NOTE: “Today” and “tonight” refer to Friday, Aug. 15.
PORT ANGELES — A free astronomy program with telescopes continues for two more weeks 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.
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 nightly through Wednesday night, Aug. 20, at 9:45 p.m.
■ Thursday night, Aug. 21, and nightly through Friday night, Aug. 29, at 9:30 p.m.
Telescopes to see planets
With participants sharing use of the telescopes, Goar shows the planet Saturn and its moons, other planets and stars, globular star cluster M13, the Ring Nebula and the Andromeda Galaxy.
The program at the Ridge on Saturday, Aug. 23, 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 program for that night will be 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.