Adult Field Course: Grandfather's Starry Skies

About this event

This event is SOLD OUT. October is one of the best times of year to be stargazing at Grandfather Mountain. The air is cool and clear, and the summer constellations are still very prominent, with some early winter sights making their appearance later in the evening. This course also takes place during the time of the Orionid meteor shower, so hopefully some of these celestial fireworks will grace our skies during our nighttime observing. Stephan Martin has been a stargazer since he was very young growing up under dark skies of South Florida. Steve is also an astronomer, educator and author who has taught astronomy and physics at colleges, universities and learning centers across the US and internationally for over thirty-five years. He has worked as an instrument specialist for the Hubble Space Telescope and as Observatory Supervisor at Williams College, where he participated in scientific research expeditions around the world to study the dynamics of the solar corona during solar eclipses. Join Martin to create a familiarity with the night sky and learn the basics of stargazing that can be applied on your own on any clear night throughout the year. The course begins in the classroom and transitions to various viewing locations on the mountain, practicing stargazing skills while looking for meteors and learning about some of the most prominent stars, constellations and other objects visible this time of year. The moon will be near first-quarter which makes for a wonderful time to study its many craters, rays, seas and other features. Program Itinerary 5 p.m. – Meet at the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery and Introductions 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. – Classroom learning about the night sky and the use of astronomy resources 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. – Evening observing with the program concluding at the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery Tickets This event costs $60 for general admission and $51 for members of Grandfather Mountain’s Bridge Club – plus tax. Registration…

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