July 30, 2019 – The uniquely dark skies of northwest Nevada and eastern California will be celebrated at free public events this weekend in Cedarville, CA. The celebration is sponsored by a partnership including the Bureau of Land Management, Friends of Nevada Wilderness and Cedarville businesses.
Those with an interest in art can learn techniques for painting pictures of the night sky in a class Friday, Aug. 2, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Whalen’s Public House, 540 Main Street, Cedarville, California. The class is designed for participants aged 7 and older.
A documentary film about astronomy and light pollution, titled “Saving the Dark,” will run from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., also at Whalen’s Public House. Seating is limited to 50.
Children ranging in age from pre-kindergarten to middle school can learn about nocturnal wildlife, astronomy and the moon, in a science fair set for Saturday, Aug. 3, from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Country Hearth Restaurant rose garden, 551 Main Street, Cedarville. Information on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing will be featured as well.
An astronomy and night photography class is also scheduled for Aug. 3, beginning at 8:30 p.m. at the Country Hearth rose garden. Members of Friends of Nevada Wilderness will bring telescopes for participants to use, and provide a lesson on how to photograph the night sky. Good star viewing will begin at about 9:30 p.m.
The second annual festival celebrates Surprise Valley’s status as one of the darkest places in the continental United States and the recent International Dark Skies Association’s designation of the Massacre Rim Wilderness Study area as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary.
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Massacre Rim Wilderness Study Area Dark Sky Sanctuary, Washoe County, NV
Photo by Kurt Kuznicki
