Red Rock State Park hosted a star party on Saturday, September 8 at 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.  The event was sponsored by Keep Sedona Beautiful.  The Astronomers of Verde Valley (AVV) had their telescopes ready for visitors to view the heavens.

As we said goodbye to Jupiter low on the western horizon, the planets of Mars and Saturn sailed high in the sky in the stream of stars in the Milky Way.  The dark skies of Red Rock State Park allow visitors to easily see this stream of stars and dark dust lanes with the unaided eye.  Through the astronomers’ telescopes, the Milky Way comes alive with nebulae, open star clusters, globular star clusters, and much more.

Attendance was limited and reservations were required. A $5 program fee per person was required in addition to Red Rock State Park’s regular admission fees: $7 per adult (14 and up), $4 per youth (7-13), and free for children (0-6). Reservations were taken by calling Red Rock State Park at 928-282-6907.