Most of you who joined our mailing list became "accidental astronomers" one evening when you stumbled across our telescopes on the sidewalks of Monrovia or Pasadena. From the city, we love to show the Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn. These are the night sky objects that are among the brightest in the sky, and easily visible from any city sidewalk. Many of you have expressed an interest in seeing more and learning your way around the night sky. Maybe it was one of our stories of a night in the desert with our big telescopes, viewing comets, nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters. <http://www.otastro.org/2006-04-01-messier/> Maybe you have a telescope of your own, but frequently find yourself lost in a sky full of possibility, wondering where to go next. Jane and I would love to be your host and tour guide for a night in the Joshua Tree desert. We're planning an excursion to Joshua Tree National Park on Saturday, April 29, and we'll be completely at your disposal for a mini dark-sky star party. You can bring your own telescope if you like, borrow one of ours, or just mooch views. There should be charts and telescopes a-plenty for you to share. It's a lovely time of year to wander through the massive galaxy fields of the Spring sky. You can make a full evening of it, take a short nap, and wake to wander through the Summer Milky Way in all its glory. Frequently the most spectacular view is just a sky full of stars at a place away from city lights. With warm clothes and a comfortable chair, you can identify constellations, count meteors, and see orbiting satellites pass overhead. With a pair of binoculars you can see star clusters and cruise the Milky Way star clouds. If you want help with your own telescope, we'll be available for the hour before sunset to help out. April 29 is the night of the Andromeda Society's monthly public star party in Joshua Tree park, but what we're planning is not part of that star party. We'd like to set up a little bit away from their group, but haven't fully settled on where just yet. Our goal is simply to share the night sky with those of you who have a burning curiosity about it, and might have wanted a guide. We may caravan from a meeting spot, and make our own star party. The nearby towns of Joshua Tree and Yucca Valley have inexpensive hotel rooms, and there is certainly camping to be found in the park. Jane and I usually just nap in our van for a few hours. If this sounds intriguing, put it on your calendar and let me know. We'll do more planning as the day gets closer, and keep an eye out on the weather. Clear skies, Mojo -- Morris Jones Monrovia, CA http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers http://www.otastro.org