Bays Mountain Park To Host Astronomy Day
Learn about all things astronomy at Bays Mountain Park! On Saturday, April 21st from 1 p.m. until 10 p.m., Bays Mountain Park and the Bays Mountain Astronomy Club will celebrate International Astronomy Day with displays, activities and planetarium shows.
Spend an exciting and informative day learning about the science and hobby of astronomy. Check out displays about astronomy, telescopes and education in astronomy. Take advantage of the free solar viewing program, SunWatch, where visitors will be able to safely observe sunspots and other features of the Sun through specially filtered high-powered telescopes.
The evening’s activities will begin at 8:30 p.m. with the StarWatch program. Take in the wonderful views of Venus, the Moon and distant galaxies. These views and more will be seen at the Bays Mountain Observatory. A live presentation about what is in the current, night sky will take place in the Planetarium if the weather does not cooperate.
Schedule of Events:
- 1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Displays, Demonstrations & Information
- Located at the walkway in front of Nature Center (Inside Nature Center, if raining.)
- 3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. SunWatch Solar Viewing
- Located at the dam.
- 8:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. StarWatch Nighttime Viewing
- Located at the observatory.
Visitors can also enjoy a planetarium show during Astronomy Day. Out There – The Quest for Extrasolar Worlds is the main feature and A Part of the Sky Called Orion is the alternative feature for the month of April. The main feature will show at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and the alternative feature will show at 2 p.m. Planetarium show tickets are $5.00 per person. Children ages 5 and younger receive free admission with a paying adult.
All non-planetarium astronomy-related activities are free and family-friendly. For more information about Bays Mountain Park, please visit baysmountain.com or call 423-229-9447.
