March 5, 2018

INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE: Join members from several regional astronomical societies as they share their telescopes and introduce visitors to the night sky on Saturday, March 10, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Central Time at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore’s Kemil Beach parking lot. Stargazing programs will be offered throughout 2018 starting shortly after sunset on the second Saturday of each month.

While telescopes will be available, feel free to bring binoculars or your own telescope from home. Learn about the celestial objects of the season and the benefits of natural night darkness and dark-sky friendly lighting. Be sure to dress for cold weather as there are no indoor accommodations and the nearest restroom facility is a one-mile drive away.

This month, Sirius, Procyon, Rigel, Betelgeuse, Aldebaran, Castor, Pollux, and Capella, the brightest stars of the year, are overhead. The Great Nebula of Orion puts on a spectacular show. Star clusters in Taurus, Gemini, and Auriga are plentiful. Venus and Mercury are visible and close together at sunset.

The Kemil Beach parking lot is located on East State Park Road (300E), one mile north of U.S. Highway 12 and three miles east of State Road 49. For more information on this or other programs at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, call 219-395-1882 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/indu and our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/IndianaDun esNL.

www.nps.gov

The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is one of 417 units of the National Park System ranging from Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty. Located in Northwest Indiana, the park includes 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and 15,000 acres of biodiverse beaches, woods, prairies, and marshes. Up to 2 million visitors come to the Indiana Dunes each year.