The 2002 season for the monthly Star Walks, April through October, will incorporate several innovations and add significant numbers and types of instruments.  Star Walk dates for 2002 are the Saturdays of April 6^th, May 4^th, June 1^st, July 6^th, August 3^rd, September 7^th, and October 5^th. Club members from the Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas and the Fort Worth Astronomical Society especially have been the bulwarks of this voluntary effort, providing not only their time and knowledge but making their personal instruments available as well

New "Sun Fun" solar observing will take place next to the Park headquarters approximately from 1 PM to 3 PM the same day as a Star Walk.  Visitors will be able to observe sunspots and we are expecting to show solar flares and prominences using a hydrogen alpha filter. Also, the location has changed to the northern part of the park at the Big Pond Campground.  This cul-de-sac off a loop road is in the darkest part of the Park and should be a major improvement over car light control, allowing late arrival traffic not to disturb night vision adaptation.

The number of Dobsonian telescopes has increased.  This season we will have one or more of each of the 15", 18", 20", and 25" mirror diameter instruments made by Obsession Telescopes.  By early season we anticipate a total of at least eight of these instruments. We also hopefully anticipate the arrival of a 30" mirror later this year.  Some of these telescopes already have dedicated Equatorial Platforms allowing a given instrument to track an object across the sky compensating for the rotation of the Earth.  Other such Platforms are on order.

The highly popular Fujinon 25 X 150 giant binoculars return with a dedicated parallelogram mount.  There are also other binoculars with smaller apertures on their respective parallelogram mounts. 

The Park now has six Orion 10" Dobsonians with Telrad finders not only for the Star Walks but also for visiting astronomy groups at other times.  The Park will be able to make available to qualified leaders of visiting groups the six Orion scopes as well as several all-weather tents and extra long, extra wide cots.  The intent is to make sure groups can take advantage of the dark skies of the Park without waiting for Star Walks.  For such private groups modest and appropriate fees will be charged to benefit the Park and its observing programs. 

At least one 4" (primary lens diameter) refractor should be consistently available.  Currently in development is a custom-made 8" refractor with the optical glass from Russia being mated with an American carbon fiber tube.  It is expected and hoped that this instrument as well as an appropriately sturdy mount will be available this season.  It promises to find a special role for planetary viewing.

Also currently on order and expected soon is a special StarChair from Australia.  This mobile chair supports a large pair of binoculars in front of the viewer.  Run by electrical power it allows the observer to control movement of the entire chair/binocular combination with either a joystick or a microprocessor computer.  Although it will be made available to all interested parties, it is especially intended for visitors with limitations preventing them from climbing ladders or steps to utilize the other instruments.  The chair allows the observer to comfortably look straight up at the zenith while lying on his or her back in a reclined position.

Additional information can be obtained by calling Copper Breaks State Park at (940) 839-4331. For additional information via e-mail please consult the Park at cbsp@srcaccess.net, Richard Brown at RABrow@aol.com, or Fred Koch at fkoch@chipshot.net.  The Park is located 13 miles south of Quanah or 8 miles north of Crowell on Texas State Highway 6.  The entrance is approximately 1 mile north of the Pease River.