Touring the Galaxy is a local public outreach event put on by volunteers at the Natural Tunnel State Park. Currently it is headed by Ray and Kate O’Connor. If you have ever been interested in amateur astronomy, or just want to spend a night under the stars learning about space and using telescopes, this would be a great event to attend.

Ray and Kate are always ready to share views through their 8 inch Dobsonian telescope, and sometimes the effort is made to bring out the 10 inch SCT telescope that the park owns. If you would like to volunteer your own equipment, feel free to bring it! Just be aware that there are often small children at these events, so if you are willing to share, you need to be aware of that. You can also bring your own telescope to use for yourself if you like.

There is plenty of room to walk, stand, or sit, so you are welcome to bring a blanket or chair to sit on when not viewing through a telescope, just be sure to be mindful of where you set up so that the area around the telescopes remains passable.

There is usually plenty of parking, that said, if you are able to carpool, that does help with controlling the amount of cars that need to be parked as well as traffic leaving the event late at night. Also note that you need to park at the bottom of the hill, especially if you come in after dark. There will be cones set up in the road leading to the Gazebo to let you know where to stop. If you have mobility issues and need to drive to the top of the hill, or if you are bringing a telescope that you don’t want to have to carry up the hill, please arrive before the event starts so you can get to the top of the hill before the Sun goes down.

The reason this is asked of you is so that we can control the amount of light on the observing field. Observers need to maintain what we call “dark adaptation”, which is a word we like to use to describe your night vision. The longer you are in the dark, them ore your eye dilate. The longer you are in the dark, the more your eyes adapt to that, but if you see any light at all, your pupils constrict and it takes another 20-30 minutes to get back what you lost. So please, be aware of car headlights, flashlights, phones, or any other device you may have that generates light. Ray will go over this again at the start of the event.

The event is held at the Gazebo, a map to which is linked below. The main map image was acquired from the park’s website and I have overlaid the path to the gazebo. If you get to the gate to the observing field before it has been opened, please be sure to leave room for Ray and Kate so that they can unlock and swing the gate open.

When you input the address for the park, the GPS will take you to the park office at the bottom of the mountain, which is labelled Start on the map.

I try to post the dates and times for these events under the Events page of this website, but you can also find it on the park’s website if I forget. You can always find the next upcoming one at the park’s Events Page. These events are subject to cancellation due to weather, so be sure to check by opening the individual event page to see if it has been cancelled a day or two before the event happens. They are usually the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month running from April to October.

I volunteer my own time and equipment at these events as often as I can, so I hope to see as many of you there as possible!