COUDERSPORT—Stargazing programs and a photography workshop are being held Sept. 27 and 28 at Cherry Springs State Park at 4639 Cherry Springs Road, Coudersport.
The park is 12 miles from U.S. Route 6 in Galeton via West Branch Road and 15 miles from Coudersport via Route 44.
The programs will be canceled if it rains or thunders.
Programs are the Nightscapes Photography Workshops, Gods in the Sky and free Night Sky Tours.
Nightscapes Photography Workshop will be held both Sept. 27 and 28. The first 10 people who preregister will be accepted for the three-hour workshop being given by Curt Weinhold from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sept. 27 and again on Sept. 28. Participants will learn how to photograph the starry night sky, including constellations and the Milky Way, and foreground material using their own DSLR camera and lenses. At http://pbase.com/cwphoto view Weinhold’s work. The fee is $60. Visit http://events.dcnr.pa.gov/cherry_springs_state_park for details.
Gods in the Sky, a Native American Night Sky story, will be at 7:15 p.m. Sept. 27 for those who preregister and prepay up to a maximum of 16 people. This small group experience with the North Star Outdoor Guides’ Dark Sky Telescope Tours ensures a more individualized program and telescope time. The fee is $20. For details, visit http://events.dcnr.pa.gov/cherry_springs_state_park.
From 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 27 and 28, go on a Night Sky Tour in the park’s Night Sky Viewing Area and experience the splendor of the night sky. Park staff will give a laser-guided tour of the constellations and recount the legends and myths surrounding them. Afterwards, take an up close look at celestial objects through park telescopes. Preregistration is required to attend this free program.
Online preregistration is required for Gods in the Sky, the free Night Sky Tour and the Nightscapes Photography Workshop. Visit http://events.dcnr.pa.gov/cherry_springs_state_park. If there is a problem with registering online or for information about these programs, call (814) 435-1037 or email cherryspringsee@pa.gov.
Cherry Springs is an 82-acre state park surrounded by the 262,000-acre Susquehannock State Forest. Because it is remote, the park’s nighttime conditions for stargazing remain the same as before the introduction of electric lighting in the late 19th century.
In fact, Cherry Springs State Park is one of the top dark sky destinations in the world. It was the first to be designated a Dark Sky Park in the eastern United States. Night sky enthusiasts flock to the park to see its dark skies, which are famous for great views of the Milky Way, planets, hard-to-see astronomical objects and phenomena.
In 2008, the park was named a Gold Level Dark Sky Park by the International Dark Sky Association, the highest designation that can be given to a dark sky site.
Anyone may observe the night sky at Cherry Springs on his or her own without attending a stargazing program. All visitors should arrive before dark. Search for the Clear Sky Chart online for 48-hour forecasts about viewing conditions.
