Experience dazzling comets in an International Dark Sky Park
Kick-off the Voyageurs 2021 Star Party at the Kabetogama Visitor Center! Join us for a free, family friendly event that includes awe-inspiring ways to connect with the night sky and celebrate Voyageurs National Park's International Dark Sky Park Certification!
Event Lineup for Wednesday, August 11:
6:00 - 7:00 PM
The Wilderness Above our Heads
Join Ranger Melissa for a family-friendly program that celebrates the greatest wilderness above our heads, the sky! Melissa will take families and participants on a journey through our skies unique "ecosystems". Learn what makes Voyageurs National Park's International Dark Sky Park Certification so special and leave with a newfound appreciation for our starry skies. Meet at Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center, on the lawn by the boat dock.
7:00 - 9:30 PM
Night Sky Activity Stations
Join rangers and special guests for various activities geared toward topics that are out of this world. Come explore what makes looking up so great at Voyageurs National Park with this drop-in event. Bring bug spray and chairs for a fun-filled evening.
9:30 – Midnight
Perseid Meteor Shower Program and Telescope Viewing
Get your wishes ready. From 9:30 to 10:15 pm, join amateur astronomer and planetarium educator Bob King (Astro Bob) for an awe-inspiring presentation about the Perseid Meteor Shower. Attendees will learn how to enjoy these striking comets, what makes them so special this year, and how the wildfires are impacting our starry skies.
Afterward, you'll head outside with Bob and Park Rangers and put your new night- watching skills to the test. We will watch these meteors strike across Kabetogama Lake, enjoy planet telescope-viewing, learn about astro-photography, and take in the wilderness above our heads until midnight.
***Special Event Note*** Due to an unforeseen emergency, the originally planned program "Ojibwe Constellations Storytelling and Art" is postponed. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to offering this program at a later date.