Photo courtesy of Aspen Skiing Company.
Aspen Snowmass and Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) will host the second annual Stars Above Aspen event on Aspen Mountain Monday, Aug. 14from6:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Guests can head-up the Silver Queen Gondola for a community astronomy night featuringa STARLAB planetarium tent, guided telescope stations, interactive presentations, sunset yoga, legends and facts of the constellations, celestial crafts and games, star storytelling, space-themed face painting, a collaborative mural of the universe, physics experiments, and more.
We are so excited to partner again with SkiCo on this community astronomy event at nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, says Phebe Meyers, ACES Naturalist Field School Manager. We tend to focus our knowledge on the things we see day-to-day on Earth, but how much do we know about constellations, meteors, galaxies, and black holes? This experience offers the opportunity to explore the universe with astronomy experts and enthusiasts, expanding listeners horizon of knowledge. We are thrilled to host this special event.
Scheduled events include a sunset yoga classfor all ages from 6:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.led by Jayne Gottlieb, ownerof the Shakti Shala yoga studio with complimentary music provided by David Starbear Avalos and Becky Anderson.At8:15 p.m.astronomer and professor from CU Boulder, Dr. David Brain will present on finding habitable planets in our Milky Way.
Dr. Brain studies the atmospheres and plasma environments of unmagnetized planets, including Mars, Venus, and exoplanets. He is currently a Deputy Investigator on the NASA MAVEN mission to study the Martian atmosphere, a Supporting Investigator for the European Space Agency Venus Express mission, a leading Science Team member for the Emirates Mars Mission, a Co-Investigator on a NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute led by the University of Colorado, and a team lead for NASA’s Nexus for Exoplanetary System Science virtual institute.
In addition, the Sundeck Restaurant will be open for drinks and dinner. Guests should be prepared for evening mountain temperatures. A blanket for star-gazing and plenty of layers are highly suggested.The event is open to all ages. Tickets cost $15 and include the gondola ride. Children three and under are free. Season passes are not accepted for this special event.
Tickets can be purchased online atwww.aspensnowmass.com/while-you-are-here/events/stars-above-aspenor at any lift ticket office. Prior to the event, tickets can be picked up at any time. For more information please call970-923-1227or visit the Aspen Mountain Ticket Office.
