Exploding stars, colliding galaxies and random
nebulae are the new attractions at Utah’s Bryce Canyon National
Park. There’s even the possibility of seeing the Mir Space Station,
the Hubble Space Telescope or the occasional spy satellite. “So we
can look up at what’s looking down on us,” says Patrick Wiggins,
the demonstration specialist at the Hansen Planetarium in Salt Lake
City. The planetarium hosts monthly star parties and hour-long
indoor slide presentations at Bryce Canyon from May through
October. As for the growing problem of light pollution in Western
parks (HCN, 4/26/99), Wiggins says that is not yet an issue at
Bryce. There are no nearby cities and night watches are picked for
nights when the moon doesn’t shine. “In fact,” he says, “the park
even turns off the visitor center lights so people can experience
seeing by starlight.”
Contact Patrick Wiggins at
the Hansen Planetarium, 15 State St., Salt Lake City, UT 84111-1590
(801/531-4952) or check the Web site at:
www.utah.edu/Planetarium.
* Tim
Westby
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Star parties.
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