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See the stars this weekend through telescopes on the deck of The Intrepid and in Central Park with famed scientists.
Two astronomy events will offer a chance to gaze at stars, planets, and the Moon this weekend alongside astronaut Fred Haise and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.
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Autumn Starfest in Central Park
The Amateur Astronomers Association of New York will bring telescopes so you can see Jupiter, Saturn, the craters of the Moon, star clusters, double stars and other astronomical phenomena from 7-10pm on Saturday, October 1 in Central Park’s East Meadow at 99th Street.
Autumn Starfest is a free, all-ages event held in celebration of NASA’s International Observe the Moon Night, a global evening of appreciation for the moon. International Observe the Moon Night occurs annually in the fall, when the Moon is around its first quarter, great for late-afternoon and evening observing, per NASA.
Neil DeGrasse Tyson of StarTalk will serve as guest host, and he’ll be joined by meteorologist and amateur astronomer Joe Rao.
The Amateur Astronomers Association of New York promotes an appreciation of astronomy. Founded in 1927, the nonprofit strives to connect the community of New York City to the stars through events like this one.
The event will be held weather permitting, so keep your fingers crossed for clear skies.
If there’s one silver lining to the sun setting so early these days, it’s a chance to see the stars even earlier each evening, so get outside and marvel at the celestial wonders this weekend.
Astronomy Night on The Intrepid
Also happening this weekend, on Friday, September 30, there’s Astronomy Night on The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, a free program aboard the historic vessel which fought in the Pacific during the ‘40s and withstood head-on attacks by Kamikaze planes and a torpedo strike. Now the massive ship docked along the west side of the island around 46th Street offers fascinating educational programming.
In addition to peering through telescopes to observe the night sky, you can design a space capsule, build a lunar lander and learn how the Earth’s atmosphere works. Plus, you can hear from Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise and former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino who will talk about Haise’s new book Never Panic Early: An Apollo 13 Astronaut's Journey, and you can buy a signed copy to take home.
The family-friendly event on Friday, September 30 runs from 5-9pm, and it’s the last Free Friday of the 2022 season. Admission first-come, first-served to attend, but you can sign up here for a reminder.