Idaho Star Party Information

The 2026 Idaho Star Party has wrapped up, and it was fantastic. Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, presented, donated prizes, shared astrophotography, and helped make this year’s event a success.

2026 Group Photos
View Group Photo 1
View Group Photo 2

ISP Campsites & Registration – Boise Astronomical Society for registrtion information.

For decades, the Boise Astronomical Club has been proud to support the Idaho Star Party at Bruneau Dunes State Park. Our members helped fund and build the park’s first telescope, and we’ve continued to be part of this amazing event ever since.

The Idaho Star Party is a fun family-friendly gathering filled with dark skies, incredible stargazing, educational presentations, guest speakers, astrophotography, and the chance to connect with fellow astronomy enthusiasts from across the region.

Whether you’re a lifelong astronomer or just curious about the night sky, there’s something for everyone. Come experience some of Idaho’s best views of the universe at Bruneau Dunes!

Site #76 Oregon Astronomy Home | Astronomy, Telescopes & Rockets is spending the weekend with us. Everything and part you might need. BONUS Bob is a wealth of knowledge

2026 – Challenge objects

2026 Idaho Star Party Binocular Challenge Objects

2026 Idaho Star Party Astrophotography Challenge Objects

2026 Idaho Start Party Telescope Challenge Objects

Guest Speaker this year Gourav Khullar
https://astrokhullar.squarespace.com/

“Let those Galaxies Nap! Using Gravitational Lensing and Galaxy Clusters to unpack the Physics of the First Quenched Galaxies”

JWST, the new space telescope, has changed our view of the first billion years of the Universe dramatically. While we used to think that early Universe galaxies are full of star-forming fuel, the emergence of dead galaxies — i.e., not forming new stars — has puzzled astronomers. In this talk, I will showcase how we use massive galaxy clusters as “gravitational lenses” to look deep into the star-forming regions of the first galaxies, a feat absolutely not possible with the combination of space data and lensing. I will share work that my team is conducting at the University of Washington (as well as internationally), as well as my vision for the future of galaxy evolution studies.

“How do Astronomers build large observatories and collaborations? A look through the eyes of JWST and Rubin/LSST”

In this talk, I will describe the modern ways that astrophysicists collect data and build some of the largest teams science has ever seen. I will use the examples of the new infrared space telescope JWST happily resting away from the Sun and Earth, as well as the just-started Rubin/LSST survey, taking pictures of the night sky every 3 days for 10 years in one of the most pristine parts of the Chilean desert. The building of these mega-machines and the operations of the teams that conduct science with these observations are itself stories worth sharing! Do you want to use JWST or Rubin Data? come to this talk!

Schedule of Events

Friday, September 11th, 2026

3 pm to 6pm Registration/Check-in – Eagle Cove Pavilion

7 pm Speaker – Steele Reece Education Center (Name badge required for entry) be sure to come around side and entry from behind building. Not the front/gift shop

8:30 pm Serious Observing at Observatory and Eagle Cove Campground

Saturday, September 12th, 2026

10:30 am to Noon Children’s Program – Eagle Cove Pavilion

11:00 am to 11:45 am Children’s Door Prizes – Eagle Cove Pavilion

11:00 am to 1 pm Late Registration – Eagle Cove Pavilion

11:00 am to 1 pm Solar Observing- Eagle Cove Pavilion

11:00 am to 1pm Equipment Trade – Eagle Cove Pavilion

2 pm Speaker – Steele Reece Education Center (Name badge required for entry)

4:45 pm Group Photo – Eagle Cove Pavilion

6 pm Star-B-Que – Eagle Cove Pavilion

7 pm Door Prize/Raffle Drawings – Must be present to win prizes

8 pm-10:30 pm Public Star Party – Eagle Cove Campground