Hurricane Ridge good spot to see stars, planets

Published 8:17 pm Wednesday, July 8, 2015

PHOTO is 10astronomy

Peninsula Daily News

PORT ANGELES — A free astronomy program with telescopes continues at Hurricane Ridge, one of the best light-restricted “dark sky” sites on the North Olympic Peninsula.

Led by John Goar of the Olympic Astronomical Society, the stars-and-planets programs last about an hour.

Upcoming dates

Meet Goar at the Ridge’s visitor center, 17 miles up Hurricane Ridge Road from Port Angeles in Olympic National Park, on these dates and times:

■ Tonight and every night through Tuesday, July 14, at 11 p.m.

■ Wednesday, July 15, through Monday, July 20, at 10:45 p.m.

Saturn and moons

With participants using the telescopes, he shows the planet Saturn and its moons, other planets and stars, globular star cluster M13, the Ring Nebula and the Andromeda Galaxy.

The viewing at the Ridge on Saturday, July 18, will include a “star party” by Olympic Astronomical Society members, “who will be happy for the public to look through their telescopes,” Goar said.

If skies are cloudy, Goar’s programs are canceled.

For program status, phone the Hurricane Ridge Road hotline at 360-565-3131 after 4 p.m. the day of the program.

“Dress warmly,” said Goar, noting that the visitor center is situated at 5,242 feet.

For more information, visit www.olympictelescope.com.