker.

For more information, including registration forms (when they become available), click here: Nova East Star Party

[KathyNS]

If anyone is thinking of attending Nova East 2024, be advised that the organizing committee is actively monitoring the weather to assess whether or not to cancel.

Hurricane Debby is expected to hit Nova Scotia this weekend as a post-tropical storm. Camping will be unpleasant or even dangerous, so cancellation is likely. Watch this space or follow the link in the original post for updates.

[KathyNS]

Based on the latest storm track, which has stabilized well away from the area, the organizing committee has decided to proceed with Nova East. The forecast is for showers, drizzle and fog Friday night, and periods of rain Saturday night, so campers are likely to get wet and little to no observing will happen. But the presentations and social events will go ahead. There could be clear skies Sunday night.

[KathyNS]

Because of the weather forecast, I didn't go for the whole event. Since it was only a 45 minute drive, I went for the evening talks. The folks who stayed on for the extra night on Sunday were treated not only to mostly clear skies, but the peak of the Perseid meteors, with quite a few bright fireballs, and the finest aurora since May 10-11th.