Ever see the rings of Saturn?
The rings as wells as hundreds of other astronomical wonders will there for the asking at the fourth anual Great Basin National Park Astronomy Festival. Over 30 telescopes, some as tall as 20 feet, operated by expert astronomical volunteers will be trained on the night sky and focused on including planets, galaxies and nebulae. Kids will enjoy earning their Deep Space Certificate (and a Milky Way candy bar) from the Dark Rangers and making special glow-in-the-sun solar bracelets.
This years starfest will take place September 5-7. Join park rangers and experience out of this world family fun, excitement, and learn about day and nighttime astronomy. Great Basin National Park boasts some of the best air quality in the nation which translates to clear daytime skies, and incredibly dark night skies.
There will be many telescopes of different makes, shapes, and sizes for visitors to look at the sun, stars, planets and other deep sky objects including nebulae and galaxies.
And the fun doesn’t just begin at night. During the day visitors can view the sun through safe solar telescopes. There will also be an ‘Astronomy 101’ presentation which gives a foundation for objects seen in the night sky.
As an added treat the park rangers present their night sky themed talents at the Ranger Talent Show. Then top off each night with viewing through over 30 telescopes, some as tall as 20 feet, with our expert astronomical volunteers at our Star Gazing session – see the highlights of the night sky – including planets and galaxies! Kids will enjoy earning their Deep Space Certificate (and a Milky Way candy bar) from the Dark Rangers and making special glow-in-the-sun solar bracelets.
Great Basin National Park is excited to announce famed night sky photographer Wally Pacholka as the 2013 Astronomy Festival Keynote Speaker.
Wally Pacholka was an accountant by day, but it’s his moonlighting “job” where he’s always shined. He’s aglow in winning national awards for his pictures, lofty kudos for being in the right place in the middle of nowhere in the dead of night. Pacholka shoots celestial events – comets, close visits by other planets, meteor showers and the occasional Milky Way cluster – with our national parks and other down-to-earth scenery gracing the foregrounds of his frames. National Geographic also has used several of his shots, and NASA has shown more than two dozen of his images, including 22 of them as the “Astronomy Picture of the Day” on its Web site.
His current project is blazing around the West’s bevy of beautiful national parks for some late-night sky collaborations with the stars. He’s done the Great Basin, Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Arches and others. Next up are Yosemite and Yellowstone.
Wally’s photgraphs can be viewed and ordered at his website AstroPics.
Where is the Great Basin National Park? I assume that’s where it’s held at? I didn’t see that info or maybe I missed it?