Expand Your Horizons at Astronomy Day 2021
May 15, 2021, 5 PM to 11 PM at C.M. Crockett Park
Hosted by the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club, Astronomy Day is an international event coordinated by astronomy clubs around the world to share the night sky with our communities. We’re putting on a day full of events and activities, capped off by a night under the stars. Join us and Expand Your Horizons!
RSVP here!
Jump to: The Event ★ Schedule ★ Know Before You Go
The Event
Experienced NOVAC members will be on hand to provide you with a guided tour of the night sky and share views of Mars, star clusters, the Milky Way, and other deep sky objects! Mark your calendars, bring your family, and join NOVAC on May Note: Masks are required throughout the event. This event is also weather-dependent and may be cancelled because of significant cloud cover or precipitation.
Please Note: Crockett Park charges $7 per vehicle if you’re not a Fauquier County resident, but the event itself is completely free. NOVAC members are admitted free upon presentation of a membership card (available from the members-only section of the website). If you’re not a member but would like to become one, you can join the club online and print your membership card in only a few minutes.
Get the Astronomy Day flyer – share it with family and friends!
Note: Masks are required throughout the event. This event is also weather-dependent and may be cancelled because of significant cloud cover or precipitation.
What you should know before you visit
- Bring layers of clothing to add as the evening cools. Temperatures can be chilly and little body heat is generated while standing still to peer through a telescope eyepiece. Check the forecast for Midland, VA before you start out to get an idea of what the weather will be like.
- Bring water and other beverages to keep hydrated. No food concessions will be available at the park so you may want to bring snacks and a picnic dinner. Crockett park is truly rural. There are no restaurants nearby; the closest are in Nokesville, Calverton or Bristow.
- Bring a flashlight, but cover it in layers of red cellophane, the darker the better. Astronomers use red lights because of a phenomenon called dark adaptation. Our eyes slowly increase in sensitivity to light in dark environments but very quickly lose it when exposed to white light. Red lights, specifically those with a wavelength longer than 620 nanometers, dark ruby red, don’t cause this, so we use them to illuminate our path or charts.
- Children are welcome, of course, but please help us to encourage them to be careful around the astronomical equipment. Scouts are encouraged and this is a great way for Girl Scouts to work on their Space Explorer Try It or work on the Sky Search Program. Scouts can work on their Astronomy Merit Badges.
- No smoking around the telescopes. Telescope mirrors (and some of the owners) are sensitive to tobacco smoke. Move far away from the telescopes if you use any kind of spray. A tiny droplet of insect repellent spray could significantly damage the coating on a telescope lens or mirror.
- Pets, except service dogs, are not permitted on the observing field.
