BY DAMAINE VONADA
TRAVEL OHIO
DARK SKY P. Sisto Images
DESTINATION
The sky above Observatory Park is often dark enough to catch a spectacular view of the Milky Way, and the park is a favorite spot
Stellar experiences await at Geauga County's Observatory Park
W
hen Geauga Park District Naturalist Chris Mentrek is stargazing at Observatory Park, one of his favorite sights is the Summer Triangle. “The Milky Way stripe goes right through the triangle,” says Mentrek, “and Altair, Deneb, and Vega form its corners. They’re three of the brightest stars and are also points in the constellations Aquila, Cygnus, and Lyra.” The beauty of Observatory Park is that people get to behold the wonders of the night sky without interference from artificial light. “City folks who come here are always amazed that they can see the Andromeda Galaxy or Milky Way with just their eyes because it’s a dark sky park,” says Mentrek. To detect celestial objects that are invisible to the naked eye, visitors also can access the 25.5-inch mirror reflecting telescope in the park’s Oberle Observatory. A good example is Albireo, a star in the head of Cygnus (the swan) that appears to be a single pale white dot. But it’s really two stars that are blue-green and orange in color. “You can’t tell it’s a double star until you see Albireo
30
“
The farther away from city lights a
”
place is, the darker the sky gets.
— Chris Mentrek Geauga Park District naturalist
through a telescope, so it’s always fun to look at,” says Mentrek. Opened in 2012, Observatory Park was developed to preserve the headwaters of the Cuyahoga River and to establish a dark sky park that protects a clear view of the nighttime sky by restricting light pollution. It’s located on 1,100 acres in the Geauga County countryside that Mentrek describes as “one of the darkest spots on dry land in northern Ohio.” The site is more than 30 miles east of downtown Cleveland, and with an elevation of 1,254 feet, it’s far
OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 2017
AUGUST FULL ISSUE.indd 32
7/19/17 5:13 PM