Crystal Coast Star Party 2026

Come celebrate International Dark Sky Week in our International Dark Sky Park!

(Please read FAQ below for additional information.)

Crystal Coast Star Party Schedule of Events

Friday, April 17

7:30 PM Starlight Cruise
Departs from Island Express Ferry Dock at Cape Lookout Visitor Center – Ranger Sabrina Godin providing laser tour of the night sky.

8:30 Public Stargazing
Stargazing field around Cape Lookout National Seashore’s Visitor Center – Telescopes of amateur astronomers available for guests to stargaze until ferry boats return. Astrophotographers area behind Visitors Center.

Saturday, April 18

1:00-3:00 NCScifest Astronomy Activities for Kids
Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center Education Hall.

1:00-3:00 Solar Observing
Cape Lookout Visitor Center Grounds & Core Sound Waterfowl Museum Grounds.

4:00-5:30 Sarah Elizabeth McCandless
NASA JPL Interplanetary Navigation Engineer
Exploring an Icy World with Europa Clipper
Core Sound Waterfowl Museum Education Hall.

7:30 PM Starlight Cruise
Departs from Island Express Ferry Dock at Cape Lookout Visitor Center – Ranger Sabrina Godin providing a laser tour of the night sky.

8:30 Public Stargazing
Stargazing field around Cape Lookout National Seashore’s Visitor Center – Telescopes of amateur astronomers available for guests to stargaze until ferry boats return Astrophotographers area behind Visitors Center.

2026 NASA Speaker Bio

Sarah Elizabeth McCandless
NASA JPL Navigation Engineer

We’re excited to announce our speaker for the Crystal Coast Star Party 2026 – Sarah Elizabeth McCandless, NASA JPL Navigation Engineer – the interplanetary navigator for the Europa Clipper! The Europa Clipper, a mission to one of Jupiter’s moons, launched in October 2024 and is scheduled to arrive at Jupiter in 2030.

Sarah Elizabeth has flown eleven different missions exploring our solar system, including the Mars Perseverance rover, Artemis I, Psyche, and Near-Earth Object Surveyor (NEO Surveyor). Working as an “interplanetary Google maps”, she ensures we know a spacecraft’s location and can precisely predict its trajectory to ensure successful orbit insertion about or landing on another planet or body. In 2024, she was selected for NASA’s Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) Campaign 7 Mission 3 and served as an “analog astronaut”, simulating a mission to Mars for 45 days at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Outside of work, she enjoys running, camping, and piloting a Cessna 172S.

“Exploring an Icy World with Europa Clipper” For the first time, NASA is sending a spacecraft to study a moon at Jupiter in detail. This icy moon, Europa, is one of the most promising places to look for currently habitable conditions elsewhere in our solar system. Europa Clipper launched October 14, 2024 and is currently on its journey to this icy world. Come join us and learn about the science of this fascinating mission and how engineering makes it possible.

Event Contacts:
Vermadel Nienstedt, Crystal Coast Stargazers
803-608-9713
vermadel@embarqmail.com

Sabrina Godin, Cape Lookout National Seashore
252-838-8906
sabrina_godin@nps.gov

From past Star Party attendees:

Loved the location, the club members, food truck, and Park staff. One of the best event facilities plus Dark Sky Designation!!

It was great! We will definitely do this again! The astronomers were so kind, patient and helpful! Our group of 3 will do this again I am sure and probably bring others along.

The children’s program on Saturday was amazing. It was well planned, well staffed, and very engaging. Our grandchildren had a blast and learned so much. Thanks to the amazing volunteers who made it happen. Thanks also to the astronomers who brought their equipment and were patient and open to sharing and teaching, especially for our kids. We loved this event!

Lovely introduction to Dark Sky Park. Will definitely be back!

I thought the event was well put together. The star party was fabulous. Lots of scopes and very well educated people manning them. I will be coming back! Thoroughly enjoyed the presentations and conversations with the astronomers who set up their telescopes.

Event Hosts: