Geauga Park District’s Observatory Park is open daily 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. in Montville Township, and Naturalist (“Astro-Nat”) Chris Mentrek is eager to show you around this International Dark Sky Park during the following special programs all season long.
Observatory Park’s historic Nassau Astronomical Station at 10350 Clay Street, which opened in August 2017 for night sky viewing through one of the largest public telescopes in the state, will host Nassau Night Sky Viewings these Saturdays, 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.: January 12th and 26th, February 9th and 23rd, and March 9th and 23rd. If conditions aren’t favorable, enjoy a planetarium show at the Robert McCullough Science Center instead. Members of the Chagrin Valley Astronomical Society will also host Nassau Astronomy Nights with CVAS these Saturdays, 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.: January 19th, February 16th and March 16th.
Back at the main campus at 10610 Clay Street, enjoy full moon programs on Tuesday, February 19th, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (The Young Bear Moon) and Wednesday, March 20, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (The Worm Moon).
Enrich your January with a special middle-of-the-night total lunar eclipse on Sunday, January 20th! From 11:00 p.m. to 3:30 a.m., with the most dramatic portion occurring the first hour, we’ll be bundled up and using park telescopes for a glimpse of Earth’s shadow completely darkening the moon. Cloudy skies will cancel this program; if the forecast is questionable, please call 440-286-9516 that day between 10:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to learn whether it’s still on.
Do you have a telescope that’s just gathering dust? Bring it in! We’ll be delighted to help you get the most enjoyable astronomy experience out of your equipment and offer a few maintenance tips during Bring In Your Telescope on Saturday, January 26th, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Young people can anticipate quality astronomy-themed fun when they are registered for Astrotots: The Right Stuff (Ages 3-5 w/adult), offered on Friday, January 18th, and Saturday, January 19th; or Nature Explorers: Space Explorers (Ages 6-7 & 8-11, drop-off), offered on Monday, February 18th.
Hands-on astronomy education will be offered during hour-long programs these Fridays, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.: January 11th and 25th (NASA’s Ultima Thule Space Probe), February 8th and 22th (Make a Star Finder), and March 8th and 22th (Black Holes), followed by night sky until 11:00 p.m. if weather permits.
And last but not least, “Astro-Nat” Chris will host open houses of the Robert McCullough Science Center and Oberle Observatory these Sundays, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., all featuring his famous Sky Tonight Planetarium Show at 2:00 p.m.: January 13th and 27th, February 10th and 24th, and March 10th and 24th.
Registration is required for both youth programs at Geauga Park District or 440-286-9516. All other programs at this park this season are open to all without registration. You can learn more about Observatory Park any time of day or night online at Geauga Park District.
For more on Geauga Park District offerings, please call 440-286-9516 or visit Geauga Park District online via Geauga Park District, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube.
