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Star Parties This Weekend At Death Valley National Park, Santa Monica Mountains NRA

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Published Date

January 25, 2017

Star shows are on the calendar for this weekend in both Death Valley National Park and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in California.

At Death Valley on Friday and Saturday, the Las Vegas Astronomical Society and the park will host a night sky program. LVAS members, park rangers, and guest astronomers will bring telescopes for the public to view night sky features such as Venus, constellations in the Winter Circle, the Orion Nebula, and other star clusters, galaxies, and nebulae.

Parking is available in the golf course parking area at the Furnace Creek Resort in Death Valley. Signs and red path lights will guide pedestrians to the observing area. Visitors are asked to minimize the use of white flashlights; red cellophane will be provided to cover white lights in order to protect observers’ night vision. Visitors should dress appropriately for the weather.

There will be an opportunity to view features of the sun through a solar scope in front of the General Store at Furnace Creek Resort from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Death Valley National Park is the largest International Dark Sky Park in the world, designated by the International Dark Sky Association.

Friday, January 27

  • Twilight–10 p.m.: Star Party telescope viewing
  • 8-8:30 p.m.: Laser-guided tour of night sky features visible to the naked eye

Saturday, January 28

  • 10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Solar observing in front of the General Store
  • Twilight–10 p.m. – Star Party telescope viewing
  • 8- 8:30 p.m. – Laser-guided tour of night sky features visible to the naked eye

Over at Santa Monica Mountains, the National Park Service, in partnership with the Ventura County Astronomical Society, will host its annual Winter Star Party at Paramount Ranch in Agoura on Saturday, January 28, from 6 to 9 p.m.

In addition to sky party favorites such as kids activities and viewing night sky objects through numerous high-powered telescopes, Dr. Tyler Nordgren will give a presentation about astronomy in national parks. Dr. Nordgren, a professor of physics and astronomy at University of Redlands, is well-known for his retro-style posters of national parks in the dark. His work has been featured by media such as Wired magazine and National Public Radio.

Dr. Nordgren is also working on a night sky poster featuring Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. A recent study found that light pollution produced within the recreation area, although high, remained relatively steady between 1992 and 2012. Tips on reducing light pollution are available on the website from the Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division of the National Park Service.

The full schedule for the evening is:

  • 6–8 p.m.: Kid’s activities
  • 6:30–7:15 p.m.: Stars Above, Earth Below: Astronomy in the National Parks, Dr. Tyler Nordgren
  • 7:15–9 p.m.: Telescope viewing

Paramount Ranch is located at 2903 Cornell Road, Agoura, CA, 91301.

Rain will cancel the telescope viewing but will not cancel Dr. Nordgren’s talk or kids activities, which will be located under a covered pavilion.

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