Join a Virtual Star Party with Bays Mountain Park
You can still go outside. And so can astronomers across the state! Enjoy the night sky through their telescopes on Friday, July 24, as they share their views of the sky from Kingsport to Memphis during the Tennessee Virtual Star Party.
Tune in to a YouTube Live video feed from 9:30 to 11:30 p.m. for this free virtual event. Led by Warner Park Nature Center in Nashville, the Star Party is a cooperative effort from observing sites across the state to show off what our Tennessee skies have to offer.
Each astronomer on the panel will focus on a different celestial object—from the Moon, to Jupiter, to Saturn, and even nebulae and galaxies. Bays Mountain Park’s planetarium director, Adam Thanz, will take a look at two of our Solar System neighbors, Jupiter and Saturn.
To watch the program, visit the Warner Park Nature Center YouTube channel on July 24 (https://bit.ly/TNStarParty). Viewers will also have the chance to submit comments and questions to the astronomers during the livestream.
The Tennessee Virtual Star Party’s astronomer line-up includes the following:
- John Kramer, Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society, Nashville
- Adam Thanz, Bays Mountain Park Planetarium Director, Kingsport
- Theo Wellington, Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society, Nashville
- Mary Kidd, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville
- Steve Robinson, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville
- Billy Teets, Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory, Nashville
- Dave Maness, Pink Palace, Memphis
While you’re getting excited for the Tennessee Virtual Star Party, head out into your own backyard to get a look at Comet NEOWISE! This comet is currently visible in the evening skies in East Tennessee—all you need are your eyes if the sky is dark, or a pair of binoculars for dark or dim skies. Visit https://bit.ly/Comet_NEOWISE for a video from Adam Thanz about the comet and how to view it.
For more information on Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium, please visit baysmountain.com or call (423)229-9447.