Autumn Stargazing at Pepperwood Preserve

Escape from the city lights to experience nature's autumn night sky  on Saturday, October 29, 2011, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Pepperwood Preserve.  Bing Quock and Ron Damann will guide you through a tour of the season's celestial sights, using a combination of historic and modern telescopes to view Jupiter, the Ring Nebula in Lyra, the Great Cluster in Hercules and the Andromeda Galaxy. The class is $10.00 and students can register online at http://www.pepperwoodpreserve.org.

 Bing Quock is a longtime astronomer and avid sky watcher who has been involved in astronomy education at the California Academy of Sciences' Morrison Planetarium for more than 35 years. Bing also provides night sky information to newspapers throughout the country. Ron Dammann is a member of the Fremont Peak Observatory Association and has been running stargazing events at Pepperwood with Bing Quock for many years.

Pepperwood is an ecological institute dedicated to educating, engaging, and inspiring its community through science-based conservation, leading-edge research, and multidisciplinary educational programs. Dedicated to the protection of the region's rich biodiversity represented within its 3,200 acres, Pepperwood provides unique open-space access to nature lovers, volunteers, students, and scientists from the Bay Area and beyond. The Preserve is located at 2130 Pepperwood Preserve Road, off Franz Valley Road, approximately midway between the towns of Santa Rosa and Calistoga, and adjacent to Safari West.  To find directions and more information about Pepperwood Preserve and its programs, visit http://www.pepperwoodpreserve.org.