Astronomy Night

As Summer of 2018 approaches, so too does the parade of planets in the night sky! Venus leads the way, visible until almost 10pm! And just as Venus is setting, Jupiter majestically rises in the East at its largest and brightest. Although we are saying goodnight to Orion the Hunter, more constellations are coming into view with a host of great deep sky nebulae, start clusters, and galaxies to see.

Please join us on Saturday May 12th for a special Hobbs State Park Star Party co-hosted by Sugar Creek Astronomical Society and the Photographic Society of NWA. We will start off the night with lectures at 7:30 and followed by a Star Party where you will be able to look through telescopes and practice dark sky photography.

Tim Johnson of the Photographic Society of NWA (PSNWA) will kick off our evening with a presentation on Night Photography. Tim will share some of the equipment used, techniques, and share some amazing examples of the kind of photographs of the night sky that can be achieved. Following the lecture, we encourage you to take your own night sky photographs during the Star Party.

Next, Rick Marshall of Sugar Creek Astronomical Society will give a presentation on the king of the planets, Jupiter. Rick will cover some facts about the largest planet in our solar system, the history of human investigation of Jupiter and its moons, and then he will cover what to expect when looking at Jupiter during the Star Party.

What to Bring if you can:
– Camera and a Tripod for Night Sky Photography
– Flashlight (covered with a red cloth or red balloon)
– Binoculars and/or telescope (if you have)
– Folding chair – one per person
– Star chart (if you have one)

Where & When:
– Hobbs State Park Visitor Center
– Located on Hwy 12 just east of the Hwy 12/War Eagle Road intersection.
– Saturday May 12th 2018
– 7:30 pm Lecture, 8:30 for Star Party
– Cost: Free

Photographic Society of NWA’s Facebook Group is https://www.facebook.com/groups/PSNWAnature/ and their website is https://www.psnwa.org/ws/. Sugar Creek Astronomical Society’s Facebook Group is https://www.facebook.com/groups/143382315673668/