Star Gaze 1 & 2
June 19 and August 21 at Lincoln Ridge Park

Each year, Kenton County Parks & Recreation, Cincinnati Observatory Center, and the Midwestern Astronomers present at least one Star Gaze for amateur and professional astronomers and all other interested participants at Lincoln Ridge Park. The programs are free. Come out and see the stars!

KCP&R will offer two Star Gazes this year, June 19 and August 21. Each is free to attend. Both Star Gazes will include a one-hour or so indoor presentation ~ rain or shine ~ followed by outdoor use of telescopes (weather-permitting). We may even get to use ‘Peeps’! Peeps is the telescope Tom East won (and then donated to Kenton County Parks) in 2009 for the proposal he submitted in the Cincinnati Observatory’s 40 Galileos Project!

A computer-generated astronomical lecture will be presented indoors in the Kenton County Public Works Administration building, with starting time 8:30 pm and 7:30 pm, respectively. A C.O.C. or Midwestern Astronomers volunteer will explain the principal viewing targets for that night and explain what we can expect to see in the night sky.

And then, assuming clear skies, we’ll move outdoors. No matter the principal targets, we will also be viewing constellations, stars, double stars, star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies.

On June 19, it’s ‘Short Nights, a Big Moon, and Three Very Interesting Planets’, as Steve Rismiller will present a short talk on why the nights are so short in the summer. The indoor program will begin at 8:30 pm. Then Mr. Rismiller will give us a preview tour of the Moon, Venus, Mars, and Saturn. At 9:30 pm, weather permitting, join Steve and others from the Cincinnati Observatory and the Midwestern Astronomers at the telescopes outside and up by the shelterhouses to explore the Moon, find Saturn and Mars, and glimpse Venus as it sets.

On Saturday, August 21, Jeff Hutton will present  ‘A Tale of Two Telescopes’ beginning at 8:00 pm, followed by the star gaze at 9:00 p.m. Here’s Jeff's program description:

Two men of the 19th century shared a vision. Both wanted to explore the stars. Both wanted to use the largest telescopes of their time. Both altered forever the course of astronomy. One was an inventor whose invention you use each time you turn on a light and the other invented GPS and became a general in the Civil War. Both men were amateurs. Find out who these men were and their amazing connections on August 21 at 8:00 pm.

Volunteers from Friends of the Observatory Center and the Midwestern Astronomers will provide telescopes and expertise in the field, describe observations, answer questions, and help open our eyes to the wonder of the universe. Who knows what the night sky will reveal? We welcome you to bring your telescope and binoculars.

Come on out to Lincoln Ridge Park and discover another world of wonder!

Lincoln Ridge Park is easy to find. The address is 420 Independence Station Rd., Independence. From I-75, take the Florence/Union exit. Go east to the 2nd stop light at Industrial Road. Turn right and go to 1303/Turkeyfoot Road. Turn right and go one-half mile to Independence Station Road (just past the Sunoco Food Mart). Turn left and go two miles to the park. The park will be on your left. Turn left again as you enter the park and go to the first building. Or, from I-275, take the Turkeyfoot Road exit and go south about six miles to Independence Station Road. Turn left and go two miles to the park. Turn left again as you enter the park and go to the first building.

For more information about Kenton County Parks & Recreation Star Gaze 1 or Star Gaze 2, call (859) 525-PLAY (7529).

The Cincinnati Observatory Center is the birthplace of American Astronomy and has the honor of being the nation’s first professional observatory. In 1843, President John Quincy Adams laid the Observatory’s foundation stone. A national historic landmark, the Observatory Center is located at 3489 Observatory Place and houses a collection of artifacts illustrating the history of the science and applications of astronomy. There is always something “out of this world” going on there! For the Observatory program schedule, including Community Outreach, call (513) 321-5186 or visit their website at http://www.cincinnatiobservatory.org.

For news of upcoming programs, activities, and events to be held in Kenton County's parks, call the Parks & Recreation office at (859) 525-PLAY (7529). Ask about signing up for a once-a-week e-mail update of What’s Happening in Kenton County’s parks.