If you're near Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in Nebraska on Saturday, join Rangers Alvis Mar and Tony Mincu from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. as they tour the amazing Winter Solstice night skies over the monument. During the outing, you'll learn about the Winter Solstice, multicultural interpretation of the stars, and the night sky. Also the Geminid Meteor Showers will be visible if the skies are clear. Tips about night sky photography will also be available.
Starting in the visitor center at 5:30 p.m., the rangers will lead a discussion about the Winter Solstice, shooting stars, and the multicultural interpretation of stars and the night sky over the centuries. Then you'll head outside to view the celestial objects in the sky, receive tips on night sky photography from Ranger Mincu, and finish the evening by 7:30 p.m. with S'mores.
Visitors are encouraged to be prepared for an excellent night time learning experience by dressing for the weather, bringing their camera and a tri-pod, and a flashlight. A red balloon, provided by the park, will allow use of a flashlight to see but not hamper night vision. Spend some time with your camera before the program to learn where your camera's manual settings are located and how to attach to a tripod.
Tony Mincu is a Renaissance man, former paramedic, police prosecutor and town manager in various mid-sized towns. He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, with a history degree. He returned to graduate school 20 years later and earned a Juris Doctor from the University of New Hampshire. Mincu has a passion for history, old things, and anything having to do with the outdoors, as well as photographing everything he sees in nature, including the night sky.
Alvis Mar, the park's lead interpretive ranger, has worked in several national parks over the years, including Yosemite, Great Smoky Mountains and the National Park Service Midwest Regional Office in Omaha. Because Mar grew up in a light polluted city, he has always enjoyed the amazing night skies in national parks.
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is located just 22 miles south of Harrison, or 34 miles north of Mitchell, Nebraska, on State Highway 29, then east on River Road for three miles to the visitor center.
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