(meteorobs) Stargazing from Bryce Canyon, Utah

[Buddy Oakes]

You will have a great time.  We unexpectedly ended up for an evening at 
Bryce earlier this month.  The sky clouded up early but enjoyed meeting 
Ranger Angie and the other seasonal astronomers set up for the evening. 
After you have been up all night, you must go to the park lodge for their 
buffet breakfast.  It's like a journey back in time.  They have small 
chipmunks that scavange crumbs off the floor at times.  Since you will be 
there for a few days, for scenery you should check out Zion, Cedar Breaks 
and take a long drive east out of Bryce on Utah Hwy 12 to Capitol Reef NP. 
If you feel like an adventure hike into some of the slot canyons along the 
way.  Email back for more reccomendations is you wish.  Enjoy it all!  It's 
the most beautiful area of the country.

Buddy Oakes

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Skywayinc at aol.com>
To: <undisclosed-recipients:>
Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 9:31 AM
Subject: (meteorobs) Stargazing from Bryce Canyon, Utah


> Some of you may remember back in  the spring I had indicated that I was
> interested in heading out west around  Perseid time to spend some time at 
> a
> National Park and spend some time under  some dark skies for observing.  I 
> had asked
> for suggestions as to where I  could go, and the place that was suggested 
> the
> most was Bryce Canyon, Utah,  situated at an altitude of 7,600-feet.
>
>    So . . . this coming  Sunday, my family and I will depart from JFK for 
> a
> two-week visit to "The  Beehive State."  In some ways it will be a 
> "busman's
> holiday" for me, as you can see by the E-mail message  below.
>
>    From:   <Angie_Richman at nps.gov>  To:   Joe Rao, News  12  CC:
> Chad_Moore at nps.gov,  Kevin_Poe at nps.gov  Date:   Monday - July 30,  2007 
> 6:57 PM
> Subject:   Re: Perseid Meteor  Shower at Bryce Canyon   Mime.822 (5084 
> bytes)
> _[View]_
> (https://gw.rmhi.com/servlet/webacc/qjfnv1Lmdqmejo2Gu8/GWAP/AREF/1?action=Attachment.View&Item.Attachment.id=1&User.context=qjfnv1Lmdqmejo2Gu8&Item.drn
> =42116z20z0&Item.Child.id=)   _[Save As]_
> (https://gw.rmhi.com/servlet/webacc?action=Attachment.Save&Item.Attachment.id=1&User.context=qjfnv1Lmdqmejo2Gu8&It
> em.drn=42116z20z0&Item.Child.id=)
> Dear Joe,
>
> Thanks for your e-mail  message. I do remember our conversation last April
> and I am looking  forward to meeting you in August. As far as the Meteor
> shower program  goes, the following is the schedule of events.
>
> At 9:00 PM we will  start with a one-hour multimedia presentation given by
> myself. I talk  about lots of astronomy related things but will 
> incorporate
> something  about the meteor shower as well.
>
> At 10:00 PM we will invite the visitors to  join us for telescope viewing.
> We will also invite them at this time to  bring out lawn chairs,
> pads/blankets, binoculars, etc to watch the  meteor shower. We will let
> folks stay out with us as late as they would  like, however, the parking 
> lot
> where the telescopes will be set-up is  not a place to camp so everyone 
> will
> have to leave by 6 AM.
>
> We  would be happy to have your assistance with this program and I  can
> foresee you helping in a couple of ways.
>
> 1. You could help run a telescope. The park has a  number of scopes that
> will be available should you choose to operate  one.
>
> 2. You could talk with the folks in lawn chairs at  the observing lot,
> giving them more insights into meteor showers and  what they should be
> looking for.
>
> Let me know if either of these  things is what you had in mind, or if 
> there
> is a different way in which  you would like to contribute.
>
> Thanks again for your interest in  Bryce Canyon and our spectacular night
> sky.
>
> Angie  Richman
> Astronomy Volunteer Coordinator and Lead Seasonal
> Bryce  Canyon National  Park
> 435-834-4401
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> So . . . "hopefully," the weather will cooperate and  I'll be enjoying a 
> dark
> nighttime sky while sharing a little of my knowledge of  the stars with 
> other
> campers.
>
> -- joe r.
>
>
>
> "The night was moonless and cold and a host of  twinkleless stars
> filled the sky all the way to the horizon.  On  several occasions
> I had experienced nights of amazing clarity, but  none like this, and it
> made my very best Ohio skies seem almost murky by  comparison.
> The difference, of course was mostly one of altitude  for here on Mt. 
> Locke,
> with its elevation of 7,000-feet, I saw the stars as  from a point more 
> than
> a mile above my home in  Delphos."
>
> -- "Night on Mount Locke" by
>    Leslie C. Peltier, from his  autobiography,
>    "Starlight Nights/The Adventures  of a Star-Gazer."
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL 
> at
> http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour
> ---
> Mailing list meteorobs: meteorobs at meteorobs.org
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, email: owner-meteorobs at meteorobs.org
> http://lists.meteorobs.org/mailman/listinfo/meteorobs
>