Heritage StarFest

Heritage StarFest 2024

Started in 2010, this annual festival celebrates the amazing night skies of Capitol Reef and surrounding Wayne County. Come learn more about astronomy, our connection to the night sky, and how darkness is important to the health of all living things.

Hosted by Capitol Reef National Park and the Entrada Institute, this year's event will take place on September 27th and 28th.

Activities and events are free and will take place both in the park and in the nearby town of Torrey, 11 miles west of the visitor center.

 

Astrophotography can reveal the celestial wonders of the Milky Way.

Don Riddle

September 25 - 27, 29: Beginner Astrophotography Workshops

Capitol Reef National Park is hosting four free Beginner Astrophotography Workshops with nationally known astrophotographer, Don Riddle, on September 25, 26, 27 and 29.

Each of the four nights is a stand-alone workshop on how to successfully take photos of the Milky Way. The workshops begin at 7:15pm allowing time to get familiar with your camera settings while there is still sunlight. The evening finishes around 11pm. Locations and maps are provided upon registration. An optional drop-in session will be held the following morning to learn how to edit your photos.

Required Equipment for All Participants:

• Camera with ISO up to 6400 available (DSLR or mirrorless, please)
• Wide angle lens 50mm or less (stock lenses are okay, f stop lower than 3.2 is preferred)
• Sturdy tripod
• Red light headlamp
• Extra Memory card
• Thumb drive

Recommended Equipment for All Participants:

• Remote shutter
• Extra batteries
• Warm clothes – it gets cool in Utah at night!
• Water and snacks
• Camp chair – there is no seating available at the workshop location

Registration is Required

The workshops are free, but registration is required, and each night's workshop is limited to 15 participants. Registration is open and you may register by emailing [e-mail] or by calling 435-425-4112. If no answer, please leave a voice message. In your email or voice message, please include your name, phone number, email address, which day you would like to attend and how many people you are signing up. Please also indicate your first choice and second choice of dates.

 

Tyler Nordgren

Monday, September 23rd - Thursday, September 26th

Nightly at the Fruita Campground amphitheater. Programs begin near dusk.

Join park rangers to learn about a variety of night-related topics including astronomy and nocturnal creatures.

Friday, September 27th

Programs will take place in Capitol Reef National Park.

Guest Speaker Series
3pm at the visitor center theater: Dr. Qicheng Zhang, Lowell Observatory, Anatomy of a Great Comet. Comets occasionally produce spectacular visual displays with ghostly tails stretching many degrees across the night sky, and one such bright comet may only be a week away.

5pm at the visitor center theater: Dr. Anil Seth, University of Utah, The Nearest Massive Black Hole. Focusing on the recent detection of a black hole in the Milky Way's most massive cluster, Omega Centauri, and why this black hole is unique and interesting.

7pm at the Fruita Campground amphitheater: Dr. Kyle Dawson, University of Utah, Mapping the Universe: 5,000 Galaxies at a Time. The cosmos hold a wealth of information about the earliest times in the universe and the fundamental laws of Physics.

Telescope Program
8:30pm - 11pm at the Fruita Campground amphitheater parking lot. Join park rangers and volunteers, and guest amateur astronomers as the Milky Way and other celestial wonders are brought to your eye with various telescopes.

 

Park staff at Heritage StarFest 2023

NPS / Jeff Zylland

Saturday, September 28

Events will take place at the Torrey Park (100 N. 75 East in Torrey, UT) and at the Entrada Institute's Robber's Roost (185 W. Main St. in Torrey, UT).

Special Speakers and Presentations
Throughout the afternoon and early evening at the Robber's Roost in Torrey. Please see our community partner's website at https://www.entradainstitute.org/ for more information and to register for a particular program at the Robber's Roost.

Solar Viewing and Junior Astronomy Programming
4pm to 6pm at the Torrey Park. Join park staff and volunteers, and guest amateur astronomers to safely view our closest star with solar telescopes and participate in fun, child-focused astronomy activities.

Torrey Park Telescope Program
8:30pm - 11pm at the Torrey Park. Join park staff and volunteers, community partners and guest amateur astronomers to view the Milky Way and other celestial wonders through many different telescopes.

 

Volunteering for Heritage StarFest

If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please email the park's volunteer office.