October is a good month to view the night sky
On a clear night, the October sky o ers a display of stars, constellations, bright planets, the beautiful Milky Way and sometimes, meteor showers. For those who have telescopes, be sure to look to the sky and see what you can nd.
That’s what happened this past Saturday when 20 people came, some as far away as Winchester, to observe the starry sky from the Rappahannock county park at a Dark Sky event sponsored by the Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection (RLEP).
Torney Van Acker, an RLEP board member, who provided this account, started o the evening by delivering a presentation titled, “Where are We?” highlighting where the park is on the dark sky map of the earth and where our planet earth is in the universe. Rappahannock is one of the least lightpolluted areas in the Eastern United States allowing for inspiring views of the night skies.
James Granahan of the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club gave the audience an overview of what would be seen in the night skies that evening. The objects included the planets Saturn and Jupiter, several globular clusters, a few galaxies, a pair of double stars, a nebula or two and three meteors. He also advertised the upcoming annular solar eclipse (“ring of re”) on Oct. 14 and the next total eclipse of the sun on April 8, 2024.
Mark your calendar for the last dark sky event for 2023 at the park on Oct. 28, at 6: 30 p. m. It will be a full moon evening with opportunities for participants to capture images of the moon through a telescope with their cellphones.
For more information on what you can do to preserve Rappahannock’s dark skies, go to rappnews. link/nsr
GAY STREET GALLERY OPENS NEW EXHIBIT
Gay Street Gallery’s newest exhibition opens Saturday, Oct. 21, with a reception with artists from 4 - 6 p.m. Beverages and refreshments will be served.
Featured in the exhibition which continues through Jan. 9:
► Jason Goldmann, who is based in Rappahannock, returns for an exhibition of his elegant, turned- wood vessels, furniture and objet d'art. The creations are a product of his own personal journey into woodworking through
understanding and learning about trees.
► Paul X. Rutz, who is based in Portland, Ore., has been preparing and painting low- relief wood sculpture- paintings, depicting a variety of subjects and scenes for his third show at the gallery.
► Kevin H. Adams, the gallery's co- founder, is a member of New York City's Salmagundi Club, the oldest association of artists in the United States, and also of The Provincetown Art Association and Museum. This show includes his most recently completed works from Virginia and Cape Cod, along with classic woodblock and other prints and some other older gems .
CELEBRATION OF LIFE
There will be a Celebration of Life for Charles and Mae Smoot on Saturday, Oct. 21, at the Washington Fire Department from 11 a. m. to 2 p. m.
BIRTHDAY WISHES GO OUT TO FRIENDS, FAMILY
Birthday wishes go out to Skip Giles, Bill Scoggin and Mike Massie of Washington who all celebrated their special day on Oct. 4. Also, belated birthday wishes to my brother, Ray Burke, who had his special day on Oct. 9.
Birthday wishes go out to my grandson, Jonathan Moore, on Oct. 15 and Troy Jackson Singleton of Hickory, N.C., on Oct. 18.
Former Mayor John Fox Sullivan will blow out his candles on Oct. 19. Ruthie Windsor-Mann will celebrate on Oct. 24. Wishes also go out to Debbie Knick and John McCaslin who will celebrate their special day on Oct. 30.
Happy anniversary wishes go out to Anne Robertson and Larry “Bud” Meyer of Long Mountain Road, who will celebrate their wedding anniversary on Oct. 22.
Have a good week and enjoy the cool weather.