Courtesy photo of Negwegon State Park's night sky.

ALPENA — The Friends of Negwegon State Park invites the community to participate in a night of dark sky and astronomy education on the shores of Lake Huron on Saturday, August 15.

Partnering with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and with support from the Besser Museum, the group will host an evening of astronomy, stargazing, and dark sky education at Negwegon State Park. The event will run from 7:30 until 11:30 p.m., and programming will kick off at 8 p.m.

Admission is free with a Michigan Recreation Passport.

According to Friends of Negwegon State Park (FONSP) Board Member Matt McAmmond, of the six dark sky preserves in the state of Michigan, three exist in Northeast Michigan: Rockport State Recreation Area, Thompson’s Harbor State Park and Negwegon State Park.

“That’s kind of cool, that’s kind of rare,” he said.

Pure Michigan states on its website that a dark sky preserve is a protected area that limits artificial light pollution to preserve natural nighttime conditions. International Dark Sky Parks carry a higher-level certification from DarkSky International.

Featured presenters at the Negwagon event will include the following:

– Jonathan Kade, astronomer and educator, who is affiliated with the Warren Astronomical Society and cofounder of Dark Skies Alcona.

– Diane Hall, president of the Warren Astronomical Society cofounder of the Dark Skies Alcona, is an advocate for astronomy education and public outreach throughout Michigan. She is also a cofounder of Dark Skies Alcona.

– John Heath, a retired teacher, runs the planetarium for the Besser Museum.

According to McAmmond, the event will include an astronomy presentation and dark sky education. Event attendees will get a chance to view the planets and constellations from telescopes. Event hosts will lead a guided constellation tour and a discussion about light pollution and dark sky preservation.

McAmmond also said that DNR personnel will assist in programming, and if the conditions are right, will build a bonfire for attendees to enjoy.

“People are free to enjoy the beach before the event,” he added. “This is our first time putting on something like this so this is our test run.”

McAmmond said that the event is an opportunity for “appreciating the park.”

According to a FONSP press release, the event area can be accessed via approximately 80 yards of gravel path followed by 80 yards of sandy dune trail. Guests are encouraged to share with event organizers any accessibility requirements during the ticketing process so that they can make appropriate arrangements.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket, warm clothing for evening temperatures, and a flashlight with a red lens if available. Bug repellant is also encouraged.

McAmmond requests that guests avoid using white flashlights and cell phones during sky viewing hours. Red lighting is strongly encouraged and organizers will provide some red filters to put over regular flash lights.

FONSP requests that those interested register for the event and indicate the number of people in a party. People can get a free ticket at the following link: www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/night-sky-at-negwegon.

Those who wish to volunteer can email info@fonsp.org for more information.

Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.