Autumn Stargazing: Blue Ridge Parkway

This is the kind of great stargazing you'll get in September at a variety of events in the Southern Appalachians. Tonight, there's a great event on Purchase Knob at the Great Smokies' Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center. Tomorrow, Mount Mitchell, East's highest peak, is the place to train telescopes on the sky. And there's another event September 14th at Craggy Dome, also reached on the Blue Ridge Parkway (like Mount Mitchell). There's still time to attend the later events. Read this article and make your plans.

There’s a new event just scheduled for Saturday, September 15 in Cades Cove in the Smokies. Beginning at 8:00 p.m. Great Smoky Mountains National Park will offer a 2 ½-hour stargazing program in cooperation with the Smoky Mountains Astronomical Society. Experienced astronomers and numerous telescopes will be on hand.

In case of rain or cloud cover where night skies are not visible, the program will be cancelled. For further information, or if there is any uncertainty about whether the event will occur because of weather conditions, call 865/448-4104 the day of the event for its status.