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 7PM 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. Jupiter, the king of planets, will be high in the southwest sky with a beautiful moon near by. We may even get a glimpse of Venus as it follows the Sun on it's journey. 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.

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 a list of all events at Bong Recreational Area: https://bongnaturalistassociation.org/events/

Night time viewing events are typically held at Parking lot F. https://maps.app.goo.gl/QWhf22Tif8eRDojU7