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On clear, dark nights, the glow produced by distant stars in our galaxy’s equatorial disk spills across the sky like a milky river. We call this the Milky Way, a very special place in the heavens because it is our home. Our place in our enormous home galaxy is a quiet boondock in a spiral arm about 30,000 light years from the galaxy’s center. Some of the attractions that visitors might see through binoculars or telescope are star clouds and clusters, nebulae, and dark lanes of interstellar dust.

Participants might also see neighboring galaxy — the Andromeda. Some of our solar system companions like Saturn and Jupiter are fascinating to see through a telescope.

Hosted by the High Bridge Trail State Park on Saturday from 8-10 p.m. this is a family friendly event. The program is free but parking fees apply. The park’s astronomy events are held near the center of High Bridge where the view of the sky is unobstructed. This location is approximately 1.25 miles from the River Road parking area and about one-half mile from the Camp Paradise parking area, which can be accessed off Aspen Hill Road.

For more information contact the park office at (434) 315-0457 or visit http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/park-event-info?id=HB190003-00.