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Astronomers To Provide Free Telescope Viewing At Grand Canyon National Park

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During the day, visitors to Grand Canyon National Park look down into the vast, colorful chasm. At night, however, the park is an ideal location to look up and take in the night sky. The 26th annual Grand Canyon Star Party will be held June 4-11 on the South and North rims of the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

Astronomers and rangers will present free slide programs, and numerous telescopes brought in by volunteers will offer views of Jupiter, Saturn and Mars, as well as double stars, star clusters, nebulae, and distant galaxies. By day, keep an eye out for solar telescopes pointed at the sun.

On the South Rim, events include a nightly slide show at 8 p.m. in the theater of the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, followed by free telescope viewing behind the building. Green-laser Constellation Tours will be offered at 9, 9:30 and 10 p.m. Park in Lots 1 through 4 (use Lot 4 for accessible parking) or arrive by the free Village Route shuttle bus, which runs until 11 p.m. To guarantee a seat at the slide show, arrive early; doors open at 7:40 p.m. Telescope viewing, best after 9 p.m., continues well into the night and visitors may arrive any time after dark. A flashlight is recommended for the walk to the viewing area, but white lights are not permitted on the Telescope Lot. Give your eyes time to dark-adapt, or use a red flashlight, easily made by covering any flashlight with red cellophane, nail polish, or permanent marker.

On the North Rim, astronomers will set up telescopes on the terrace of the Grand Canyon Lodge every evening. Astronomers will also use green lasers to point out constellations. An astronomy slide show will be presented at 8:30 p.m. nightly in the lodge auditorium. By day, look for solar telescopes on the terrace and elsewhere. Check the visitor center and park bulletin boards for program topics and additional details.

Although many telescopes come down after 11 p.m., on nights with clear, calm skies, some astronomers continue sharing their telescopes later into the evening. Expect cool nighttime temperatures on both rims, even in summer, so attendees are encouraged to bring warm layers of clothing.

This year’s Star Party honors Joe Orr, a Star Party enthusiast and protector of Grand Canyon’s skies who died in 2013. The event is sponsored by the National Park Service, the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (South Rim), and the Saguaro Astronomy Club of Phoenix (North Rim), with funding from the Grand Canyon Association and in partnership with the International Dark-Sky Association.

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