Experience ‘pristine’ stargazing at astronomy park opening in Ohio
It is set to open at Hocking Hills State Park this summer
It is set to open at Hocking Hills State Park this summer
Ohio is getting a special astronomy park set to open this summer.
The John Glenn Astronomy Park is located in Hocking Hills State Park, about 2.5 hours east of Cincinnati.
The park's website says Hocking Hills is one of the few areas left in Ohio where the night sky can be seen in its "near pristine state."
“Our star-filled skies join miles and miles of trails, dense forests, stunning rock formations and rushing waterfalls to lure visitors from around the globe,” Hocking Hills Tourism Association Executive Director Karen Raymore said to WCMH. “The Tourism Association is thrilled to offer one more reason for travelers to visit the region, and a new way for them to experience a natural attraction that has long mesmerized all who visit us overnight.”
The park has an enclosed 540-square-foot observatory features a retractable roof for night sky viewing.
But the park is not just for nighttime exploration; it also offers daytime study.
The Solar Plaza will allow visitors to study the sun, Earth, the north celestial pole and more.
The plaza, 80 feet in diameter, highlights the sun’s orientation to the Earth as it changes throughout the year.
It is encircled by a low wall with notches that offer framed views of the sun on key days.
Gathering areas, open green space and parking are also featured at the Astronomy Park. Park officials said it's ideal for research, star parties, special events and general daily visitation.
For an extra special touch, Astronaut John Glenn agreed to lend his name to the park, giving it his blessing shortly before he died Dec. 8.
The park will open on the summer solstice, June 21, at 6:30 p.m.
The ceremony will kick off with a social hour, followed by an official ribbon-cutting ceremony and viewing the sunset through the summer solstice aperture in the park’s Solar Plaza.
Then, just after 9 p.m., powerful telescopes will point toward the moon and Jupiter, which will be high in the southern sky that night.