Starway to Heaven is the name we give to our observing nights which take place at the Meadow Parking Lot at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Cross River, NY. We typically start observing within a half hour after sunset. You can find the time for sunset at Ward Pound Ridge here. Here’s a Google map. A detailed map of the park is here.
We schedule star parties on nights where the moon will not be a factor so that we can view fainter objects. Weather permitting, we plan to hold star parties on each of the dates listed under the Star Party Dates section on this page.
Link to Google Maps for directions: http://bit.ly/waastarparty.
To ensure everyone enjoys the night sky safely and securely, please read our Star Party Dos and Don’ts page.
Latest Star Party Updates
- Star Party – November 30, 2024 (11/30/2024)
The Starway to Heaven observing night for this evening, November 30th, is ON! But please make note of the following:
The current weather forecast calls for some clouds early in the evening, but they are expected to clear within an hour or two of sunset (which will occur at around 4:30 pm EST). It is going to be very cold, with temperatures dropping into the 20s as the evening goes on. Dressing in layers with heavy socks, a very warm coat, a hat, and gloves are all recommended. Hand warmers and something hot to drink are good ideas as well.
2024 Star party dates (Saturdays)
The table below displays the dates on which we plan to observe at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. In addition to the information available in the table, we have created a downloadable and printable PDF for each star party which will tell you which planets and Messier objects will be available to view that night along with a chart to show sunset and moonset. A link to download the PDF can be found in the column labeled Printable Viewing Information in the table.
| Date | Sunset | Moon Illumination | Moon Status | Moon Note | Printable Viewing Information |
| 11/30/24 | 4:25 pm | 0% | New | N/A | Download PDF |
If a time is not listed for moonset, then the moon will not be visible during the star party.
attending a star party
Our star parties are free and open to the public through the generosity of the Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation. We encourage you to bring your telescope, especially if you need help using it or setting it up.
To assist you in finding interesting objects to observe, we recommend a Windows planetarium program like Cartes du Ciel (free), Stellarium (free), or TheSky (commercial). SkySafari (commercial, for iOS, Android, MacOS only) is a great program and can be used to sight the sky on a hand-held device. The are many good observing guides in book form. A planisphere is a historic but quite useful tool for identifying stars and constellations.
Don’t have a telescope? You can look through our members’ equipment. We love to show the sky to new observers and are happy to answer questions about the sky or equipment. If there is a particular object you are interested in observing, feel free to ask!
To ensure everyone enjoys the night sky safely and securely, please read our Star Party Dos and Don’ts page.
Weather information
Call 877-456-5778 for weather cancellations, or check the top of the page under “Latest Star Party Updates.” We make every effort to update the hotline message before noon on the day of star party in the event of a cancellation, but a good rule of thumb is: Don’t show up if you can’t count more than 10 bright stars. The Clear Sky Clock for Ward Pound Ridge is a good predictor of the night sky conditions. You can also check the more detailed NOAA weather forecast for Ward Pound Ridge.
WAA members receive email updates regarding cancellations.
WAA cannot guarantee the turnout of members and telescopes during the winter months.
Covid-19 Advisory
WAA follows CDC guidelines and the current scientific literature.
WAA strongly recommends Covid-19 vaccination and boosters.
Star parties are outdoor events and thus fairly low risk if the local Covid-19 case rates are low. Do not attend a star party if you feel ill, have a cough, fever or body aches, or tested positive for Covid-19 in the previous 10 days. Mask-wearing is optional but still recommended if the observing field is crowded. If additional restrictions are imposed by Westchester County in response to an increase in case rates, we will implement them at our star party.