ST. CLOUD, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO) -
Have you ever wanted to see the rings of Saturn with your own eyes?
Fifty telescopes of all shapes and sizes will be pointed at the stars during the 10th annual Dark Sky Festival on Saturday, February 2, 2013, in the Harmony community.
"You'll see multiple galaxies, planets, rings of Saturn," said Bill Fife, the festival's director. "We have a lot of local astronomers who come out and set up telescopes."
The Dark Sky Festival is held at Harmony's town square, because of its low light pollution.
"Harmony has low-level lighting, so you can see the stars at night. So we decided to build an astronomy- and science-based themed festival around that," Fife said.
In 2009, Harmony was recognized by the International Dark Sky Association for its efforts in protecting nature and preserving the night sky in its urban design. More than 4,000 people attended that year's event.
The festival also features food vendors, a kids' zone and two stages of entertainers, including a 6 p.m. show by MadScience.org.
The Dark Sky Festival is free and runs from 5-10 p.m. Saturday at Harmony's town square. For more information, go to DarkSkyFestival.com.
