Weather and clear skies permitting, the Bucks-Mont Astronomical Association (BMAA) will be hosting a
The event, slated to begin at 9 PM, will give Upper Southampton locals the opportunity to peer through the BMAA’s high-end telescopes as they’re given a tour of the constellations and other highlights of the early summer sky.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t start until 9PM and the kids are still in school,” said Director of Parks and Recreation, Paul Radzevich. “But I encourage the parents to try and get here and line up early and the kids can look through the telescopes and see everything. They can get in and out by 9:30. It’s a lot of fun but it all depends on these clouds.”
According to Radzevich, a little too much cloud cover can ruin the entire event. Several Starwatches at Tamanend have been canceled over the years because of a few stubborn clouds.
Still, the risk might be worth it. Among the many highlights Wednesday evening will be the opportunity of seeing a clear view of Saturn through the BMAA’s advanced equipment.
“[The BMAA] have some extremely sophisticated telescopes,” said Shirlee Sherman, Secretary for the Friends of Tamanend Park. “A lot of people bring their own telescopes as well and [astronomers from the BMAA] can answer any questions about them that people have.”
The BMAA’s telescopes are so advanced in fact, that, according to their press release, attendees will actually have a chance of seeing distant galaxies, planets, and nebulae.
Of course, if uncovering the secrets of the universe isn’t your thing, maybe just gathering around the campfire with other locals will entice you.
“We’ll have a campfire set up for it,” said Sherman. “The people that come love it. We roast marshmallows and that sort of thing.”
As Radzevich said, it might pay to get there early. According to him they’ve occasionally had as many as 50 people gather for the event.
Admission to the Starwatch is free of charge. Those planning to attend are encouraged to call the BMAA Information Line at 215-579-9973 before leaving, as notification of last minute cancellations due to weather will be available there.
