Night Skies Program and Star Gazing at Mt Rainier-Paradise this Friday

Contact: Curt Jacquot, West Area Interpreter, (360) 569-2211 ext. 6577

Star Party and Night Skies Program at Paradise: 9:00 PM, Friday July 22,
2011

Families and individuals of all ages are invited to the Paradise area of
Mount Rainier National Park for a special program on Friday, July 22..  The
event starts at 9:00 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 9:45 PM there will be outdoor star gazing in front of the Paradise
Jackson Visitor Center with Tacoma Astronomical Society (TAS) volunteers
and their telescopes. Astronomy Society volunteers will also assist  with
special children's astronomy activities.  All ages will be able 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 6577.

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-