Mid Atlantic Star Party

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The Mid Atlantic Star Party (MASP) is an annual gathering of amateur astronomers held each fall near Robbins, North Carolina. It began in 1995 and takes place in one of the darkest spots on the U.S. East Coast. MASP is the largest yearly gathering of amateur astronomers between Vermont’s Stellafane and Florida’s Winter Star Party, drawing hundreds of attendees. For its first decade, the event was held at the Occoneechee Council Boy Scout camp before moving to a different site due to scheduling conflicts. The star party paused in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. MASP has become an important part of Robbins’ economic and cultural planning and helped spur the creation of a regional dark park to reduce light pollution.