CRANBERRY, Pa. — Today, more than 80% of people in the world cannot step into their back yard, gaze at the heavens, and see the Milky Way? However, in our region we continue to be blessed with a dark night sky, where “kids” of all ages can look up and wonder about space and the universe we live in, and it’s about to get even better.
While the newly constructed Oil Region Astronomy Learning Center will not be fully complete and operational until sometime this fall, ORAS will kick off ASTROBLAST 2018 by opening the facility and telescopes for a public preview on Thursday, August 9 from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM.
The Open House will feature Tiffany Stone Wolbrecht, Planetarium Lecturer at Ward Beecher Planetarium at Youngstown State University. Ms. Wolbrecht’s talk titled “What’s Up” will take the audience on a tour of they can see in the night sky throughout the month of August.
In addition, tours of the new Observatory will be offered starting at 7:00 PM, and weather permitting, observing through the new massive 30 inch telescope will begin at 9:00 PM. Thursday evening activities are free and open to the general public. ORAS’s star party, ASTROBLAST 2018 will take place in the days that follow August 9 — 13. ASTROBLAST is open to those registered for the event.
The new facility is located 4249 Camp Coffman Rd., Cranberry, Pa. near the border of Clarion and Venango County.
For more information about ORAS and ASTROBLAST, or to get directions to the new Observatory, please visit www.oras.org.
More About the Oil Region Astronomy Learning Center
Soon, the region will have an amazing new window into the universe. Thanks to financial support from the Elizabeth S. Black Charitable Trust (PNC Bank, trustee), Thomas Keating Trust, John Nesbit Rees and Sarah Henne Rees Charitable Foundation, donation of land from local resident Rod Bedow, and contributions of materials and labor from Swartfager Welding, Inc., Third Millenium Architects, Clint Brown Sons and numerous other community members and organizations, the Oil Region Astronomy Learning Center is nearly completed.