TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE
for the 5th Annual Night Sky Festival September 21, 2019
for the 5th Annual Night Sky Festival September 21, 2019
Two special events
Saturday, July 20
MOON MISSIONS AND LUNAR LEGENDS
Two Programs Honor the Moon Through Science, Art, and Stories
Sky’s The Limit Observatory and Nature Center continues the Full Moon Cultural Series with a pair of events on Saturday, July 20 celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Lunar Landing and the importance of the Moon in indigenous cultures.
At 6:30 pm in the Community Services Building at 74325 Joe Davis Drive, the celebration starts with “Going to the Moon: How Did We Get There?” as local Artist Chuck Caplinger joins Astronomer Ray Yeager for a visual trip through the early days of the space program up to the Apollo 11 Moon Landing on July 20, 1969. In the early 60’s, Chuck was Art Director of Space Concepts – contracted by NASA to illustrate scenarios of space exploration. Chuck will read from his autobiography and display his illustrations.
THEN
At 8:30 pm on the Observatory stage at 9697 Utah Trail, the celebration continues with “La Luna Desvela: The Moon Reveals,” honoring Latino Conservation Week with a program in Spanish and English. Co-sponsored by the Wildlands Conservancy, Mojave Desert Land Trust, and Sky’s The Limit, the evening features Native American stories told by Blanca Villalobos, Whitewater Preserve’s Education Coordinator.
The program will close with music in Spanish, English, and Latin American indigenous languages as the moon rises. Guests are encouraged to linger under the desert night sky.
An anonymous gift makes possible these Full Moon Programs, exploring how diverse cultures understand the significance of the desert, earth, and sky. The gatherings take place on Saturdays under the bright desert moon.
Guests are urged to dress for unpredictable desert weather and bring comfortable camp chairs and water. The campus will open at 7:30 pm to allow time to explore the setting. Parking is limited, so carpooling is encouraged. A suggested donation of $10 per vehicle will help sustain this series and support these nonprofit organizations.
There are no overnight stays and NO CAMPING anywhere on the Observatory and Nature Center property. No pets, no smoking or alcohol allowed, and visitors must carry out all trash. Adults must accompany and take responsibility for the safety and behavior of children under 16.
Desert weather is very unpredictable, and this event may have to be delayed or rescheduled due to rain or excessive wind. Scheduled rain date is Sunday, June 21. Check @skysthelmit29 or follow @STL29Palms to learn the latest status of the event.
For more information visit www.skysthelimit29.org/special-events and www.mdlt.org/events.
Guests are urged to dress for unpredictable desert weather and bring comfortable camp chairs and water. The campus will open at 7:30 pm to allow time to explore the setting. Parking is limited, so carpooling is encouraged. A suggested donation of $10 per vehicle will help sustain this series and support these nonprofit organizations.
There are no overnight stays and NO CAMPING anywhere on the Observatory and Nature Center property. No pets, no smoking or alcohol allowed, and visitors must carry out all trash. Adults must accompany and take responsibility for the safety and behavior of children under 16.
Desert weather is very unpredictable, and this event may have to be delayed or rescheduled due to rain or excessive wind. Scheduled rain date is Sunday, June 21. Check @skysthelmit29 or follow @STL29Palms to learn the latest status of the event.
For more information visit www.skysthelimit29.org/special-events and www.mdlt.org/events.
SOME OF OUR PAST EVENTS:
Steve Caron Photo
TELESCOPE CLINIC
Saturday, MAY 25
4:30 – 7:30 pm
Spend a long weekend under the awesome desert sky, working with mentors to sharpen your telescope skills.
Sky’s the Limit Observatory and Nature Center offers a Telescope Clinic on Saturday, May 25.
The long Memorial Day weekend provides additional opportunities to practice on Friday and Sunday nights.
Have an old telescope gathering dust in your garage? Have a new telescope that’s challenging to set up and align? Thinking about buying a telescope and want to learn about different types?
The workshop is for people who have a new – or old – telescope they would like to use but do not know how to set it up or operate it.
Mentors will be on hand from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm on Saturday to answer questions and assist with assembly, alignment, and operation.
Help will be available on Friday night for those who have yet to take their equipment out of the box.
Newly-mentored aspiring astronomers can share their knowledge with guests at a free public Star Party from 8:45 to 10:45 on Saturday, and garner additional observing time on Sunday.
Workshop fee of $20 per person includes pizza on Saturday between the end of the Clinic and start of the Star Party. Registration is limited, so sign up early. Minimum age is 12 years.
See www.visit29.org for lodging, restaurants & attractions in Twentynine Palms and for camping options outside of Joshua Tree National Park.
Saturday, May 18 at Sky’s The Limit:
BOBBY JO JACKSON: THE REVIVAL
An Intimate Musical Revue by Thought Theatre
Sky’s The Limit Observatory and Nature Center continues the Full Moon Cultural Series with Bobby Jo Jackson: The Revival on Saturday, May 18 at 7:30 pm. The Observatory is at 9697 Utah Trail in Twentynine Palms, just outside the main (north) entrance to Joshua Tree National Park.
In August 2018 at the Hi-DeF Fringe Festival in Joshua Tree, Project Sheba presented the Thought Theatre World Premiere of the BOBBY JO JACKSON SERIES – following the life of former blues singer turned minister, Bobby Jo Jackson.
BOBBY JO JACKSON: THE REVIVAL, starring Miri Hunter, is the second installment of the series. This small, intimate musical revue is set as a tour stop for Bobby Jo as she travels the country bringing the good news about the spiritual transition that is happening on our planet. Speaking of love, connection to all things, and the importance of having our stories witnessed and our voices heard, this performance is site specific to the beautiful desert and celebrates the wonder of the full moon. The evening will include audience participation.
Miri Hunter is the Producing Artistic Director of the Hi-Desert's Thought Theatre Company and Co-Founder of the Hi Desert Fringe Festival. She spent ten years in LA doing the acting circuit and has been seen in national commercials as well as several independent films. She has several Desert Theatre League nominations to her credit for acting, writing, and producing as well as directing.
This past year, the company also won nine Hi-Desert Ovation Theatre Awards for acting, producing, and directing. She is also known in the Hi-Desert as the "frontman" for the Americana band Hunter and the Wick'd. Miri has been a resident of the Hi-Desert since 2013. In her spare time, she is an adjunct associate professor at St. Mary's College in Moraga, CA, and an adjunct Theatre Arts professor at Copper Mountain Community College.
An anonymous gift makes possible these Full Moon Programs, exploring how diverse cultures understand the significance of the desert, earth, and sky. The gatherings take place on Saturdays under the bright desert moon.
Guests are urged to dress for unpredictable desert weather and bring comfortable camp chairs and water. The campus will open at 6:30 pm to allow time to explore the setting. Parking is limited, so carpooling is encouraged. A suggested donation of $10 per vehicle will help sustain this series.
There are no overnight stays and NO CAMPING anywhere on the Observatory and Nature Center property. No pets, no smoking or alcohol allowed, and visitors must carry out all trash. Adults must accompany and take responsibility for the safety and behavior of children under 16.
Desert weather is very unpredictable, and this event may have to be delayed, rescheduled, or cancelled due to rain or excessive wind. Check @skysthelmit29 or follow
@STL29Palms to learn the latest status of an event.
For more information and to see photos taken through STL’s 14” Celestron Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope, visit the STL web site at www.skysthelimit29.org. STL is an all-volunteer tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Donations to support Sky’s The Limit’s educational programs are gratefully accepted.
BOBBY JO JACKSON: THE REVIVAL
An Intimate Musical Revue by Thought Theatre
Sky’s The Limit Observatory and Nature Center continues the Full Moon Cultural Series with Bobby Jo Jackson: The Revival on Saturday, May 18 at 7:30 pm. The Observatory is at 9697 Utah Trail in Twentynine Palms, just outside the main (north) entrance to Joshua Tree National Park.
In August 2018 at the Hi-DeF Fringe Festival in Joshua Tree, Project Sheba presented the Thought Theatre World Premiere of the BOBBY JO JACKSON SERIES – following the life of former blues singer turned minister, Bobby Jo Jackson.
BOBBY JO JACKSON: THE REVIVAL, starring Miri Hunter, is the second installment of the series. This small, intimate musical revue is set as a tour stop for Bobby Jo as she travels the country bringing the good news about the spiritual transition that is happening on our planet. Speaking of love, connection to all things, and the importance of having our stories witnessed and our voices heard, this performance is site specific to the beautiful desert and celebrates the wonder of the full moon. The evening will include audience participation.
Miri Hunter is the Producing Artistic Director of the Hi-Desert's Thought Theatre Company and Co-Founder of the Hi Desert Fringe Festival. She spent ten years in LA doing the acting circuit and has been seen in national commercials as well as several independent films. She has several Desert Theatre League nominations to her credit for acting, writing, and producing as well as directing.
This past year, the company also won nine Hi-Desert Ovation Theatre Awards for acting, producing, and directing. She is also known in the Hi-Desert as the "frontman" for the Americana band Hunter and the Wick'd. Miri has been a resident of the Hi-Desert since 2013. In her spare time, she is an adjunct associate professor at St. Mary's College in Moraga, CA, and an adjunct Theatre Arts professor at Copper Mountain Community College.
An anonymous gift makes possible these Full Moon Programs, exploring how diverse cultures understand the significance of the desert, earth, and sky. The gatherings take place on Saturdays under the bright desert moon.
Guests are urged to dress for unpredictable desert weather and bring comfortable camp chairs and water. The campus will open at 6:30 pm to allow time to explore the setting. Parking is limited, so carpooling is encouraged. A suggested donation of $10 per vehicle will help sustain this series.
There are no overnight stays and NO CAMPING anywhere on the Observatory and Nature Center property. No pets, no smoking or alcohol allowed, and visitors must carry out all trash. Adults must accompany and take responsibility for the safety and behavior of children under 16.
Desert weather is very unpredictable, and this event may have to be delayed, rescheduled, or cancelled due to rain or excessive wind. Check @skysthelmit29 or follow
@STL29Palms to learn the latest status of an event.
For more information and to see photos taken through STL’s 14” Celestron Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope, visit the STL web site at www.skysthelimit29.org. STL is an all-volunteer tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Donations to support Sky’s The Limit’s educational programs are gratefully accepted.
WILDFLOWER DISCOVERY DAYS
Extended: Tuesdays throughout April
at Sky’s The Limit
Observatory and Nature Center
Starting promptly at 9:00 am
Tuesday, April 2
Tuesday, April 9
Tuesday, April 16
Tuesday, April 23
Tuesday, April 30
Due to the popularity of the Wildflower Discovery Days in March, these free public events have been extended into April!
Come join Darrell Shade, our botanist, to discover all the wildflowers, cacti and
shrubs growing and blooming at the Nature Center.
This is an opportunity to learn about desert native plants.
Darrell will tell you all you want to know about our flora
and share their common and Latin names.
It can be fun to identify all the wildflowers that begin blooming earliest, and then watch as the others come along.
Right now, brown-eyed evening primrose, pincushion, coreopsis, dandelion and poppies are prominent. Wallace’s wooly daises, woody bottle washers, forget-me-nots, whispering bells, lacy phacelia and chicory are some of the others. Canterbury bells, desert star, purple mat and silky dalea are other beauties.
This program is free and open to the public.
Donations to support Sky's The Limit educational programs are very much appreciated!
THIS CLASS IS FILLED!
Please watch for the date & time
of the next class.
Basic Astronomy Class:
Star Parties 101
Friday, March 29th
with Dean Arvidson, Professor of Astronomy and Physics
at Los Angeles City College
Patriotic Hall – 5882 Luckie Avenue, Twentynine Palms
The class will begin at 7:15 with a one-hour overview of basic astronomy topics, including telescopes and their use, in a classroom setting. The group will then make the short trip up Utah Trail to Sky's The Limit to experience the campus under the stars and get some "hands-on" experience with a variety of telescopes. This outdoor session is open ended; participants may leave when they need to, and Dean will be happy to continue discussing telescopes or other astronomy topics and looking at the night sky as long as people are interested and not too cold!
Participants will receive a packet of information including a copy of the notes used during the classroom session, a star chart for each month of the year, a Moon map, and a Celestron brochure entitled, "How To Buy Your First Telescope."
Completing this course will make you eligible to become a volunteer docent who will be trained to use STL telescopes during our Star Parties.
The $15 class fee includes a chance to win a Celestron Firstscope, a small table-top scope, generously donated by the manufacturer.
Participants should bring water and a pen or pencil to make notes. Dress for unpredictable desert weather. In the event of rain or strong winds, the campus visit may need to be re-scheduled at a time convenient for everyone.
For more information, call (760) 490-9561
or email: contact@skysthelimit29.org
Minimum age is 12 years.
James Price – Digital Photo: Solstice Moon – December 2018
JANUARY 2019
SKY'S THE LIMIT'S FULL MOON CULTURAL SERIES
WAS LAUNCHED WITH
Salt Songs and Sky Stories
of the Nuwuvi (Southern Paiute) People
Matt Leivas, Director of the Chemehuevi Cultural Center
5:00 pm
Saturday, January 19
at Sky's The Limit Observatory & Nature Center
9697 Utah Trail, Twentynine Palms, CA
This was the first in a series of Cultural Programs
to be held under the full desert moon
Sky’s The Limit Observatory and Nature Center initiated the Full Moon Cultural Series with Salt Songs & Sky Stories of the Nuwuvi (Southern Paiute) People, led by Matt Leivas, Director of the Chemehuevi Cultural Center on Saturday, January 19 .
“The Salt Songs are an ancient song complex unique to Southern Paiute people of California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. The songs and ceremonies associated with them are highly significant cultural links, uniting contemporary people with their time of origin. They are at once healing and power songs of great importance today.”
– Preface to Where Puha Sits; Salt Songs, Power, and the Oasis of Mara
by Clifford E. Trafzer and Matthew (Matt) Hanks Leivas.
Matt Leivas is one of the leading Salt Song Singers among the Southern Paiute people. He has been a member of the Tribal Council for the Chemehuevi Tribe and is currently the Director of the Chemehuevi Cultural Center. Matt and his sisters will share Salt Songs to honor the landscape and sky of 29 Palms.
An anonymous gift makes possible these programs, exploring how diverse cultures experience the significance of the desert, earth, and sky. The gatherings will take place on Saturdays under the full desert moon.
A suggested donation of $10/car will go toward maintaining the series, recognizing the speakers, and supporting the worthy nonprofits they represent.
STL's Saturday night Star Parties when the moon is NOT full are still free and open to the public.
~
JANUARY 2019
SKY'S THE LIMIT'S FULL MOON CULTURAL SERIES
WAS LAUNCHED WITH
Salt Songs and Sky Stories
of the Nuwuvi (Southern Paiute) People
Matt Leivas, Director of the Chemehuevi Cultural Center
5:00 pm
Saturday, January 19
at Sky's The Limit Observatory & Nature Center
9697 Utah Trail, Twentynine Palms, CA
This was the first in a series of Cultural Programs
to be held under the full desert moon
Sky’s The Limit Observatory and Nature Center initiated the Full Moon Cultural Series with Salt Songs & Sky Stories of the Nuwuvi (Southern Paiute) People, led by Matt Leivas, Director of the Chemehuevi Cultural Center on Saturday, January 19 .
“The Salt Songs are an ancient song complex unique to Southern Paiute people of California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. The songs and ceremonies associated with them are highly significant cultural links, uniting contemporary people with their time of origin. They are at once healing and power songs of great importance today.”
– Preface to Where Puha Sits; Salt Songs, Power, and the Oasis of Mara
by Clifford E. Trafzer and Matthew (Matt) Hanks Leivas.
Matt Leivas is one of the leading Salt Song Singers among the Southern Paiute people. He has been a member of the Tribal Council for the Chemehuevi Tribe and is currently the Director of the Chemehuevi Cultural Center. Matt and his sisters will share Salt Songs to honor the landscape and sky of 29 Palms.
An anonymous gift makes possible these programs, exploring how diverse cultures experience the significance of the desert, earth, and sky. The gatherings will take place on Saturdays under the full desert moon.
A suggested donation of $10/car will go toward maintaining the series, recognizing the speakers, and supporting the worthy nonprofits they represent.
STL's Saturday night Star Parties when the moon is NOT full are still free and open to the public.
~
Observatory and Nature Center
9697 Utah Trail P. O. Box 1 Twentynine Palms, California 92277 760-490-9561 |
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