Heart of America Star Party
ASKC's largest annual event, hosted at our 40-acre Dark Sky Site (DSS), about 75 miles south of Kansas City.
Embrace the Night Sky
A great experience for new and experienced stargazers alike. Whether you're embarking on your astronomy journey or are already an avid and experienced observer, this event offers something special — engaging activities and workshops for everyone, in a relaxed and inviting atmosphere.
Join Us For
- A stunning dark sky environment with a 6.3 limiting magnitude (based on SQM-L averages)
- Ample space for tents, trailers, and RVs, with power hookups available first-come, first-served
- Indoor space available if weather takes a turn
- Heated showers
- A fun camp atmosphere
- Nearby nature preserves, great for bird watching and hiking
- Great food, including a "Star-B-Que" dinner on Saturday evening
Not a Camper?
Convenient services and hotels are just a short drive away in Butler, MO (less than 30 minutes), historic home of the Pennell Hotel & Restaurant.
Past Guest Speakers
William "Bill" Wren
Bill Wren earned degrees in Philosophy and Educational Psychology at the University of Texas and audited courses in the Astronomy Department. In 1990, he began work at McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, Texas, as a Public Affairs Specialist and part-time researcher, leading a search for extra-galactic supernovae. He helped design and build several unique telescopes — one wheelchair-accessible and dedicated for public use at the Observatory's Visitors Center — and served as Commissioning Telescope Operator of the 10-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope.
Bill has long been involved in protecting the Observatory's dark night skies, an endeavor that became his full-time responsibility. He retired in 2022 and relocated to his birthplace, Kansas City, MO.
Dr. Paul Strycker
Dr. Strycker attended the University of Notre Dame for undergraduate work and earned a PhD from New Mexico State University. He is currently a professor at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. His program focused on using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) methods for detecting changes in ground-based video images of solar system objects — techniques he developed were used to first detect an impact plume in a polar crater from NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) spacecraft.