Event
Free ‘Wonders from Webb’ program offered October 2nd, 2022 at Peaks of Otter on Blue Ridge Parkway
Fee:
Free. FreeLocation: LAT/LONG: 37.000000, -80.000000
The event will be located at the Peaks of Otter Amphitheatre at milepost 85.6
Dates & Times
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Type of Event
To start the event, a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Solar System Ambassador will share images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. At 8:30 p.m., a park service ranger will lead the 30-minute presentation, “Magnificent Moon,” in celebration of International Observe the Moon Night. The talk will highlight the lore and science behind Earth’s largest natural satellite. From 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., visitors can enjoy stargazing with telescopes set up in front of the Visitor Center.
Description
September 29, 2022 Update: Due to potential rainfall, winds, and flooding, the National Park Service is postponing their special free program, “Wonders from Webb,” originally scheduled from 7 to 9:30 p.m., on Saturday, Oct. 1, to 7 to 9:30 p.m., on Sunday, Oct. 2, at the originally scheduled location (Peaks of Otter Visitor Center amphitheater, milepost 85.6 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.) Additionally, in the case of rain or inclement weather during the rescheduled Sunday, October 2nd, "Wonders from Webb" event, the program will be canceled.
September 21, 2022 Update: The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is also hosting a complementary "Wonders of the Webb" event at the Blue Ridge Music Center on Friday, September 30, 2022 at 6:30p.m. More information available here.
The National Park Service will host a special free program, “Wonders from Webb,” from 7 to 9:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Peaks of Otter Visitor Center amphitheater, milepost 85.6 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The Webb telescope, sometimes called JWST, is an orbiting infrared observatory that will complement and extend the discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope, with longer wavelength coverage and greatly improved sensitivity. The longer wavelengths enable Webb to look much closer to the beginning of time and to hunt for the unobserved formation of the first galaxies, as well as to look inside dust clouds where stars and planetary systems are forming today.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a flashlight and dress in layers for the cool mountain weather. All ages are welcome. In the event of rain, the event will take place from 7 to 9:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 2.
The event is presented in partnership with NASA, Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Belk Observatory at the Claytor Nature Center of the University of Lynchburg, Blue Ridge Astronomy Club, and Echo Ridge Astronomical Society.
More information
Reservation or Registration: No
Image Gallery
NPS PHOTO
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI