Path to the Perseids - A Meteor Shower Adventure

Date: July 28, 2016
Contact: Nate Tusa, 925-228-8860 ext. 6423

(Martinez, CA) Join National Park Service interpretive rangers for a night sky adventure, "Path to the Perseids –A Meteor Shower Adventure," on Friday, August 12, 2016 at Mt. Wanda, part of the John Muir National Historic Site (NHS) in Martinez, CA. This free program begins at 8:00 PM and will continue until 12AM, at the top of Mt. Wanda. Increase your appreciation of the night sky by watching the Perseid meteor shower in a fun and enlightening way! We will also explore the five visible planets, learn about constellations, share mythology and take a special look at deep-space objects (galaxies, clusters, nebulae) using a high-powered telescope.

Reservations are requested, but not required. Please call the John Muir NHS Visitor Center at [phone] for reservations or if you have questions. Visitors should meet at the parking lot on the corner of Alhambra Avenue and Franklin Canyon Road, Martinez (at the Alhambra Ave. exit off Highway 4). Bring water, snacks, a flashlight, warm clothes, blanket(s), and binoculars (if you have them). Wear comfortable walking shoes, as the trail is steep. If it rains heavily, the program will be canceled.

Created in 1964, John Muir NHS preserves the home, landscapes, and gravesite of conservationist and national park advocate John Muir. Muir spent his entire life exploring, studying, and writing about his experiences in the American wilderness, most notably the Sierra Nevada Mountains. His writing set the stage for a conservation movement that would spur the protection of nature nationwide and ultimately earn Muir the title "Father of the National Parks".

The John Muir NHS, located at 4202 Alhambra Avenue, Martinez, CA 94553, is open seven days a week from10 AM to 5 PM. Admission to the site is free of charge. For more information, please visit the park website at www.nps.gov/jomuor call [phone].