Capitol Reef National Park and the Entrada Institute are partnering later this month for the annual Heritage Starfest. The weekend will be full of special events, guest speakers, stargazing, telescope viewing, storytelling, and more.
The dark skies of Wayne County and Capitol Reef are some of the darkest in the nation, allowing visitors from around the world to enjoy pristine skies full of stars, constellations, and the Milky Way. This event celebrates these precious resources and humanity's connection to the night skies.
Friday, September 19 - Capitol Reef National Park
- 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm. Daytime astronomy program at Ripple Rock Nature Center
- 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Evening program with guest speaker John Barantine, astronomer from the International Dark Skies Association at the campground amphitheater
- 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Stargazing at the campground amphitheater with local and regional astronomers.
- 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm. Evening program with John Barantine, astronomer from the International Dark Skies Association.
- 8:30 pm and beyond. Stargazing behind the bookstore.
Comments
I am very encouraged to see so many units of the national park system promoting the "other half" of their park. This looks like an excellent event, featuring day and night-time astronomy, made possible by NPS partnering with volunteers comprised of professional and amateur astronomers, and the Entrada Institute. I'm glad this "star show" is open and free to the public.