Summer has arrived and the time has come for beach days, long nights and family fun.
NASA has found an exciting way of combining these three things through its Astronomy and Night Sky Summer Series on Assateague Island, Virginia, Thursday, July 14th.
The public event starts with an Astronomy 101 presentation at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge Herbert H. Bateman Education Center Auditorium at 7:30 PM. Following this, from 8:45 to 9:45 PM, participants will have the unique opportunity of observing the night sky through telescopes and binoculars located at the north end of beach parking lot #1.
Participants will take a closer look into our vast universe through observations of Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Earth’s Moon, clusters and galaxies. The series will continue on July 21 and August 12. The Perseid meteor shower will be the focus of the event on August 12, when it is at its peak.
“It is truly a wonderful experience for people of all ages.” says Kim Check, manager of the Visitor Center, “With a turnout of over 4000 people for last year’s series, we hope that this number will only continue to grow.”
The Astronomy 101 presentation will take place regardless of weather; however, the telescope viewing is subject to cancellation due to inclement weather. Park entrance fees apply.
This series is a collaboration between Assateague Island National Seashore, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Delmarva Space Sciences Foundation, and the NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center.
The NASA Visitor Center, located on Va. Rt. 175 about six miles from U.S. route 13 and five miles from Chincoteague, is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
For more information about the Astronomy and Night Sky Summer Series or the Visitor Center, call 757-824-1344 or visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/visitorcenter
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Rebecca Hudson
NASA Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia
757-824-1139
rebecca.s.hudson@nasa.gov