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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>To: Acadia Astronomical Society (Mt. Desert Island, ME)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Astronomical Society of Northern New England (Kennebunk, ME)<br>Central Maine Astronomical Society (Whitefield, Lincolnville & Damariscotta)</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Palatino'><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Downeast Amateur Astronomers (Pembroke, ME)</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Palatino'><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Gloucester Area Astronomy Club (Gloucester, MA)</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Palatino'><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>New Hampshire Astronomical Society</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Palatino'><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Penobscot Valley Star Gazers (Bangor, ME)</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Palatino'><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Southern Maine Astronomers (Portland), ME</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Palatino'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Palatino'><br>Hello All,<br><br>It’s time to mark your calendar again for the 20th annual Maine State Star Party, August 15 - 17, 2025. Please see the attached flyer. Our regular home Cobscook Bay Maine State Park is in the middle of a major infrastructure project laying new waterlines and other associated work. We have been informed that they cannot guarantee that the regular MSSP Site will be available in time for our August event. However, Charlie Sawyer has secured the Pembroke Fair Grounds for that weekend instead. This site is just 11 miles further down the road than Cobscook Bay State Park, located within the town limits of Pembroke.<br><br><img width=792 height=432 style='width:8.25in;height:4.5in' id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image001.jpg@01DBAB31.63E08F90"><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>There are open fields inside the harness racing track and to the east of the track. (Hopefully the snow will be gone by August </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Apple Color Emoji"'>😊</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>)</span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:-webkit-standard;color:black'><br></span><span style='font-family:Palatino'><br><span style='color:black'>Unlike Cobscook Bay State Park, Pembroke does have some retail facilities. There is a new Shell/Freshies store, Coastal Subs which makes excellent sandwiches, and a Dollar General as well, and they are all within a mile from the stary party site. Instead of driving 5 Miles north of Cobscook Bay State Park to get to my favorite Raspberry Pancake breakfast/lunch restaurant, now you drive 6 miles south.<br><br>This constitutes virtually all of the businesses in the immediate area. The light pollution from these places is minimal and this is a dark sky site. </span>We’re still working<span style='color:black'> on getting Sky Quality Meter readings at the site on the next cloudless, new moon. As in past years, camping will be allowed at this new site. Fresh Porta-Potties will be brought in for this event and for the fair the following weekend. Limited 120V power will be available for charging phones from portable solar generators.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Palatino;color:black'><br>Along with the listed schedule events on the flyer, bring your excess astronomy gear Saturday morning for swap tables. We’re still planning other events for the morning. And there will be prizes! If you have a short demonstration that you’d like to show Saturday morning or early afternoon, please let us know. More later.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Palatino;color:black'><br>One new feature for this location is the Pembroke Public Library that is immediately across the road from the Fair Grounds. It provides a newly constructed meeting room on the second floor with full audio visual facilities and is handicap accessible with an elevator. In the event of momentary rain, our presentations will definitely be able to locate there. This has become the home base for Downeast Amateur Astronomers meetings and classes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Palatino;color:black'><br></span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:-webkit-standard;color:black'><img width=468 height=351 style='width:4.875in;height:3.6562in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.jpg@01DBAB31.63E08F90"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>The Downeast Amateur Astronomers Spring Astronomy Class<br>with Charlie Sawyer in the Pembroke Library meeting room.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Palatino'><br>If past attendance is any indication, we’ll be expecting fifty astronomers and others for the event. For questions about the Maine State Star Party, please feel free to contact Charlie Sawyer <a href="mailto:csawyer7@roadrunner.com">csawyer7@roadrunner.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Palatino'><br>Now, for anyone that wants to turn this into a weeklong event, the Maine Astronomy Retreat at the Medomak Retreat Center in Washington, ME starts the next day. This is their 10th year and runs from August 18th through August 24, 2025. For full information see <a href="https://astronomyretreat.com">https://astronomyretreat.com</a>.<br><br>As usual, I’ll be sending out further information as late spring/summer progresses.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Palatino;color:black'><br>Dwight M. Lanpher</span><span style='font-family:Palatino;color:#7F7F7F'>, <i>Club Liaison<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Palatino'>Northeast Harbor, ME</span></p></div></body></html>