See the stars live
Astronomers and star-gazers of all kinds are expected to cluster in Traverse City for the inaugural Midwest Space Fest.
The festival – timed to coincide with World Astronomy Week — will feature two days of activities, films and talks – including a keynote address by Dr. Alex Filippenko, Professor of Astronomy at the University of California-Berkeley.
Carolyn McKellar, executive director of the new festival, said the event was founded to offer "a new, non-traditional way to experience astronomy and space sciences" that will appeal even to the scientifically impaired.
"You can look through telescopes at our amazing northern Michigan skies, enjoy a film, listen to music with a space theme or hear one of the greatest astronomers of our day talk about ‘runaway galaxies,’" she said. "You can’t help but leave with a new feeling of wonder about the universe."
The festival will begin in Traverse City’s art deco State Theatre with a screening of the Emmy-nominated documentary film, "The City Dark," a "tour of the night sky" by Rogers Observatory director Jerry Dobek using fiber-optic "stars" installed in the theater ceiling during a recent renovation, and a discussion on light pollution by Mary Stewart Adams of the International Dark Sky Park.
Saturday’s activities include a free solar viewing at the city’s Open Space Park hosted by members of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society (GTAS), free indoor exhibits and activities, culminating in Alex Filippenko’s presentation on "Dark Energy and the Runaway Universe." A member of the National Academy of Sciences, Filippenko is best known for his many appearances in the popular History Channel series, "The Universe," and in the History Channel documentary, "STAR TREK: Secrets of The Universe."
The festival concludes Saturday evening at the Open Space with a public "Star Party" that offers participants multiple telescope viewings of the night sky.
To find out more about the festival, visit http://www.magnorth.org and find the Midwest Space Fest on Facebook and on Twitter: @MWSpaceFest.
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