More than 350 stay-at-home stargazers celebrated World Astronomy Day on May 2nd by joining a live, virtual guided tour of the nighttime sky led by Keith Caceres, president of the Las Vegas Astronomical Society.
A reinterpreted version of Skye Canyon’s already popular Skye & Stars event, Skye & Stars (Driveway Edition) was re-created as an opportunity for families to continue their love of stargazing from their driveway or backyard while participating in the event all together – yet still apart while we all continue to practice social distancing.
This new version of the beloved event featured a YouTube Live virtual guided tour where Caceres and his team shared live photos from their own powerful telescopes, focused on unique stars and constellations in that night’s sky and provided factoids for all “at home” astronomers. Some highlights of the sky tour included fun facts and information focusing on the Moon, the planet Venus and prominent constellations and stars visible in the sky on that night, including: Orion, Ursa Major (The Big Bear, containing The Big Dipper) and Ursa Minor (The Little Bear, containing The North Star and Little Dipper).
For folks wanting more, in addition to the live-streamed tour, Caceres and his team shared a recorded and more comprehensive tutorial including their Astrophotography.