Star Party and Night Skies Program at Paradise: 8:00 PM, October 2, 2010

The Tacoma Astronomical Society will be back for the second time this year as volunteers to lead a special astronomy program at Paradise! Let's all hope for clear weather!

September 27, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Curt Jacquot, West Area Interpreter, (360) 569-2211 ext. 6426

Families and individuals of all ages are invited to the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park for a special program on Saturday October 2. The event starts at 8:00 PM in the lobby of the Paradise Inn with a short presentation about the National Park Service “Night Skies” program. The National Park Service has come to embrace night skies as one of the many scenic vistas the agency is a steward of. It is essential to keeping a park whole and touches on almost every aspect that is important to us - from sustainability to stargazers, and animals to ancient ruins. At 8:30 PM there will be outdoor star gazing with Tacoma Astronomical Society (TAS) volunteers and their telescopes. Volunteers will also assist visitors to make astronomy devices called star finders.

If weather makes star gazing difficult, the party will move inside the Paradise Inn lobby for star finder making and a 45-minute film about the Milky Way galaxy.

If you have questions please contact Park Ranger Curt Jacquot at (360) 569-2211, extension 6426.

Information about the Tacoma Astronomy Society is found online at: http://www.tas-online.org/

General park information is available at www.nps.gov/mora or by calling 360-569-2211.

-NPS-