Public Star Party at Eagle Lake Observatory – Featured Speaker Tanya Melnik

7:00 pm – featured Speaker: Tanya Melnik – Northern Lights!

Summary: Northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, is a natural light display many of us had a chance to enjoy this year. It is an important part of tradition and identity for many northern cultures. It is one of the most recognized space weather phenomena created from interaction of solar wind with Earth’s magnetic field. Our Sun is currently very active. According to NOAA and NASA, we are at solar maximum. That means we will have plenty of opportunities to see aurora in the next couple of years. Learn the science of aurora and aurora forecasts. Become a citizen scientist and contribute to the scientific understanding of aurora. And, of course, find out how to improve your chance of seeing aurora.

Bio: Tanya dreamed of seeing the Northern lights for a long time. After several failures driven by apps and many sleepless nights, she decided it was time to learn the science of aurora and find a better way to chase it. Getting involved with the aurora chasing community was the right decision. She is an amateur space weather enthusiast who has studied the aurora and space weather in depth, which led to an invitation to present to professionals in the field at the Space Weather Workshop.  Fast forward to 2024. Tanya is currently involved with the Upper Midwest Aurora Chasers (UMAC) as one of the Admins. She also serves as an Aurorasaurus Ambassador for NASA’s Citizen Science project dedicated to the study of aurora. She has also decided to take a more formal approach to space weather education and is currently enrolled in the Space Weather and Environment Program at Millersville University. And yes, she finally saw the Northern Lights!

The Minnesota Astronomical Society (MAS) host Public Star Parties approximately every other Saturday night, from March to November, at the Eagle Lake Observatory. Public star parties are open to all, you do not need to be a MAS member to attend. Typically there is no fee to attend a star party, however donations are greatly appreciated.

During a Public Star Party, we use our array of telescope platforms to show you the wonders of the night sky. Our primary goal during a star party is to view stars, star clusters, galaxies, nebula, planets and maybe a comet or two, all observable through our telescopes. There may also be a presentation or Q&A session at a public event. Public star parties typically run from 7:00-10:00 pm, although we tend to stay later during the summer months as the summer sunset is later. Note that the Park is open daily from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm. The main gate to the park entrance automatically closes at 10:00 pm, so please plan to arrive before then.

Public Star Parties are typically all-weather events. Even if it’s cloudy someone will open the observatory for a tour, give a presentation or answer any astronomy questions you may have. If this is your first star party, or it’s been a while since you’ve been to one, please review the Public Star Party Guidelines.

Annually, we also host all day events for the Spring and Fall Astronomy Day and the annual Camping with the Stars event.  Additionally, we may schedule special events throughout the year for a unique astronomical happenings such as an eclipses, planetary oppositions, conjunctions or comets.

*Other than our Camping with the Stars (CWTS) event, registration is not required to attend an event. CWTS is also the only event there is a fee to attend, as it is coordinated through the Baylor Park offices. Call the Baylor Park Office at 952-466-5255 for CWTS registration and camping information.

Additional information as well as directions can be found on the Eagle Lake Observatory web page.

Eagle Lake Observatory         onaninfo@mnastro.org