Experience “out of this world” activities at the Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival
By Brendan Gwynn
Launching a rocket might sound like a lofty summer goal, but those who attend the 18th annual Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival will be able to do just that. The four-day festival takes place in Bryce Canyon City and Bryce Canyon National Park June 13–16. Guests will be able to experience the diversity of the night sky by participating in a variety of memorable activities, including stargazing through telescopes and launching rockets.
“Bryce Canyon National Park hosts the third darkest skies in North America,” said Todd Cullings, supervisory interpretive park ranger at Bryce Canyon National Park. “Interpretive program attendance at the park over the last five years truly reveals the public’s appetite to discover unparalleled darkness and the beauty of the Milky Way Galaxy.”
Each day of the festival, attendees can participate in stargazing from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Stargazing during the event is not only enhanced by reduced light pollution in Bryce Canyon but also by telescopes provided by the Salt Lake Astronomical Society, the University of Utah, and Bryce Canyon’s Astronomy Rangers. The rangers will also offer constellation tours during the stargazing timeframe. Guests will be able to view binary stars, nebulae, galaxies, and clusters.
“People love visiting Bryce Canyon for its unique rock formations and beautiful views,” said Falyn Owens, executive director of Garfield County Office of Tourism. “These stunning sites are definitely worth seeing, but the views of the dark skies are just as notable. After all, Bryce Canyon offers some of the best stargazing in the world.”
In addition to rocket launching and stargazing, guests will have daily opportunities to look at the sun through a special telescope, attend a half-mile scaled walk of the solar system, and experience the solar system within an inflatable starlab. The festival also features special presentations from park rangers and Morehead Planetarium educator Dr. Amy Sayle.
On June 16 at 9 p.m., NASA astronomer Dr. Michelle Thaller will deliver her keynote presentation. Thaller has been featured on the Discovery Channel television series “How the Universe Works” and has also given two TEDx Talks on dark matter. Tickets to the presentation are $3 per person or $10 per family.
For more information about the Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival, including a complete list and schedule of activities, visit nps.gov/brca/planyourvisit/astrofest.htm. To learn about other activities around Bryce Canyon, visit brycecanyoncountry.com.
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