** THIS EVENT REGISTRATION IS FULL ** To placed on a waiting list, you can contact Pauline at pauline@appalachian.org.

Date: Friday, October 5

Time: 6:00-10:00pm

Location: Grassland Mountain Observatory, Walnut, NC

Cost:  This event is free for SAHC members $10 for non-members. Pre-registration is required.

Join us for an evening of stargazing!  By protecting land from development, SAHC helps reduce light pollution to keep the night sky vibrant.  In Madison County we have helped protect over 3,500 acres of land, contributing to the preservation of dark skies viewed from the Grassland Mountain Observatory.

Bring a picnic dinner to the observatory and enjoy a sunset and panoramic views from the Great Smokies to the Black Mountains as you dine.  As the sun continues to set we will see Venus setting in the west, while learning about the night sky from members of the Astronomy Club of Asheville including conservation leader Bernie Arghiere.

We will use the observatory’s 16-inch robotic telescope to see stars, star clusters, galaxies and nebulae. We will also see the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Neptune, and Uranus as well as the spiral arms of our Milky Way galaxy stretched across the dark sky.  Due to the educational focus of this outing, registration space is limited.

Our back-up date for this event is Saturday, October 6.