Overnight Perseid Meteor Shower Watching at Sandstone Ranch - REGISTRATION CLOSED

This is a special event for DAS members, members of the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society, and members of the public from Douglas County. There will be a presentation about the Perseid Meteor Shower, and another about "The Night The Stars Fell," a famous meteor shower, followed by an all-night watch party. Sandstone Ranch's dark skies offer a view that is hard to find anywhere else along the front range, so this will be a unique opportunity. 
Participants should bring reclining camp chairs, such as the Zero-Gravity chair, and sleeping bags or other covers as you'll be outside most of the night. The Ranch House will be open for warming up and use of the bathroom, but not for sleeping.  We can make coffee, tea, and hot chocolate indoors, and we are planning to cook breakfast for anyone who wants to eat when the sky begins to lighten before dawn.
You may bring viewing aids if you like, but people will be spreading out lounge-style so do not plan to take up space with a large telescope, please. This type of viewing does not lend itself to magnified viewing, as meteors streak across the sky rapidly.  If you wish to photograph the shower with a long exposure, please plan to use a DSLR on a tripod.

NOTE #1:  You're welcome to bring your own snacks and drinks (non-alcoholic, please) to enjoy throughout the event.

NOTE #2: The gate will be OPEN for Check-In at 7:00 p.m. and will CLOSE promptly at 8:30 p.m.  IF YOU CANNOT ARRIVE BEFORE 8:30 p.m., DO NOT SIGN UP.  Late arrivals have frequently gotten lost and strayed onto the wrong property, and we cannot risk having this happen again!

The guest list will be finalized on Friday, August 11 and at that point I will email everyone on it with an address and specific driving instructions to the entry point for Sandstone Ranch, as well as the waiver.  If this is your first time visiting the Ranch, you'll need to sign and date the waiver and bring it with you.
Note of Caution: DO NOT USE your GPS to go to "Sandstone Ranch." There are several places with that name and you will not get to the right location! Use the address that I send you, look for the sharp turn in the satellite map I send you, and look for that "house number" on one of the big posts at the gate.

IF weather is clearly not conducive, I will advise all registered guests via email on the morning of August 12 that we are cancelling.