One of the nation’s largest city-owned parks with 3,550 acres, Kingsport's Bays Mountain Park features 36 miles of hiking trails, wildlife habitats, fun exhibits, a 44-acre lake, trails for mountain biking and much, much more.
Nearly two months ago, Bays Mountain Park celebrated the re-opening of its planetarium following a total renovation. On Saturday, May 2, officials at Bays Mountain Park and the Bays Mountain Astronomy Club will join the rest of the world in celebrating Astronomy Day providing an event full of free astronomy related programs and activities.
Astronomy Day is an international celebration of the science and hobby of astronomy that began in California in 1973 as a grass roots effort designed to bring the joy of astronomy to the general public. This year’s edition of Astronomy Day also comes during the International Year of Astronomy (IYA), an event celebrating 400 years of telescopic discovery starting with the Italian scientist Galileo Galilei. While Galileo did not invent the telescope, he was the first to point a telescope to the night sky and discover many things such as the planets being worlds instead of the magical, moving stars observers once thought them to be; the moon having craters instead of being smooth; and there being more stars than only our naked eye can see, and other discoveries that helped shape the study of our night sky.
“While we are excited to once again be part of an important, internationally recognized effort in Astronomy Day, we are just as elated to bring such a high quality of astronomical observance to our visitors as supported by our renovated planetarium and complimented by our existing telescopes,” said Adam Thanz, Bays Mountain Park’s planetarium director. “We can share with astronomy enthusiasts of all levels the very experience’s Galileo enjoyed 400 years ago, as well as take them on a journey of the rarely seen beauty our night sky holds today.”
The day will be filled with free activities and presentations such as a demonstration on learning how to use binoculars for the night sky, discovering how to use and read a star chart, solar (sun) viewing, a nighttime viewing, and much more. All events are conducted by members of the Bays Mountain Astronomy Club, many of whom will be using their own telescopes and other astronomy related equipment in addition to the park’s telescopes. Normal charges of $3.00 per person will still apply for the planetarium shows.
“The International Year of Astronomy’s motto is The Universe: Yours to Discover,” said Thanz. “That is what visitors will do when they visit Bays Mountain Park for Astronomy Day. Combining all of these activities and programs with the opportunity to visit our brand new, state-of-the-art planetarium and its inspiring program Connections, we know there will be lots to learn and enjoy for all.”
One of the event’s many highlights is a program provided by Paul Lewis, director of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville’s Space Science Outreach and who also serves as a Solar System ambassador for NASA. Beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the park’s Amphitheater, Lewis’ program Telescopes in Space is designed to inform how telescopes such as The Hubble Space Telescope give us a better understanding of the Cosmos. In the event of rain, the lecture will be held in the planetarium.
Daytime events take place from 12:00 – 4:30 p.m., featuring a variety of astronomical topics.
Topics are:
1:00 p.m. - Getting Started in Astronomy with Gerald Fleenor: Find out how easy it is to discover the Universe with very basic skills. Discovery Theater.
1:30 p.m. - Using Star Charts with Greg Love: Learn how to use a simple sky map and find celestial delights on your own. Discovery Theater.
2:00 – 4:00 p.m. - Solar Viewing: Enjoy the thrill of viewing different layers of the sun up close and in great detail. Safely see sunspots and prominences. Observatory. This event subject to weather allowances.
2:00 p.m. - Choosing and Using Binoculars with Terry Alford: Learn all about binoculars and how to select the best kind for you. Discovery Theater.
2:30 p.m. - Comparing Different Telescopes with Tom Rutherford: Find out about the differences in telescope design and which type would be best for you. Discovery Theater.
3:00 p.m. - Cratering activity with Robin Byrne: This fun activity lets you discover how craters form. Great for young and old! Observatory Grounds (Patio area next to Discovery Theater if raining).
3:30 p.m. - Galileo & His Telescope with Bob Smith: 400 years ago, Galileo became the first to use a telescope on the night sky. Find out about him and his incredible discoveries. Discovery Theater.
4:00 p.m. - The Sun-Earth Connection with DeWayne Mortenson: Learn how the sun and earth are linked and why the sun is so important to us. Discovery Theater.
Evening Events take place from 7:30 - 10:30 p.m., with a close-up view of the night sky providing the perfect ending for the day’s celebration.
7:30 – 8:30 p.m. - Telescopes in Space with Paul Lewis: Learn about how these “eyes in the skies” help us understand the Cosmos. Paul Lewis is the director of astronomy outreach at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and a Solar System ambassador for NASA. A must-see for the entire family!
Amphitheater (Planetarium if raining).
9:00 – 10:30 p.m. - Nighttime Viewing: Spectacular views of celestial delights await you. Savor the almost edge-on view of Saturn’s rings, be awe-struck by the distance to galaxies, and feel like you’re flying low over the moon with the Bays Mountain Astronomy Club’s telescopes. These views and more will be seen at our Observatory. A live presentation about what is up in the night sky will take place in the Planetarium if the weather does not cooperate.
For more information, contact Adam Thanz or Jason Dorfman at 423-229-9447, or visit our website at www.baysmountain.com
Kingsport, Tennessee
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