4th Annual Night Sky Festival
November 10, 2018

SOLD OUT!

Hope to see you next year!
5th Annual NSF tentatively set for September 21, 2019

Photos from 2018 are at the bottom of this page.
​Leaving this schedule up to give you some idea of Festival opportunities.
As soon as the 5th Annual NSF schedule is firmed up, you'll see it here!
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Celebrate the night skies of Joshua Tree National  Park
Plan a weekend getaway, see the Night Sky, the National Park and appreciate the Joshua Tree Gateway Communities
offering a unique blend of food, accommodations and sights you will not forget!
Tickets on Sale August 1, 2018 - NO TICKETS SOLD AT THE DOOR
Plan accommodations early! www.visit29.org
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The Night Sky Festival is a one-day fundraiser event that celebrates Joshua Tree National Park’s night sky. This annual all-day event will include morning and evening events, plus a special astrophotography workshop starting on Friday night. Saturday is a star-filled day with multiple sessions..some are pre-purchased tickets, others are free. Add-ons such as boxed lunches by Bruce's Coyote Kitchen, VIP Parking, Glow-In-The-Dark T-shirts will be available during online purchase of your tickets.
Tickets include a shuttle from Luckie Park in Twentynine Palms to Sky's The Limit. For people with disabilities, accessible transportation will be provided by contacting us at contact@skysthelimit29.org. If the event is cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control, ticket costs minus an administrative fee (not to exceed $5) will be refunded. Tickets are limited, so get yours today! NO TICKETS SOLD AT THE DOOR.

REGISTRATION & STAR-FUN
Saturday, November 10  |  8:30 am - 8:30 pm  |  Community Services Building at Luckie Park  |  74325 Joe Davis Drive
All tickets for paid events must be purchased in advance!  If you have purchased tickets in advance, you will check-in at the registration table to pick up your tickets and other important information. Registration will be at the Community Services Building at Luckie Park, Twentynine Palms. While you are there, have some star-fun at a space photo booth, plus visit the information tables for International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) and other supporting organizations.

ORRERY, NATURE/WILDERNESS TRAILS & YOUTH CRAFTS
Saturday, November 10  |  9:30 am - 12:15 pm  |  $30 per person  |  Get Tickets Now!
The morning program held at Sky's The Limit will feature several short hikes on easy trail with docents explaining the plants, animals and geology of our special environment. Youth can participate in the youth crafts group. This morning program will also have a solar telescope and explanation of the Orrery. The Orrery is a scale model of our solar system that is large enough to walk around and through. Don't forget to order your boxed lunch, glow-in-the-dark t-shirt and VIP parking which are ONLY available during pre-paid ticket registration.
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AFTERNOON ASTRONOMY PRESENTATIONS
These lectures will be held at Patriotic Hall at Luckie Park | 5882 Luckie Avenue (at Joe Davis Drive)
Keri Bean: A "How To: Guide to Exploring the Solar System
Saturday, November 10  |  FREE  |  1-2 pm
Each planet in our solar system comes with unique challenges to exploration. Learn how NASA has tackled these challenges to enrich our understanding of the universe. At JPL, Keri Bean works on two NASA missions: the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity and the Dawn mission in the main asteroid belt. Previously she has worked on other missions such as the Hubble Space Telescope and Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity. This is one of three afternoon astronomy presentations at the Night Sky Festival; admission is free and open to the public, but space is limited. 

Women's Work: Solving Astronomy's Most Monstrous Problems
Saturday, November 10  |  FREE  |  2-3 pm
Kevin Poe, Dark Ranger, describes "Mathy Maidens Solving Astronomy’s Most Monstrous Problems." In the 1880s, Harvard discovered a secret truth about the Universe that has long since been suppressed: Women are better at math than men. They are faster and make fewer errors. This is the herstory of how female minds continue to do the heavy lifting that mapped the Universe and put man on the Moon. Inspired by Frank Herbert's "Dune," Kevin had his heart set on becoming a planetologist. Since – to this day – no such profession yet exists, he had to settle for cobbling together a variety of climatology science coursework, and Utah State University was a good place to do that. Earning 2 degrees and 4 minors, he was able to join the ranks of the National Park Service where he started the Dark Ranger tradition of night sky advocacy. Kevin now works as a project manager who specializes in green energy and transportation. As a side-hustle, Kevin and his 3 sons, who all identify as astronomy entertainers, run Dark Ranger Telescope Tours. This is the second of three afternoon astronomy presentations at the Night Sky Festival; admission is free and open to the public, but space is limited.

What's in the Sky Tonight? Professor Dean Arvidson
Saturday, November 10  |  FREE  |  3-4 pm
From planets to stars to star clusters to nebulae to galaxies, the sky is filled with wonders that mankind has been observing, studying and marveling at since time began. Professor Arvidson will describe celestial marvels visible tonight such as the planets Mars and Saturn, the Andromeda Galaxy, the Double Cluster in Perseus, the Great Nebula in Orion, the Ring Nebula, Algol the demon star and Albireo, a colorful double star. Dean Arvidson has been teaching astronomy and physics at Los Angeles City College since the last time comet Hale-Bopp came through the inner part of the solar system (1996). Unlike comets – which follow predictable, elliptical orbits – during his free time, Dean follows an unpredictable, irregular orbit around Southern California attending star parties, talking about astronomy, and generally taking in the wonder and beauty of the night sky. This is the third and last afternoon astronomy presentation at the Night Sky Festival; admission is free and open to the public, but space is limited.

NIGHT SKY STAR PARTY
Saturday, November 10  |  6:00 - 10:00 pm  |  $50 (adults), $35 (under 12)  |  Get Tickets Now!
View the spectacular features of our night sky during this night-time star party through 20 telescopes with astronomers at each. You will get to view the spectacular features of our sky and have these experts explain what you are seeing...all while enjoying live music by Vikas and Native American Flute music by Jean Mueller and Rod and Julianne Miller-Boyer.
VIP PARKING available: Avoid waits, come & go as you please...purchase your VIP Parking tickets for your assigned parking spot at Sky's The Limit campus. Only 50 spaces available. (SOLD OUT!) 
All Accessible spots are free at the Luckie Park Community Center in 29 Palms. An accessible van, on an approximately 40-minute round trip schedule, will transport wheelchair users and special needs guests to the drop-off spot on the accessible route to telescopes, music, and constellation tours on Sky’s The Limit campus. VIP spots on the STL campus are not on the accessible route. They are assigned on a first-come-first-served basis, with the earliest reservations closest to the first telescope position, but still requiring a short walk. Latest reservations are assigned spots closest to the campus entry, but furthest from the activities. Wheelchair users and special needs guests may be dropped off at the accessible route by companions who will then park in their assigned VIP spot. Those companions will be able to pick up at the same spot at any time during the evening. The advantage to purchasing a VIP parking spot is maximum control over arrival and departure during the evening. Shuttle service will run approximately every 20 minutes; vans approximately every 40 minutes. Don't forget to order your boxed lunch, glow-in-the-dark t-shirt and VIP parking which are ONLY available during pre-paid ticket registration.

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
$160 per person (both sessions & light meal on Friday included)  |  SOLD OUT!!
This astrophotography workshop led by John Van Vliet, an artist photographer, is a basic photo introduction to night photography and light painting. John will have examples of his work, and explain how he achieved his results using techniques and tricks of long exposure photography and manipulation of time and light. Registration and introductory session at Patriotic Hall at Luckie Park | 5882 Luckie Avenue (at Joe Davis Drive). Must be 14 or older to participate.
Friday, November 9  |  6:30 - 10:30 pm  |  SESSION 1
Participants will be shown how to break through the barrier of thinking of fractional time exposures (used in daylight) and explore what shooting with time as well as light can do. With their own cameras, participants will be able to do a light painting showing how to get all the streaks, glows and sparkly effects. Star captures will also be discussed so you can return in the springtime to shoot the Milky Way in all its glory. Note: the Milky Way is not visible in November. This session will be held after dark at Sky's The Limit, with a short preliminary session and light meal in Patriotic Hall at Luckie Park.
Saturday, November 10  |  10:00 am to NOON  |  SESSION 2
Bring in your laptops so you can learn how to assemble modular/layered images with a computer. This session will be held at Patriotic Hall at Luckie Park in Twentynine Palms.
ATTENDEE REQUIRED EQUIPMENT:
1) CAMERA: Participants must bring their own suitable camera and know how to manually set focus, exposure time and aperture. A lens that is fairly fast is advised as well.
2) TRIPOD: This is essential!
3) LAPTOP (Session 2): Attendees who want to shoot modular images and assemble them will also need a computer with some photo editing capability such as Photoshop.
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Sponsored by Joshua Tree National Park Council for the Arts and
Sky’s The Limit Observatory & Nature Center in partnership with
Joshua Tree National Park and supported by the City of Twentynine Palms.
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80% of each ticket price is a tax-deductible contribution to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. No one is profiting from this.
The money will keep these organizations viable and able to continue to provide quality programs to the community.

Photos from 2018 Night Sky Festival by Jeanie Anderson of the San Diego Astronomy Association. Thank you, Jeanie!