Celebrate Earth Day and International Dark Sky Week at Cherry Springs State Park at 4639 Cherry Springs Road, Coudersport, Pa. 16915. Programs this Friday and Saturday, April 21 and 22 include laser-guided night sky tours, special Earth Day programs, and telescope viewing.

The park is 12 miles from Route 6 in Galeton via West Branch Road and 15 miles from Coudersport via Route 44.

All park programs occur in the Night Sky Public Viewing Area. Park in the gravel lot and follow the walkway next to the restrooms to the seating area. Since seating is limited, and spring nights are chilly, those attending may want to bring a chair and/or blanket.

Programs will be cancelled in the event of rain or thunder. Telescopes will not be available in the event of significant cloud-cover.

“Night Sky Tour – Goodbye Orion, Hello Planets” April 21

Friday, April 21 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. join park educators for a laser-guided tour of the sky in springtime conducted by park staff. During the “Night Sky Tour – Goodbye Orion, Hello Planets” get the last looks at Orion until fall and observe the planets Mars and Venus. Listen as staff members recount the legends and myths surrounding the mysterious patterns in the sky.

“Through Our Telescopes: Planets and Star Clusters” is Both Days

On Friday and Saturday, April 21 and 22, under the guidance of park staff and volunteers, the park will have telescopes set up from 9:30 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. for people to look through at the wonders of the springtime sky, including Mars, Venus, and maybe a few star clusters. The telescopes will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis during those 45 minutes. Members of the public may not operate park telescopes.

“Every Day Needs a Night” April 22

Saturday, April 22 is Earth Day. Bring the whole family to the park’s “Every Day Needs a Night” program for all ages. From 7 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. learn about the surprising, secret lives of migrating birds, hungry moths and well-traveled amphibians. Figure out why nighttime is so important to daytime creatures, and what we can do to help them.

“Night Sky Tour – – How Dark is Your Sky” April 22

Want to take a deeper dive into the darkness of night? Stick around for the “Night Sky Tour – How Dark is Your Sky” from 8:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. on Saturday, April 22. Experience the splendor of the dark night sky at the park while learning about participating in an ongoing, worldwide citizen science project. During this program, learn how to collect information about the night sky as part of the Globe at Night, an international citizen-science campaign to raise public awareness about the impact of light pollution. In addition to collecting information, observe the constellations through a laser-guided tour conducted by park staff.

Registration is encouraged but not required. The public may choose to register. Registered participants will receive an email if a program is cancelled or modified due to weather, etc. Optional registration opens 45 days before each program. 

At https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/cherry_springs_state_park register for park programs.

Questions? Email cherryspringsee@pa.gov or call 1-814-435-1037.