The Oregon Star Party (OSP), founded in 1987, is one of the top annual events in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 for observational astronomy

Astronomy

Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...

. The OSP takes place in the Ochoco National Forest

Ochoco National Forest

The Ochoco National Forest is located in Central Oregon in the United States, north and east of the City of Prineville, location of the National Forest Headquarters. It encompasses of rimrock, canyons, geologic oddities, dense pine forests, and high desert terrain, as well as the headwaters of...

, near the geographical center of the state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

. It is far enough from population centers to provide some of the darkest skies in North America. The area's altitude also contributes to steady seeing, frequently providing nearly ideal observational conditions.

Usually held in August, the OSP attracts as many as 700-800 attendees. The highest attendance was in 2003, with 900 attendees. OSP features a wide range of amenities—such as a latte

Latte

A latte is a coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk. Variants include replacing the coffee with another drink base such as masala chai, mate or matcha...

 stand, chuckwagon

Chuckwagon

A chuckwagon or chuck wagon is a type of wagon historically used to carry food and cooking equipment on the prairies of the United States and Canada. Such wagons would form part of a wagon train of settlers or feed traveling workers such as cowboys or loggers.In modern times, chuckwagons feature...

 stand, satellite Internet access, and showers. Many vendors sell various astronomy-related goods.

Participation does not require a telescope. Most astronomers let visitors have a view. Daytime events include guest speakers, such as famous telescope makers, people from NASA, and optic manufactures. The event provides activities for children and an "observing" challenge. An OSP walk around for the community provides a guided tour around the telescope field, and talks about different telescope designs.

OSP attracts visual observers, photographic astronomy amateurs, and telescope

Telescope

A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...

builders from the region and around the world.