Virtual Grand Canyon Star Party 2020

In the foreground, telescopes and people illuminated by red light. They Milky Way Galaxy is in the sky overhead. Text: Virtual Grand Canyon Star Party 2020.
Photo Courtesy of Project SKYGLOW
 
 

Schedule: Virtual Grand Canyon Star Party 2020

Grand Canyon National Park and the Grand Canyon Conservancy invited everyone to the Virtual Grand Canyon Star Party that took place , June 13-20, 2020. While the on-site event at Grand Canyon National Park had to be cancelled on both rims due to concerns over COVID-19, the park brought the wonders of the night sky into the virtual realm through a series of video premieres on the park's Facebook page.

Over the course of the week, there were 8 special presentations by guest speakers - and virtual telescope sessions - in which astronomers connected video cameras to their telescopes and examined a number of celestial objects. The nightly telescope sessions lasted between 60 and 90 minutes. Below is the schedule of presentations, and the links to the videos on Facebook:
 

Saturday, June 13, 2020

Dark Skies in Isolation: Why Protecting the Night Sky is More Important Than Ever

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Duration:
52 minutes, 50 seconds

"Dark Skies in Isolation: Why the Fight to Protect the Night is More Important than Ever," presented by Dr. John Barentine, Director of Public Policy, International Dark Sky Association. Learn about the work of the International Dark Sky Association and the state of light pollution during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Sunday, June 14, 2020

Lions, Vultures, and a Scorpion, Oh My! A Summer Jaunt through Arabian Skies


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Duration:
52 minutes, 14 seconds

"Lions and Vultures and a Scorpion, Oh My! A Summer Jaunt through Arabian Skies," presented by Dr. Danielle Adams, Cultural Astronomer, Deputy Director for Marketing and Communications for Lowell Observatory. Discover the beauty of the constellations from Ancient Arabia overhead in our summer night skies.

 

Monday, June 15, 2020

A Tour Through the Universe

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Duration:
34 minutes, 4 seconds

"A Tour Through the Universe," presented by Dean Regas, Astronomer and Author, Cincinnati Observatory. Take a spin through the entire universe and learn about the immensities of space!

 

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Infant Galaxies to Alien Atmospheres: NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope

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Duration:
31 minutes, 7 seconds

"Infant Galaxies to Alien Atmospheres: NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope," presented by Dr. Amber Straughn, Astrophysicist, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Join a NASA astrophysicist as she unveils the plans for the revolutionary new instrument that will study our deepest origins: The NASA James Webb Space Telescope.

 

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

The Art of Photographing Dark Skies

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Duration:
41 minutes, 51 seconds

"The Art of Photographing Dark Skies," presented by Shreenivasan Manievannan, Night Sky Photographer, GoPro. A snapshot course in how to take beautiful night sky photography.

 

Thursday, June 18, 2020

One Giant Leap: Apollo Astronaut Training in the Grand Canyon

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Duration:
39 minutes, 44 seconds

"One Giant Leap: Apollo Astronaut Training in the Grand Canyon," presented by Kevin Schindler, Historian, Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ. Retrace the footsteps of the Apollo Astronauts to the bottom of the Grand Canyon as part of their training for their epic journeys to the Moon.

 

Friday, June 19, 2020

6 pm (PDT) Astrophotography for Beginners

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Duration:
42 minutes, 7 seconds

"Astrophotography for Beginners," presented by Bettymaya Foott, Director of Engagement, International Dark Sky Association. A snapshot course in how to take beautiful night sky photography.

 

Saturday, June 20, 2020

Planetary Defense: Surveying the Sky for Killer Asteroids

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Duration:
43 minutes, 10 seconds

"Planetary Defense: Surveying the Sky for Killer Asteroids," presented by Dr. Vishnu Reddy, Associate Professor, Lunar and Planetary Lab at the University of Arizona. Learn about our knowledge of meteors and what astronomers do to mitigate the threats of meteor impacts.

 
 

Last updated: April 3, 2022

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