The public is invited to take a break from looking down playing games on the cell phone and spend the evening looking up at the night sky during the Astronomy and Night Sky Summer Series, at Assateague Island, Virginia, Thursday, July 21.
The 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 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 final night in the series will be held August 12. The Perseid meteor shower will be the focus of the event on Aug. 12, when it is at its peak.
“Our first astronomy night July 14 went extremely well,” said Kim Check, Visitor Center manager. “We had a turnout of over 850 people! We hope that the turnout for the second night in the series will be even bigger.”
The event is free and open to the public. 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 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 AM to 4 PM. 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
Rebecca Hudson
NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia
757-284-1139
rebecca.s.hudson@nasa.gov