Star party
As a telescope meeting is defined as the gathering of amateur astronomers to get together to watch the stars, to compare the telescopic technique and to talk shop. You will find, due to the necessary darkness, usually the new moon or waning moon in rural or alpine areas instead. They usually take several days to increase the likelihood of clear night sky. Many meetings provide a framework in the form of lectures and workshops from various astronomical fields.
Telescopic meetings are held throughout the year, often as an annual event at the same location. Especially for beginners, they offer a good opportunity to try out different types and models before buying a telescope and to familiarize yourself with the basics of practical application.
The oldest telescope meeting of Europe is the since 1985 existing International telescope meeting (ITT ), which in the autumn in Carinthia annually - mostly on the Emberger Alm - takes place. The is probably the largest astronomical observers meet in Europe are the International telescope meeting Vogelsberg (ITV ) and the Herzberger telescope meeting (HTT ) in southern Brandenburg, each with several hundred participants.