Welcome to the website of the 4^th National Annual Star Party of Greek Amateur Astronomers - Mt. Parnon, Greece - July 9th-11th 2010 

This event is co-organized by

Sparta Astronomy Association "Dios Kouroi" and Patras Astronomical Society "Orion"

Participation is free of any fees.

 [For your participation, please fill and submit the Registration Form at the bottom of this page]

 The Star Party will take place at Mt.Parnon, in Pelloponese, southern Greece. A flat field, the main site of the Star Party, lays at altitude 1420m, at the end of a picturesque driving route through mountainous forests. It is surrounded by forests of tall pine and fir trees, under which camping tents will be set up. In 300 meters distance is the George Pierce Mountain Refuge of the Spartan Alpine Club, the only building in the region.

The driving time to get there by car is 1 hr from Tripolis city and 3 hrs from Athens.

Here you can see some P H O T O S and some Astrophotos from the observing site and the Refuge.

During the Star Party, the following activities will take place (Further details to be announced soon):

• Observation through telescopes at Friday and Saturday night

• Astronomical Workshops by experienced amateur astronomers.
• Lectures by Greek professional astronomers.
• A celestial tour of the summer constellations - A green laser aided trip to the dark skies of Greece.
• A morning mountain walk for 2 or 3 hrs in the European Path E4 (Greek part). Our guide will be

Kostas Michalopoulos, the person who runs the George Pierce Mt. Refuge on behalf of the Sparta Alpine Club.

- The Main Observing Site: At 1,420m altitude, it is the size of a football field (actually, it used to be one!)

It is leveled, covered with short grass. It is the main observing site of AES (Sparta

Astronomy Association).  Photo: View of the observing site  

- Site precise coordinates: The coordinates of the site are: LAT 37deg 15' 39.35" North,

LON 22deg 35' 06" East. The driving time from Athens to Parnon is ~3 hrs.
 

Accomodation: 3 options available:

 1. Staying at a camping tent. This is the most prefered option.
We will set up our tents under the pine trees which surround the observing place.
There is always a refreshing current of air blowing through the pine trees, which keeps the tempereture low at daytime. This is very pleasant, because it could be very hot at the sun-exposed observing site. It is better to stay in the shadow during summertime in Greece. Photo of camping tents

2. The George Pierce Refuge. It belongs to the Sparta Alpine Club.

Its distance from the observing site is 300 m. It has a fireplace and dinning tables, a kitchen where one can cook, and 30 beds.

Beds are double or triple (one on top of the other) and are all in one big sleeping chamber, which is upstairs.

A lot of blankets and pillows are available for everybody, but no sheets. One can bring his/her bed-sheets, if necessary. Downstairs there is washing water and a WC.

Since there are only 30 beds available, priority will be of importance here.

3. Staying at a hotel room in nearby villages.

In a distance of 30 to 45 minutes drive there are rooms available in the nearby villages of Aghios Petros, Kastanitsa, Vamvakou, Karies and Polydroso. An estimation of the cost is 50 to 70 euros for a double room per night. Please indicate in your registration form if you are interesting in staying at a hotel room. In this case we could make a reservation for you.

- Spring water. There is a picturesque spring with fresh water in close proximity to the refuge and to the camping site. It is a place where also one can have lunch or a wash/bath.

- Clothing. For night observations bring warm clothes and boots. Head cover is neccessary. Also, do bring light clothes for the daytime. It is hot in summertime in Greece, even on the mountains. Temperatures could be 30 degrees Celcius or even more. Sunglasses and a hat are absolutelly neccessary at daytime.

- Food. Practically it could cost you very little. Free dinners and hot coffee will be offered to the participants once per day. Alternatively, we can drive to a nearby village (eg: Ag. Petros or Kastanitsa) to eat in a tavern. Eating in a Greek tavern usually costs from 8 to 15 euro per person.  

- Main Flora: Pine trees (Pinus nigra), Fir trees (Abies cephalonica), Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum).

Coniferous forests are a significant feature in the natural vegetation of the Mediterranean mountains, but most stands are rather degraded and the present distribution is just a fraction of its potential natural area. The Parnonas range (Peloponnese, Greece) ranks among the most extensive areas with a well-preserved mountain coniferous forest in the Mediterranean. In the conifer-dominated vegetation of this mountain the prevailing species are Abies cephalonica, Pinus nigra, and Juniperus drupacea.

- Fauna. No mosquitoes, no snakes, no wild animals. Grasshoppers or lizards may appear occasionally. Sometimes in June, flies might appear, but they are absolutely harmless.

- Protection and Health of Forest Resources: Local and government Forestry Authorities protect the forest resources and the health of forest ecosystems. There is a strong feeling for fire protection in Greece after the catastrophic fires of 2007. So one must be aware of the environmental protection issues and follow the rules during his/her stay.

Other Activities
- Mountain Walking. There are some nice routes for walking and cycling in the area. We plan to do a morning mountain walk for 2 or 3 hrs in the European Path E4 (Greek part). The distance covered is up to the participants, with an option to reach Kronion, the highest peak of Mt Parnon, at 1,934 meters alt.

But be prepared, that is at least 4 - 5 hrs walk (to go and return). Our guide will be Kostas Michalopoulos, the person who runs the George Pierce Refuge on behalf of the Sparta Alpine Club.

Press Button below to open the Registration Form page:

Contact Person

For further information and for stating your interest to participate, please contact:

Vagelis Tsamis

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Mob. tel: +306973047420

A Google Map with the route from Sofia, BG to Parnon, GR:

View Larger Map with Driving Directions from Sofia, BG to Mt.Parnon Observing Site, GR