After a two-year absence, the popular Astronomy in the Park program is coming back to Porpoise Bay Provincial Park in Sechelt on Saturday, Aug. 11 from 1 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Hosted by the Sunshine Coast Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, the event will feature club telescopes, an information booth with membership information, displays and astronomy-related giveaways.
The first “star” of the day will be the sun, and with the club’s safe solar telescopes, participants will be able to look for fiery prominences and sunspots. Club members will be on hand with telescopes all afternoon and into the night to answer questions and show off the wonders of our universe.
Bill Burnyeat, formerly of the MacMillan Planetarium, will be doing a presentation in the park amphitheatre at dusk. Afterwards the club’s astronomers will have their telescopes in the park picnic area for viewing Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and countless other celestial objects, while overhead the Perseid meteor shower takes place. With clear skies and a new moon, participants should be able to see constellations, star clusters and nebulae. It’s the best show on earth – and it’s absolutely free.
Remember to bring a flashlight with a red light to preserve night vision.
The festival is a free, family event open to the public, organized by volunteers, and made possible by Porpoise Bay Provincial Park. Please respect all park rules. Weather permitting. Also check the club’s website at www.coastastronomy.ca
– Submitted
