Re: [Utah-astronomy] Stargazing at Arches
Ann, In followup to your prior posts on stargazing and national parks: 10/20/2006 Press-Sun Bulletin - New York Northern Pa. mountaintop a haven for heaven-watchers Associated Press By Dan Nephin "The National Park Service also is on board with the idea [of establishing a dark-sky reserve at a state park in New York.] "Since 1916, our mission has been to preserve scenery and currently that includes the night sky scenery," said Chad Moore, program manager for the National Park Service's Night Sky Team. While no national park is currently designated a dark-sky park, certification plans through the International Dark-Sky Association are in the works, he said. Even so, interest is growing at the national park level. In many national parks, nighttime programs are the most popular ranger-led programs," he said. At Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, where Moore works, 27,000 people visited the park for full-moon hikes, bat walks, telescope viewing and the like over six months, he said." http://tinyurl.com/ybcj4h or http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061020/LIFESTYLE/6... - Kurt __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
Thanks for passing along the article, Kurt. I enjoyed the information very much. How did you happen upon it?? What I was told by the park ranger at Arches echos the story in the Sun Bulletin. Arches is anxious for programs that will get park goers interested in the night, and perhaps even take up camping again. Camping is down by a third at Arches. The park ranger mentioned getting the citizens of Moab involved and interested in the night sky as well. Arches is concerned with protecting the dark sky. As an educator, I think the public always needs a little educating. We all do. With the Park's help - and they have offered to do anything it takes, including the publicity, I think we could make a difference. It is true, we don't want to stretch our resources too much and I would need some interest from SLAS (and Clark too?!) to go ahead. Is Bryce and Canyonlands all we can handle? Arches, at least, wound not be in the summer. 107 is just too hot. Spring or Autumn would be best. I probably ought to contact the park ranger fairly soon. Arches is in Utah and though a Colorado astronomy club and planetarium may be closer, I am overly protective. Just ask my children. I have one or two people express interest. Anyone else? I probably ought to contact the park ranger fairly soon. -A
--- Ann House <ann@annhouse.org> wrote:
Thanks for passing along the article, Kurt. I enjoyed the information very much. How did you happen upon it??
One of the principles in the article has been posting about it to sci.astro.amateur trying to drum up letters in support.
It is true, we don't want to stretch our resources too much and I would need some interest from SLAS (and Clark too?!) to go ahead. Is Bryce and Canyonlands all we can handle? Arches, at least, wound not be in the summer. 107 is just too hot. Spring or Autumn would be best. I probably ought to contact the park ranger fairly soon.
I don't personally have an opinion on the Arches/Zions/Capitol Reef/Great Basin resource spread, not being at a point in my evolution as an amateur where I am attending the Zions/Capitol Reef/Great Basin campouts. It might be helpful to have Chad Moore give you a Utah NPS park data on nightsky recreation use for each of the Utah parks. That might be a good basis to decide where limited SLAS resources might best go to the maximum effect on the public. Personally, I have a half-formed plan to try to combine a nightsky trip to DeadHorse and to take a picture of the Moon rising over the exit canyon of the meteor crater at Upheaval Dome - unless Tom Till has beaten me too it. -:) - Kurt __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
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