More starlight celebrations are on tap at national parks this week, including right here in Colorado, where Rocky Mountain National Park is hosting a star-watching party Monday, October 19, at 6 p.m. at the Moraine Park Discovery Center. The event is being held in conjunction with White House Astronomy Night, an effort by President Barack Obama to encourage interest in science.
At the RMNP event, visitors will be able to join a park ranger for a thirty minute presentation about the wonders of the night sky followed by viewing through telescopes. Seeing the Milky Way or a particular constellation can be inspirational for park visitors.
In Rocky Mountain National Park, as in other parks, natural darkness of starry skies is an important resource of this special place. For further information about Rocky Mountain National Park please call the park's Information Office at (970) 586-1206.
In California, Joshua Tree National Park is hosting a weekend Night Sky Festival, beginning Friday, October 16th and ending Sunday, October 18th. This event will kick off the NPS Centennial year of celebration, marking the 100th birthday of the National Park Service. The festival will feature a variety of activities scheduled at a number of different locations in the park as well as the Sky's the Limit Observatory, located just outside the park's north entrance.
Joshua Tree National Park is known internationally for the night sky and this event promises to deliver an entire weekend of viewing, lectures by experts in the field and projects for everyone from those with a casual interest to serious astronomers. A free shuttle will run from the Oasis Visitor Center to Sky's the Limit, Friday and Saturday evening.
Filed in Colorado News |