For this crowd, the phrase "lights out" means only one thing: The party is on.

But as the evening unfolds, there isn't loud music, rambunctious revelers or jolly toasting. Instead, the entertainment silently appears in the dark night sky.

The attractions are the planets, stars, galaxies and other shiny objects that draw hundreds every summer to a ridge in Pike National Forest, where the dirt road is hardly traveled and the mountains west of Colorado Springs offer unimpeded views of the skies.

The four-night Rocky Mountain Star Stare, hosted by the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society, is an annual pilgrimage for amateur astronomers. This year's event - held July 2 to 6 - brought 250 stargazers from across the country, their camping gear and treasured telescopes in tow.

For $30, stargazers get to borrow a piece of dusty national forest land on which to set up their star-viewing pads during the event, now in its 22nd year. They come in rugged cars, RVs and SUVs. This camp is much more quiet than most. Kids play off in the distance away from the stargazers and their astronomy handbooks.

"There are great skies out here, and it's nice to talk with other astronomers," said Charley Ray, of Golden. Ray has attended the event for six years.

The action begins once the sun sets. There's a rustle through the campground as shrouds from telescopes are pulled off and equipment steadied. There's a strict no-white-light policy once night falls to maximize the view above. Flashlights and head lanterns must be red-filtered. Amid the red glows, heads disappear and low, excited chatter can be heard.

"I've got Saturn!"

"Has Jupiter emerged yet?"

There's a quiet buzz of excitement, but the peaceful night is never disturbed.

Some mosey up and down the dirt road to see what fellow gazers have spotted. Others check their lists of must-sees as they look for treasures in the sky in their telescopes. The search continues until daybreak for many.

"I know it's been a good Star Stare if I'm so tired my boss will tell me I need another vacation," said Dave Hutchison, of Plano, Texas.

While the night skies are the main attraction, days are for show-and-tell as attendees check out their neighbors' telescopes.

"There are a lot of gee-whiz gadgets you can see here," said Richard Province, of Littleton. "There's new stuff every year. I always see things I want."

While organizer Al Schlafli says binoculars are always welcome, most attendees use more sophisticated equipment. Telescopes range from hundred-dollar models no longer than your torso to cannon-size ones that run $50,000 or more.

Neil Barnett, a Thornton resident, brought one of the largest; it required a separate trailer for transport. Chris Krauskopf, of Lexington, Ky., came with a telescope he built in six months. He also brought a scope he's rebuilt three times.

Amateur stargazers are rare among the crowd. The pi symbol on a speed-limit sign nearby indicates that this isn't an average group camp. "I think most people here have more of a science bent," said Joe Richardson, of Parker. "We're kind of geeky."

Ray agreed. "Astronomers like us are a relatively rare breed."

But they know what they need for a good party.

Connect the dots

Whether equipped with a fancy telescope or a good ol' blanket, anyone can be a backyard astronomer. Try spotting these easier-to-find constellations:

* Big Dipper (aka Ursa Major or Big Bear): Look north in the sky for what appears to be a soup ladle or a bucket with a handle. There are seven stars. Four form the bucket portion; the rest form the handle. If you look closely, the dipper part forms the back half of the bear; the handle is the tail with two legs. The nose comes to a point to the right of the Big Dipper.

* Cygnus, the Swan: Again look north until late summer when it is more overhead. The bright stars of Cygnus form a cross. The brightest star in the constellation is Deneb, which is in the swan's tail and marks the top of the cross. The swan's outstretched wings form the horizontal part of the cross. The swan's head is marked by a star called Albiero.

* Lyra: This is the harp constellation, which is high overhead in mid-summer and near Cygnus. This constellation requires more imagination as it looks like a small, lopsided square. First find Vega, which is one of the brightest stars in the sky. It forms the upper part of the harp. Go south for the four stars that form the lopsided square.

MORE EVENTS

Interested in attending an outdoor star event? Check out these Web sites:

* Rocky Mountain Star Stare: rmss.org

* Colorado Springs Astronomical Society: csastro.org

* Denver Astronomical Society: denverastro society.org

* Northern Colorado Astronomical Society: 222.ncastro.org

PLACES TO STARGAZE

* Sommers-Bausch Observatory, University of Colorado, 303-492-6732, http://lyra.colorado. edu/sbo/

* Black Forest Observatory, Colorado Springs, 719-495-3828

* Las Brisas Observatory, Colorado Springs, 719-632-2829, LBO.teuton.org

* Chamberlain & Mount Evans (Meyer-Womble) Observatories, Denver, 303-871-2238, du.edu/~rstencel

* Star Chaser Observatory, Sedalia, 303-647-0484

* USAF Academy Observatory, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, 719-333-2027

* Gunnison Valley Observatory, Gunnison, coloradoskies.org

OTHER LIFE OUT THERE?

In May, the Rocky Mountain News reported about Denver resident Jeff Peckman's claim he has a video of a living extraterrestrial.

Peckman described the footage to ABC News: "It starts out with a digital camera looking out across the room toward a window. There's a couple of flashes of light. After a few seconds, there is a small head clearly rising above a sill, panning the room, blinking its eyes, all slowly."

The skin of the alien's oblong face, he said, is smooth, not wrinkled like the being in the popular film E.T.

Peckman also is hoping to set up an Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission in Denver to ensure public safety in the event that aliens were to arrive in the Mile High City. He needs to gather 4,000 signatures to get the initiative on an upcoming ballot.

While many of the amateur astronomers at the Rocky Mountain Star Stare said they doubted the authenticity of Peckman's video, their thoughts varied on whether there are other forms of life out there:

* "I don't disbelieve. There's nothing statistically that proves there isn't life out there."

Al Schlafli, Colorado Springs, Star Stare organizer

* "I believe there is life out there. We're just starting bigger exploration of things. It pays to keep an open mind."

Richard Province, Littleton, retired Hewlett-Packard employee

* "It's an awful big place for just us, but the universe is awfully hostile to life. But over time you would think there would be something."

Chris Krauskopf, Louisville, Ky., fine-furniture builder, former geneticist

* "There could be life out there. But things are so far away it would take thousands of years before a radio signal could reach us."

Joe Gafford, Denver, electronics technician

* "The closest planet and star are light years away. That's a hellacious amount of distance and time. I think that makes it insurmountable."

Bryan Wilburn, Littleton, former pilot in Iraq

* "I think there could be. Look at Antarctica with its harsh climate and there's still life there."

Maggie Hutchison, Plano, Texas, full-time mom and amateur photographer

* "As Carl Sagan said, 'Odds are there's something out there.' "

Dave Hutchison, Plano, Texas, electrical engineer

* "There's unidentified objects out there but not life forms. Just because there's a lot out there doesn't mean there has to be anything out there. There's billions of people on earth and no one's fingerprints are the same."

Bob Good, Houston, Texas, retired

* "There has to be something even if it's bacteria. There's too many other solar systems out there."

Charley Ray, Golden, "cool science guy"

* "Are they coming here and looking in our windows? No. But there could be nitrogen or something like that out there."

Brian Kirkpatrick, Colorado Springs

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