Sky and Telescope - May 2012 - (Page 28)

Astro Tourism GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK MESA ARCH, CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK Carved by the Colorado River over millions of years, the Grand Canyon (in northern Arizona) is one of Earth’s greatest natural wonders. About 5 million tourists visit the park each year. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR UNLESS OTHERWISE CREDITED H OW YO U C A N H E L P If you’re an astronomer and want to reach out to visitors in a national park, contact the park and ask if a ranger gives evening programs. Oﬀer to volunteer time with your telescope, or present astronomical information as a scientiﬁc resource. And since astronomy programs generally occur after typical business hours when many park administrators have gone home, the next time you enjoy the night sky at a park, drop by the visitor center the next day and let the staﬀ know how much you valued the star-ﬁlled sky. You’ll raise the proﬁle of astronomy and ensure that the night sky continues to be a resource protected for future generations. Dome and Yosemite Valley (see page 6). In Rocky Mountain National Park, near Boulder, Colorado, the local Estes Valley Astronomical Society has teamed up with park rangers to install permanent polar-aligned telescope piers in the Upper Beaver Meadows picnic area. These piers are pre-drilled for most standard Meade or Celestron telescopes and are free to use on a ﬁrst-come, ﬁrst-served basis. Just bring your own telescope and screws. In addition to nightly astronomy programs, an increasing number of parks have begun to host multi-night astronomy festivals. I’m here in Great Basin for its second annual Night Sky Festival, where amateurs from the Las Vegas and Salt Lake Astronomical Societies have driven four hours to set up telescopes for visitors. During the day, a series of “Astro 101” sessions teach visitors where we ﬁt into the universe and what they can expect to see at night. In addition, the Nevada Arts Council has helped bring a couple of writers to the park for readings on the beauty of the night sky. One such author is Paul Bogard, editor of an anthology of night-sky essays titled Let There Be Night: Testimony on Behalf of the Dark. Once the Sun sets, the park hosts a series of speakers, followed by guided trips to the telescope ﬁeld for stargazing. For a few nights each year, 28 May 2012 sky & telescope

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sky and Telescope - May 2012

Sky and Telescope - May 2012
Table of Contents
Spectrum
Letters
75, 50 & 25 Years Ago
News Notes
Saturn’s Raging Superstorm
Stars Above, Earth Below: Astronomy in National Parks
The Remarkable Case of Comet Lovejoy
In This Section
May’s Sky at a Glance
Binocular Highlight
Planetary Almanac
Northern Hemisphere’s Sky
Sun, Moon, and Planets
Celestial Calendar
Exploring the Solar System
Deep-Sky Wonders
Going Deep
S&T Test Report
New Product Showcase
Telescope Workshop
Planetary Imaging with Your DSLR Camera
Gallery
Focal Point

Sky and Telescope - May 2012