Two nights of astronomy in Snowmass

Stars & S’mores is the astronomy portion of Science in Snowmass, a free two-day science festival presented in Snowmass Village with the Aspen Science Center. The wider weekend explores paleontology, climatology and astronomy through programs tied to Snowmass's 2010–2011 Ice Age discovery.[2]

The astronomy sessions run Friday, September 11 and Saturday, September 12, from 8:00–9:30 pm at the Snowmass Base Village Events Lawn, 73 Wood Road. Snowmass Tourism lists the sessions as free.[2]

What happens after dark

AstroTours astronomers will set up multiple professional telescopes on the Events Lawn. The organizer says the targets will depend on conditions and may include star clusters, nebulae, galaxies, double stars and planets. Astronomers will interpret what visitors are seeing, answer questions and connect telescope observing with the idea that looking farther into space also means looking farther back in time.[2]

Snowmass Tourism also lists free s’mores and hot chocolate with the astronomy sessions.[2]

Organizer astronomy listing: Snowmass Tourism — Stars & S’mores / Astronomy Session with Astro Tours[2]

Why this weekend is different

Science in Snowmass builds its program around the major Ice Age fossil discovery made during construction at Ziegler Reservoir in 2010. The festival uses that local deep-time story as a bridge into current science and the much larger timescales visible in astronomy.[3][4]

Friday programming includes school-group science activities and an evening Ice Age presentation with Denver Museum of Nature & Science scientists before the telescope session. Saturday includes Ziegler Reservoir tours and an evening climate-change panel before the second astronomy session.[3][4]

Partner cross-check: Aspen Science Center — Science in Snowmass: Ice Age Presentation[3][4]

Partner cross-check: Aspen Science Center — Science in Snowmass: Climate Change Panel[3][4]

Plan the night

  • Dates: Friday 9/11 and Saturday 9/12[3][4]
  • Astronomy: 8:00–9:30 pm both nights[3][4]
  • Location: Snowmass Base Village Events Lawn, 73 Wood Road, Snowmass Village[3][4]
  • Cost: Free[3][4]
  • Format: Come-and-go public telescope observing with AstroTours astronomers[3][4]
  • Weather: Telescope targets depend on sky conditions[3][4]
  • Extras: Free s’mores and hot chocolate are listed by the organizer[3][4]

The astronomy listing does not show a separate registration requirement. Some other Science in Snowmass activities, particularly the Ziegler Reservoir tours, do require registration, so check the organizer page if you plan to attend more than the evening telescope session.[3][4]

Current organizer listing: Snowmass Tourism — Stars & S’mores / Astronomy Session with Astro Tours[3][4]

Sources

  1. [1]

    Photo: AstroTours.org — illustrative field photograph from the AstroTours.org archive.

  2. [2]

    Snowmass Tourism — Science in Snowmass

  3. [3]

    Snowmass Tourism — Science in Snowmass

  4. [4]

    Snowmass Tourism — September in Snowmass: Science & Discovery, Music, Oktoberfest, Wine & More