Cascade Astronomy Festival brings free astronomy events to Central Oregon

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Stargazers and astronomy enthusiasts will have several opportunities to explore the night sky this week during the Cascade Astronomy Festival.

The festival runs through Saturday, Oct. 10, with free lectures, solar and nighttime viewing events, and an astronomy swap meet.

The festival’s free lecture series begins Tuesday, Oct. 6, with “Dark Skies in Oregon: The Current Reality vs the Potential” at 6:30 p.m. The presentation will be led by Dr. Bill Kowalik of DarkSky Oregon.

Other free lectures include:

• Friday, Oct. 9 at 6:30 p.m.: “Feeling Small in a Big Cosmos” with Dr. Shane Larson
• Saturday, Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m.: “Here Comes Your Cosmic Perspective: Our New Place in the Universe” with Dr. Scott Fisher of the University of Oregon and Pine Mountain Observatory

The festival will also offer several opportunities for solar viewing. Free viewing is scheduled Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Sunriver Resort’s Backyard; Wednesday and Friday, Oct. 7 and 9, from 10 a.m. to noon in the Old Mill District; and Saturday, Oct. 10, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Central Oregon Community College behind the Coats Campus Center.

For those interested in stargazing after dark, nighttime viewing will be held Thursday, Oct. 8, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Trailhead Lodge. Another event is scheduled Saturday, Oct. 10, from 8 to 10 p.m. at the COCC Campus Track behind the Coats Campus Center. Organizers say telescopes will be available, with a constellation tour planned for 9 p.m.

The festival will wrap up Saturday with a free astronomy and space-related swap meet and marketplace from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the COCC Coats Campus Center. No registration is required for the swap meet.

While many events are free, organizers say registration is required for the festival's lectures, and tickets are available for some events.

More information, registration and tickets are available at CascadeAstronomy.org.