Geauga Park District’s Observatory Park in Montville Township is open daily 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. now through Memorial Day, then 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. through Labor Day, and naturalists including “Astro-Nat” Chris Mentrek are eager to show you around your International Dark Sky Park this winter!
If you think you can stay up late into the night to experience an epic natural phenomenon, mark your calendar to join us at Observatory Park on Thursday, March 13, between 11:30 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. to experience a total eclipse of the moon! Together we’ll watch as Earth’s shadow creeps in to cover the moon during this rare event beginning just before midnight, with the maximum eclipse early Friday morning around 2:25 a.m.
Perhaps these two Sunday drop-in programs will also pique your interest: bring in your telescope to learn the basics of setting it up and using it on January 26 between 4 and 5 p.m. and/or enjoy a history-centric tour of the Nassau Astronomical Station on March 30 between 4 and 6 p.m.
Want to sample a variety of park telescopes? Walk-up guided night sky viewing is scheduled these Fridays starting at 8 p.m. and Saturday starting at 7 p.m. till 11 p.m.: January 24 and 25, February 7 and 8, February 21 and 22, and March 28 and 29. If cloudy, enjoy a planetarium show instead.
Just north at 10350 Clay Street, members of the Chagrin Valley Astronomical Society will also host their quarterly walk-up night sky viewing at Nassau Astronomical Station these Saturdays from 7 to 11 p.m.: January 18 and February 15. Nassau nights are cancelled by clouds, though, so watch our website and social media before coming out.
A naturalist-led hike during the full Crow Moon is scheduled for Wednesday, February 12, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., and Friday evening astronomy programs are January 24 (Radio Astronomy held virtually, so register to receive the link), February 7 (How to Spot a Meteorite held in person, followed by weather-dependent night sky viewing) and March 28 (Ice Moons held virtually, so register to receive the link).
To explore constellations this season, young people ages 3 to 5 with an adult can sign up for Astrotots on Friday or Saturday, March 21 and 22. Scout Days will also be held in the park for Tiger Cub Scouts the evenings of Tuesday, February 4 (Sky is the Limit Adventure), and Cadette Girl Scouts on Thursday, February 6 (Night Owl Badge).
And finally, “Astro-Nat” Chris presents his famous Sky Tonight Planetarium Shows inside the Robert McCullough Science Center on Sundays, January 26 and March 30, at 2 p.m., as well as Tuesday, March 25, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in honor of spring break!
For those programs requiring it (all virtual, Astrotots and Scout Day programs), register today at www.geaugaparkdistrict.org under Programs & Events, then filter by program type Astronomy. Also please check the website before coming out in case of changes or cancellations, and don’t forget that our mobile-friendly website is also available 24/7 to learn more about Observatory Park, its features and its trails totaling almost four miles. By all means, enjoy!
For more on Geauga Park District offerings, please call 440-286-9516 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. or visit Geauga Park District online via www.geaugaparkdistrict.org, Facebook, X, Instagram or YouTube.
