Saturday is International Astronomy Day, a day set aside for astronomy enthusiasts and professionals to share their knowledge and love of outer space with the general public.
Those looking for an out-of-this-world experience can find it in Napanee, Ont. at The Museum of Lennox and Addington’s “Our Dark Skies” exhibit.
“We have a fantastic dark sky viewing area just north of the museum,” says museum curator JoAnne Himmelman. “We have active astrophotographers within that site and we wanted to tell the story of the stars.”
The breathtaking images are all local.
Local astrophotographers — or as they’re referred to in the exhibit, ‘astro-artists’ — Joe Gilker and Tim Trentadue take viewers on a heavenly trip.
“And they’ve taken some profound pictures of nebulas and galaxies and stars, the moon, the aurora,” Himmelman says. “It is just absolutely incredible what happens within space and within night when we’re sleeping.”
Twenty-six photos make up the exhibition.
“I want (viewers) to enjoy what’s around them, to take the time to really embrace the beauty of our natural history, our natural world,” says Himmelman. “To take the time to slow down and appreciate what’s around you. And to really just look up.”
The “Our Dark Skies” exhibit runs until the September 3, 2022.