Description

Various events are scheduled in the early afternoon and that night related to our universe and the night sky. See the sun with a special telescope and walk the Solar System to see the planets on out scale model. Then, that night bring your own telescope and learn how to use it, and later take a look through the telescopes and binoculars to see the night sky. 

Join us for a day of fun and learning in and around the visitor center. Starting at 1PM we will have telescopes available to see the Sun up close. for the next 2 hours there will be demonstrations and presentations on various aspects of astronomy. Find out what stars are made of and how they work. Find out how many different types of stars and planets are out there. See how much you weigh and how high you can jump on different planets. Take a walk on our scale model of the Solar System to see just how big and amazing it is. We've shrunk everything down so that you don't have to travel 2.5 billion miles to see Neptune! 🙂 

Then, starting at 6PM at Parking lot F we will have some time to learn how to set up and use a telescope. If you have a telescope and want to learn how to use it this is the place to be. Our volunteer astronomers will be on hand to assist you and answer questions. We will also have some time to learn about how to find things in the night sky. Grab that new telescope you just got or that dusty old thing sitting in the attic and bring it out to find out how much fun they are. 

Finally, as the Sun sets and the sky darkens, we will have telescopes and binoculars available for everyone to see the amazing night sky. Stars, clusters, galaxies will all be there to see while our volunteer guides to the night sky point these out and tell the tales of heroes and villains visible in the night sky. It's also International Observe the Moon Night! A world-wide celebration of our Moon sponsored by the Night Sky Network and NASA/JPL. 

Join us here at Bong to see the Moon and learn how it affects us. This is our third year at Bong and are honored to be one of hundreds of sites around the globe bringing this event live to thousands of people. Please join us and bring a friend. 

A current state park sticker for each vehicle is required and carpooling is encouraged. 

To enable better viewing of the night sky we ask that all white lights be turned off and any other forms of light including cell phones be kept to a minimum and use dark mode when possible. Please note that this event is outside and weather dependent. Dress for possible cold temperatures with multiple layers of clothing for warmth as temperatures drop quickly at night. This event may be cancelled because of inclement weather which includes snow, rain, significant cloud cover, or extreme temperatures. 

FOR MORE DETAILS: https://science.nasa.gov/moon/observe-the-moon-night/

Bong location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/QWhf22Tif8eRDojU7

Bong Event page: https://bongnaturalistassociation.org/event/astronomy-annual-event-fall-astronomy-day-solar-observation-1-300-pm-nasa-international-observe-the-moon-night-night-skies-observation-6-1000-pm