Milky Way over Hecla Junction taken during a Dark Sky Photography event hosted by Friends of Browns Canyon. Photo by Carly Winchell with assistance (and a loaned lens) from Lars Leber.
Sips and Stars at the Terrace on Main offers a free opportunity for members of the public to learn about the night sky.
Aryan Mishra and Astronaut Jeffrey Ashby in Twin Lakes. Photo courtesy of Facebook.
There will be two of these events events at the Terrace (330 East Main in Buena Vista). The first begins at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, July 5, and the second starts at the same time the following day, Saturday, July 6. No end time is listed.
Astronomer Aryan Mishra will share information about the night sky. Mishra delivered a TED talk titled “Look up at the Sky!” on TEDx Delhi in December 2016.
“Space has been an unexpected and unfamiliar zone for most of us. It was the curiosity of the unknown that led me to the mystical cosmos. . . when I used to look up at the night sky I used to wonder what lies beyond the stars, the twinkle, shining moon, and dark skies,” said Mishra in the opening of the talk. In the TEDx talk, Mishra shares his story of becoming passionate about astronomy.
Mishra credited Indian-American astronaut and aerospace engineer Kalpana Chawla with inspiring his journey following in her footsteps. Chawla was the first Indian woman to fly into space. She died on the Columbia when the spacecraft was destroyed during re-entry in 2003.
“The moment I saw the breathtaking visual of the Saturn rings, the night sky seemed to have assumed a new meaning of my life,” Mishra shared during the talk of belonging to an astronomy club and getting that first look through a telescope.
Mishra and fellow student Keerti Vardhan discovered an asteroid together in a citizen science project when he was just fourteen. Since then Mishra has studied physics, mentored astronomy clubs, and founded Astrospace, a Delhi-based startup that helps schools set up labs for studying astronomy.
There will be an open bar and non-alcoholic drinks available at the event. There is no charge, but donations and tips will be accepted.