Final Star Party at Cedar Creek and Belle Grove
Tonight is the final Star Party of the year at Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historic Park.
Viewing of the Orionid Meteor Shower will begin at 6:30 pm at their remote location on the property.
This shower will produce up to 20 meteors per hour from debris left by Comet Halley.
Telescopes will be available with Shenandoah Astronomical Society members on hand to show you how to use them.
Guests are encouraged to bring a blanket and chair to enjoy the show and keep in mind there are no bathrooms on site.
Meet at the Thoburn Redoubt Tract (stop no. 2 on the self-guided battlefield tour), owned by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation (SVBF) on Bowman’s Mill Road.
This is a remote area and the property does not have a street address. Use the following directions or set your GPS device to 38°59’55.4″N, 78°19’10.7″W.
From U.S. Highway 11 just south of Middletown, turn onto Water Plant Road.
Go 1 mile to the intersection with Long Meadow Road.
Turn right onto Long Meadow Road. Go 0.1 mile.
Turn right onto Bowman’s Mill Road. Go 1.4 miles.
The Thoburn Redoubt Tract is marked by a Civil War Trails sign and some roadside exhibits.
Turn right into the property.
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Star Party with CCBF and Belle Grove
Star Parties have returned with the National Park Service and the Shenandoah Astronomical Society.
Three meteor showers are forecast for this year’s Saturday evening dates with the first shower tonight.
The Lyrid Meteor Shower is expected to start at 8 pm tonight.
Guests are welcome to these free events which will be held at Thoburn’s Redoubt, part of the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove Historical Park.
Telescopes are provided with instruction from Astronomical Society members or you can bring your own.
The other Star Parties this summer are planned for the Perseid Meteor Shower on August 13th and the Orionid Meteor Shower on October 22nd.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.